Saint Sophia Cathedral

Originally founded in 1907, Saint Sophia Cathedral is a Byzantine architecture in central Harbin, and the landmark building of Harbin City. It is located at No.95 Tou Long Street in the central district of Daoli, Harbin City. Saint Sophia Cathedral in Harbin used to be a former Russian Orthodox Church and the largest Eastern Orthodox Church in the Far East. The church covers a total area of 721 square meters in construction area, and 53.35 meters in height. 

History

Initial Construction and Initial Buildings

In March 1907, with the completion of the Chinese Eastern Railway, the 4th Infantry Division of the Russian Army in Eastern Siberia invaded Harbin. To meet the soldiers' spiritual needs, the Russians began construction of the all-wooden St. Sophia Cathedral as the division's chapel. That same year, Russian tea merchant I.F. Chistyakov funded the reconstruction of another all-wooden church based on the existing chapel. In 1912, a brick wall was added to the exterior of the wooden walls, creating a brick-and-wood structure.

Reconstruction and Completion

Following the Russian October Revolution of 1917, a large number of Russian émigrés fled to Harbin, leading to a rapid increase in the number of Orthodox Christians. In September 1923, Russian tea merchant I.F. Chistyakov invested heavily in relocating the old church to a new site on its southeast corner and began construction of a new church. Designed by Russian architect I.A. Yagiev, the new church took nine years to complete and was inaugurated on November 25, 1932. It was the largest Orthodox church in the Far East.

Mid-term changes

In 1958, the church was closed, severely damaged, and used as a rehearsal room for a drama theater and a warehouse for shops. During the Cultural Revolution, St. Sophia Cathedral suffered further damage.

Protection and Restoration

In 1986, St. Sophia Cathedral was listed as a Class A protected building by the Harbin Municipal Government. In November 1996, it was listed as a fourth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units. In June 1997, the Harbin Municipal Government carried out comprehensive protective restoration of the cathedral according to its original design and expanded St. Sophia Square. In 2006, St. Sophia Cathedral Square underwent expansion and renovation, increasing its area by nearly three times. In 2018, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage approved further protective restoration of the cathedral.

Functional Transformation

After restoration in 1997, the church ceased to be used for religious activities and became a comprehensive tourist and cultural landscape integrating cultural relics, culture, tourism, entertainment, and leisure, and was renamed the Harbin Architectural Art Museum. In September 2020, the Harbin Municipal Government decided to convert the original architectural art museum into the Sofia Concert Hall, adding musical performances and further enhancing its cultural and artistic value.

Description

Saint Sophia Cathedral was designed by a Russian architect. The main central building has a standard large dome, just look like other featured buildings in Russia, towering & spacious. The most striking part of the church, is the large semi-circular dome, up to 48 meters high. This kind of dome contains a typical Russian architectural style, looking magnificent. It is comparable with Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. The walls of the church are built with Shimizu red bricks. Surrounding the dome is four different sizes of tent roofs, connected by stairs between floors under the roof of the four. The whole church has four door accesses. At the top of the main entrance is a bell tower, where there are seven bronze chimes (said to have been lost).

After the church converted into Harbin Architectural Art Gallery, it is open to the public. Here displays nearly a thousand pictures and a sandbox of Harbin urban planning, reflecting Harbin's past, present and future. After reconstruction, the original inside structure was missed, and the function as church has disappeared. If visitors are interested in only architecture and church, you do not need to go inside.

In front of the church is a large musical fountain, where the locals are very fond of taking their wedding photographs. Compared with the view in daytime, it is more beautiful at night, when night falls and being under bright lights, the church looks more majestic, mysterious and exotic.

How to get there？

By Bus: Take bus routes 2, 5, 8, 13, 23, 28, or 29 and get off at the "Architectural Art Square" stop. It's about a 70-meter walk from there.

By Subway: Take Metro Line 2 to "Shangzhi Avenue" station, Exit 5. It's about an 8-minute walk from there.

From the Airport: Take Airport Bus Line 3 from Harbin Taiping International Airport station and get off at "Central Avenue (Airport Bus Station)" stop. It's about an 886-meter walk from there.

From Harbin Railway Station: Take the Harbin Railway Station metro line, go one stop to Shangzhi Avenue station, exit from Exit 1, and it's about an 11-minute walk from there.

From Harbin East Railway Station: Take Metro Line 1 from Harbin East Railway Station for 7 stops to Museum Station, then transfer to Line 2 for 2 stops to Shangzhi Avenue Station. Exit from Exit 1 and walk for 11 minutes. Alternatively, take Bus 65 from Harbin East Railway Station to "City First Hospital Station" and walk 245 meters. The journey takes approximately 1 hour.

From Harbin West Railway Station: Take Metro Line 3 from Harbin West Railway Station for 12 stops, then transfer to Line 2 at Zhujiang Road Station to Shangzhi Avenue Station. Exit from Exit 1 and walk for 11 minutes. The entire journey takes approximately 51 minutes.

From Harbin North Railway Station: Take the metro from Exit 4 of Harbin North Railway Station and ride for 8 stops to Shangzhi Avenue Station. Exit from Exit 1 and walk for 11 minutes. Alternatively, take bus S11 from Harbin North Railway Station Bus Stop for 11 stops to Architectural Art Square Bus Stop, then walk for 4 minutes.

By taxi or car: Simply tell the driver you want to go to "St. Sophia Cathedral," located at No. 88 Toulong Street, Daoli District. However, there are many one-way streets near the cathedral, making driving a potentially circuitous route and parking difficult. Public transportation is recommended whenever possible.

Travel Guide

【Chinese name】:圣索菲亚教堂
【Recommended time for visit】: 40 minutes