St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St. Theodosius Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Собор Святого Феодосия (Russian)
St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Religion
Affiliation	Orthodox Church in America formerly Russian Orthodox
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Active
Year consecrated	20 July 1913 (1913-07-20)
Location
Location	733 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Architecture
Architect(s)	Frederick C. Baird
Architectural type	Church
Groundbreaking	1911 (1911)
Construction cost	$70,000
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Official name: St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral
Designated	January 18, 1974
Reference no.	74001453

St. Theodosius Cathedral is a beautiful Eastern Orthodox church in Cleveland, Ohio. It's located in the Tremont neighborhood. Many people think it's one of the best examples of Russian church design in the United States. Because of its special architecture, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This cathedral was the first Eastern Orthodox church in Cleveland. Today, it's part of the Orthodox Church in America. You might even recognize it from famous movies! It appeared in the 1978 film The Deer Hunter and in the opening credits of Major League.

About St. Theodosius

The cathedral is named after Theodosius of Chernigov, a saint from long ago. He was born in the 1630s in a place called Podolia. He became a monk and was named Theodosius. He later became a priest and led several monasteries.

In 1692, he became an archbishop in Moscow. Saint Theodosius passed away on February 5, 1696. He was buried in a cathedral in Chernigov.

History of the Cathedral

Early Beginnings

The St. Theodosius church community started in Cleveland in 1896. It was founded by immigrants from a region called Carpatho-Ruthenia. These families came from Eastern Europe to American cities. They were originally part of a different church group, but many decided to join the Russian Orthodox Church. This happened in many places across the U.S. and helped form the Orthodox Church in America we know today.

The first church building was a simple wooden structure built in 1896. The Russian Missionary Fund, supported by Tsar Nicholas II, even helped with money. In 1902, the church bought a former convent building. They sold parts of the land to church members to raise money for a new church.

Building the Current Cathedral

The church you see today is the third building for the parish. It was finished in 1913 and cost about $70,000. A bishop named Alexander (Nemolovsky) officially dedicated it on July 20, 1913.

In 1909, the church bought land for a cemetery in Brooklyn, a Cleveland suburb. There was a barn on the property where monks from St. Theodosius would teach Russian to children who lived far away.

Changes Over Time

Big changes in Russia, like the Russian Revolution in 1917, affected the Russian Orthodox Church around the world. Many people who left Russia during this time came to Cleveland and joined St. Theodosius. One of the church's longtime pastors, Father Jason Kappanadze, was among them.

The cathedral hosted important meetings called "Sobors" in 1919, 1934, and 1946. These meetings helped shape the future of the Orthodox Church in America. In 1946, the church decided to separate from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.

Since the late 1950s, church services have been held in both Church Slavonic and English. Today, the main Sunday service is mostly in English, with some parts in Slavonic.

A Landmark Building

On January 18, 1974, St. Theodosius Cathedral was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was also named a Cleveland Landmark.

The cathedral became even more famous when it was used for the wedding scene in the 1977 movie The Deer Hunter. The church's own priest, Father Stephen Kopestonsky, even played the priest in the movie! It also appeared in an episode of the TV show Route 66 in 1961.

In May 2024, the cathedral had a fire because of a roofing accident. As a result, the main dome was temporarily removed in June 2024. The cathedral is currently being repaired and restored.

Cathedral Architecture

Another view of the cathedral

The cathedral is built in a style called Neo-Byzantine. This is a type of Russian church architecture. It has one large, four medium, and eight small copper onion domes. These domes are special because they represent Christ and the twelve apostles.

Many people consider St. Theodosius to be one of the best examples of Russian church architecture in the U.S. The architect, Frederick C. Baird, based his design on pictures of the original Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia.

Inside the cathedral, there is a special screen called an iconostasis. This screen separates the altar area from where the church members sit. It holds many beautiful icons that were brought from Russia:

• At the very top, there is a Crucifix with the Blessed Virgin Mary and John the Baptist.
• The top row of icons shows the Twelve Apostles around an icon of the Holy Trinity.
• The middle row has smaller icons of various saints, with an icon of the Last Supper above the Royal Doors.
• The bottom row (from left to right) includes icons of Saint Nicholas, Archangel Michael, the Mother of God, the Royal Doors, the Savior, Archangel Gabriel, and Saint Theodosius of Chernigov.

In 1953, the church hired a famous Russian artist named Andrej Bicenko to paint murals. One of these murals even includes a picture of Father Jason Kappanadze, one of the cathedral's important pastors.

Leadership

See also

In Spanish: Catedral de San Teodosio para niños