Russian Cathedral in Paris: why are there two of them? The most beautiful cathedrals in France Churches in Paris on a map with names

Temples have been located in this place since time immemorial; even in the era of the Romans, there was a temple dedicated to Jupiter. Later, the Merovingians, who ruled Gaul in 500-571, built the Cathedral of St. Etienne here.

Notre Dame Cathedral was founded in 1163 by Maurice de Sully, Bishop of Paris, and the cornerstone was laid by Pope Alexander III. Its construction lasted until 1345, that is, it took almost two centuries. During this time, the project was led by dozens of architects, which did not stop them from erecting a beautiful and organic ensemble. According to historical data, several other churches, both Christian and pagan, previously existed on the same site.

The construction of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris took place with the participation of many architects, but its main creators, who made the greatest contribution, are considered to be Pierre de Montreuil and Jean de Chelles. The building was founded during the reign of Louis VII. It was then that the Gothic style in architecture became popular, which was used by architects. This direction was successfully mixed with the Romanesque style from the traditions of Normandy, which gave the cathedral a unique look.

The history of France and Notre Dame cannot be separated, because it was here that the knights offered their prayers when going on the Crusades, the coronation of Napoleon, the celebration of the victory over Hitler’s troops and many other events took place.

Notre Dame Cathedral suffered greatly from inept reconstructions during the events of the late 18th century, and later due to popular neglect. Thus, the French Revolution almost deprived the world of this unique architectural monument; they even wanted to burn it. Many sculptures were broken or beheaded, stained glass windows were destroyed, and precious utensils were looted. The building was declared the Temple of Reason, then the center of the Cult of the Supreme Being, and later simply turned into a food warehouse. The architectural ensemble was saved from complete destruction by Victor Hugo’s novel “Notre Dame de Paris,” which occupied a central place in the story of the hunchback’s love for a beautiful gypsy. The publication of the work not only made the writer famous, but also drew the attention of the general public to the exceptional historical as well as aesthetic value of the ancient building.

It was decided to reconstruct Notre Dame according to all the rules of ancient technologies. Viollet-le-Duc successfully coped with such a difficult task, since the architect had knowledge of the construction methods of the ancient masters who worked on the construction of the temple. The restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral lasted more than a quarter of a century. During this time, the facades and interior decoration were restored, the sculpture gallery and part of the gargoyles destroyed by the revolutionaries were reconstructed, and all the remaining infernal “guards” were returned to their rightful place.

Additionally, a spire more than 95 meters high was built and installed on the roof. In subsequent years, Parisians treated their shrine with extreme reverence. It is noteworthy that the temple was practically not damaged during the period of two World Wars. At the end of the 20th century, another restoration was initiated, which made it possible to completely clean the building from city dust and return the sandstone from which the façade is made to its original golden hue.

Video: Consequences of a fire in the cathedral

Facade and gargoyles

The most popular attribute of the external decoration of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris remains stone demonic creatures. Gargoyles are present here in large numbers and are intended not only for decoration, but also to drain water from the numerous drains on the roof. The fact is that the unusually complex structure of the roof contributes to the accumulation of moisture due to precipitation, since it cannot drain as freely as from ordinary houses. This can lead to the development of mold, dampness and destruction of the stone, so high-quality gutters are a must for any Gothic cathedral.

Traditionally, unattractive pipe exits were disguised with figures of gargoyles, chimeras, dragons, and less often, people or real animals. Many see hidden meanings in these demonic images, so there is a lot of scope for imagination here. It is noteworthy that at the time of construction there were no stone demons on the cathedral; they were installed at the suggestion of the restorer Viollet-le-Duc, who used this medieval tradition.

The main façade is decorated with stone statues and has three portals. The main one is located in the middle, its arches support seven statues on each side, and the main decor is relief scenes of the Last Judgment. The right portal is dedicated to Saint Anne, where the Blessed Virgin and Child are depicted, and the left one is dedicated to the Mother of God, with the signs of the zodiac and the image of the coronation of the Virgin Mary. The huge doors are decorated with forged relief images.

