Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Moscow)

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary
Location	Moscow, Moscow Region
Country	Russia
Denomination	Russian Catholic Church
History
Status	Cathedral
Founded	21 December 1911 (1911-12-21)
Events	Reconstructed by the Soviets for civil purposes
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Style	Gothic revival
Administration
Archdiocese	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Moscow
Parish	Peter and Paul parish
Clergy
Archbishop	Paolo Pezzi

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary (Russian: Собор Непорочного Зачатия Пресвятой Девы Марии Sobor Neporotschnovo Sachatiya Presvyatoj Devy Marii, in colloquial speech sometimes Костёл/Kostyol or Кирха/Kirkha – "the Catholic church") is a Neo-Gothic church in the centre of Moscow, and the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Moscow. It is the largest Catholic church in Russia, and one of only two Catholic churches in Moscow.

The construction of the cathedral was proposed by the government in 1894. Initial groundbreaking was in 1899, with building commencing in 1901 and finishing ten years later. With the help of additional funds from Catholic parishes in Russia and its neighbouring states, the cathedral was consecrated as a chapel for the Moscow's Polish parish the same year. Based on a design by architect Tomasz Bohdanowicz-Dworzecki, it was influenced by Westminster Abbey and Milan Cathedral. In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Menshevik government was overthrown by the Bolsheviks and Russia became part of the new Soviet Union. One of the communist ideologies was to promote state atheism, and the Soviet Union adopted this position, resulting in the closure of many churches. For a number of years during World War II the cathedral was facing the possibility of demolition. It was closed in 1938 by the communist government, reconstructed and used for almost 60 years for civil purposes. After a long debate between the government, the church hierarchy and the institute which had used the building since 1956, it became a church again in 1996 and was elevated to a cathedral in 2002. It was re-consecrated in 2005 after extensive renovations.

The three-aisled cathedral, built from red bricks, is home to regular church services in Russian, Polish, Korean, English, French, Spanish, Armenian and Latin as well as benefit concerts of organ and church music. The cathedral incorporates a library, the editorial office of the Russian Catholic magazine "The Catholic Messenger – The Light of the Gospel" (Russ.: "Католический вестник — Свет Евангелия") as well as the local office for the Caritas charity. Its organ, the third since the cathedral's construction, was donated by the Basel Münster. It was consecrated in 2005 and is one of the largest in Russia. The cathedral is listed at as a heritage building in the Russian Federation, and is a protected monument.

History

First construction period

The planned design by architect Tomasz Bohdanowicz-Dworzecki

At the end of the 19th century, only two Catholic cathedrals existed in Moscow: the Saint Louis des Francais church for the French population and the St. Peter and Paul for the Polish parish. The congregation for the Polish church increased to about 30,000 members, and the existing church was too small. The local council voted for a new church in 1894, following a submission of a petition to the Governor-General of Moscow. The new church was permitted, but with conditions: "the building to be away from the city centre and not near important Orthodox sacred sites". In 16 May 1895, the parish bought a 10 hectare property at Malaja Grusinskaja street, which met the conditions. In those days, the property was located on the city outskirts and was surrounded by fields and vegetable gardens. Today's heavily downsized and tower block-surrounded church is located in the Central Administrative Okrug of the megacity, just beyond the Moscow Metro's Koltsevaya Line. The purchase of the property was funded by donations, and cost at that time 10,000 ruble in gold (corresponding roughly to US$7,000,000 at current rates). In the city archives of Moscow and St. Petersburg, the purchase agreement and the full list of all donations are still preserved.

