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Holy Annunciation Church in Harbin

The Blagovescekaya Church was built originally of wood beginning on March 25/ April 6, 1900 and finished in May, 1903 in Pristan area of Harbin. It was burned down on February 23, 1918.

Rebuilt beginning in May 1918 and finished on March 22, 1919, this temple was consecrated by Bishop Innokenty in the name of the Holy Annunciation of the Theotokos. Vladika Meletius was appointed the head of the Annunciation Metochion of the Beijing Spiritual Mission in 1920.

A new Byzantine style Church was started to be built in its place on September 1/14, 1930 and completed in 1941 at 41 Police Street (now Yǒuyì Road), Dàolǐ District, Harbin.

In 1937, Protodeacon Fr. Peter Stepanovich Zadorozhny made a painting depicting the Lord of hosts in the Annunciation Church (about 7 m in length, a copy of A.T. Markov's painting in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow), as well as a half-length image of the Savior (a copy of V.M. Vasnetsov's painting in the Kiev Vladimir Cathedral ). For the iconostasis of the church he painted all 52 icons, and in the icon case in front of the pulpit (on the left), together with the artist N. Ya. Lotov, he painted the image of St. Nicholas.

The eighth rector was Fr Daniel He. The ninth and last rector was Fr Anthony Yao from Beijing. The church building was closed in 1966 and finally destroyed in 1970.

Today, the beams of what was left of the Annunciation church have been used as the interior structure of the Harbin Architectural Design Institute on Friendship Road (Yǒuyì lù) at Central Street (Zhōngyāng dàjiē), Daoli District.

Photos of original Annunciation Church

group of Chinese (builders?) in front
of the original church iconostasis
photo from forum.vgd.ru

Photo by
M. Skamony-Shapshinsky
(1885-1939)

"Rubezh" №14, March 29, 1930.

1932 photo from “Great Manchu Empire:
Tenth Anniversary", 1942, pg. 291

"Kitajskij Blagovestnik"
(Sep 1932 issue,
Pg.24, in Russian)

photo from Japan

Sept 24, 1938
postcard from
Dalian, China

Songhua River in background

Komarova, M.K. History of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 14

Sept 1/14, 1930 photo
Komarova, M.K. History of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 53

Komarova, M.K. History of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 67

Russkaya Atlantida
Memory -- the only paradise from which we cannot be banished...
I. Rikhter

Holy Annunciation Church

Sunday, July 11, 2004
N. Razzhigaieva
English Translation by Nina Tkachuk Dimas

The Annunciation Church in Harbin at the Quay was striking in its grandness and rare decorative effects, its surprising harmony of forms and grandeur. The temple's interior accoutrement, executed in celestial blue tones, was magnificent. Filled with sun beams penetrating through the narrow windows under the cupola, the temple's huge interior space instilled a light, prayerful mood. This was one of the most beautiful edifices built by Russian people in Harbin, and was one of the city's best architectural ornaments. "The Cultural Revolution" did not bypass the church. In 1970 it was blown up and lay in ruins. The church lives on in our memory as it was when we left it, when we said farewell to Harbin forever...

Photos
 

1931 from ostashkov.ru

May 7/20, 1934 gramata
from ostashkov.ru

Sept 1/14, 1941 gramata
from ostashkov.ru

1942 from ostashkov.ru

Komarova, M.K. History
of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 101

1936 photo
Komarova, M.K. History
of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 28

Photographed photo from
the exposition of St. Sophia Cathedral.

1936 photo
Komarova, M.K. History
of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 64

Komarova, M.K. History
of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 56

Komarova, M.K. History
of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 58

1940 photo
Komarova, M.K. History
of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 148

Komarova, M.K. History
of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 149

Ablamskiĭ, Vladimir Pavlovich.
Vid na Blagoveshchenskiĭ sobor.
[Harbin, China: publisher not
identified, to 1939] Photograph.
Retrieved from the
Library of Congress.
goskatalog.ru

Komarova, M.K. History
of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 8

Komarova, M.K. History
of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 111

Sept 1/14, 1941 photo
Komarova, M.K. History
of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 173

Sept 1/14, 1941 photo
Komarova, M.K. History
of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 180

Komarova, M.K. History
of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 186

Komarova, M.K. History
of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 189

Komarova, M.K. History
of the Annunciation
Church in Harbin
. 1942, pg 191

Blagoveschenskaya Church in the old days
from the author of 'Tarasov Saga'

postcard from Liubov Afonina

1930s photo from Japan

1930s photo from Japan

1940s photo from Japan

photo from forum.vgd.ru

Ablamskiĭ, Vladimir Pavlovich.
Vid na Blagoveshchenskiĭ sobor
Pristan', Polit︠s︡eĭskai︠a︡ ulit︠s︡a.
[Harbin, China: publisher not
identified, date of publication
not identified] Photograph.
Retrieved from the
Library of Congress

Ablamskiĭ, V. P. (1945)
Blagoveshchenskiĭ Sobor V
Paskhal'nui︠u︡ Noch'. China
Harbin Heilongjiang, 1945.
[Harbin, China: publisher
not identified] [Photograph]
Retrieved from the
Library of Congress

Stay of the delegation of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy in Harbin
Oct 25, 1945 photos from Museum of Church Archaeology, MDPA

1950s photo from forum.vgd.ru