Annunciation Cathedral of Voronezh

Voronezh’s Annunciation Cathedral is a beautiful Orthodox church of the city, which has become a real decoration of its historical center. The Annunciation Cathedral is one of the largest Russian cathedrals, as well as one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals in the world. During church services it can accommodate up to six thousand people at a time. The tall building dominates the rest of Voronezh’s built-up area and can be seen from different parts of the city.

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Video: On the Bell Tower of the Annunciation Cathedral

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Highlights

The Annunciation Cathedral in Voronezh does not have a long history. It was built from 1998 to 2009 and was named in honor of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Mitrofanovsky Monastery, which was lost during the Great Patriotic War. True, the old cathedral stood in a different place. It was located near the Koltsovsky square, where nowadays rises the main building of the city university.

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The cathedral was built by architect Vladimir Petrovich Shevelev in the traditions of the Russian-Byzantine style, which appeared in domestic architecture at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. It has its own features and does not resemble the lost Annunciation Cathedral of the Mitrofanovsky Monastery.

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In front of the temple is a monument to the first archbishop of Voronezh – Mitrofan, rising to a height of 8.5 meters. Its author is sculptor I. P. Dikunov. St. Mitrofan was one of the ascetics of the Orthodox Church in Russia and in the time of Peter the Great consecrated the first Russian ships. The bronze sculpture of the clergyman is surrounded by small figures of four angels, and the relics of the saint are now kept inside the temple.

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In addition to this monument in the square of the Annunciation Cathedral in Voronezh can be seen granite slabs dedicated to the Voronezh residents who eliminated the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a stone in honor of those who tested nuclear weapons, as well as a memorial sign of the regiment formed from volunteers – residents of the city in 1941.

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History of the construction of the Annunciation Cathedral

The Pervomaysky Garden, a green zone popular with the citizens, bounded by Friedrich Engels Street, Feoktistova Street and Revolution Avenue, was chosen to house the huge temple. The foundation stone of the future building was laid on August 28, 1998, the day when believers celebrate the Orthodox holiday of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The solemn event of the Annunciation Cathedral gathered many Voronezh residents, as well as representatives of the city government and church hierarchs.

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Two years later, the heads of the temple under construction were decorated with crosses made of stainless steel with a titanium coating. In the summer of 2001, the builders mounted the huge dome of the central cathedral chapter, which is 18 meters wide and 16 meters high.

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In the spring of 2002 on the cathedral bell tower appeared a huge bell weighing 6 tons, cast at the bell foundry in Voronezh. Bells of this size produce a low sound and are called “blagovesti”. By December 2003, the lower church or crypt was completely ready, and its consecration took place.

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The first service in the Annunciation Cathedral took place in April 2004, and the first church service in the upper part of the temple took place in early November 2009. Since that time, services have been held here every day.

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The Annunciation Cathedral in Voronezh was opened on December 6, 2009. The appearance of a huge temple in the city was a significant event for everyone, and the celebrations on this occasion lasted two days. About 10 thousand Voronezh citizens and residents of Voronezh region participated in the celebration. The days were cold, so for all who came to the new temple, a field kitchen worked, where everyone was fed porridge and served hot tea.

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Architectural features and interior

The temple building rises 85 meters and its highest point reaches 97 meters. Voronezh’s Annunciation Cathedral is considered the sixth highest cathedral in Russia and is second only to Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior, St. Isaac’s and Smolny cathedrals in St. Petersburg, Khabarovsk’s Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral, and Alexander Nevsky Novoyarmark Cathedral in Nizhny Novgorod.

The Annunciation Cathedral is divided into upper and lower temples and is externally very similar to the Vladimir Cathedral of Voronezh, which was destroyed in 1931. That lost temple was erected in the city in honor of the 900th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia, designed by one of the followers of the famous Russian architect Konstantin Andreyevich Ton.

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Cross-shaped in plan, the cathedral has a large two-light volume of the upper part, which is completed by a strict pentahedron. The high temple bell tower is covered by a flat Greek dome.

Located inside the three-row iconostasis looks very elegant. It is decorated with graceful carvings, gilding, as well as plates of Pamir lapis lazuli. In addition to picturesque icons, in the Annunciation Cathedral you can see mosaics made in the form of author’s copies of mosaic images of St. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople.

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Annunciation Cathedral today

The Annunciation Cathedral in Voronezh is a functioning Orthodox church, the doors of which are open to everyone daily from 7.00 to 19.00. Divine services are held here twice a day. For the children of parishioners at the temple there is a Sunday school, with classes on Saturdays and Sundays. For parents there is also a training course on the basics of the Orthodox faith.

For groups of pilgrims and tourists, the temple offers tours where you can learn the details of the construction of the Annunciation Cathedral and get acquainted with its architectural features.

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How to get there

The Annunciation Cathedral in Voronezh stands in the Central district of the city, at 18A Revolution Avenue. From the city railway station (station “Voronezh-1”) along Mira Street to the temple is not difficult to walk (650 m). You can also approach the cathedral by buses and route maxi (stop “Pervomaysky Garden”).

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