Another condition imposed by the city was, "In the light of the two existing Roman Catholic churches, the future church shall be larger, with a cross on the gable, but without spires and exterior sculptures". The building plan was produced by a Russian architect of Polish descent, Tomasz Bohdanowicz-Dworzecki, who did not follow the latter condition, but his scheme was accepted anyway. The plan provided seating for up to 5000 worshippers. The groundbreaking occured in 1899, but the actual construction work started in 1901 and lasted until 1911. The construction costed 290,000 ruble in gold (corresponds roughly to US$203,000,000). The majority of the money was given by the Polish parish. Other donations came from Catholic parishes all over Russia and from foreign countries, mainly Poland and Belarus.

The church was consecrated on 21 December 1911 as the "Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary" and had the status of the chapel in the Peter and Paul parish. The consecration received extensive coverage from the Russian and Polish daily press. The Moscow newspaper Russkoje Slowo, for example, wrote the following:

In the filthy, wretched Malaja Grusinskaja Street, forsaken by God and the city, there rose the wonderful, artistic solidity of the new Roman Catholic church, dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary. Tremendous in magnitude and height, […] the newly-built chapel left a deep impression. […] [Every detail] look impressive and eminent: there was no slightest stylistic taint visible and palpable.

— "Russkoje Slowo", December 1911,

In the years from 1911–1917, additional money was collected for the interior furnishings. The interior fitting continued until 1917. The fittings remained until the 1930s, but were relatively sparse apart from the impressive main altar. Parts of the draft plan were not even achieved: The floor was not constructed from marble as intended, but poured from plain concrete; outside there were no pinnacles on the facade. According to several sources, the pinnacles were built in 1923, but partially destroyed during World War II and partially intentionally dismantled; according to other sources, they were not completed until the renovation of the cathedral in 1999.

Closure and conversions

The dilapidated church, around 1980

The Peter and Paul parish was formally dissolved by the Communist government in 1929, and celebrating masses was forbidden. It lost the majority of its gardens in 1935, on which a school was later built in 1936, and the church was finally closed on 30 July 1938 (the St. Peter and Paul church had met the same fate nine days earlier). After its closure, the church was plundered; many items, including the main altar and the organ have been irretrievably lost. The church was used for several months as a storage place for vegetables, until it was reconstructed as a hostel. At the same time its interior was divided into four floors.

During the Battle of Moscow, the main tower's spire was removed to make it more difficult for the Luftwaffe to use it as a landmark. Shortly after war, the church lost another part of its grounds to a neighbouring residential building. After a fire in 1956 and the resulting collapse of the main tower dome, tenants moved one at a time to new buildings, while members of the research institute Mosspetspromproyekt (Rus. Мосспецпромпроект) moved one at a time into the church. At the same time it was again reconstructed. The research institute dealt primarily with project drawings of industrial facilities, but also designs for the 1980 Summer Olympics torch in Luzhniki Stadium.

In the 1960s and 70s, the building became visibly derelict. The view of the deconsecrated and dilapidated church was depressing for many people, including for Russian bard Vladimir Vysotsky, who lived from 1975 till his death 1980 in a house across the street. There were proposals by the municipality in 1976 to renovate the church house, to reconstruct it as a concert hall for organ music, or as a the general administration centre for culture. The project was suspended due to resistance by the research institute.

Return to religious use

Prayers in the temporarily adapted church (around 1993).

In 1989, a group of Catholics in Moscow, and the cultural association "The Polish House" (Rus. Дом Польский), instigated a debate concerning the repatriation of the building to the Catholic church. With the municipality's permission, the first Holy Mass for 60 years was celebrated on the church stairs during the feast of the Immaculate Conception on 8. December 1990. Several hundred people prayed during December for the return of the church. The mass was headed by Polish priest Tadeusz Pikus, who was an auxiliary bishop of archdiocese of Warsaw since 1999.

In January 1990, a group of Catholics in Moscow formally founded the parish of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary. On 13 April 1991 Pope John Paul II established together with the Apostolic constitution Providi quae the "Apostolic administration for European Russia". Its apostolic administrator, Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, issued a decree for the reconstruction of the church on 21 April 1991. With the municiaplity's permission another Mass took place, again on the stairs, during the Polish National Day on 3 May. The constitution of the parish was officially recognized in 31 May by the administration of justice of the city council. Meanwhile parts of church used by Mosspetspromproyekt were subleased to different companies.