The already mentioned spire on the roof replaced the one that was dismantled at the end of the 18th century. The design is decorated with four groups of apostles, as well as animals corresponding to the evangelists. All the statues face the French capital, with the exception of the patron saint of architects, St. Thomas, who seems to be admiring the spire.

Almost all the stained glass windows are quite modern, made during the restoration of the temple in the 19th century. Only in the central compass rose are some medieval parts preserved. The pattern of this large-scale structure (9.5 meters in diameter) made of colored glass depicts Mary, as well as rural works, the signs of the Zodiac, human virtues and sins. The northern and southern facades are equipped with the largest roses that exist in Europe. Each of them is about 13 meters in diameter.

Interior of Notre Dame Cathedral

The design in longitudinal section is a cross, in the center of which there is a complex of sculptural images of various gospel scenes. Interestingly, there are no internal supporting walls here; their function is performed by multifaceted columns. A large number of artistic carvings are filled with unearthly light, which is painted in different colors, passing through the glass of several roses. On the right side of Notre Dame, tourists can admire the wonderful sculptures, paintings and other works of art that are traditionally presented to Our Lady every year on the first of May. The majestic central chandelier was made according to sketches by Viollet-le-Duc; after reconstruction, it replaced the chandelier, melted down during the French Revolution.

Between the portal and the higher tier is the Gallery of the Kings, where sculptures of Old Testament rulers are exhibited. The revolutionaries ruthlessly destroyed the original statues, so they were made anew. At the end of the 20th century, fragments of individual sculptures were found under one of the Parisian houses. It turned out that the owner bought them in troubled times in order to bury them with honors, and later built his own home on this place.

It is impossible not to mention the majestic organ installed in Notre Dame Cathedral. It was equipped during the construction of the temple, and was rebuilt and reconstructed many times. Today, this organ is the largest in France in terms of the number of registers and the second in the number of pipes, some of which have survived since the Middle Ages.

South bell tower

If you want to enjoy Parisian panoramas that are not inferior in beauty to the view from the Eiffel Tower, you should definitely climb the South Tower of Notre Dame Cathedral. A spiral staircase of 387 steps leads here, climbing which you will see the main bell of the cathedral, Emmanuel, and you will also be able to see the gargoyles in close proximity. It is believed that they look so carefully to the west because they wait for sunset, after which they come to life every night.

Museum and treasury

There is a museum in the cathedral, where every visitor can learn about the history of the temple in detail, listen to many famous and little-known stories associated with this place. Various exhibits that directly relate to the centuries-old life of Notre Dame are stored here.

From the shrine you can go to the underground Treasury, located under the square in front of the cathedral. It contains historical and religious relics: utensils, precious art objects, and so on. But the most important exhibits are the Crown of Thorns of Christ, one of the nails with which Jesus was crucified, and a fragment of that same cross.

Procedure and cost of visiting

To get inside Notre Dame Cathedral, you will have to wait in a long line. According to statistics, every day, depending on the time of year, from 30 to 50 thousand people cross the threshold of Notre Dame. Entrance to the cathedral itself is free, but to climb the bell tower each adult will have to pay 15 euros. Those under 26 years of age can enter for free. The cost of visiting the Treasury is 4 euros for adults, 2 € for young people 12-26 years old, 1 € for visitors 6-12 years old. Children under 6 years old can enter free of charge. In addition, on all Fridays of Lent, as well as on the first days of each month, treasures are brought out for public viewing free of charge. Such exhibitions usually begin around three o'clock in the afternoon.

Each visitor has the opportunity to use an audio guide in English, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese or Japanese. The cost of this service is 5 euros.

How to get there

The full address of the shrine is: 6 place du Parvis Notre-Dame, Ile de la Cit, 75004 Paris. The Chalete, Isle de la Cité and Hotel de Ville metro stations are a five-minute walk away. In addition, you can use bus routes No. 21, 38, 47 or 85. On weekdays, Notre Dame Cathedral is open from 8.00 to 18.45, on Saturdays and Sundays from 7.00 to 15.00. Every Saturday services are held here at 5.45 and also at 18.15.

