An Historic Russian Orthodox Cathedral In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY

This beautiful church is the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, located at 228 N 12th Street, in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. This cathedral is a New York City Landmark, and has graced the Greenpoint-Williamsburg, Brooklyn skyline since 1922. According to the cathedral's website, it is the only example of its kind of Byzantine Revival architecture in New York, and perhaps the United States. It is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The founders of the parish came to America from various Slavic regions of East Europe, including the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia, beginning in 1880. Most of them settled in the Williamsburg and Greenpoint neighborhoods because of the availability of low-cost housing and jobs in the factories and warehouses that were prevalent in those areas at that time. Services were first held in parishioners homes. and then a former Methodist Church on North 5th Street was purchased and renovated and incorporated as the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of St. Vladimir in 1908.

As the parish grew, a larger church was needed, and a new site was found consisting of 5 building lots on the corner of North 12th St and Driggs Ave. The architect, Louis Allmendiger, based his design for the new church on the Cathedral of the Dormition within the Moscow Kremlin, which has 5 domes supported by four large columns. The Schneider Company was contracted to build it for $117,000, and the construction work began in 1916. On September 3, 1922 the construction was completed, and the church was consecrated. The official charter name for the new church was recorded as the "Russian Greek Orthodox Church of the Transfiguration."

Please click to enlarge to see detail
Above is a mosaic of some of the interesting historical and religious plaques that can be seen on the exterior of the cathedral.

I was fortunate that the cathedral was open in preparation for vespers which were scheduled for 6PM on a Saturday evening. Inside the church there are oak wood floors and a wide main aisle ending with a beautifully painted iconostasis, which is the screen decorated with icons that divides the sanctuary from the nave in an Eastern Orthodox church.

All photos can be clicked on to enlarge to see detail.

There are also beautiful and highly detailed frescoes on the walls -- notice a depiction of "The Last Super" above the sanctuary, and angels on the ceiling corners.

Here is a partial view of one of the stained glass windows and the interior of one of the large cupolas.

Please click on to enlarge to see detail

Above is a mosaic of some of the religious items on display inside the church and the stained glass windows.

Across the street from this magnificent cathedral is a community garden named "The Green Dome," which is a reference to the copper patina cupolas of the cathedral that are within it's view. You can see more of this garden in my prior blog post by clicking here.
They are both beautiful peaceful places to visit and appreciate as representations of what faith and perseverance can accomplish, for both the reverence of God and nature.