Since 7 June 1991, masses had been celebrated in its churchyard each Sunday. In 15 July 1991 Josef Sanewski, a member of the Salesians of Don Bosco, was appointed the new parish priest. Religious education had been given regularly under the direction of the Salesian Sisters since 29 November 1991. At the same time the first charities were founded for nursing and aid to the poor. The vice-mayor of Moscow, Yury Luzhkov, signed an order in 1 February 1992, which requested a one-step delivery of the church from the institute to the Catholic parish, and its complete vacation within two years. The order was never implemented. The institute failed to carry out the the first part of the transfer as agreed. Subsequently, parish members entered the building on 2 Juli 1992, and occupied the institute's workshop. After debates with the city council, the occupied part was adjudicated to the parish and was separated from the institute's rest facilities with a wall . Masses took place regularly from then on.

The building before the renovation (mid-90s). On the banner a message is written: "Return our church!" (Верните наш храм!).

The dividing wall was removed by parish members in 7 March 1995; others started with clearing the truss. The institute called the police, OMON, for help. On the next day, another conflict with the police occured and several parish members, among them a nun, were injured. Others were arrested, among them a priest and a seminarian, but were released the next day. After those events, the Apostolic Administrator, Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, wrote an open letter to then-president Boris Yeltsin in 9. März 1995, on which he was asked to consider the situation of the church. There, it was reported, inter alia: "It seems that persecution of the church was history. Is that the case? I can't remember seeing a priest to be arrested, and I can't remember seeing a nun beaten up."

As a result, Yuri Lushkov, who was appointed as senior mayor of Moscow by Yelzin, signed a decision for the removal of the institute. The decision was made on 7 March, and arranged an evacuation of the building by the institute in the years 1995–1996. At the same time, the institute wrote to Lushkov describing the earlier events from their standpoint, and required indemnification at the parish's cost. In a meeting with Polish ambassador Stanisław Ciosek in 15 March 1995, acting mayor of Moscow, Alexander Musykantski, assured him that the return of the church would be complete by the end of the year.

In 19 March, a mass was celebrated in the reclaimed part of the church, under the direction of Nuncio John Bukowski, who delivered Pope John Paul's blessing to the parish. In a new decision dated 2 November 1995, Lushkov ordered Mosspetspromproyekt to leave the building by the year end at the latest. When the decision was still not implemented, parish members entered the institute in 2 January 1996 and began the removal. Institute director Evgeny Afanasyev called the police once again, but they did not take any action and let the believers do what they like. Subsequently, the instute director asked the parish priest for a final extension the removal date by two weeks, and Mosspetspromproyekt moved out of the building in 13 January 1996. On 2 February 1996, the Archdiocese of Mother of God at Moscow obtained official permission to use the church indefinitely.

Renovation and reconsecration

The renovated cathedral at night. The outside lighting was installed at the end of 2005.

In the early 90s, plans were made by the Office for Monument Protection to renovate the church until 1997, the 850 anniversary of Moscow. The proposal was not fulfiled due to disputes about the building. The return of the church was eventually accepted, but with the condition, that the Catholic parish should renovate the building at their cost. A commision was founded for the planned renovation in 1995, chaired by parish priest Josef Sanevski, Russian historian Stanislav Durnin and Polish building contractor and politician Grzegorz Tuderek.

