Saint Nicholas Church

Gazing upon Saint Nicholas Church, one might mistake it for a misplaced piece of Russia. This beautiful church, nestled in the heart of Bucharest, boasts a history as rich as its architecture. Saint Nicholas Church isn’t Romanian in origin. It was built as a Russian Orthodox church in 1905. The Russian ambassador, Mikhail Nikolaevich Giers, spearheaded the project. It served the legation employees and Russian residents of Bucharest. Tsar Nicholas II himself funded the construction. A hefty sum of 600,000 gold rubles went into its creation. The church was completed in 1909 and consecrated on November 25th of that year. The church’s seven onion domes, a distinctly Russian feature, shimmer against the Romanian skyline. They were originally covered in gold, a testament to the Tsar’s generosity. Inside, the iconostasis, carved from wood and gilded, was modeled after the Church of the Twelve Apostles in the Moscow Kremlin. World War I brought turmoil. Before the Central Powers occupied Bucharest, the church was closed. Its valuables and archives were sent to Iași, then Saint Petersburg. Sadly, they disappeared during the Russian Revolution. The Russian community in Bucharest repaired the war-damaged church. Services, conducted in Old Church Slavonic, resumed in 1921. This attracted not only Russians but also Bulgarians and Serbs living in Bucharest. The church changed hands several times. In 1935, after the death of the Russian priest, the Romanian government took control. They designated it for the students and professors of the University of Bucharest. Then, in 1947, at the Soviet Union’s behest, the church returned to the Moscow Patriarchate. A new Russian priest was appointed, and funds for refurbishment provided. Yet, in another twist, Patriarch Alexius I returned it to the Romanian Orthodox Church in 1957, who once again restored it. Saint Nicholas Church was re-consecrated in 1967. In 1992, it was again given to the University of Bucharest. Because of its connection to the university, it is also known as “The Students’ Church”. Today, Saint Nicholas Church stands as a testament to its complex, interwoven history, a beautiful landmark reflecting the ebb and flow of Romanian and Russian relations.