Speaking about the Russian Cathedral in Paris, it is worth starting with the fact that there are actually two cathedrals. Everything is explained by the complexity of the administrative-hierarchical structure of the Orthodox Church and the presence of two somewhat competing organizations: the Russian Orthodox Church (Russian Orthodox Church or Moscow Patriarchate) and the ROCOR (Russian Orthodox Church Abroad). That is why there are two Russian Orthodox churches in Paris: on Daru Street in the 17th arrondissement, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built in the 19th century, is located, subordinate to the ROCOR and the Patriarchate of Constantinople, while on the embankment of the Seine in the 7th arrondissement, the Holy Trinity Cathedral has been operating since 2016, belonging to the Korsun diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. And if everyone has heard about the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church, then ROCOR, even for many Orthodox Christians who do not live abroad, is not the most well-known abbreviation.

What is ROCOR?

Appearance in the 20s. The 20th century of the ROCOR - the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia - was a direct consequence of the October Revolution and the Civil War: the ROCOR was created by Russian emigrant priests for Russian emigrant parishioners.

For decades, all over the world from the USA to Australia, the ROCOR not only preserved the Orthodox traditions of pre-revolutionary Russia, but also played a unifying role for many generations of Russian emigrants: it opened Russian-language schools, published books and periodicals, and simply served as a center of attraction for Russian-speaking emigrants. And this is still very much felt when visiting the old Cathedral on Daru Street. People came and still come here not only to pray, but also to exchange news, find work in a Russian-speaking environment (there has been a popular notice board in the courtyard for a long time), restaurants serving Russian cuisine have settled in the streets adjacent to the cathedral.

At the same time, the ROCOR for a long time tried to live as if the revolution and Soviet power did not exist at all, and the tsar would sooner or later return to the Russian throne. Any change to the old orders, rituals and traditions was considered unacceptable, and such conservatism probably alienated many from the foreign Orthodox Church, especially in recent decades.

Association or fitting

Having left the subordination of the Moscow Patriarchate back in 1927 and entered directly into the subordination of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, until 2007 the ROCOR was a completely independent organization from the ROC. Moreover, if for most of the 20th century the Russian Church abroad considered the Russian Orthodox Church an accomplice of the Bolsheviks and an agent of the KGB, then the Moscow Patriarchate classified the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad as schismatics. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was Moscow that first began to take steps towards uniting the two churches. Finally, in 2007, the corresponding agreement was signed, and the ROCOR returned to the fold of the Russian Orthodox Church, but with the special status of a “self-governing church.” That is, from a formal point of view, the ROCOR recognizes the power of the Moscow Patriarchate over itself, but from an administrative and, in many ways, political point of view, it is a very independent organization. The Ukrainian and Moldavian Orthodox churches, among others, have similar statuses.

As one of the clerics said about the unification of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, there was not so much a unification as a “reconciliation” of the two churches. And the presence of two Orthodox cathedrals in Paris is once again proof of this. It is no coincidence that immediately after the unification of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate began talking about the need to build a new Russian cathedral in Paris under the auspices of the Russian Orthodox Church in addition to the already existing Orthodox Church of Alexander Nevsky. And now, almost a decade later, the new church saw the light of day.

Who needs a new Russian cathedral in Paris?

Many Orthodox Parisians have been waiting for this new cathedral for a long time. The small cathedral of the Three Saints on Petel Street in the 15th arrondissement has long been unable to accommodate everyone. It was organized by a group of emigrants who did not want to sever relations with the Moscow Patriarchate and opened an Orthodox church in the basement of a former bicycle factory in 1931. By the way, there are five more small Orthodox churches in Paris, but all of them belong to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and not to the Moscow.

