Socio-Cultural Impact of Church Building in Russia (the Case of the Cathedral of Saint Martyr Catherine in Ekaterinburg)

Abstract

Abstract In recent years, Russia has been going through a boom of church building. In 2009, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) had 29,263 parishes and by 2019 this figure had risen to 38,649. In the last decade, the growth in the number of Orthodox religious organizations and places of worship has by far exceeded that of other assets of social infrastructure. While the number of churches is growing, however, the number of schools, kindergartens and hospitals is steadily falling. Unlike other elements of social infrastructure, church building is funded not from the state budget but is financed by donors, sponsors and by the ROC itself, with some of the funds coming from payments for religious rites (baptism, weddings etc). This article analyzes the historical significance and socio-economic impact of church building by focusing on the case of the Cathedral of Saint Martyr Catherine in Ekaterinburg. The right choice of the construction site for the cathedral - the choice that would be agreeable to the metropolitan bishop, municipal government, businesses and sponsors, local community and opinion leaders - will ensure not only that the project will be duly completed but also underline the fact that local communities are able to establish consensus and recognize each other’s interests in local decision-making. One of the possible locations considered for building St.Catherine’s Cathedral in Ekaterinburg was a former industrial site in the centre of the city. Eventually, it was chosen as the most suitable place for this large-scale project. Redevelopment of an underused or abandoned industrial site, resulting in the improvement in the quality of urban environment, can be seen as an effective instrument of project realization, contributing to the building’s social and economic significance.