CHURCH-MONUMENT of Archangel Michael. City of Dalian

English translation by Katherine Ilachinski

Memorial Church of
Archangel Michael.
The western facade

The Chapel in the city of Dalian was until 1902 at the Russian cemetery, which existed in the newly built city as the public cemetery. During the Russo-Japanese War, when they began to bury the dead soldiers, the chapel has acquired the status of Memorial Church.

Panorama of the
Russian cemetery

Two staircases were leading to the chapel: one from the church estates - a steep one, from the cemetery - flat and broad. The Russian style chapel was expressed not only in the characteristic for ancient temples traditional composition, but also in the details of symmetrical facades.

In 1912, under the state program of the Committee for the perpetuation of memory of perished Russian soldiers in the Russo-Japanese War, at the same time the chapel was reconstructed together with the cemetery.

In 1935 — it was expanded and transformed into a church, consecrated in the name of Saint Michael the Archangel. Attached parts of the refectory and the chapel were designed in the original stylistic vein and the church after the expansion was seen as a stylistic whole.

View from the church-monument
of St Michael the Archangel

In the memoirs of Russian inhabitants of Dalian the church architecture appears very expressive and intimate. Information on the history of its construction is not available; the name of the author of the project has not been established.

During the Chinese "Cultural Revolution" the temple was destroyed, but the cemetery partially survived. Today, there remain some memorable plates, gravestones crosses. Location of the lost church-monument is unknown.

Bibliography:

• Forgotten graves. Harbin: Publication of MV Zaitsev, 1938, P. 41.
• Troitskaya S.S. Harbin Diocese, its churches and clergy. On the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Harbin-Manchurian Diocese 1922 - 11/24 March 2002. Brisbane, Australia. Publication of NI Dmitrovsky- Baikov, 2002. P. 79
• Levoshko S.S. Orthodox church-monuments to Russian soldiers in China: the ideological content and architectural symbols // Russia and China in the Far Eastern borders. Book 5. Blagoveshchensk: Publication AMGU, 2003. P. 419-420.
• Levoshko S.S, Miz N.G. Temples of Manchuria and South Ussuri region in memory of Russian soldiers who died in the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 years. // Forever in the memory / O.B. Stratievsky, N.G. Miz, G.P. Turmov /, under general editorship of G. P. Turmov. Vladivostok: Publication of DVGTU, 2004. P.18

Photo from Russia

Chapel of the European Cemetery, Dalny
photo from "Japan's Fight for Freedom",
Vol. 2, June 20, 1904, pg 648

1912 photo from
"Forgotten Graves" Harbin:
Publishing house of M.V.
Zaitsev, 1938. Pg. 73.

photo taken c.1913
from "Vintage Postcards"

The bones of the officers in the church
of Dalian, where they were transported
from Port Arthur for church burial service
and then returned back to
Port Arthur for their burial.
«Iskry» Sept 1, 1913

1930s postcard from Japan

1935 or later photo from Levoshko S. S.

1935 or later postcard from rusharbin.com.
Rector from 1943-1953 was Fr. Marin Korovin.

"Forgotten Graves" Harbin: Publishing house of M.V. Zaitsev, 1938. Pg. 75, 77.

1942 Photo from Museum of Church Archaeology, MDPA.