And now the Russian Orthodox Church has a new parish in Paris, striking not only in its scope and architecture, but also in its location. The complex of buildings is located in the prestigious 7th arrondissement on the left bank of the Seine, not far from the main Parisian attraction - the Eiffel Tower. In addition to the temple, there is a Russian-French school, an exhibition space, a hall for meetings and concerts for 220 spectators, residential and office premises. The Holy Trinity Cathedral is clearly trying to play the same role that the old Alexander Nevsky Cathedral played a century and a half before it - to become the center of Russian emigration and the cultural life of Russian Paris.

The cathedral belongs to the Korsun diocese, which unites foreign parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and Andorra, and is under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Who and for how much?

The opening ceremony of the Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and the Russian Spiritual and Cultural Center took place in October 2016. Russia will buy the construction site back in 2010, beating two serious competitors - Canada and Saudi Arabia. The cost of the deal was not disclosed, but French newspapers called the amount 70-75 million euros.

Construction took a year and a half and cost just under 100 million euros. Money for the purchase of land and construction of a new complex was allocated from the budget of the Russian Federation.

The initial version of the architect Manuel Newes-Yanowski, who won the competition, caused a protest from the Paris City Hall. According to city officials, this project did not fit into the historical ensemble of the Quai Branly and was not of interest from an aesthetic point of view. The Russian side listened to the dissatisfaction of the French side, giving preference to the French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, who took second place, who, by the way, has been working in Russia for a long time.

Russian architecture of a French architect

Architecturally, the temple represents a mixture of classical Russian church architecture and the spirit of modern architecture. Not everyone liked this hybrid, but the complex fit perfectly into the historical buildings of the city.

The cathedral building, built of light Burgundian limestone, is crowned with five domes. The largest one symbolizes Christ, the four smaller ones symbolize the evangelists Luke, Mark, John and Matthew. Architect Wilmott, in an interview with the Kommersant newspaper, admits that the most difficult thing was to find the correct drawing of the onion so that the temple could be read not as Byzantine, but as Russian.

The onion domes are made in Brittany from composite materials using technology used in the aerospace industry - they are unusually light and durable. 90,000 thin sheets of gold leaf were applied by hand over three months. The domes do not shine or sparkle, but gently shine with a delicate matte finish.

Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky

What about the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on Daru Street near the Arc de Triomphe? What is its role on the Orthodox map of the French capital?

For a century and a half, it symbolized the Russian Orthodox world in France. The Orthodox church, built under Alexander II according to the design of Roman Kuzmin in the Russian-Byzantine style, became the most important center of attraction for many thousands of Russian emigrants who found themselves in Paris before and after the revolution.

Pablo Picasso and Olga Khokhlova were married here, and Sergei Diaghilev and Guillaume Apollinaire were witnesses. The funeral services for Ivan Turgenev, Vasily Kandinsky, Ivan Bunin, Fyodor Chaliapin, and Bulat Okudzhava were held here. Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya married their daughter Elena in the cathedral.

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral left the subordination of the Moscow Patriarchate in 1931, since then it has belonged to the Patriarchate of Constantinople and is subordinate to the ROCOR. That is why at Sunday services
There are so many descendants of “white emigration” here. They speak Russian with a strong French accent, but they do not change Orthodox traditions, as they understand them. Therefore, it is unlikely that they will ever join the parishioners of the new Cathedral. But if the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is undoubtedly the most important historical monument of Paris and a still vibrant place of emigrant life for Russian-speaking Orthodox Parisians, then the new Holy Trinity Cathedral is yet to become one.

Russian Cathedral in Paris Rating: ★★★★★ 4.9 based on 75 reviews

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There are several hundred churches in Paris, but there are some that we have known almost since childhood. Victor Hugo told us about Notre Dame Cathedral, we read about the Church of Saint Genevieve from Alexandre Dumas, and Saint-Sulpice became the center of action in Romain's The Da Vinci Code. We have selected for you the 10 most famous and most beautiful churches in Paris that are worth visiting.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Basilica of Sacré-Coeur

Cathedral of Saint Louis (Cathedral of the Invalides)

Cathédrale Saint-Louis-des-Invalides is part of a large architectural monument, originally built as a boarding house for war veterans. In 1676, the French Minister of War proposed adding a cathedral to this complex. The temple was opened in 1679. In it, all soldiers held in the prison were obliged to attend daily mass.

