Kostroma, Kostroma Province, Russia, September 3, 2025
adm44.ru
On August 29, construction officially began on the Holy Dormition Cathedral of the Kostroma Kremlin, marking a significant milestone in the restoration of a religious complex demolished during the Soviet era. The ceremony took place on the Feast of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, the patron icon of the Kostroma Province.
The original cathedral complex was destroyed in the 1930s as part of Soviet anti-religious campaigns. The current reconstruction project began with the Theophany Cathedral, which was completed and consecrated in September 2023. The Holy Dormition Cathedral represents the second phase of restoring the entire Kostroma Kremlin complex, reports the government of the Kostroma Province.
Kostroma Governor Sergei Sitnikov attended the moleben alongside benefactor Viktor Tyryshkin, who is financing the restoration. Several hundred believers gathered at the Theophany Cathedral for the service before proceeding to the construction site for the groundbreaking ceremony.
“There is no doubt that through our collective efforts, the care of Bishop Ferapont, and the care of Viktor Ivanovich Tyryshkin, the Dormition Cathedral will appear here and the entire Kostroma Kremlin complex will finally regain its original appearance,” Sitnikov told the assembled crowd.
Tyryshkin, the project’s primary benefactor, emphasized the historical significance of the undertaking. “This will be the first kremlin of our new era, restored from scratch. God willing, we will complete this beautiful kremlin on the banks of the great Russian river Volga,” he said.
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Kremlins are fortified complexes found in historic Russian cities, serving as centers of political and religious authority. While the Moscow Kremlin is the most famous, many Russian cities have their own kremlins, including Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Pskov, and Novgorod. These architectural complexes typically include cathedrals, administrative buildings, and defensive walls, representing important cultural and historical heritage sites.
His Eminence Metropolitan Ferapont of Kostroma and Nerekhta noted that His Holiness Patriarch Kirill had blessed a cross at the site in 2015, and expressed hope that construction of the Dormition Cathedral would proceed smoothly following the successful completion of the Theophany Cathedral.
Archaeological work at the Dormition Cathedral site has already been completed, which officials say will significantly reduce construction time. The Kostroma city administration has developed a plan for access roads to deliver construction materials with minimal impact on the surrounding landscaped areas. Engineering communications for the project are currently being designed.
The Feodorovskaya Icon, central to the day’s ceremonies, appeared to Prince Vasily Yaroslavich, younger brother of St. Alexander Nevsky, in the mid-13th century and has since been considered the protector of the Kostroma Province.
In September 2023, during the consecration of the restored Theophany Cathedral, Governor Sitnikov had requested Pat. Kirill’s blessing to reconstruct the Dormition Cathedral. The Patriarch supported the request and blessed Tyryshkin to continue the restoration work.
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