Bryanskaya Nikolaevskaya church

The Bryanskaya Nikolaevskaya church was built in 1913-1915. It is also referred to as ‘Bryansky Sobor’ (Bryansky Cathedral). The architect was Georgy Turovets from Poltava and the interior design was done by Evstafy Konstantinovich from Saint Petersburg.

At the western edge of Ekaterinoslav (City Dnipro) in a worker’s village, the Factory Nikolaevskaya Church was built with lightning speed; all together it took 28 months to finish it. The church was known, however, by the name of ‘Bryanskaya’, because of its location; the Bryanskaya Colony.

The church has five domes and a three-storey bell tower. With its size and splendor, the church could easily compete with the main temples of Ekaterinoslav, the Transfiguration, the Assumption and the Troitsky churches.

At the beginning of 1915, construction of the church was completed. The Saint Nikolaev temple was solemnly consecrated by Bishop Agapit (Vishnevsky), the Bishop of Yekaterinoslav and Mariupol. This event became significant for the Ekaterinoslav region. St. Nicholas Church became one of the most beautiful architectural structures of the city at the beginning of the 20th century.

On the 8th of February 1929, the church was closed. Between 1941 and 1961 the church again open, but in 1961 the church was again closed and was given to the government. In 1979, thanks to numerous requests of the public and the department of Culture, the building of the church was put on the list of architectural monuments, protected by the state.

On the 22nd of June 1982, the executive committee decided to transform the church building, after restoration, into an organ and chamber music hall. Restorations began the same year, under supervision of architect O.G. Popova from Dnepropetrovsk. The restorations continued until May of 1986.
Major repairs on the outside and on the inside of the church completely changed it. The interior was decorated with new wall paintings by the artists V. Danilova and S. Isaeva. In 1988, the ‘House of organ an chamber music’ was opened. It still exists today. The company Sauer from Frankfurt-am-Oder installed the 12 ton organ with 30 registers. This organ is on the list of Unesco world heritage.

Saint Nicholas Church

In Misto Dnipro, on Monastery Island also known as Komsomolsky, an Orthodox temple of the Moscow Patriarchate was erected in honor of St. Nicholas in 1999. The building became the winner of the "Symbol of the Dnipro-2010" contest. The winning building would become architectural symbol of the city.

Legend has it, that once there was a monastery on the site of St. Nicholas, built by Byzantine monks in 870. That is why the island is also called "Monastery Island". It is said, that Princess Olga (ruler at the time) was sheltering from the weather in this monastery in 957.

Today on the island stands the Church of St. Nicholas. In 1996 the decision was made to build the church. The construction was under supervision of Archpriest Igor Sobka. The design was done by architect Igor Sayenko, and after one year the icon of St. Nicholas was brought from the city of Bari, Italy, where it was painted.

On May 22, 1999, the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Church of St. Nicholas, and in October the solemn opening of the temple took place. Today St. Nicholas Shrine surprises guests with its simplicity and charme. "The church is built in accordance with ancient traditions and it emphasizes the spirituality inherent in Orthodox architecture," said Igor Sayenko.

Transfiguration Cathedral

The Transfiguration Cathedral in Dnipropetrovsk is one of the cathedrals of the Dnipropetrovsk Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Its construction was completed in 1835.

The largest building of the era of classicism in Ekaterinoslav (Misto Dnipro) was an architectural monument of national significance. The rich history of events was reflected in this cathedral. For a period of time there was no worship within its walls, but there was the Museum of Religion and Atheism. In 1992, the work began to restore its pristine character. In 2008, the main bell was installed.

Temple of John the Baptist

The construction of the Temple of St. John the Baptist on the Dnipro River started in 2007. The 30-meter high temple building is made in the shape of a Greek cross, crowned with a large bronze sculpture of John the Baptist. The statue was consecrated by the ‘Most Blessed Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine’ in 2010. The bell tower of the temple has 16 bells, controlled by a computer. The Temple of John the Baptist is one of the most beautiful monuments of the religious architecture in Dnipropetrovsk.

Golden Rose Synagogue

The Choral Synagogue ‘Golden Rose’ is one of the notable landmarks of Misto Dnipro. Its real name is ‘Turee Zahav’. It is connected with the fact that the author of the ritual codex David Halevi often prayed here, and eventually it was decided to name the synagogue in honor of his work. But this name was forgotten; the synagoge was called ‘Tours Reiles’, which means ‘Golden Rose’.

