Description of the attraction
The Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ is the main Orthodox church in the city of Chisinau, an architectural monument of the 19th century.
The beginning of the construction of the cathedral, initiated by the Metropolitan of Bessarabia Gabriel Banulescu-Bodoni, dates back to 1830-1836. The author of the project was the architect A. Melnikov. The cathedral was built in the style of Russian classicism and has four facades, which are adjoined by porticoes with six columns and pediments each. A four-level bell tower was erected next to the temple. The interior of the temple was decorated with magnificent frescoes.
During World War II, in June 1941, the cathedral was badly destroyed by bombing, but its restoration began a few months later. In 1962, by order of the city administration, the bell tower was blown up, and the building of the Cathedral itself was transferred to the exhibition center of the USSR Ministry of Culture.
The building of the church was returned to the believers only in the early 90s, restoration and restoration of the temple began, which lasted for six long years. In 1995, the President of Moldova issued a decree "on accelerating the restoration of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ" and the next year all work was completed. Work was carried out to restore the bell tower, the cross of the Cathedral was installed and consecrated. The construction of the bell tower was completed in 1997; its appearance is somewhat different from the original construction. The restoration of the interior decoration and decoration of the cathedral continues to this day.
Today the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ is the main and one of the most visited churches of the Chisinau diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.
