Holy Virgin Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holy Virgin Cathedral |
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as seen from Geary Boulevard (2018)
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia |
| District | Richmond |
| Region | United States |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Cathedral |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location |
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| State | California |
 Location in San Francisco County
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| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Oleg N. Ivanitsky |
| Founder | John of Shanghai and San Francisco |
| Groundbreaking | 1961 |
| Completed | 1965 |
| Direction of façade | South |
The Holy Virgin Cathedral is a beautiful Russian Orthodox church in San Francisco. It's also known as the Joy of All Who Sorrow Cathedral. This special church is in the Richmond District of San Francisco. It is the biggest of the six main churches of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. This church group has more than 400 churches around the world. The Holy Virgin Cathedral is the main church for the San Francisco and Western America area.
Contents
History of the Cathedral
Early Russian Presence in California
Russian people first settled in California at Fort Ross in 1812. This was a long time ago! The first Russian Orthodox church in San Francisco started on June 2, 1927. An earlier Holy Virgin Cathedral was located on Fulton Street. That old building is still there today. It was named a special San Francisco Landmark on May 3, 1970.
Building the Current Cathedral
The current Holy Virgin Cathedral is at 6219 Geary Boulevard. It is in the Richmond District. This area is famous for its Russian restaurants and shops. The most noticeable Russian building there is this amazing cathedral.
A very important person named St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco started this church. His birth name was Mikhail Maximovitch. The first work on the church began on June 25, 1961. The building was finished in 1965. The cathedral was officially opened and blessed on January 31, 1977. St. John passed away in 1966. He is buried inside the cathedral.
Amazing Architecture
The cathedral was designed by an architect named Oleg N. Ivanitsky. It has five special onion domes on top. These domes are covered in real gold leaf, which is 24 carat gold. This makes them shine brightly!
The inside of the church is incredibly beautiful. It is filled with many icons, which are religious paintings. There are also beautiful mosaics. A huge chandelier lights up the whole space. You can see this beauty if you attend church services or visit on special days.
The mosaic artwork on the outside of the building was created by Alfonso Pardiñas. His company, Byzantine Mosaics, did this detailed work.
Leaders and Programs
The main leader of the cathedral is Kyrill (Dmitrieff). He is the Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America. The archbishop grew up in San Francisco. He also went to the University of San Francisco.
The cathedral runs a school for kids from kindergarten to 12th grade. It is called the Saint John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy. They also have a bookstore. Plus, they provide housing for senior citizens.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de la Santa Virgen (San Francisco) para niños