In the years from 1996 to 1999, the building was renovated with the help of sponsors EnergoPol, a Polish company, and Renovabis, a German association for Roman Catholic churches. The Russian government also provided money in 1999. Workings took place initially under the direction of Polish companies PKZ and Budimex, who completely renovated facade and roof, among other things. Since September 1998, priest Andrzey Stetskevich, now vicar general of the Generalvikar of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Moscow, and Jan Tajchman, architect and restorer from Toruń, undertook the management for the workings; both had immediately previously headed the renovation of the Catholic Assumption Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The interior finish and the new altar were built after designs by Tajchman and Ukrainian, Belarussian and Russian masters. Companies in Moscow managed the complete marble work inside and outside the church. The church furniture was produced, under direction of Vladimir Mukhin, by students from the St. Petersburg renovating school. Glass paintings for the facade's rose window were made in Toruń, other church windows were produced by the Belarussian company Tolotschko from Hrodna.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was ceremoniously reopened in 12 December 1999 and was once again consecrated by the Cardinal Secretary of State of Roman Curia Angelo Cardinal Sodano. The 10th anniversary for the completion of the Apostolic Administration of European Russian began in 21 April 2001. In 11. February 2002, Pope John Paul II raised with the Apostolic Constitution Russia intra fines the administration for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Moscow and named Apostolic Administrator Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz the first archbishop and metropolitan. The Church of the Immaculate Conception achived at the same time the status as a cathedral of the archdiocese. In March 2002, members of the cathedral participated in a Rosary, which was organized by a video conference, with Catholics from several European cities, headed by John Paul II. Since reopening, many services take place daily in the cathedral. The main liturgical language for Masses is Russian, but also Polish, English, French, Spanish, Korean, Latin and Armenian (based on an Armenian Ritual). Aside from Masses, organ and church music concerts take place regularly. The entrance is mostly for free, except for selected concerts, for which people should buy tickets on the box office for a small donation. In memory of the deceased people in Smolensk, a central funeral service took place by the Polish parish in 12 April 2010.

Architecture and facilities

Close-up of the pinnacles. The pinnacle in the middle of the picture shows John Paul II's crest

The cathedral, built in a Neo-Gothical style, is a three-aisled cross-shaped Pseudobasilica. It was completely constructed from red bricks, and was not rendered outside. The 65 m long main aisle is five bays long, each of lateral arms one bay long. The tower dome above the crossing is 30 m high. The facade is based on a design of Westminster Abbey, and the tower on a design of the Milan Cathedral. Each side aisle was strenghtened by five buttresses, the entire 10 symbolize the Ten Commandments, typical for old-style church buildings. At the top of each main tower and the centred facade pinnacle, crosses were built, on two more facade pinnacles John Paul II's and archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz's crests.

Ten steps lead to the portal, the first symbolizing the Ten Commandments and the eleventh Jesus Christ. He who obeys the Commandments and teachings of Jesus will grant entry into heavens gate, which is symbolized by the portal of the cathedral. The portal is surrounded by columns and crowned by a wimperg, which gable spire is formed as a finial. The wimperg is decorated with a relief ornament, in which centre a golden monogram from the letters "VMIC" ("Virgo Maria Immaculata Concepta", latin for "Jungfrau Maria, conceived unblemished") is located. The original design by its architect provided a Star of David instead of the monogram, which is a reference to the Jewish faith of Virgin Mary. Above the wimperg there is a three-metres bright rose window, built from a light-colored stone.

Interior

The interior of the cathedral, viewed from the organ loft

There are a stone crucifix, as well as on each side on the entry a holy water bucket. Above the left side there is a brick from the Lateran Basilica, above the right side an anniversary medal from 2000. The crypt is located when moving through the door in the right wall of the vestibule, then up to the organ matroneum and finally down through the door on the left wall. In the latter one, there are a oratory, Catechism rooms as well as the office of the Caritas charity.

In the main aisle, benches are standing, while in the side aisles, confessionals. The side aisles were fitted out with benches until the closure of the church in 1938. The left side aisle was reservered for women, the right for men. Both side aisles are seperated from the main aisle by pillar files, consisting of four columns and two half columns. The columns and the roof are painted in white, while walls in cream. The floor is constructed from light and dark grey marble slabs in chequered pattern.

