Saint Sophia Cathedral in Harbin

Saint Sophia Cathedral 聖索菲亞教堂
The Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom of God in Harbin, China. Built in 1907 and expanded from 1923-32, it was closed during the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution periods, and turned into a museum in 1997.
Basic information
Location	Harbin, China
Geographic coordinates	45°46′05″N 126°37′17″E / 45.7680944544°N 126.621522232°E / 45.7680944544; 126.621522232Coordinates: 45°46′05″N 126°37′17″E / 45.7680944544°N 126.621522232°E / 45.7680944544; 126.621522232
Affiliation	Russian Orthodox
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Cathedral
Architectural description
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Byzantine Revival
Groundbreaking	1907
Completed	1932
Height (max)	53.35 m

The Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom of God or Saint Sophia Cathedral in Harbin (Chinese: 聖索菲亞教堂, pinyin: Shèng Suǒfēiyà Jiàotáng, Russian: Софийский собор в Харбине) is a former Russian Orthodox church located in the central district of Daoli, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, China.

St. Sophia Orthodox Cathedral was built in 1907 after the completion of the Trans-Siberian Railway in 1903, which connected Vladivostok to northeast China. The Russian No.4 Army Division arrived in this region just after Russia's loss to the Japanese in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905). St. Sophia Church was built and completed of timber in March, 1907 as part of a plan to reconsolidate the confidence of the army by building an imposing spiritual symbol.

In 1921, Harbin had a population of 300,000, including 100,000 Russians. The church was expanded and renovated from September 23, 1923, when a ceremony was held to celebrate the laying of the cornerstone, to its completion on November 25, 1932, after nine years. The present-day St. Sophia Church was hailed as a monumental work of art and the largest Orthodox church in the Far East.

According to Harbin municipal religious and Daoli district archives, Fr. Fotiy Huo Desheng was the ninth rector of St. Sophia Church of Harbin.

The church is located on the corner of Toulong Street (Toulong jie) and Zhaolin Street (Zhaolin jie). It stands at 53.3 meters (175 ft) tall, occupies an area of 721 square meters (0.18 acres), and is the perfect example of Neo-Byzantine architecture. The main structure is laid out like a cross with the main hall topped with a huge green-tipped dome. Under the bright sun, the church and the square area it stands on look quite like Red Square in Moscow.