A beautiful church in St. Petersburg that was converted into a warehouse and later destroyed by the godless communists could soon be rebuilt.
The Fund to Support the Construction of Religious Buildings of the Russian Orthodox Church is aiming to rebuild the Church of Sts. Boris and Gleb that stood on the Sinopskaya Embankment along the Neva River for more than 100 years, reports Pravoslavie.ru.
The church was built in the Russian-Byzantine style in 1869-1882 at the expense of the St. Petersburg merchant class in memory of Emperor Alexander II miraculously surviving an attempt on his life. The 5-domed church on a granite pedestal was designed by Mikhail Schurupov from the Imperial Academy of Arts.
The church operated until 1934, after which it was used as a warehouse until 1975, when it was destroyed.
Unfortunately, it cannot be rebuilt on its historical site, as the embankment only partially exists there now, but it is possible on the nearest site, where there is now a parking lot owned by the city, explained Fund representative Philip Gribanov.
The Fund is currently preparing an appeal to St. Petersburg city authorities with a request to transfer the site for the construction of the church. The project could be finished in about 7 years. The project of the church will be recreated from historical photographs and drawings.
The church’s “restoration is an historical justice and it will be not just a true salvation for this territory, but a new postcard view for the embankment,” Gribanov commented.
Projects of the Fund to Support the Construction of Religious Buildings of the Russian Orthodox Church are funded by donations from individuals and companies. The Fund organizes work on the design, repair, restoration, reconstruction and adaptation for modern use of religious buildings of the Russian Church.
The Fund has already restored a number of churches in St. Petersburg.