Situated in No.1, Century Avenue, Songbei District, St. Sophia Church is the largest Orthodox Eastern Church in the remote eastern area with an area of 721 square meters and 53.35 high, first constructed in March, 1907 by Russian Troops. Among the many Orthodox churches and Russian style facades in  this region, the St. Sophia Church is the most impressive and imposing structure. In 1903, with the completion of the Sino-Russian railway, the Russian No.4 Army Division invaded in this region. In order to reconsolidate the confidence of the army, the magnificent St. Sophia Church was born, and completed in 1907.
The 53m tall church is a perfect example of Byzantine architecture: the main structure of the church is laid out as a Latin Cross with the main hall topped with a huge green tipped roof. Under the bright sun, the church, together with the square around it, reminds the Chinese, bizarrely, of the Red Square in Moscow. Although there are still several hundred Orthodox believers in Harbin, the religious activities are usually conducted in other smaller churches. St. Sofia Church is nowadays used as the Municipal Architecture and Art Museum with exhibitions of the architectural history of the city, a photographic survey with captions all in Chinese.
The brilliant church is not only a scape of exoticism, but also a historical proof of Russian's invasion of the northeastern part of our country. It plays an active role in tourism and the construction of a historical and cultural city. |
