Cathedral of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Dormition Cathedral)

Dormition Cathedral in Smolensk is a unique structure with a rich history. This is a truly praying temple, because its history is already 10 centuries. Dormition Cathedral rises on the Sobornaya Hill and as if floating above the city. The temple is active. It is also valuable as a magnificent monument of Baroque architecture.

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Video: Assumption Cathedral in Smolensk

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Highlights

If you ask a resident of Smolensk, what is the most beautiful place in the city that travelers should definitely visit, everyone will answer – it is the Assumption Cathedral. Its full name is the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The marvelous beauty of the structure delights with its festive decoration in the style of Old Russian architecture and European Baroque. The five-domed tender-blue building with golden domes with Orthodox crosses crowning it stands on the high Sobornaya Hill above the Dnieper valley. It is one of the highest temples in Russia: its height up to the crosses reaches 70 meters. The architecture of the Smolensk Cathedral is similar to similar churches of the Dormition of the Mother of God. The windows are arranged in two tiers: the lower ones are in the form of arches, the upper ones are round. On the western facade there is an icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary and especially honored Smolensk saints.

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Having inscribed ourselves with the cross, let us enter this shrine. Here the spirit is breathtaking from the splendor of the interior. The five-tiered iconostasis is decorated with gilded patterned carving, in which one can guess sunflower flowers, leaves of grapes, oak and maple. The bishop’s pulpit is similarly decorated.

The peculiarity of the interior decoration of the Cathedral of the Assumption is also created with the help of many wooden figures, among which there are many sculptures of birds. For example, above the Royal Gate is a wooden figure of a pelican, a bird that is able to feed its chicks with its own flesh. It symbolically echoes the image of Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself for the sake of humanity.

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History of the Cathedral of the Assumption

The history of the Smolensk Holy Dormition Cathedral goes back centuries.

‘ Smolensk and Suzdal, commanded to erect churches in these cities in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was a grandiose plan: for the first time on the Smolensk land was built a cathedral of stone. The icon of the Virgin Mary Hodegetria, which belonged to the mother of the Old Russian prince, was placed in the temple. This holy icon has not survived to our days, in 1941 during the war, it disappeared without a trace. But the temple exhibits a similar icon of the Mother of God of Smolensk, dating back to the XVII century.

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Already in the XII century grandson of Vladimir Monomakh Rostislav Mstislavich at the temple was established Smolensk diocese. He also did much to complete the construction and completion of the Assumption Cathedral. And the original stone temple would have stood until our time, if not for the invasion of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the XVII century. The defenders of the city held the defense for two years, but in the end they were forced to retreat, having exploded the last ammunition stored in the basement of one of the houses next to the cathedral. As a result, part of the building was severely destroyed.

With some interruptions, the restoration of the cathedral continued from the end of the 17th century. In 1840 the construction of the building was completed. In the same period of time, a team of wood carvers carried out the iconostasis, and icon painters painted the interior in the style of the Baroque, which was fashionable in Europe and characterized by a special festivity.

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That’s when the five-domed beautiful temple rose above the Dnieper! It was so majestic that even the enemies who came to the land of Smolensk, did not raise a hand to destroy it. The cathedral survived Napoleon’s invasion in 1812, and during the Nazi occupation in 1941. During the Soviet years, the Holy Dormition Cathedral housed an antireligious museum.

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Today, the Smolensk Cathedral is a functioning church, where regular services are held.

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What to see

In addition to viewing the exterior of the Smolensk Cathedral with its adjoining buildings and the mesmerizing spectacle of interior decoration, striking in its luxury, no one leaves the temple without getting acquainted with at least three shrines.

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‘ Smolensk by Boris Godunov. Even from the school history course, as well as from Leo Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace, everyone remembers how, on the eve of the Battle of Borodino, a general prayer service was organized, when all the people knelt before the Smolensk icon, which strengthened the faith in the victory of the Russian soldiers.

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2. In the left part of the temple is the Shroud of the Coffin, which in 1561 was embroidered by the craftswomen of the gold embroidery workshops.

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3. Another ancient shrine is the sandals of St. Mercury of Smolensk. The warrior Mercury in 1239 defeated a detachment of Mongol-Tatars south of Smolensk, but he himself died in battle. The relics of St. Mercury and his armor were laid in the Cathedral of the Assumption, only the sandals have survived.

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You can walk around the cathedral for a long time, studying in detail every element of the decor, admiring the skill of the architect, carvers, icon painters. The 30-meter iconostasis alone, consisting of 5 tiers, stuns the imagination.

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Rules of behavior in the temple

Despite the fact that the Smolensk Holy Dormition Cathedral has become a place of pilgrimage for tourists, a certain order should be observed in the temple. You should not come here in shorts and miniskirts. Women need to cover their heads with a scarf or any other headdress. It is not customary to talk loudly in the temple. If you want to place candles or order a prayer service, it is quite possible to do it as in any other church. Treat the Orthodox shrine with respect.

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The temple is open for pilgrims from 6:00 to 19:00 in the evening. You can find out about the schedule of services by phone: +7 (4812) 38-12-62 or 38-07-57.

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Where to stay

Smolensk is a city with a rich history. You’ll probably want to not only visit the Uspensky Cathedral, but also get to know the other sights of the city. For those who will stay in Smolensk for a few days, we can suggest several hotels located in the area of the cathedral:

  • pilgrimage house “On Sobornaya Gora” (there are double and triple rooms);
  • Respect Hotel (single rooms and suites are available);
  • Small Hotel (the most inexpensive rooms);
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Touch the high spiritual culture, visit the Smolensk Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God! Impressions will remain in your memory for a long time.

How to get there

Smolensk is a regional center in the center of Russia. Getting here is not difficult: there are good rail and bus connections. For example, from Moscow, the city is at a distance of 400 km. If you decide to go by train, then take into account that trains come here from Belorussky railway station, travel time – 5 hours. About the same time you can get here by car.

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Arriving at the train station, use the shuttle bus 34H to the stop “Green Brook or № 10 and 41 to the stop “Tukhachevsky Street”. Then you should walk for about 10 minutes to Sobornaya Gora. Dormition Cathedral will be visible from afar.

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