The synagogue was built in 1852, and in 1929 a stage box was added to the building. The project was designed by architect A. Dolnik and the brothers Prokuratov. In the construction of the frame a lot of metal was used, that could serve as a reliable foundation for mounting the granite. In 2000, the synagogue was reconstructed, after which it opened its doors to parishioners. By the end of 2002 the creation of the Holocaust museum was completed, which was later added to the choral synagogue.

In the summer of 2010 it was closed for the repair of the prayer hall. On September 1, 2011, an updated synagogue opened, but various finishing works in this part of the building still continue. The first service takes place at the celebration of Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year).

Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God 'Iverska'

This temple stands in a quiet, picturesque place; in the depths of a pine forest, so here you can enjoy not only the beauty of the temple, but also relax in the fresh forest air.

Despite the fact that the temple was built quite recently (1998), it is very popular among townspeople and tourists. It is a beautiful red brick building with a marble altar and white marble throne. It has marble columns, the ceiling and walls have gold decorations and the iconostasis is beautiful. In this temple you can see unique and priceless shrines, painted by icon painters from the holy Mount Athos.

On the premisis of the temple there are more things to visit: the Fountain of Faith, Hope, Love, the ‘Golden Gate’ (a small temple); the Park of Angels; Laurie Park and Noah's Ark, and the Baisin for baptism. There is also a children's playground and guarded car park next to the complex.

Temple of St. George the Victor

The temple of St. George the Victor was erected in memory of the murdered employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In 2001, leaders of the local militia and Archbishop Iryney laid the foundation. Inside the temple holy relics of the Great Martyr George are kept, which were brought from Archbishop’s Iryney native town of Lodu in Israel.

Saint George the Victor is considered to be the patron saint of the belligerent. The temple didn’t get this name accidentally. It was erected in memory of the employees of Internal Affairs. At the base of the temple there is a memorial plaque with the inscription: "The Temple of St. Martyrs and the Heydar of the Dnipropetrovsk Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Built in 2001 in memory of the fallen officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the Dnipropetrovsk region by voluntary donations of police officers, employees of enterprises, institutions and organizations and residents of the Dnipropetrovsk region."
In front of the altar on the wall are two memorial plaques with the names of those employees.

Temple of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Volodymyr

The Church of the Holy Prince Vladimir began with organizing a Sunday school. Every Sunday there are classes for adults and children.

For a long time there were no churches or temples carrying the name of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Volodymyr in Dnipro City. It was Prince Volodymyr who brought the Orthodox faith to Kiev Rus’. But there was a community organized in his name with the blessing of Bishop Irynei. This was registered on June 3, 1997.

For a short period of time, a temporary temple was installed on the premises of a former kindergarten, where the first Divine Liturgy was held on the day of the Holy Trinity, the 30th of May 1999. Over time, with the growth of the community, the main temple was built.

According to experts, on the site of the temple there used to be a cemetery, indicated on a map of the area from 1915. Before the revolution on such cemeteries there always was a chapel or temple. Based on this information, we can conclude that there used to be a temple here.
This chapel or temple was destroyed in the 1920s, as could be seen by brichwork, found in a dug out trench. The bricks were stamped with the inscription ‘Katerynoslavsky brick factory in 1876’.

Nowadays, on every Sunday there is study of God’s Law, liturgy, dogmatics, as well as classes for church singing, hagiography and egg painting. The icon shop has a good selection of Orthodox literature.

The temple is located on 4, Petrovsky Avenue. Services are held on Friday at 14:00, on Saturday at 7:00 and 14:00, and on Sundays at 7:00.

Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Catherine

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Catherine was built in 1866 funded by the community and by donations. The new church was built in the early Gothic style, and its appearance was complemented by details in the late Baroque style.

During its existence, the church had survived a lot of things. It was repeatedly closed by the city authorities and then again restored by the community. The abandoned building had been empty for years. At one time, it served as an archive and a library of foreign books.
In 1990, the building was transferred to the Dnipropetrovsk Association ‘Renaissance’. They did major reconstruction, restoring the building to its original look. The recovery plan was developed by the architects from Dnipropetrovsk and from Munich.

Today, the interior of the small church is luxurious. It has a beautiful altar with a crucifix, beautiful icons, graceful sculptures of saints and valuable books. The most impressive are the scenes from the gospel life, which are skillfully painted on the ceilings and walls of the church.

The Evangelical Lutheran community is the only one in Ukraine that was able to preserve and extend the traditions of the church of the 16th century. Here are morning and evening prayers, worship, youth meetings, Sunday school and there is alsl a German language group.