The Cathedral of Saint Louis is the only French church permanently decorated with national flags. According to ancient tradition, the banners of defeated enemies were also brought here.

Address: 129 Rue de Grenelle, 75007.

Metro station: Varenne, La Tour-Maubourg, École Militaire, Saint-François-Xavier.

NOTRE DAME (Notre Dame Cathedral)

Notre Dame Cathedral was built in the western part of the Ile de la Cité, on the site where an ancient Roman altar dedicated to Jupiter stood in the 1st century AD. Among the Gothic churches of France, Notre Dame Cathedral stands out for the austere grandeur of its appearance. In terms of beauty, proportions, and the degree to which the idea of ​​Gothic art is embodied, this cathedral is a unique phenomenon.
Construction of the cathedral began in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully. The first stone in the foundation of the temple was laid by Pope Alexander III. During the construction process, which was completed only by the middle of the 14th century, the original plan of the cathedral underwent a number of changes, adopting the features of mature Gothic art.
Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris houses one of the great relics of Christianity - the Crown of Thorns of Jesus Christ.
Until 1063, the Crown of Thorns was kept on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. In 1063 it was transported to the palace of the Byzantine emperors in Constantinople. In 1204, the sacred relic was captured by Western European crusading knights who burst into Constantinople and plundered the Christian city. Before this, for a thousand years the conqueror had not set foot on the stones of the streets of Constantinople.
Under the attacks of the crusaders, the Byzantine Empire fell apart into several parts. Constantinople found itself under the rule of a dynasty of some provincial princes, who insatiably plundered the remnants of the great heritage they had inherited, but were still constantly in need of money. One of them, Baldwin II, began selling sacred relics of Christianity to get out of debt. As a result, the Crown of Thorns went to the French King Louis IX.

St. de la MADLEINE

The Parisian Church of the Madeleine (French l "église de la Madeleine) is the Church of St. Mary Magdalene; located in the 8th arrondissement of the French capital, on the square of the same name; a striking example of neoclassicism in architecture.
The temple is illuminated through the vault - unlike other churches, the church has neither a transept nor side windows.
The history of the construction of the church stretched over 85 years due to the political instability of France at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries. Construction began under Louis XV, in whose honor the Place de la Concorde and its surroundings were decorated, and who personally laid the first stone of the future church. The initial project was likened to the Invalides' Home - a cruciform structure with a dome. Napoleon wanted the temple to be dedicated to the victories of his army; the project was revised by the architect Vignon, but defeat in the Russian war of 1812 cost the temple its transformation into a railway station - the first in Paris - in 1837, and a return to its original purpose only in 1845.

One of the most beautiful churches in Paris is Sacre Coeur (“Sacre Coeur” - Church of the Heart of Christ). No matter where you are in the city, your gaze will definitely linger on the white domes of the Sacré Coeur basilica, rising majestically on the top of the Montmartre hill. In its architectural appearance, there is a clear imitation of the Saint Fro Cathedral in Périgueux in southwestern France.
Situated at the top of Montmartre, the Sacré-Coeur Basilica was designed by the architect Abadie. The temple was built in memory of the victims of the Franco-Prussian War; funds for its construction were collected by public subscription.
The architects decided to build the Sacre Coeur church in the Roman-Byzantine style. And indeed, four small domes and one large one, firmly standing on a high drum, are clearly of Eastern origin. The elongated shape of the domes follows the silhouette of the famous 12th century basilica. Saint-Frond in Périgueux, in the south of France. Behind the church is a square bell tower, 84 meters high, with the famous bell, one of the largest bells in the world - it weighs 19 tons. This bell is a gift from the church from the province of Savoie, and therefore it bears the name “Savoyarde”. A magnificent staircase leads to the facade of the church with a portico of three arches: above the portico on both sides there are statues of Saint Louis and Joan of Arc. The magnificent facade of the church, slowly approaching the visitor as they climb the cascade of stairs, is decorated with sculptures of Christ and the Samaritan woman, Mary in Simon's house.
The inside of the church is richly decorated with mosaics; The original stained glass windows were destroyed during the Second World War. Mosaic panels above the pulpit depict scenes of worship of the Sacred Heart of Christ. The crypt under the temple is open to visitors and serves as an exhibition space for works of sacred art.

