Former Site of the Church of the Virgin Mary

　　The former site of the Church of the Virgin Mary is located in the northeast corner of Qingnian Lake, outside Andingmen. It was originally the site of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary and the cemetery for Russian expatriates. The “Church of the Virgin Mary” was built around 1918, facing east with its back to the west. The widest part of the church is approximately 16 meters, and its depth is about 27 meters. The interior is divided into two sections: the “Sanctuary” and the “Holy of Holies.” In the center of the Sanctuary stands a throne, which is a square platform over one meter high, holding the sacrament and a reliquary; there is also an altar in the northeast corner. The Sanctuary is flanked by wooden partition doors used for entering and exiting during prayers. The Church of the Virgin Mary has a basement that was used to house coffins. To the west of the church lies the Russian cemetery. The church, facing east with its back to the west, features a cruciform structure. Its roof has a semi-circular arch tower topped with a cross. The widest part of the building is about 16 meters, with an overall depth of around 27 meters. The front section is semi-circular, and there is a semi-circular door on each of the north and south sides in the middle section. The cemetery was built at the same time as the Church of the Virgin Mary.

　　In 1957, when the North Chapel was demolished, the coffins under the Church of Martyrs (see St. Nicholas Church) were relocated and reburied in the Russian expatriate cemetery. In 1987, when Dongcheng District constructed the Youth Palace in Qingnian Lake, the Church of the Virgin Mary was demolished.