Today the Foros Church in Crimea is a well-maintained snow-white building decorated with beautiful murals and gilded icons. The church is also one of the most sacred sites for those of the Christian Orthodox faith. Located at an altitude of 400 meters above sea level on the Red Cliff, viewed from the coast, the church appears to be floating in the clouds, illuminating the whole area with the reflections from its gilded domes.
This wasn’t always the case, and the church has previously been used as a warehouse, a restaurant, and even as a stable. On several occasions the building has been marked for demolition, however each time, almost miraculously, the temple has been saved. Consequently, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ is not just a simple Crimean attraction: its walls can tell an interesting story of the numerous events that have taken place since the 1880s to the present day.
The History of Foros Church
The appearance of this unique church was facilitated by events completely unrelated to Foros. Emperor Alexander III and his family were returning from Crimea to St. Petersburg by rail and were involved in a terrible accident. The carriage they were traveling in rolled over and was badly damaged, and fortunately, none of the imperial family died. It was reported that the emperor himself, by a feat of almost inhuman strength, managed to keep the metal structures from falling apart while his wife and children crawled to safety. Following their miraculous salvation and “for the glory of the Lord” the construction of temples later commenced throughout Russia.
Foros at this time belonged to the Moscow tea magnate Kuznetsov, and he financed the construction of a church which only took 2 years to build. Through this magnanimous gesture, Kuznetsov was then granted the monopoly for trading tea in this region.
The Foros church was designed by the Russian architect Nikolai Chagin in a bizarre mix of Rastrelliesque Baroque, Russian Revival, and Byzantine Revival styles, and was consecrated on the 4th October 1892. The walls and iconostases were designed by the famous painter Korzukhin, and the Italian artist Antonio Salviatti from Vincenza designed the mosaic work which was laid upon a golden background. Later, the destroyed paintings and icons were restored by the masters of St. Petersburg art schools.
The original church stood until almost 1919, however, after this, the building had an unfortunate history:
- In 1924 following the Russian Revolution, the Church was closed, the religious relics were destroyed, and the murals painted over; the priest was exiled to Siberia.
- In 1937 it became the property of the Foros sanatorium, when a restaurant-snack bar was opened there.
- The building was used as a restaurant until the beginning of the Great Patriotic War/Second World War (1941-1945) during which time a partisan detachment was hiding there, and for a few years during the German occupation it was used by Nazi troops as a stable.
- In the 1950s a restaurant was again opened, and it operated until an incident occurred whereby Khrushchev invited an Iranian shah to a gala dinner, which was refused on the grounds that having a feast in a church was blasphemous. Following this incident, the church was ordered to be destroyed, but fortunately, this order was never executed.
- In the 1980s, when construction on Gorbachev’s summer house on the coast below commenced, the church was ordered to be destroyed again, however on this occasion Raisa Gorbacheva (wife of Mikhail Gorbachev) came to Crimea and ordered the restoration of the Foros Church.
The building was returned to the Orthodox Church in the 1990s following the crash of the USSR. During this time it has been through four restoration campaigns under the auspices of Leonid Kuchma, former President of the Ukraine. Later, new gilded domes and crosses were installed. The pride of the church is the huge bell donated by the Black Sea Fleet that was previously installed in the lighthouse on Cape Sarych. The artist V.I. Potravnov led a group of experts who restored the paintings inside the church.
By 1997 (the 105th anniversary), the Church of the Resurrection of Christ was completely restored and transformed, however in August of that year, a tragic event occurred within the walls of the temple when intruders broke into the church and murdered its father-superior, Peter. Their goal was to steal the money that had been collected to buy the iconostasis. The iconostasis, carved in stained oak was still purchased, and now adorns the church.
The temple itself is one of the most famous sights on the Crimean peninsula, and the Church is also a popular wedding location.
Why is it worth coming here today?
Standing majestically on the high Red Cliff the church is visible to everyone passing along the picturesque serpentine mountain road in Yalta, and it is difficult to imagine that 150 years ago that there were no more than 5 small houses in the village of Foros. Today it is a meeting place for Orthodox pilgrims and people interested in history. After all, every stone here has a story to tell!
Despite its numerous reconstructions, the Foros Church in Crimea has retained its original appearance. It is a Byzantine-style cross-domed temple with nine domes, and the walls are decorated with restored paintings, wooden iconostases and beautiful mosaics.
The most famous temple on the southern Crimean coast, is not turned east, as is customary for Christian churches, but faces towards the sea. There are magnificent views of the Church from the observation platform at Byadarsky Pass and from several other picturesque stops along the way from where one can take stunning photos.
Address and Opening Hours
Foros village, 3 Terletsky street
Schedule daily, seven days a week. The church holds morning and evening services every day. Entrance to the church is free. Photography inside the church is allowed without flash.
Photographs from the Tour
View from the observation platform at Baidarsky Pass on the Church of Christ's Resurrection rising on the abrupt 400-meter (1312 ft) Red Cliff (Krasnaya Skala) above Black sea and Foros settlement covered with fog in spring twilight. The church was built by the design of Russian architect Nikolai Chagin in 1892.
