Inaugurated on 23 May 2009 and dedicated to St. Catherine the Martyr (or St. Catherine of Alexandria), the church stands inside Villa Abamelek, the residence of the Ambassador of the Russian Federation.
Inside the building there is a crypt dedicated to Saints Constantine and Helen.
The church is a charming and very spiritual place where the Orthodox Christian faithful of the city of Rome gather. These are mainly people of Russian origin, but also Bulgarian, Ukrainian or Moldavian. This little corner of Russia in the Eternal City is also a perfect destination for those who want to admire Byzantine Orthodox architecture without leaving Italy. Here is the history and characteristics of this very special church.
Iconic gilded statues, elegant paintings, refined Byzantine mosaics and a splendid aqua-green roof: this is a real gem that will allow Italian visitors to discover a different architecture and culture but perfectly integrated with the Roman landscape!
You can discover this Church during one of our Vatican Tours.
The history of the Church of St. Catherine the Martyr
The birth of this religious building is relatively recent, dating back to the year 2000, when Andrej Obolenskij, director of the Moscow Patriarchate’s ‘Archkram’ Centre for Artistic Construction, proposed a project for the construction of a new Orthodox church adjacent to the residence of the Ambassador of the Russian Federation at Villa Abamelek, on the corner of Via Lago Terrione and Via delle Fornaci (in the Russian Federation’s area).
In these spaces not far from the Vatican and very close to St. Peter’s Station, the Church of St. Catherine Martyr was built, considered the only true jewel of Russian architecture in the heart of Rome. Thanks to its position and its particular shape, it is clearly visible in the city and can even be glimpsed from the dome of St Peter’s, a rather poetic thing that seems to suggest a certain closeness between Catholicism and Orthodoxy.
Today, the Church of St Catherine Martyr is the largest Russian Orthodox place of worship built abroad after the 1917 revolution, a truly important place for the people of Russia and for many other Orthodox Romans that can be visited freely, even during interesting liturgical celebrations.
Fun fact about Church of St. Catherine the Martyr
Do you know what was one of the fundamental reasons why the Catholic Church allowed this church to be built?
Well because the Orthodox Church accepted a great compromise, that of ensuring that the high Orthodox crosses in Rome did not rise above the dome of St Peter’s. That is why at the time of construction, the hill on which the church was erected was hollowed out by almost 10 meters, so as not to overhang St Peter’s dome. But the small/great revenge of the Church of St Catherine Martyr is that the sound of its bells instead travels through the air every Sunday, even reaching St Peter’s Square, flooding it with music. Just think that the master bell-ringer is a specialist trained by the head of the Moscow Kremlin Cathedrals, and it is said that his melody is so beautiful and powerful that it attracts the attention even of the frequenters of the more ‘lofty’ St. Peter’s.
