Archbishop Simon and his Murmansk and Monchegorsk diocese are seeing their long-wanted project materialize. The new cathedral, the biggest in the Arctic, will be completed by 2016, to the 100-year anniversary celebrations of Murmansk City.
The church, which is to be named the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral, will be 51 meter high and have five golden couples. It will be located next to the existing Seaman’s Church, on a hill near downtown Murmansk.
In a meeting in the project council, regional Governor Marina Kovtun stressed that the cathedral will help “strengthen patriotism, faith in traditional values and respect for the history of the region”, a press release reads. In addition to the governor, the project council includes Archbishop Simon, Senator Andrei Guriev and General Director of the company Apatit, Konstantin Nikitin.
The church is built with funding collected from public sources. It is believed that fertilizer producer Apatit, one of the cornerstone companies in the region, is a key contributor to the project.
According to the Murmansk diocese, the project development concept was adopted in late May this year. The archbishop and his men are now making major efforts in making the project come to life by 2016.
In a promotion video, the project developers highlight the cathedral’s role also in “promoting Russia’s national interests in the Arctic” and in helping Russia make “new great achievements” in the region.