Photo #788 taken on May 05, 2017
Angle bottom view of a chandelier (Greek: panikadilo) hanging from cupola (dome) of the Church of Christ's Resurrection in Foros. The beautiful cupola and vaults of the church decorated with Byzantine ornamentation.
Photo #708 taken on May 05, 2017
Magnificient interior of the Church of Christ's Resurrection in Foros with the view from the middle of the church on the carved oak iconostasis (icon screen) with the gilded the Beautiful Gates (Holy Doors) in the center and shining church chandelier (Greek: Panikadilo) hanging from its cupola (dome). The walls of the church decorated with Byzantine ornamentation.
Photo #692 taken on May 05, 2017
Beautiful view from Baidarsky Pass on the Church of Christ's Resurrection in Foros, a settlement founded and named by medieval Greek merchants. Located almost in the middle between Yalta and Sevastopol, Foros was rediscovered in the late 19th century by Alexander Kuznetsov, Moscow merchant, a Russian "tea king" who had his palace built on the sea shore. Kuznetsov commissioned Nikolai Chagin, a celebrated architect from Wilno, to built the church of Christ's Resurrection in memory of the miraculous rescue of Emperor Alexander III and his family in 1888 train crash in the Borki, on the way to St. Petersburg.
The magnificent church that combines Rastrelliesque Baroque, Russian Revival, and Byzantine Revival styles was built by design of Nikolai Chagin in 1892 on abrupt 400-metre (1312 ft) Red Cliff (Krasnaya Skala) near Baidarsky Pass with spectacular view of the Black Sea. The temple is notable for its luxurious exterior and picturesque interior. The murals created by famous artists Makovsky and Korzukhin, mosaic work performed by Italian studio of Antonio Salvatti. In 1924, after Soviet revolution, Foros church was closed, crosses thrown down, murals painted over, a priest sent to Siberia. Until 1969 it was used as restaurant for tourists who were going to Baidarsky Pass. In Soviet times Foros settlement located on the southern point of Crimea, Ukraine, became popular place for dachas of Soviet generals and leaders (nearby located famous summer residence of Mikhail Gorbachev). The Resurrection cathedral overlooking the village of Foros is a popular tourist attraction and architectural monument of 19th century. It was returned to the Orthodox Church in 1990s after crash of USSR. It went through four restoration campaigns under the auspices of Leonid Kuchma, ex-president of Ukraine. In present days, the church became also a popular wedding location.
Photo #335 taken on September 10, 2013
Illuminated at nighttime the Church of Christ's Resurrection stands under moonlight on 400-metre (1312 ft) cliff near Baidarsky Pass in Foros settlement, the southernmost resort in the Crimea.
Photo #727 taken on September 12, 2013
View from Baidarsky Pass on the Church of Christ's Resurrection raising on the Red Cliff (Krasnaya Skala) over the low clouds at Foros settlement on the Black Sea in a spring season. The magnificent church, that combines Rastrelliesque Baroque, Russian Revival, and Byzantine Revival styles, was built in 1892 by the project of Russian architect Nikolai Chagin on the abrupt 400-meter (1312 ft) cliff. Alexander Kuznetsov, the Moscow merchant and the Russian "tea king" who had his palace built on the seashore, commissioned Nikolai Chagin, the celebrated architect from Wilno, to built the church of Christ's Resurrection in memory of the miraculous rescue of Emperor Alexander III and his family in 1888 train crash in the Borki, on the way to St. Petersburg. The temple is notable for its luxurious exterior and picturesque interior.
Founded and named by medieval Greek merchants, Foros settlement was rediscovered in the late 19th century by Alexander Kuznetsov. It is located at the most Southern coast of Crimean Peninsula, in the middle between Yalta and Sevastopol.
Photo #593 taken on May 05, 2017
The beautiful richly decorated old icon of St. Nicholas, an icon of Our Lady with Child and one other icon framed flowers on the window sill. Interior of the Church of Christ's Resurrection near Baidarsky Pass at Foros settlement. The church was built in 1892 at the most Southern coast of Crimean Peninsula, in the middle between Yalta and Sevastopol.
Photo #716 taken on May 05, 2017
Front view of the Church of Christ's Resurrection in Foros under the moonlight in spring twilight. The church was commissioned by Moscow merchant Alexander Kuznetsov, a Russian "tea king", in memory of the miraculous rescue of Emperor Alexander III and his family in 1888 train crash. It was built in 1892 in Rastrelliesque Baroque, Russian Revival, and Byzantine Revival styles by the project of Nikolai Chagin in on abrupt 400-meter (1312 ft) Red Cliff (Krasnaya Skala) near Baidarsky Pass with a spectacular view of the Black Sea.
Photo #800 taken on May 05, 2017
Evening view from the observation platform at Staroye Svestopolskoye Shosse (Old Sevastopol Highway) on the Church of Christ's Resurrection rising on the high Red Cliff over covered with low clouds (fog) the Black Sea in the twilight. A car light trail on the curved mountain road to the church gives an additional touch to this landscape composition.
Photo #802 taken on May 05, 2017