St. Nicholas Church (in Novy Kodak)

The St. Nicholas Church is one of the oldest temples in Dnipro City. It was built in 1810, replacing a wooden church, that was there in the settlement of Novy Kodak since the year 1650. The site was sanctified by Protopriest John Stanislavsky, dean of the Ekaterinslav County, in 1807. A cross was placed under the foundations of the new church.

St. Nicholas Church is a two-altar church, the central altar in honor of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Worker (celebration on December 19th) and the other altar in honor of St. Nicholas, Seraphim of Sarov (celebration on January 15th).

In 2010, the St. Nicholas Church celebrated its 200th anniversary. For this occasion the work on the interior and the exterior of the building was fully completed.

The clergy consists of four priests and two deacons. Rector of the church since 2004 is Mitred Protopriest Anatoly (Rozvadovsky). Two choirs take part in the services in the church. There is a Sunday school for adults and children. On the patronal days a festive divine service is held, led by the ruling bishop.
The church takes care of the 11th city, regional hospital, gives aid to orphanages, homes for the elderly, and prisons. The church is open daily from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., and on days of worship from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Tikhvinsky monastery

The Holy Tikhvin monastery is a complex consisting of several buildings, among which is a church and a Sunday school. The temple, built according to the Christian canon, is located on a quiet hill in the city, away from the noisy streets.

The Holy Tikhvin monastery has an unusual history. Its roots date back to the middle of the 19th century, when the postulant Feofania came to Ekaterinoslav (name of Dnipro City at the time). She had dedicated her life to Christianity and was travelling through the Russian Empire helping the needy (sick people, orphans and the crippled). In the 1860's, she came to Ekaterinoslav to cure a sick girl. That attracted the attention of the townspeople. Such sincere selflessness caused great sympathy among the merchants of the city. They voiced the desire to create a whole monastery for educating women with such Christian qualities. In 1866, 90 acres of land were purchased, including the already existing buildings, for the monastery for women. The territory was a well-tended dacha with various gardens, green hills and a piece of forest.
In our time, these lands have changed significantly: some parts were handed out during the Soviet period and some were converted to a modern monastic complex (in the 1990s).

The most important sacred object is the Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God. It was brought to Ekaterinoslav from the monastery in the city of Tikhvin in 1866, just before the foundation of the maiden monastery. It was kept there until the early 1900s, when the monastery was closed (as were dozens of other religious institutions). The icon was kept at home by a nun of Gennady, who was later appointed as the main postulant. In addition, the monastery has relics of the holy Apostle Andrew, which were given to the monastery for its anniversary.

The Holy Three-bishops church

This church is considered to be one of the oldest temples in the region. It was erected in the district of Amur-Nizhnedneprovsky in Dnipro City. Among the new high-rise buildings and residential buildings, the central golden dome of the main temple rises up.

In 2012, the temple celebrated its 110th anniversary. In 1902, it was solemnly consecrated in honor of the great saints Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom and Basil the Great. The temple was built thanks to the efforts of the owner and workers of a car-repair garage. The place where construction of the church began, started with that garage.

After the October Revolution up to 1937, the churches and temples in the city were closed, and this church was no exception. The upper part of the dome and the cross were destroyed, and the building became a warehouse. In 1941, the Nazi regime did not stop the services to resume in church. And from that time the church again served as a church.
In the year 2000, the children's Sunday school opened. Consecrated on May 7th, 2005, the bell tower was built at the same time as the building for the Sunday school. Also, the central dome was restored. It was replaced with a golden one with a cross. The shape has a pre-revolutionary look. 2010-2011 are marked by the change in the outside appearance of the church. It was made oblong, reminiscent of a ship. The bell tower survived the restoration and has now a blue dome with golden stars, symbolizing the sky.

The temple holds many old icons, a unique Gospel from 1784 and the Shroud of the Savior from 1781. Ckose to the altar on the right hand side is an ark with pieces of 40 relics of revered saints. In the altar are yet another eleven relics.

Temple in honor of the icon of the Mother of God

This memorial temple was erected in memory of the victims of an explosion in an apartment building. The temple is called ‘In sorrows and sadness there is consolation’. The temple has seven bells cast at the Donetsk metallurgical plant. The biggest bell weighs 400 kilograms. At the church is also a memorial plaque, reminding people about why this church was built.

On October 13, 2007 on Mandrykivska Street, there was a gas explosion in a building. 23 people lost their lives. Here also stands a monument for the victims: a bronze stele, a meter and a half tall, depicting two angels holding the body of the deceased youth. Written on a granite plate are the names of those who died in this tragedy.