The 8.5-metres large windows are decorated with glass paintings. Most of them has abstract ornaments; on windows ahead the transept there are additionally crests of Apostolic Nuncios John Bukowski and Francesco Cardinal Colasuonno, respectively. The windows in the transpet are slightly bigger and have a more complex design. On the window in the right lateral arm are depicted Saint Peter and Saint Andrew, who both symbolize the Western and Eastern Catholic Church. On the window on the opposite side of the left-sided lateral arm is depicted Pope John Paul II, who is watching up to the Marian apparition of Fátima. In the nave, under the windows, are 14 reliefs in total, which depict the 14 stations of the cross.

The entry to the vestry is located at the end of the right-sided side aisle next to the choir, at the end of the left-sided side aisle the chapel for mercy of God. The tabernacle is situated on the chapel's altar. The church's main altar is faced with a dark green marble, in which pieces of relics by Saints Andrew, Zenon of Verona, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus, Cosmas, Damian and Anastasia, as well as Blessed Virgin Mary's scarf and a donation from the Diocese of Verona, are stored. The ambo, a projection coming out from the soleas, lies on the right side of the altar, which is also faced with dark green marble. Behind the altar, on the apse's wall, there is a nine-meters high stone crucifix, on it a three-metres high figure of Jesus Christ. Plaster figures depicting Holy Virgin Mary and Saint John by architect Svyatoslav Sakhlebin are located on the left and the right side of corbels. On the opposite side of the altar and above the cathedral's vestibule lies the organ loft, which had originally room for 50 choristers; a large part is occupied by the organ.

The organ

The Khun Organ in 2007

The organ, with its 74 stops, four manuals and 5563 organ pipes, is one of the biggest in Russia. Today, it is the third organ since the church's establishment. The first was lost in a 1938 pillage. After the renovation in 1999, the cathedral first received an electronic organ with 60 stops. It was donated by American charity "Aid to the Church in Russia", headed by priest Marcel Guarnizo, who received consecration as a deacon while the renovation in 1997. Today's pipe organ was donated by the evangelic-reformed Basel Münster, where it was dismantled in 2002 and transfered to Moscow, except the stop Nr. 65 principal bass 32'. The missing stop is said to be recreated in Moscow and erected in 2009; the original organ must stay in Switzerland, as the 1850 Münster belongs to the country's cultural heritage.

The organ was built in 1955 by company Orgelbau Kuhn, located in Männedorf. It was dismantled in Basel and reconstructed in Moskau by company Orgelbau Schmid from Kaufbeuren. For the transportation, organ pipes were wrapped in garments donated by people of Basel, which were later distributed to people in need in Moscow. The installation of the church was headed by Gerhard Schmid, whose personal request was to make all workings without payment. He died, however, from the affects of injuries he received when he fell from a scaffold, in 9 September 2004. His son Gunnar finished the workings.

The organ was consecrated by archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz in 16 January 2005, within the scope of a Mass with the following opening concert for the First International Festival for Organ Music. The one-month festival included several organ concerts in the cathedral. The closing concert was performed by main organist James Edward Goettsche from the St. Peter's Basilica in Vatikan.

Disposition

• Source: [1]

I Rückpositiv C–g3
13.	Musette	4′
14.	Cromorne	8′
15.	Dulzian	16′
16.	Zimbel III	1/2′
17.	Mixtur IV	1′
18.	Sesquialtera	22/3′
19.	Flote	2′
20.	Superoktave	2′
21.	Rohrflote	4′
22.	Praestant	4′
23.	Quintaden	8′
24.	Gedakt	8′
25.	Prinzipal	8′

