Even though I have drawn your attention today to events that are very sad, we should not forget that today is a bright day - the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In honour of the great feast, I have as always prepared a selection of the most beautiful and significant churches dedicated to it, and it is fair, I think, to start with the Annunciation Cathedral in Kazan - the heart of Orthodoxy in the Tatar lands of Russia.
The core of the temple was built in the time of Ivan IV by Pskov masters, after which it was repeatedly expanded - first in the Baroque style, of which only the central dome now reminds, and then in the C. Tone style. During the Soviet era, the cathedral suffered a lot of damage, but, fortunately, it was saved - alas, the bell tower, however, was never restored.
The core of the temple was built in the time of Ivan IV by Pskov masters, after which it was repeatedly expanded - first in the Baroque style, of which only the central dome now reminds, and then in the C. Tone style. During the Soviet era, the cathedral suffered a lot of damage, but, fortunately, it was saved - alas, the bell tower, however, was never restored.
And to conclude today's selection, let's take a look at the Church of the Annunciation on the Greek island of Tinos. One of the most characteristic and luxurious examples of Greek neo-Baroque, it is not the largest and most beautiful Annunciation church in the country - that role, of course, goes to the Cathedral of Athens - but the more impressive this church looks, considering it does not have the status of a local cathedral.
A clear and sad example of what the “first infrastructure - then restoration” approach leads to from Murom.