Tatarstan President visits Temple of the Descent of the Holy Spirit in Kazan

On December 27, in Kazan, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov visited a site of cultural heritage of regional importance – the Temple of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, where an official consecration ceremony and divine liturgy took place.  

The Temple was built in 1731-1735 Sukonnaya Sloboda, being the city’s biggest one before the 1917 revolution,, admitting up to 4 thousand people.

The Temple is of great architectural and historical significance for Tatarstan. The future famous Russian opera and chamber music singer Fedor Chaliapin first sang here with a church choir at hthe age of nine.

In the Soviet era, the church was ransakced, its luxurious interior, dome and stair-step belfry ruined. After the closing in 1930, the worshipping facility was made into a club, and later came to house a puppet theatre.

By 2012, the building was given back to Russian Orthodox Christian Church. With the support of Tatarstan president Rustam Minnikhanov the restored church in November reopened for parishioners.

Before noon on Sunday, the Metropolitan of Kazan and Tatarstan Feofan officiated a hallowing ceremony at the Temple. Following the ceremony,  Minnikhanov arrived. He talked to the clerics and worshippers, congratulating everyone on the church’s reopening.

“I was told the today’s service was the first one in 85 years. It is a very long time,” he noted. “We made all the way to this day together. The church’s reopening is a great event for our entire republic.”

Tatarstan Metropolitan Feofan thanked Minnikhanov for his support in reviving Orthodox Christian sanctuaries.

Tatarstan President went on to add the next target was building in Kazan a Kazan Icon of the Mother of God cathedral.