On the hill of St. Genevieve, rising 60 m above the level of the Seine (i.e. 84 m above sea level), stands the Pantheon - one of the landmarks of Paris, visible from different parts of the city.
The history of the Pantheon is essentially the history of human vanity, expressed here primarily in our inability to distinguish the eternal from the momentary: the very name of the Pantheon has changed more than once throughout its relatively short history.
At the entrance of the Pantheon there is the inscription AUX GRANDS HOMMES LA PATRIE RECONNAISSANTE (“Grateful Fatherland to Great Men”).
In 1744, Louis XV vowed that if he recovered, he would build a church on the site of the old Abbey of Sainte-Genevieve. He recovered, but fulfilling his vow took him a long time. It was not until 1764 that Madame Pompadour's brother hired the architect Soufflot to design a church in the form of a Greek cross with a dome reminiscent of that of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. During the revolution of 1789, the First Convention decided to bury in this new church “the first of the great sons of France, citizen Mirabeau.”
And then it was decided to bury all the great people here.
The bell towers, which cost the architect his life, were demolished, the cross was removed, and on the bas-relief of the pediment above the main entrance, St. Genevieve was replaced by an allegorical figure of the Motherland, crowned by the ancient Greek goddess Truth. Under the bas-relief an inscription appeared: “To great people - a grateful fatherland.” In place of the cross they placed the figure of Glory. And the church was renamed the Pantheon.
After Mirabeau's funeral, Voltaire's ashes were transferred here.
After the Bourbon restoration, the Pantheon became a church again, and the inscription again mentioned not the “grateful fatherland”, but St. Genevieve. All the sculptures on the pediment were again replaced with appropriate ones and the dead began to be resettled again: Voltaire and Rousseau were removed into the crypt under the peristyle so that they would not be too much of an eyesore for the new government. But still, at least they didn’t take it out of the Pantheon this time...
After the revolution of 1830, the new “bourgeois king” Louis Philippe again renamed the church the Pantheon and placed Voltaire and Rousseau in their original places, and also (for the fourth time!) changed the bas-reliefs on the pediments. This time, the Motherland distributed wreaths, and History recorded who and for what. Mirabeau, Malesherbe, Fenelon, Berthollet, Laplace, Lafayette, Voltaire appeared on the bas-reliefs... Napoleon also appeared among them, but not the emperor - no, just General Bonaparte, as if he had always been a famous military leader and nothing more... A monument to Pierre also appeared Corneille.
And in 1847, from the Place de la Panthéon to the Luxembourg Gardens (to the present Place Edmond Rostand), a wide street was built, called Rue Soufflot. On the very spot where the forum of the Roman city of Upper Lutetia was once located.
In 1851, the Prince-President (later Napoleon III) again named the Pantheon the Church of St. Genevieve. And again - “forever and ever.” The cross was erected again. Exactly twenty years later, the Communards demolished the cross, replacing it with a red banner. Two years later, the Third Republic again erected the cross.
When the great exile Victor Hugo died in 1885, the same Third Republic again renamed the church the Pantheon and buried “Viscount Hugo” next to Voltaire.
The inscription “To great people - a grateful fatherland” was restored, but the cross was left on the dome. Then the ashes of the great doctor Cabanis and Marshal Lannes were transferred here. Later, Emile Zola and the leader of the French socialists Jean Jaurès were buried here, and relatively recently the ashes of Pierre and the only woman, Marie Curie, were transferred here. Soon after them, Andre Malraux, the famous philosopher of our time, writer, one of the leaders of the Resistance, and later Minister of Culture in several de-Gaulle governments, was buried here. And already in the twentieth! century, Alexandre Dumas was buried here.

