St. Nicholas Cathedral (Nice): photo, description, location

In sunny Nice, on the surprisingly beautiful green boulevard of the Prince, during Orthodox holidays, and sometimes just at night, there is a message of blessings. Here stands a magnificent Orthodox cathedral, which is the largest temple in Western Europe.

St. Nicholas Cathedral in Nice, overflowing with gold domes, quite a long time is of interest to historians and art historians, just tourists and believers from all over the world. The temple was built in 1912 on the site where once there was a marble chapel dedicated to the memory of Tsarevich Nicholas.

St. Nicholas Cathedral in Nice: photo, history of appearance

The history of the creation and erection of this cathedral is very sad. Nikolai (heir to the throne of the Russian, son of Alexander II) died in 1865 from a serious illness. He was only 22 years old. The chapel was erected exactly there, where the last days of his life passed.

The very first Russian temple in Nice is the Church of St. Nicholas and Alexandra (erection in 1856-1859). It was very small and therefore by the end of the nineteenth century outside of Russia, the most beautiful cathedral of Nicholas the Wonderworker was built. In addition, the municipality of Nice called the street nearby the boulevard of the Tsesarevich (then the Tsarevich) in memory of the deceased Nikolay. And where there was his bed in the chapel, a marble black stove was built into the floor.

The icon of the miraculous, who was near the prince in the last moments of his life, is still in the church. Today, from all over the world, many Orthodox people go to Nice to pray to Saint Nicholas and to touch the shrine.

St. Nicholas Cathedral (Nice) is a part of Russian history, which is quite contradictory, tragic and eventful. Many have invested their love and efforts to create such a miracle. Most of the old icons and chandelier are donations of patrons and parishioners of the temple.

Description of the temple

For the construction of the Russian church in France, the means were donated by Prince S. Golitsyn and Emperor Nicholas II. The five-domed cathedral was erected using German bricks, and its lining was made with pink granite and ceramic blue tiles. Its domes are crowned with 6 gilded crosses (Tuscan). The facade of the temple has beautiful trimmed carvings.

Nikolaevsky Cathedral (Nice) is magnificent. Its facade is decorated with polychrome tiles from Florence (Cantagali) and mosaic icons ("Savior" on the bell tower). The latter were performed in the studio of V. A. Frolov (Petersburg) according to Vasilyev's sketch. The Italian craftsmen made carvings of door and window frames, bell-towers and lower cornices.

Glazunov (Moscow icon painter) - the author of icons for the iconostasis (style of Simon Ushakov). The Tsar's Gate is a copy of the gate of St. Yaroslav's Church. The Prophet Elijah. Vasiliev painted the image of the Holy Trinity.

Nikolaevsky cathedral (Nice) also has a remarkable image of Nicholas the Wonderworker, once at the bedside of the dying Cesarevitch. Originally it was placed at the entrance to the chapel from the outside, and it was placed in the church in 1912. It should be noted an amazing fact that in May 1935 the icon, completely blackened by that time, somehow refreshed itself without any human intervention, after which it turned out to be revered in the temple.

The icons of Sergius of Radonezh, the saints of Fevronia, Peter of Murom, etc. were also placed here. Many interesting things can still be seen in the church. The Nicholas Cathedral (Nice) is beautiful and rich.

Guest Reviews

For all visitors coming from different countries, the temple is a spectacular sight, built in the best Russian traditions. It is fascinating not only for its multifaceted history, but also for its magnificent finish, both internal and external. The cozy, well-groomed Nikolaevsky Cathedral (Nice) is located in a very beautiful area, where you can sit quietly on a bench, presenting those historical events, significant for many Orthodox,.

A sense of pride and admiration is caused by a beautiful Orthodox church located far from Russia.

Conclusion

The Russian Nikolaevsky Cathedral (Nice) became a reflection of the popularity of this remarkable resort on the Cote d'Azur among the numerous Russian aristocrats. Everything began with the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, who arrived in 1852 (October 26) in the Bay of Villefranche. Many Russians followed her.

On this land were built magnificent mansions for the imperial house. Soon, among the owners of land and housing in this beautiful city, there were already about 400 Russian families.