Description of the attraction
In the central part of Orenburg, above the private sector, rises a red-brick church in the name of the Apostle John the Theologian, built and consecrated in 1902. The construction of the temple was carried out with donations from Archpriest S. Semyonov, collegiate registrar I. S. Istomin and parishioners. At first, the building had two functions: as a church for divine services and a women's parish school. But in 1905, at the request of the parishioners, the school was transferred to another building, and a wooden belfry was erected on the territory of the church. In the 1930s, the temple was closed and the belfry was broken. The small refectory, converted with a horizontal ceiling, turned into a two-tier room and was used by the ministers of culture and art until the beginning of the nineties.
In 1996, after the transfer of the diocese building, restoration work began in the church. In 2002, the temple was re-consecrated by the Archbishop of Orenburg Valentin, but the reconstruction of the building and the improvement of the adjacent territory continued. In 2007, a new stone belfry was built with a cross towering over the city and the bells were consecrated. The restoration of the remaining fragments of the church murals (similar to the murals in the Cathedral of the Savior in Moscow) continued until 2009.
Nowadays, the Church of St. John the Theologian appears to parishioners in almost its original form and is used for its intended purpose, being an Orthodox and historical landmark of the city of Orenburg.