Temple of St. Andrew the First-Called

The new temple complex consists of the central Andreevsky church, a chapel, a Sunday school building and a belfry. There is also an Orthodox library and regular services for schoolchildren from the nearby district. Lonely elderly people and the poor can get a free warm lunch at the church.

Holy Protection Church

1791 is considered to be the year when construction began of a church for the inhabitants of the village of Tarom. In 1794 the temple was finished. In 1890 there was a fire and three years later, in 1894, restorations began and the first parochial school was opened. October 1905 the building was completely restored. In 1936 it was closed and turned into a granary. At the 300th anniversary of Tarom the reconstructions of the Protection Church began. These were completed in 2005. Today you can admire the restored temple with its bright blue walls.

The church was consecrated on November 4, 1794. The architecture of the church has been done very beautifully. The church is poor in terms of antiquities, but it has two church-liturgical books and sacred icons. ‘The Protection of the Mother of God’ is the most important icon of the church. She is the favorite icon of the Zaporozhian Cossacks. There is no other church or monastery built in her honor. The icon depicts the Virgin, standing with elongated hands, holding the blanket (omophor). It is believed that the Mother of God protects everyone who honors her.

Holy Cross Temple

The Holy Cross Orthodox Church, located in the village of Dyivka, is one of the oldest churches in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Construction started in 1803. The interior was painted in the 1870's. In 1903, a two-tier bell tower, a brick perimeter wall and a forged gate were built. During its existence, the walls of the temple have survived many historical events.

Temple of Holy Annunciation

The Holy Annunciation Church has the status of ‘architectural monument of local importance’ in Dnipro City. It was built in 1896 on the western outskirts of Yekaterinoslav (name of Dnipro City at the time). Until 1920 the church was named after Alexander Nevsky.

On the site of the then Alexander Nevsky Chapel, which was located on Gypsy Square, holy relics were placed under the foundation of the future temple, thus consecrating the territory. Thanks to the voluntary donations of many city residents the church could be constructed. The consecration of the church took place on the day of Saint Prince Alexander Nevsky. Since 1933, the temple was under Nazi occupation and didn’t work for 10 years, serving as a warehouse. In 1943, the dilapidated church was restored and services were being held again. Since 1944, the parishioners have been actively rebuilding the temple.

The Holy Annunciation Church is one of the best examples of neo-Russian style, built by the architect N.V. Sultanov. The interior decoration of the church consists of an iconostasis and artistic wall paintings.

Holy Trinity Cathedral

The Orthodox Cathedral was built in the 19th. Throughout the 19th century it was called the Trinity Church, and then later it got the name Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit.

Holy Trinity Cathedral is built on the site where first there was the church in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. This was a small wooden church, consecrated January 15, 1791, that collapsed after 40 years. Merchants of the city sought assistance from the architects Ludwig Charlemagne-Bode and Peter Visconti from St. Petersburg.

The ground under the new temple was consecrated in 1837. In 1862 the construction of the bell tower began, which became the highest construction in Ekaterinoslav at that time. At the end of the 19th century, the buildings of the church and the bell tower were interconnected. Later, the houses of the clergy and parish schools were built. In the late 1900s, major repairs were done in the temple.

After the Soviet occupation, after the Transfiguration of the Savior Cathedral closed, the chair of the ruling bishop moved here. The bishopric house is located next door, on Red Street (Chervony Vulitsa). Its first inhabitant was the lord Agapit.

In the 1930s, during the USSR’s campaign against religion, the cathedral was closed. The building served as a warehouse for animal food. During this period, the walls of the temple were cut for the construction of tiers-decks. Differences in temperature and mud did great damage to the interior of the cathedral, especially to the paintings.

Church services resumed in 1941, after the occupation by German troops. In 1943, when the city was under the control of Soviet troops, Archpriest Vladimir Kapustinsky, dean of the church, died. On October 27, 1943, two days after the liberation of Dnepropetrovsk, proto-deacon Hilarion was shot in the courtyard. His grave is located on the premises of the cathedral.

Since 1944 the church has been restored and repaired. About the same time, the reorganization of the Dnipropetrovsk diocese took place, and the cathedral became the residence of the ruling bishop. The higher status of the cathedral allowed for the capital restoration, that began in 1956.

In the cathedral there are shrines: the icon of the Holy Trinity with a fragment of the Mamvrean oak, the icon "Weeping the Savior", the icon of the Mother of God "Iverskaya", "Kazan", "Worthy Is" and "Samara", two cross-relics with parts of bones venerated in Orthodoxy. Among the relics are the iconostasis of the Kazan church and the tomb from the St. Nicholas Cathedral (Bryansk).

