The city of Sochi is known as the largest resort on the Black Sea coast of Russia and the capital of the 2014 Winter Olympics. But not everyone knows that over 180 years of the city's existence, more than 30 churches and temples, as well as 2 monasteries, were built in it. There are always many tourists here. For many vacationers in Sochi, temples are attractions. But there are people who come to the city for treatment. It is important for them to be able to light a candle for the he alth of their loved ones or a safe return home and venerate unique icons.
Where you can pray in Sochi
During the preparations for the 2014 Olympics, active construction began, due to which the population of the city increased. The arrival of a large number of athletes and guests of the Olympics from different countries was also expected. In this regard, the construction of religious buildings in Sochi began. Temples built during this period belong to different religious denominations.
The Orthodox community owns about 40 churches and chapels, the women's Trinity St. George Monastery and the men's monastery of the Holy Cross Hermitage.
About 1.5 thousand residents of the city are adherents of the Roman Catholic faith and spendservices in the church of the Apostles Simon and Fadey. Adherents of the Armenian Church also live in the city. They have 4 churches and the Apostolic Armenian Church at their disposal. In addition to these churches and cathedrals, there are 10 prayer houses in the city belonging to the Protestant community, and Muslim services are held in the mosque in the mountainous village of Tkhagapsh and the cathedral mosque in Bytkha.
Cathedral of Michael the Archangel - a memory of the end of the Caucasian War
In 1838 the city of Sochi was founded. Temples began to be erected in it in 1874. The first of these was the Cathedral of Michael the Archangel, built by order of Michael Romanov on the occasion of the end of the war in the Caucasus. Construction continued until 1890, the consecration took place in 1891. The church is located in the center of Sochi and is very popular among Orthodox believers.
It operated until 1931, after which services ceased and it was turned into a warehouse. During the war years, the cathedral was returned to the church, after which it was rebuilt, and in 1990 they completed a complete reconstruction, giving it its original appearance. The temple, together with the bell tower, rises to 34 meters, its length is 25.6 m. Near the cathedral, the baptismal of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God and the Sunday school of Saints Cyril and Methodius were built.
Church of the Holy Prince Vladimir
On Grape Street there is the Church of Prince Vladimir. Sochi is a city where many cathedrals look very impressive. This can be said about the Temple of Prince Vladimir, which was built in honor of the Baptist of Russia. Its almost mystical meaning is very great forcities. In terms of external design, the temple is close to St. Basil's Cathedral. The walls of the building are decorated with bright decorative details in green, blue and red, conveying the cheerful character of the church. The domes are helmet-shaped and trimmed with gold, the facade is decorated with mosaic icons and colored paintings.
The Church of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir was built from 2005 to 2011. After the construction was completed, it was consecrated by the Metropolitan of Yekaterinodar and Kuban. Despite the fact that the church was built quite recently, its significance is very great for the Orthodox religion.
Temple of the Image Not Made by Hands - Olympic Cathedral in Sochi
The Temple Not Made by Hands (Sochi) was popularly called the Olympic Temple because it was erected near the Olympic Park. In 2010, a road leading to future sports facilities was under construction in the city. During the excavations, the ruins of the Byzantine basilica of the 9th century were discovered, then it was decided to build a new church instead. The stone from the ruins of the basilica was consecrated in August 2012 and laid in the foundation of the future church. A year and a half later, a church was erected in a deserted place in accordance with Byzantine traditions. The consecration of the temple and the first divine service took place in early February 2014.
The height of the Temple of the Holy Image is 43 meters, the domes are finished with gold leaf, the walls inside are painted with frescoes in the style of the artist Vasnetsov. About 40 leading artists participated in the wall paintingRussia. In the center of the vault is the figure of the Savior surrounded by seraphim. The temple has a large conference room, and a shelter for clergy has been built in the park.
Khostinsky Temple of the Transfiguration
Khosta is one of the districts of the city. Since the founding of Sochi, temples have not been built in it. This caused inconvenience to the population of the village. At the beginning of the last century, in this area there was a dacha of one of the ministers of tsarist Russia, I. G. Shcheglovitova. At the initiative of his wife, a board of trustees was organized in the village with the aim of building an Orthodox church. Maria Feodorovna was engaged in fundraising and received 4,000 rubles in gold from Emperor Nicholas II for the construction of the church. The project was entrusted to the local architect V. A. Jonah, who took as a basis the architecture of the Jerusalem Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
The Temple of the Transfiguration (Sochi) was built and consecrated in 1914. Divine services were held there until 1917. After the October Revolution, the church was closed. It stood for so many years, until in 1981 an automatic telephone exchange was opened in the building. A little later, an Orthodox community was organized in Khost, which held services in a small extension to the building. In 2001, the temple was returned to the Orthodox Church. Now it contains fragments of the relics of the apostles Peter and Thomas, as well as the Moscow Patriarch Tikhon.
Despite the fact that anti-church sentiments are still strong among the population, more and more residents of Sochi believe in the help of higher powers and visit churches and cathedrals of the city.
