The city of Harbin, founded in 1898 by Russian builders of the Chinese Eastern Railway, was the center of Russian emigration to China for almost half a century. In an attempt to recreate the familiar atmosphere of “our city in an alien land”, three generations of Russians living in faraway Asia had built Orthodox cathedrals, whose silhouettes towered over the low-storey neighbourhoods and whose chimes reminded them of Russia. By the mid-20th century, many churches including the St. Nicholas Cathedral were in a state of desolation and destruction with only a few escaping such a fate. Today, the Saint Sophia Church in Harbin is the central exhibit of the Harbin Architecture Museum it houses; the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God Church has been restored and its cupola can be seen from afar; and the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God remains the only functioning Russian Orthodox Church in Harbin. Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, visited it in May 2024 during his official visit to China.
Key words: Russian Orthodox Harbin, the St. Nicholas Cathedral, the Saint Sophia Church, icon painter, the Zadorozhny brothers, architect, the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God Church, the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God.
