Dormition Cathedral, London facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and All Saints |
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The façade of the cathedral
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Cathedral |
| Leadership | archbishop: Matthew (Andreev), priest: Maxim Mitrofanov, Joseph Skinner deacon: Vadim Santsevich |
| Location | |
| Location | 67 Ennismore Gardens, Knightsbridge, London SW7 1NH |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural style | Lombard architecture |
The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and All Saints is a very important church in London, England. It's the main church for the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Sourozh. This beautiful building is used for church services and important meetings. It's located in Knightsbridge, a well-known part of London.
The front of the church looks a lot like the Basilica of San Zeno, Verona in Verona, Italy. This design was added in 1891. Inside, the church still looks much like it did when it was first built. The original architect was Lewis Vulliamy.
Contents
History of the Cathedral
From Anglican to Orthodox
The building was first built as an Anglican Church (a type of Christian church) between 1848 and 1849. It was named All Saints. The architect, Lewis Vulliamy, wanted to build it in a special style called Lombard architecture. This style was different from the usual Gothic architecture popular at the time. However, he couldn't build everything he planned because there wasn't enough money.
The church was officially opened in July 1849. It became a local church for a large area around Hyde Park, London. In 1860, another architect, Robert Lewis Roumieu, finished building the bell tower. It stands 36.5 meters tall.
Later, in 1891 and 1892, the front of the church was changed. It was made to look very similar to the famous Basilica of St Zeno in Verona, Italy. The inside decorations were done by different artists over time. The current designs, including special wall art called sgraffito and stained glass windows, were created by Heywood Sumner.
In 1924, a house for the church's priest was built next to the church. It's known as 66 Ennismore Gardens, Church House.
Becoming a Russian Orthodox Church
In 1955, the Anglican church was no longer needed for its original purpose. So, the building was offered for use by the Russian Orthodox faith. A special group had been set up in 1944 to help with this. The building was then officially opened as an Orthodox Church in December 1956. It was dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God.
In 1978, the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Sourozh bought the church. They did this without money from the main church in Moscow. Over the years, many people from different countries started attending the church. This made the church community very diverse.
Around 2006, some of the church leaders and members decided to leave the main church group. This led to a disagreement over who should control the Cathedral. In 2009, a court decided that the Cathedral should remain with the original Russian Orthodox group, based on the rules set up in 1944.
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