Description of the attraction
St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral lifts its onion domes on Manhattan's 97th Street - compared to other quiet, tree-lined cathedrals. The most real Russian church in New York looks somewhat unusual.
Orthodoxy in America has more than two centuries of history: back in 1794, the monks of the Valaam Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery established the first Orthodox mission on Kodiak Island to preach the Gospel among the inhabitants of Alaska. The chair of the Aleutian diocese was located in San Francisco, then in New York. The first Orthodox parish was founded here in 1870. At the end of the 19th century, when the flow of immigrants from Russia to the United States increased, the local small house church ceased to accommodate believers, and in 1899 a specially established committee bought a plot of land in Manhattan for a new church (it cost 72 thousand Russian rubles then).
The design of the cathedral, which can accommodate 900 worshipers, was developed by New York architect John Bergesen. In 1900, fundraising for construction began, the cost of which was estimated at 57 thousand dollars or 114 thousand rubles. Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II gave the highest permission for fundraising, he also made the first contribution - five thousand gold rubles. Father John of Kronstadt, revered by the people, donated 200 rubles and on the first page of a book specially set up for this he wrote: "Bless, Lord, this book and the work for which these donations are requested."
In Russia, parishioners donated their rings, bracelets, and necklaces to build a temple for distant New York. However, it was not possible to collect the required amount. Then, in 1901, on the day of the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, a collection of donations was announced in all the churches of Russia. Funding for the project has been secured.
The laying of the cornerstone of the cathedral was accompanied by a procession along Second Avenue. The houses were decorated with American and Russian flags. Among the thousands of believers were sailors and officers of the battleship Retvizan laid down in Philadelphia, who contributed to the construction. Now in the cathedral is the altar cross from the battleship, rescued by the team before the Japanese captured the ship in Port Arthur.
In 1902, the first divine service was held in the erected church. In 1905 the cathedral became a cathedral and took over the mission of the spiritual center of Orthodoxy in North America.
The building of the cathedral is made in the style of baroque Moscow churches of the 17th century. The load-bearing walls are red-brick with carved limestone trim; the temple is decorated with five onion domes. Inside, the walls and high vaulted ceilings are covered with colorful frescoes. The altar barrier is generously decorated with gold: the cathedral has many wealthy donors.
