CHURCH-MONUMENT of Archangel Michael. City of Dalian

Panorama of the Russian cemetery

Chinese Orthodox Church
Levoshko S.S.
English translation by Katherine Ilachinski
2/4/2012

The Chapel in the city of Dalian was until 1902 at the Russian cemetery, which existed in the newly built city as the public cemetery. During the Russo-Japanese War, when they began to bury the dead soldiers, the chapel has acquired the status of Memorial Church.

Two staircases were leading to the chapel: one from the church estates – a steep one, from the cemetery – flat and broad. The Russian style chapel was expressed not only in the characteristic for ancient temples traditional composition, but also in the details of symmetrical facades.

In 1912, under the state program of the Committee for the perpetuation of memory of perished Russian soldiers in the Russo-Japanese War, at the same time the chapel was reconstructed together with the cemetery.

In 1935 — it was expanded and transformed into a church, consecrated in the name of Saint Michael the Archangel. Attached parts of the refectory and the chapel were designed in the original stylistic vein and the church after the expansion was seen as a stylistic whole.

In the memoirs of Russian inhabitants of Dalian the church architecture appears very expressive and intimate. Information on the history of its construction is not available; the name of the author of the project has not been established.

During the Chinese “Cultural Revolution” the temple was destroyed, but the cemetery partially survived. Today, there remain some memorable plates, gravestones crosses. Location of the lost church-monument is unknown.

Bibliography:

Forgotten graves. Harbin: Publication of MV Zaitsev, 1938, P. 41.

Troitskaya S.S. Harbin Diocese, its churches and clergy. On the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Harbin-Manchurian Diocese 1922 – 11/24 March 2002. Brisbane, Australia. Publication of NI Dmitrovsky- Baikov, 2002. P. 79

Levoshko S.S. Orthodox church-monuments to Russian soldiers in China: the ideological content and architectural symbols // Russia and China in the Far Eastern borders. Book 5. Blagoveshchensk: Publication AMGU, 2003. P. 419-420.

Levoshko S.S, Miz N.G. Temples of Manchuria and South Ussuri region in memory of Russian soldiers who died in the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 years. // Forever in the memory / O.B. Stratievsky, N.G. Miz, G.P. Turmov /, under general editorship of G. P. Turmov. Vladivostok: Publication of DVGTU, 2004. P.18

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