Ufa Cathedral

For other uses, see Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos.

54°43′38″N 55°58′25″E / 54.72722°N 55.97365°E / 54.72722; 55.97365

The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos is the largest Orthodox church in Ufa, Bashkortostan. It has been the seat of the Bishops of Ufa since May 2016.[1]

The azure-walled parish church with five golden domes was built between 1901 and 1909 on the site chosen by Bishop Antony. Its construction was financed by local merchants, notably Nikifor Patokin.[2] Its most striking feature is the 47-metre-tall pagoda-like belltower which used to dominate the city's skyline.

In 1919, the Bolsheviks had the church converted into a hospital. After the domes were torn down, the building was used as a cinema.[2] The Russian Orthodox Church reclaimed the property in 1991. Restoration works took 15 years and involved a new set of frescos for the interior. A bust of poet Denis Davydov was placed in the church garden in 2004.[2]

  1. ^ "Патриарх Кирилл сменил кафедральный собор Уфы". 5 June 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "История — Кафедральный собор Рождества Пресвятой Богородицы, г. Уфа". Archived from the original on 2018-08-11. Retrieved 2018-08-11.