Dormition Cathedral, London

Russian Orthodox cathedral in London

Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and All Saints

The façade of the cathedral

Religion
Affiliation| Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)
Ecclesiastical or organizational status| Cathedral
Leadership| archbishop: Matthew (Andreev) [ru],
Archpriest: Fr Maxim Nikolsky , Fr Joseph Skinner
deacon: Vadim Santsevich
Location
Location| 67 Ennismore Gardens, Knightsbridge, London SW7 1NH
Geographic coordinates| 51°30′02″N 0°10′09″W﻿ / ﻿51.5006°N 0.1693°W﻿ / 51.5006; -0.1693
Architecture
Style| Lombard architecture
Website
www.sourozh.org

The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and All Saints is the cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Sourozh.

It holds the diocese's administrative meetings as well as weekly, seasonal and special services. Its building is the Victorian former church of a wealthy parish of its era that faces the north-east green of Ennismore Gardens, Knightsbridge, London, England.[1] The main (western) façade is a very close copy of that of the Basilica of San Zeno, Verona, in Verona, Italy since remodelling in 1891.[2]

Its interior is largely unchanged from that of its Anglican forebear church built, which was built in 1848–1849. The architect was Lewis Vulliamy.[3]

## History

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### Anglican church

[edit]

The building was erected as an Anglican Church to All Saints. Architect Lewis Vulliamy proposed to build a church in Lombard style instead of conventional Gothic style. His full vision could not be realized for lack of finance.

Consecration of the church took place in July 1849. It became a parish spanning outside much of Hyde Park: in the west Kensington Palace and about 20 houses beyond and a more populous strip to the south. It is shown almost all as in the upper 3 of the 7 categories of wealth of Booth's poverty map at the end of the century.[4]

In 1860, architect R. L. Roumieu completed the construction of the bell tower from the draft designs of Vulliamy, at 36.5 meters.

Since reconstruction in 1891–1892, the western façade has borne a very close resemblance to the Basilica of St Zeno of Verona.

The first interior decoration was by Thomas R. Spence. The current forms including sgraffito and stained glass windows are by Heywood Sumner.

In 1869 Annie Chapman, or sometimes called Mary Chapman was married here to John Chapman. Annie was the second victim of Jack the Ripper, and was murdered in 1888 in the Whitechapel district

In 1924, a house for the church's priest was built on a very small square plot against the southern edge of its land: 66 Ennismore Gardens, Church House.

### Transfer

[edit]

In 1955, the Anglican parish was merged in such a way that the Church of the Holy Trinity on Prince Consort Road to the west became the parish church of the new parish. The church was let for the use of the Russian Orthodox faith, a trust having been set up in 1944. The building was consecrated as an Orthodox Church in December 1956 in honour of the Dormition of the Mother of God.

### Russian Orthodox church

[edit]

In 1978 it was purchased by the Sourozh diocese, without funds from the Moscow Patriarchate. Over time, including the tenure of Metropolitan Anthony (d. 2003), the parish gained multinational congregants.

In 2006, a substantial part of the clergy and laity, headed by Bishop Basil (Osborne), Administrator of the Diocese, decided to leave the Moscow Patriarchate. In June 2007 the Parish Council of the Cathedral voted to place the Cathedral under the Episcopal Vicariate headed by Bishop Basil. This was challenged by the Moscow Patriarchate and in 2009 the High Court decided, on the wording of the 1944 Trust Deed of the Cathedral, that it should remain with the adherents of the Moscow Patriarchate.

## Priors

[edit]

* Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) (1956–2002)
* Archpriest John Lee (2002–2003)
* Bishop Basil (Osborne) (2003–2006)
* Archbishop Innocent (Vasiliev) (2006–2007)
* Archbishop Elisey (Ganaba) (2007–2017)

## Gallery

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*   *   *   *

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Diocesan Administration – Diocese of Sourozh". Archived from the original on 18 May 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
2. ^ "О соборе - Diocese of Sourozh". www.sourozh.org.
3. ^ Historic England. "RUSSIAN ORTHODOX PATRIARCHIAL CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION OF ALL SAINTS, ENNISMORE GARDENS SW7 (1066842)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
4. ^ "Map | Charles Booth's London". booth.lse.ac.uk.

## External links

[edit]

* Christianity portal
* London portal

* Media related to Russian Patriarchal Orthodox cathedral, Kensington at Wikimedia Commons

* v
* t
* e

Churches in the City of Westminster

Ancient parish
churches
(pre-1800)|

* St Anne, Soho
* St Clement Danes
* St George, Hanover Square
* St James, Piccadilly
* St Margaret, Westminster
* St Martin-in-the-Fields
* St Marylebone
* St Mary le Strand
* St Paul, Covent Garden

| deconsecrated|

St John the Evangelist, Smith Square

|

Anglican
daughter
churches|

* All Saints, Margaret Street
* All Souls, Langham Place
* Annunciation, Marble Arch
* Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair
* Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks
* Holy Trinity, South Kensington
* St Augustine, Kilburn
* St Cyprian, Clarence Gate
* St Gabriel, Pimlico
* St James, Paddington
* St James the Less, Pimlico
* St John's Wood Church
* St Mark, Hamilton Terrace
* St Mary, Bourne Street
* St Mary, Bryanston Square
* St Mary, Paddington Green
* St Mary Magdalene, Paddington
* St Matthew, Bayswater
* St Matthew, Westminster
* St Paul, Knightsbridge
* St Peter, Eaton Square
* St Saviour, Pimlico
* St Stephen, Rochester Row
* St Stephen, Westbourne Park

| deconsecrated|

* Christ Church, Marylebone
* Holy Trinity, Marylebone
* St Peter, Vere Street
* St Mark's, Mayfair

|

Royal Peculiars|

* Henry VII Chapel
* Queen's Chapel, St James's Palace
* Savoy Chapel
* St Mary Undercroft
* Westminster Abbey

Catholic
churches|

| Roman|

* Westminster Cathedral

* Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane
* Immaculate Conception, Farm Street
* Notre Dame de France
* Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory, Warwick Street
* St Charles Borromeo, Westminster
* St James, Spanish Place
* St Mary of the Angels, Bayswater
* St Patrick, Soho Square

|

Ukrainian|

* Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile, Mayfair

|

other
denominations|

* Crown Court Church, Covent Garden
* Dormition Cathedral
* Emmanuel Evangelical Church
* Enon Chapel
* French Protestant Church, Soho
* Hinde Street Methodist Church
* Regent Hall
* St John's Wood Road Baptist Church
* St Sophia's Cathedral, Bayswater
* Ulrika Eleonora
* Welsh Church of Central London
* West London Methodist Mission
* West Street Chapel
* Methodist Central Hall
* Westminster Chapel

see also|

Fitzrovia Chapel
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