II Hauptwerk C–g3
50.	Prinzipal	16′
51.	Quintaden	16′
52.	Prinzipal	8′
53.	Bordun	8′
54.	Offenflote	8′
55.	Oktave	4′
56.	Hohlflote	4′
57.	Gemshorn	4′
58.	Superoktave	2′
59.	Mixtur maj. V	2′
60.	Mixtur min. V	1′
61.	Kornett V	1′
62.	Bombarde	16′
63.	Trompete	8′
64.	Clairon	4′

III Oberwerk (schwellbar) C–g3
26.	Clairon	4′
27.	Oboe	8′
28.	Tromp. harm.	8′
29.	Basson	16′
30.	Scharf IV	1′
31.	Mixtur IV–V	2′
32.	Terz	3/5′
33.	Quinte	22/3′
34.	Waldflote	2′
35.	Superoktave	2′
36.	Nachthorn	4′
37.	Oktave	4′
38.	Unda maris	8′
39.	Salizional	8′
40.	Rohrflote	8′
41.	Prinzipal	8′
42.	Gedасkt	16′

IV Brustwerk (schwellbar) C–g3
1.	Schalmei	4′
2.	Regal	8′
3.	Terzzimbel III	1/5′
4.	Scharf IV	1′
5.	Sifflote	1′
6.	Larigot	11/3′
7.	Flageolet	2′
8.	Quintflote	22/3′
9.	Gedaktflote	4′
10.	Oktave	4′
11.	Gedakt	8′
12.	Suavial	8′
	Tremulant

Pedal C–g3
65.	Prinzipalbass	32′
66.	Prinzipalbass	16′
67.	Subbass	16′
68.	Gedacktbass	16′
69.	Prinzipal	8′
70.	Großterz	62/5′
71.	Spitzflote	8′
72.	Oktave	4′
73.	Flote	4′
74.	Nachthorn	2′
75.	Rauschpfeifen V	4′
76.	Acuta V	2′
77.	Posaune	16′
78.	Sordun	16′
79.	Zink	8′
80.	Dulzian	8′
81.	Klarine	4′

• Couplers: 43. BW/OW, 44. OW/HW, 45. RP/HW, 46. BW/P, 47. OW/P, 48. HW/P, 49. RP/P.
• Accessories: Database for the combination action, crescendo pedal and tutti.

Bells

The church bells

The five church bells are located on the cathedral's roof right behind arcades on the left side of the facade. They were donated by bishop Wiktor Skworc and poured by the bell foundry Felczyński in Przemyśl.

The bells are electronically actuated. The biggest weight 900 kg and bears the name "Mother of God of Fátima". Other bells are named, from the smallest to the biggest, "John Paul II.", "St. Jude" (named after the patron of archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz), "Anniversary-2000" and "St. Victor" (named after the patron of bishop Wiktor Skworc).

See also

• List of churches in Moscow

Bibliography

• O. N. Orobej, O. I. Lobov (Red.): Moskva načala veka (Москва начала века). In: Stroiteli Rossii. XX vek: antologija (Cтроители России. XX век: антология), S. 88–89. O-Master-Verlag, Moskau 2001, ISBN 5-9207-0001-7
• P. V. Sytin: Iz istorii moskovskich ulic (Из истории московских улиц), Band 3, S. 280–282. Moskau 1948; Neuauflage 2008 im Exmo-Verlag, ISBN 978-5-699-24988-6

External links

• Official website of the cathedral with historic photographs and videos Template:Ru icon
• More than 200 photographs of the cathedral; inside and outside Template:Ru icon
• A twenty-minutes TV documentary about the church, from the series "Mythen und Legenden" by TV channel Stolitsa (Столица) Template:Ru icon

Gallery

• 
  The church shortly after opening in 1911. The pinnacles on the facade were built later.
• 
  The original altar of the church, which was lost in 1938, after its closure
• 
  A view of the church.
• 
  Depiction of Saint Peter and Saint Andrew on a window in the right lateral arms. In the foreground a silhouette of a John Bosco statue
• 
  The new altar for the cathedral. Based on a design by Jan Tajchman