Its construction began in 1646; During the construction of the church, 6 architects changed. The latter, the Florentine Servandoni, decorated the façade with a two-tiered colonnade. The interior of the church is illuminated by daylight through numerous stained glass windows, which gives it a somewhat mysterious appearance. The first chapel to the right of the entrance was painted by E. Delacroix. Above the entrance is one of the best organs in France, made in 1776.
This church apparently has a certain magical aura. It is not without reason that in many fiction works of the 20th century. It is in it that mysterious events take place, secret and mysterious messages are discovered. Researchers of occult societies believe that Saint-Sulpice is associated with the powerful Masonic society, which has been covertly influencing European life for at least 10 centuries.

The cathedral was built on the site of a Gallo-Roman cemetery, where the first bishop of Paris, who was martyred around 250, was buried. There was once a famous monastery here
The history of the cathedral is closely connected with the monarchy. The tombs of French kings are located here, and many queens were crowned here.
Each tomb has a bas-relief of the person buried in it.
This is one of the most mysterious and amazing Cathedrals in Paris.

Royally majestic, created in the mature Gothic style, by order of Saint Louis, the Sainte-Chapelle chapel was erected as a royal church and was supposed to become a symbol of the sacred power of the French monarchs. Pieces of the Cross of Jesus Christ are kept here. The upper and lower chapels amaze with their beauty and splendor. The walls of the Sainte-Chapelle seem to dissolve, bringing to the fore an openwork pattern woven from multi-colored mosaics, the plots of which include hundreds of scenes and cover the entire story from creation to the arrival of the procession with the sacred relic in Paris. Sunlight, reflected in the windows, colors the entire interior space with bright reflections. Thin pilasters, going under the very arches of the vault, separate the stained glass windows, at the same time being an element of Gothic decor. It is worth seeing the divine stained glass windows: “The Last Supper”, “The Transfer of Shrines”, a beautiful rose window showing scenes from the Apocalypse, statues of the apostles, which are an amazing example of wood carving. Outside France, the Sainte-Chapelle became a model for Gothic buildings.

The Church of Saint-Eustache is comparable in size to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and the height of its vault is even several meters higher than the height of North Dame.
Architecturally, it is surprising in that it combines medieval Gothic with examples of the Italian Renaissance. And by adding modern sculpture, we generally get a stunning cocktail.

The Cathedral Church of the Most Holy Trinity on the Quai Branly in Paris was consecrated by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' on December 4, 2016. Included in the complex of the Russian Spiritual and Cultural Center.

Russian Spiritual and Cultural Center is a complex of four buildings:

• Cathedral of the Holy Trinity of the Korsun Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church,
• Russian-French primary school for 150 students,
• exhibition center,
• diocesan administration buildings with a concert hall and living quarters.

The center is located on a territory with a total area of ​​4.2 thousand square meters. meters in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, a plot of land acquired by the Russian Government in Paris, a few hundred meters from the Eiffel Tower and in close proximity to the Branly Museum, the Grand Palais and the Paris Museum of Modern Art. The territory of the center is part of the Russian Embassy in France and in this regard has diplomatic immunity.

The center project was designed by the French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte. The official opening took place on October 19, 2016.

Address: 1 Quai Branly, 75007 Paris.

Cathedral of Saint Sava (Paris)

The Cathedral of St. Sava (Serbian: Tsrkva Svetog Save u Parizu) is the cathedral of the Western European Diocese of the Serbian Patriarchate, located in the city of Paris and consecrated in honor of the first Serbian archbishop and national hero of Serbia - St. Sava the Serbian.

In September 1947, the first Serbian Orthodox community was founded in Paris, which was officially recognized by the French authorities on February 3, 1948. At the initial stage, the parish did not have its own separate church and services were performed in churches of other Christian denominations.

In 1962, the community leased a Protestant church on Rue Simplon, and in 1984 they finally acquired and converted the building for Orthodox services.

