The Church of the Holy Protection (Pokrov) of the Theotokos in Tianjin was an expansion project begun in 1922 by its first rector Hieromonk Viktor (Sviatin) and completed in 1925 to rebuild the Church of our Saviour in the Russian Concession.
Archpriest Alexander Solyansky served as assistant rector from 1932 to 1938.
According to Harbin Diocese - Parishes in China for 1929, a mass grave of Russian soldiers who took part in the capture of the city in 1900-1901 was erected near the church. The rector was Hieromonk Nikanor assisted by Deacon M. Afanasyev.
Located on the east bank of the Haihe River (today's South Station zone in Hedong district), it was destroyed by the Japanese in 1939 and rebuilt again by the Japanese. It later became a Cathedral. Fr Ioann Du was sent on October 1943 to serve as the protodeacon.