Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Moscow)
| Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary Собор Непорочного Зачатия Пресвятой Девы Марии |
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| Coordinates: 55°46′02″N 37°34′18″E / 55.767279°N 37.571760°E | |
| Location | Moscow |
| Country | Russia |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | 21 December 1911 |
| Events | Reconstructed by the Soviets for civil purposes, 1956 |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Cathedral |
| Functional status | Active |
| Style | Gothic revival |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Peter and Paul parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Moscow |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Paolo Pezzi |
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary is a neo-Gothic church that serves as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Moscow. Located in the Central Administrative Okrug, it is one of only two Catholic churches in Moscow and the largest in Russia.
The construction of the cathedral was proposed by the Tsarist government in 1894. Groundbreaking was in 1899; construction work began in 1901 and was completed ten years later. Three-aisled and built from red brick, the cathedral is based on a design by architect Tomasz Bohdanowicz-Dworzecki. The style was influenced by Westminster Abbey and Milan Cathedral. With the help of funds from Catholic parishes in Russia and its neighbouring states, the church was consecrated as a chapel for Moscow's Polish parish in 1911. In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Provisional Government was overthrown by the Bolsheviks and Russia became part of the newly formed Soviet Union. Because the promotion of state atheism was a part of Marxist–Leninist ideology, the government ordered many churches closed; the cathedral was closed in 1938. During World War II, it was threatened with demolition, and was used after the war for civil purposes, as a warehouse and then a hostel. Following the fall of communism in 1991, it returned to being a church in 1996. In 2002 it was elevated to the status of cathedral. Following an extensive and costly programme of reconstruction and refurbishment, the cathedral was reconsecrated in 2005.
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