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Top 10 Remarkable Facts about Saint Sophia Cathedral

The Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom of God or better known as Saint Sophia Cathedral in Harbin is a former Russian Orthodox church located in the central district of , , , China.

1. Was built after the completion of the trans-Siberian railway

Trans-Siberian in 1900- Author; Jules Beau- Wikimedia

St. Sophia Orthodox Cathedral was built in 1907 after the completion of the in 1903, which connected to northeast China.

The Russian No.4 Army Division arrived in this region just after Russia’s loss to the Japanese in the (1904–1905).

St. Sophia Church was built and completed of timber in March, 1907 as part of a plan to reconsolidate the confidence of the army by building an imposing spiritual symbol.

2. Was renovated from 1923 to 1932

Present day Saint Sophia Cathedral- Author; lienyuan lee- Wikimedia

In 1921, Harbin had a population of 300,000, including 100,000 Russians. The church was expanded and renovated from September 23, 1923, when a ceremony was held to celebrate the laying of the cornerstone, to its completion on November 25, 1932, after nine years.

The present-day St. Sophia Church was hailed as a monumental work of art and the largest Orthodox church in the Far East.

According to Harbin municipal religious and Daoli district archives, Fotiy Huo Desheng was the ninth rector of St. Sophia Church of Harbin.

3. Saint Sophia is considered as a perfect example of Russian revival architecture

Saint Sophia Cathedral, Harbin- Author; Enming Yan- Wikimedia

The ornate Christ the Savior Cathedral in Birky, Ukraine, was the inspiration for the St. Sophia Cathedral in Harbin.

The church is located on the corner of Toulong Street (Toulong Jie) and Zhaolin Street. It stands at 53.3 meters tall, occupies an area of 721 square meters, and is the perfect example of .

The main structure is laid out like a cross with the main hall topped with a huge green tipped dome. Under the bright sun, the church and the square area it stands on look quite like in Moscow.

4. Saint Sophia was closed during the great leap forward and cultural revolution period in China

During cultural revolution in China- Author; Tsering Dorje- Wikimedia

Following the People’s Republic of China (PRC) establishment in mainland China in 1949 by the victorious Communists, who ended all Christian missionary work, treaties were signed between the Soviet and Chinese governments that provided for the turning over of Russian churches to Chinese control.

The cathedral was thus closed from the period of the (1958–61) through the period (1966–76).

5. Restored again following its recognition as a national cultural heritage site

Following its designation in 1996 as a national cultural heritage site (First class Preserved Building), a newspaper article about the “hidden” cathedral prompted donations from locals to restore the church.

Local corporations, individual businesses as well as workers from nearby department stores donated money to restore the cathedral and renovate the square.

A total of 12,000,000 yuan ($1.5 million US) was eventually gathered and the cathedral regained its visibility in 1997, as the surrounding buildings were torn down.

A new “Harbin Architecture Square” conspicuously highlighted the cathedral with a huge new fountain at its entrance.

The European-looking space was assigned a new meaning as the embodiment of culture and art and was re-presented to the public as the proud heritage of the city.

6. Is the most intact architecture in China

Author; Enming Yan- Wikimedia

Covering about 721 square meters with a height of 53.35 meters, St. Sophia is a typical architecture of Byzantine as well as the most intact architectural style in China.

The church was beautifully designed and decorated both in exterior and interior and was listed in the Key Cultural Relics under state protection in 1996.

A half a year later, it was repaired by the government to be an art gallery, displaying the history, current situation and future of this famous cultural city of Harbin with over 1000 pictures.

7. The details of its architecture are quite a phenomenon

Saint Sophia Cathedral- Author; lienyuan lee- Wikimedia

The splendid church is designed to be a cross-shape in the east-west direction and its walls are covered by red bricks.

It is a master-slave layout that a big green Byzantine spherical pinnacle commands four smaller tent-shaped pinnacles in typical Russian style. There are four floors and each is accessible by a door in the four respective directions.

The top part of the main entrance is the bell tower houses 7 bells of totally different sizes and tones, the biggest one of which was moulded by bell metal with a diameter of 1.425 meter and weight in 1.8 ton.

In the middle of the bell, there are four saints. On every major feast day in the past, the well-trained bellman would tie the ropes of the 7 mallets to different parts of his hands and feet to play musical progressions.

It is said that the clangs can resound to the skies and people even at dozens of kilometres away can hear them

8. Despite its damage during war and time, it remains to be spectacular

Author; Enming Yan- Wikimedia

Though the interior decorations and gorgeous Russian painted murals were damaged because of wars and time, the architecture is still beautiful and spectacular as it used to be.

The government has refurbished it and new murals were readorned depicting the architectural history of the Harbin community.

9. Was turned into an art museum and municipal architecture in 1997

Image by Sergey Gorbachev from Pixabay

As of 1997, the cathedral was turned into the Municipal Architecture and Art Museum (Harbin Architectural Art Gallery), showcasing the multi-cultural architectural developments of Harbin throughout the ages.

At the official ceremony on September 2, 1997, to celebrate the restoration of Hagia Sophia Cathedral, Mayor Wang Guangdao underlined the cultural and economic benefits expected from the project:

“The restoration of Hagia Sophia Cathedral inspired the people of Harbin, raised the level of our culture, let the whole of China and foreign friends know China, and opened a way for faster economic development.”

The restoration was the culmination of the Harbin municipal government’s attempt to turn the city’s colonial-era structures into a tourist attractions by restoring and granting them landmark status.

The restored structures are said to have signified civilization () and culture ().

10. Saint Sophia is the largest orthodox church in China’s far East

Saint Sophia Cathedral Harbin- Author; Tlrmq- Wikimedia

Saint Sophia Cathedral, is the largest Eastern Orthodox church in the far east with more than 112 year’s history.

It is also the most finely protected Byzantine architecture in China. Although it is no longer served as a church but Harbin Architecture Art Gallery, it still attracts many visitors with its beautiful exotic architecture.

While the main dome and bell tower are the traditional “green onion head” tent roofs of Russia, and the walls are all made of red bricks, Saint Sophia Cathedral is a highly unusual looking building to non-Russians.

The cathedral covers an area of 721 square meters and is the perfect example of Neo-Byzantine architecture.