中文 | Русский | blog.sina.com.cn/beijingzebra | April 18, 2011
English translation by Liubov Afonina

Some History of the Most Holy Mother of God Chinese Orthodox Church

Almost no one among the Orthodox knows about the Chinese Orthodox Most Holy Mother of God Church. Related information wasn't pictured in any materials in China. Indeed many authors, who have written books about Chinese Orthodoxy, don't know the history of this church. Actually this church played very important role that time. 7-8 years ago in Beijing during a talk with one Orthodox believer and descendant of priest I often heard the mention of this church. But there isn't any lights about its concrete location or size in materials published in China. Recently I managed to obtain a letter from Russia, written by Bishop Yao Fu'an to Moscow Patriarch Alexy. So I got some information from it. Connecting it with few data, gathered by me within the last few years, and the photos of the Most Holy God Mother of Church, given me by a descendant of Bishop Du Ruchen of Shanghai, I can summarize:

Bell-tower of the
Chinese Orthodox
Dormition Church

In 1956 by the direction of Patriarch of Moscow, all Russian priests went back to their native land. Property of Beiguan was transferred over to the Soviet Embassy, the matter of serving was transferred to Chinese priests. At the original place of Beiguan was built Union of Soviet Socialist Republic Embassy in People's Republic of China. Churches and buildings, located in the territory of Beiguan, were pull down or rebuilt. The premier Zhou Enlai kept watch transferring church property. He gave an order to relevant authorities to build a new Dormition Church near Beiguan at Zhenwumiao hutong 1. Church building had bell-tower and church, new church building was comparatively simple, as before it was the Byzantine style of construction. The bell-tower was considered of the construction of the former bell-tower in Beiguan, at the entrance there was a sign plate "Most Holy Mother of God Chinese Orthodox Church". Near the bell-tower there was a side entrance with a sign "Embroidery factory of people commune Beixinqiao". In 1966 Cultural Revolution burst out, Holy Mother of God church was closed. In 1992 it was demolished.