The cathedral building was built in the neo-Romanesque style and the outside was faced with cut limestone and decorated with openwork ornaments. Above the entrance to the temple there is a fresco of St. Sava of Serbia, painted in the style of ancient Serbian church painting. Inside, the church is divided along supporting pillars into two parts: on the left - the temple space; on the right there is a large icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “The Tsaritsa”. Carved two-tiered iconostasis made of bog oak with icons (to the right of the Royal Doors) in the bottom row - the Savior, Archangel Michael, John the Baptist, the great martyr and healer Panteleimon; on the left - the image of the Mother of God “Three-Handed”, Archdeacon Stephen, Saint Savva of Serbia, Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker. The second row of the iconostasis depicts the twelve apostles. The iconostasis is crowned with the image of the Old Testament Trinity and an Orthodox eight-pointed cross. There are no paintings in the temple.

Address: 23, rue du Simplon, 75018 Paris

Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov (Paris)

The temple on Rue Lecoubre was built in 1933 and consecrated in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov. The design of the church iconostasis was created by the founder of the Society for the Revival of Artistic Rus', Academician N.V. Globa. In the bottom row there were icons written by P. A. Fedorov.

Forty years later, the temple building fell into disrepair, and therefore in 1973-1974 a new wooden church was built on the site of the old temple according to the design of architect A. N. Fedorov. Inside the temple there are two massive maples, the trunks of which come out through holes in the roof (one plant is living, the second is dried). On one of the trees there is the text of the will of Seraphim of Sarov.

One of the main shrines of the temple is the icon of St. Seraphim with a particle of his relics. Also kept in the church are part of the stone taken from Tsarskoye Selo, on which the saint performed his feat of prayer, part of the saint’s mantle and a small amount of flour, which the sisters of the Diveyevo monastery ground in a hand mill and distributed by the handful to pilgrims as a blessing.

Address: 91, rue Lecourbe, Paris 15e.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Paris)

The Russian presence in France dates back to the 18th century. In the 19th century, about a thousand Russians lived permanently or temporarily in Paris. They have no other place of prayer other than the one in the Russian embassy in Paris - too cramped.

In 1847, the priest of the Russian embassy, ​​Joseph Vasiliev, began work on designing a permanent church. The inertia of the Russian government and French administrative slowness held back the completion of the project, but Napoleon III eventually gave his consent.

Funding for construction came primarily from donations made by Russians in Russia and around the world. Tsar Alexander II made a personal contribution - approximately 150,000 francs in gold. The project aroused great interest in France. Donations from the Orthodox were joined by contributions from Catholics and Protestants.

The new church was consecrated on September 11, 1861 by Archbishop Leonty (Lebedinsky), the future Metropolitan of Moscow. It is dedicated to Saint Alexander Nevsky, Prince of Novgorod, glorious hero of Rus'.

Address: Paris, Rue Daru, 12

Saint Stephen's Cathedral (Paris)

In 1890, according to the design of the French architect Joseph Vaudremet (1829-1914), the foundation stone of a Greek Orthodox cathedral took place at 7 Rue Georges Bizet in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, which was consecrated on September 22, 1895 in honor of the first martyr Archdeacon Stephen.

The cathedral building, 42 meters high, was built in the Byzantine style, faced with white and brown glazed bricks, and the walls are cut through by long arched windows. The cathedral is crowned with a dome located on sails and an equilateral Byzantine cross. The arched entrance to the temple is framed by Corinthian columns made of yellow limestone. The outer walls of the cathedral are partially built up with later buildings.

In 1962, the legendary singer Edith Piaf, who converted to Orthodoxy, and the Greek hairdresser Theofanis Lambukas were married in the temple.

In 1977, the funeral service for the greatest opera singer of Greek origin, Maria Callas, was held in the cathedral.

Since 1980, on Saturdays, the church has regularly held services in Arabic for the community of the Antiochian Orthodox Church.

Address: 7 Rue Georges Bizet, 75016 Paris, France