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The Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos on Malaya Okhta, widely known as the “Blockade Church,” is a memorial complex of St. Petersburg, built with public donations in memory of the heroes and victims of the besieged Leningrad. Named bricks, monuments and mosaics make the church a living memory of those events. You can come here to honor the memory of those who survived the blockade. The church embodies a quiet and special place among the rustling foliage, where you can be alone or together with loved ones.
History of the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos
Even before Peter I, there was a wooden Lutheran church of the Swedish fortress Nyenschantz here. The emperor ordered it to be demolished in order to establish an Orthodox shrine and Russian influence on the banks of the Neva in place of the former building. The creation of a new church in honor of Mary Magdalene was aimed at meeting the spiritual needs of the residents of Okhta and developing this historic area of the city.
In 1938 it was closed and turned into the “Rassvet” cinema. The main reason and accompanying event of the closure was the arrest of its last rector – the new martyr Archpriest Ioann Leskov. In the 1960s the church was demolished altogether, leaving a vacant lot in its place.
Why is the church called the Blockade Church and what is its connection to the war?
The name “Blockade” is not official, but it is the most accurate. During the Great Patriotic War, the territory of the former Malookhtinskoye cemetery around the destroyed church became a site of mass spontaneous burials. Guides often note: it is precisely in this place that tourists first truly realize the scale of the blockade through space.
In the mass graves, thousands of Leningraders who died of hunger and cold found rest. In the 1990s it was decided to build the Church of Memory of the Leningrad Blockade here. It is symbolic that its consecration took place on September 8, 2001 – exactly on the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the blockade.
Built with public donations: Architectural features and the phenomenon of "named bricks"
The church was built by the whole community, without any budget funds, on donations from ordinary Petersburgers and patrons, and was given a new name – the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos (or the Dormition Church).
There is an astonishing fact: more than 8,000 named bricks are embedded in the walls of the building. People made a donation and wrote on a brick the name of a loved one who died during the siege; thus the names of ancestors physically became part of the foundation and walls of the shrine.
The church is over 30 meters tall, so its golden domes can be seen from afar. Although the building was constructed in the late 1990s, it resembles ancient Russian churches. On one of the outer walls you can see a large mosaic icon – the image of the Mother of God "Derzhavnaya" (the Sovereign).
The church stands in a very important place: if you connect it on a map with the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and the Smolny Cathedral, you get the city's "spiritual triangle".
By the way, one of the most breathtaking moments of the construction occurred in August 1999, when a huge cross was installed on the main dome with the help of a helicopter.
What monuments stand on the grounds of the Blockade Church?
The church was originally created as a memorial in memory of the victims and heroes of the siege, on the site of mass burials of Leningraders during the war; later this status was reinforced by the installation of monuments on its grounds to other heroes and victims of tragedies, forming a memorial ensemble:
- Monument to the Children of Beslan: a poignant monument in memory of the victims of the 2004 terrorist attack.
- Monument to the Hieromartyr Benjamin of Petrograd: the heavenly patron of the city.
- Monument to the soldiers who died in the Caucasus.
- The affiliated Church of St. Mary Magdalene: a restored shrine on a historic site. Here also is the grave of the first rector, Archpriest Viktor Eroshenko, who tragically died in 2004 when the scaffolding collapsed during the installation of a mosaic icon on the facade
The activities of the Blockade Church today
Today the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is a living center of the community, conducting active spiritual, educational and social activities. The parish unites people of all ages: Sunday schools for children and adults are open, the youth club "Echo of the Future" operates, there is a troop of scouts of ORUR (the Organization of Russian Young Scouts, which engages in patriotic and spiritual education of youth) and the distinctive club "Okhtinsky Grandmothers".
The most important mission of the parishioners remains social service: regular assistance to those in need, charity events and visits to hospitals turn the memory of the past into real good deeds of the present.
You can come to the church to be alone with yourself. Behind the thick white walls you want to hide from the city bustle. The smell of incense evokes associations with memory, peace and something very personal, deeply cherished. A sense of inner balance arises – thoughts fall into place on their own.
The Blockade Church: answering questions
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Address of the Siege Church
The church is located in the Krasnogvardeysky District of St. Petersburg, not far from the "Novocherkasskaya" metro station. From the metro you can walk to it or take surface transport. -
Are services currently held at the Siege Church?
Yes, services are regularly held at the present time (on ordinary Sundays and feast days, liturgies and evening services are conducted). The schedule can be checked on the church's official website. -
Is photo and video shooting allowed inside the church and on the adjacent territory?
Outside and near the monuments, shooting is unrestricted, but inside the church it is allowed only without flash and subject to the rules of reverent behavior. -
Why is the church named in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos?
This name is given in honor of one of the main Orthodox holidays, dedicated to the peaceful departure of the Virgin Mary from earthly life and her ascension to God.
You can come to the church to be alone with yourself. Behind the thick white walls, you want to hide from the city bustle. The smell of incense evokes associations with memory, peace, and something very personal, deeply cherished. A sense of inner balance arises – thoughts fall into place on their own.
Tour of Blockade Leningrad
But if you want to learn more about the history of the besieged city, one visit to the Blockade Church is not enough; a tour from the company Leningrad Tour will help you do that.
In addition to the church, you will visit the Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery, dedicated to the memory of all Leningraders and defenders of the city, learn the story of Tanya Savicheva and the fate of the most terrible and tragic diary in history, as well as who lives in her house now. You will be able to walk along St. Isaac's Square, where during the war there was a huge vegetable garden, which was almost the only way to grow food for the residents of the besieged city.
The tour will help you move away from the usual image of St. Petersburg and give you the opportunity to feel and immerse yourself in the history of those terrible events from which the city has not recovered to this day.
Tour of Blockade Leningrad
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