Location London, England Phone +44 20 7584 0096 | Website www.sourozh.org Ecclesiastical or organizational status Cathedral | |
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Affiliation Russian Orthodox Church(Moscow Patriarchate) Address 67 Ennis Gardens, Knightsbridge, London SW7 1NH, UK Similar Russian Orthodox Church, Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, St Sophia's Cathedral - London, All Saints - Camden Town, Birmingham Orthodox Cathedral Profiles | ||
The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and All Saints is Grade II* listed cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Sourozh, which is the Moscow Patriarchate's diocese for the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. The cathedral is located in Ennismore Gardens, Knightsbridge, London, England. It houses the administrative apparatus of the diocese.
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The church was built in 1848-49, and the architect was Lewis Vulliamy. The western facade is a very close copy of the facade of the Basilica of St. Zeno, Bishop of Verona, in Verona, Italy. This similarity has only existed since the reconstruction in 1891.
History
The building of the cathedral was built in 1849 as the Anglican Church of All Saints.
Architect Lewis Vulliamy proposed to build a church in Lombard style instead of the conventional Gothic style. However, the full project could not be realized due to financial reasons. Consecration of the church took place in July 1849. It became a parish, with the boundaries of Kensington Palace Gardens to Albert Gate. The parish had about 5,000 people.
In 1860, architect R. L. Roumieu completed the construction of the bell tower on the basis of the draft prepared by Vallyami. The bell tower height was 36.5 meters.
During the reconstruction in the years 1891-1892, the western facade acquired the appearance that has survived to the present day: this is a very close copy of the Basilica of St. Zeno of Verona in Italy.
The first attempt at interior decoration was by Thomas R. Spence, but the sgraffito and stained glass windows that have survived are the work of Heywood Sumner.
In 1924, a house for church's priest was built nearby. It's now at 66 Ennismore Gardens.
In 1955, the Anglican parish was merged with another, and the Church of the Holy Trinity on Prince Consort Road became the new parish church.
The Church of All Saints was given to the use of the Russian Orthodox parish. The building was consecrated as an Orthodox Church in December 1956 in honour of the Dormition of the Mother of God.
In 1978, it was purchased by the Sourozh diocese, without any funds being solicited or accepted from the Moscow Patriarchate. Over time, up to the death of Metropolitan Anthony in 2003, the parish developed into a multinational one.
In 2006, a substantial part of the clergy and laity, headed by Bishop Basil (Osborne), the Administrator of the Diocese, decided to leave the Moscow Patriarchate. In June 2007 the Parish Council of the Cathedral voted to place the Cathedral under the Episcopal Vicariate headed by Bishop Basil. This was challenged by the Moscow Patriarchate and in 2009 the High Court decided, on the construction of the 1944 Trust Deed of the Cathedral, that it should remain with the adherents of the Moscow Patriarchate.