Hankou Orthodox Church

Hankou Orthodox Church

Hankou Orthodox Church is a cultural relic protection unit of Hubei Province.

Hankou Orthodox Church

Located at No. 38 Poyang Street, Jiang’an District, Wuhan City, and built in 1885, it was originally named the Alexander Nevsky Church. The building faces southeast and is oriented northwest, with a regular octagonal floor plan, built of brick and stone, and covers a construction area of approximately 192 square meters. It consists of a bell tower and the main hall. The bell tower protrudes from the main hall, features an octagonal vaulted roof that slopes inward as it rises, forming an octagonal spire tower. The eight sides of the tower feature pilasters with rolled moldings and are fitted with arched stained-glass windows. The walls of the bell tower are connected to the main hall, with a central arched doorway flanked by two semi-arched doorways on either side, and side entrances on the lateral walls. The main hall is approximately 13 meters in both width and depth, with arched doorways on both sides of the central axis and arched windows on the other five sides. An altar platform is situated inside the hall. Both corners of the bell tower and all eight corners of the main hall are adorned with brick pilasters, with molded plaster lines on the midsections and tops of the pillars. This church is the only Russian Orthodox church in Wuhan and served as an important site for religious activities among Russian merchants during the city’s opening as a treaty port in the 19th century. It bears witness to the development of Sino-Russian economic and trade relations, as well as the rise and decline of Orthodox religious activities in Hankou. The site holds historical value for studying the socio-economic development of the late Qing Dynasty and the religious activities of foreign merchants in Hankou. At the same time, the church is a fine example of Byzantine architectural style and holds significant architectural and artistic value.

Source: Hubei Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Hubei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units