There are daily services, and rites are performed. On holidays there are two services in the morning: at 7:00 and 9:00 hours. On Sundays during the evening service there is the reading of the akathist, and on Saturdays anointing is done by the ruling bishop.

On the other side of the square stands the building of the Dnepropetrovsk Diocese of the Ukrainian Pravoslavic Churches.

Church of St. Joseph

In 1877, a new building appeared on the central Avenue of Ekaterinoslav, which became a decoration of the city - a Roman Catholic church. Now the specialists call it unique for the whole of the east of Ukraine. The temple was painted with frescoes, some of which have survived to our time, including inscriptions on the walls made in Polish. The project of the temple was done by A. Brodnicki and P. Merkulov. Built in the Neo-Gothic style, using elements of the Romanesque style, and in the interior - two powerful pointed arches. The consecration of the church in the name of St. Joseph happened in 1878. In the early twentieth century there were so many Roman Catholics that the church could not accommodate all the parishioners. Expansion of the church was needed and so it was done. In 1905 a solemn consecration of the church was held, conducted by Bishop Ordinary Bishop Joseph Alois Kessler.

On July 30, 1948, the regional council handed the church building over to an executive committee. This decision was made because the building wasn’t getting the proper repairs. At first the building housed a library, then on February 12, 1949 it was converted into a sports hall. In 1984, the church was handed over to the management of sports lotteries. In the 1990s, the Ukrainian Society of Sports Lotteries "Nika" and the information center "Ukraine" were placed here.

The Roman Catholic parish of Dnipro City was registered in March 1992. The question of returning the church was raised, and the parish corresponded with the city council on this matter. The regional council sold the church to a private company. This was done illegally, contrary to the Decree of the President of Ukraine 1997 "On measures for the return of religious property to religious organizations" and the order "On the return of religious property to religious organizations". The building of the church was resold repeatedly to private companies. The Roman Catholic church was the subject of many years of litigation and negotiations at various levels. The matter of its return was also a matter for Pope John Paul II in 2001 during his visit to Ukraine.

In the summer of 2007, the Firm tried to remodel the church for a different purpose, partially destroyed its roof and vaults, after which rain damaged the walls of the building. This act was met with an active protest by Roman Catholics, who together with the priests decided to defend the church. Almost a month (July 2007), 24-hour prayers took place near the church, in which believers from not only Dnipro City, but also from other cities of Ukraine took part. Even after round-the-clock actions on the central avenue of the city had finished, the church services were held in front of the building on Wednesdays and Sundays, and from January 25, 2009 all Masses were held outside the church building as well.
The Catholics also expressed their demands to the city council and regional council. An important event happened for Catholics in August 2009; by decision of the court, the owner of the long-suffering religious building recognized the parish of St. Joseph. The court decision in favor of the Roman Catholic parish allowed to begin restoration of the church building in 2011.

Church of Peter and Paul

In 1910, the first Ekaterinoslav cinema ‘Vulkan’ opened its doors. In 1936 the building is reconstructed and the cinema is given a new name: G. I. Petrovsky. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the cinema closes and the building is neglected.

The movement for autocephaly of the Orthodox Church is reviving in Ukraine. In 1992, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate formed. In the second half of the 1990s, the local authorities rented the former cinema to the Kyiv Patriarchate believers. On July 12, 1998 the first service is held in the church. On this day St. Peter and Paul are remembered as saints, so it was decided that the temple would be called Petro-Pavlovsky.
The efforts of the then Archbishop of Dnipropetrovsk and Krivoy Rog, Bogorodsky and Moscow, Hadrian (Staryn) began to restore the building and it gradually became a church.

At the end of 2009, Hadrian was appointed as administrator of the newly formed Diocese of Kryvyi Rih. The church of Saints Peter and Paul he left behind. On May 3rd, 2011, it was decided that Hadrian was to be removed from his new post. The cathedral was part of the Dnepropetrovsk diocese. On December 5, 2012, the City Council almost unanimously decided that the church of Saints Peter and Paul was to be transferred to the Dnepropetrovsk Diocese of the UPC-KP (Ukrainian Pravoslavic Church – Kyiv Patriarchate).

The cathedral of Peter and Paul is one of the largest in the diocese. It was rebuilt by funds of Vladyka Adrian and the parishioners, and at the expense of the Ukrainian diaspora. On the premises of the cathedral, a two-storey Sunday school, a religious church choir school, an assembly hall and a refectory, a library and a hostel were built.