St Elisabeth Church (Wiesbaden) in Germany
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Church of St. Elizabeth (Wiesbaden) – an Orthodox cathedral in Wiesbaden, belonging to the Berlin and German Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. The church was founded at the request of Duke Adolph-Wilhelm of Nassau, in memory of his wife, who died here in childbirth. The first project, proposed by the local architect G. Hubsch, was rejected due to inconsistency with Orthodox canons. The church was founded in 1847, according to the project of the senior building officer Philip Hofmann, a specialist in Russian church architecture. The consecration of the church in honor of Saint Righteous Elizabeth, patroness of the deceased duchess, took place upon completion of construction, in 1855. Members of the Russian Orthodox community, which by that time already existed in Wiesbaden, as well as travelers and guests of the city, became parishioners of the church (Wiesbaden was a very popular resort). Later, the community of parishioners expanded at the expense of members of the White movement who left Russia. At the end of the 20th century, the interior of the church was restored and updated. The crypt at the church was restored in 2002-2005. Church in the Russian-Byzantine style, it was built of light sandstone and white marble. Outside, the church is decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the patron saints of the departed; the temple is crowned with gilded domes. The interior of the church is made of several widows of marble: gray Swedish, brown German, light yellow Rhodes, white Carrara, black and white Egyptian; columns – in dark gray marble with white veins. Of course, one should pay attention to the high three-tiered iconostasis, made according to the drawing of Hoffmann, 25 gilded icons donated by the Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, frescoes by O. Jacobi, and a painted dome by A. Hopfgarten. Also inside the church is decorated with sculptural elements, medallions with portraits of artists and sculptors who worked to create the interior of the church. Some fragments of the decoration have not survived to this day. In a semicircular niche on the north wall of the tower there is a sarcophagus on which lies a marble statue of the deceased Duchess Elizabeth; the sides of the sarcophagus are decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the apostles and Christian virtues. On the territory of the church there is a church house built at the same time as the temple. It contains premises for the priest and the watchman. The cemetery, located in the forest next to the church, was built a year after the consecration of the temple. Russian princes and counts, some bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church abroad are buried here. In 1864, the cemetery was expanded and a chapel was built on it.     We also recommend reading Church of St. George in Germany, Tubingen spa Topic: St Elisabeth Church (Wiesbaden) in Germany. |
