Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene, Warsaw

After Warsaw was placed under the control of the Russian Empire as part of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Warsaw saw a large influx of Russian immigrants who practiced Orthodox. By mid-1800, Orthodox made up roughly ten percent of the population in Praga.

Cathedral of Saint Mary Magdalene was constructed especially to serve the Russian immigrants in Praga and the soldiers of the two Russian garrisons located in the area. The foundation stone of the church was laid in 1867 and it was completed in 1869.

The building was covered with a hipped roof with five onion-domes. The interior was beautifully decorated and a group of 27 murals were painted on the inside walls.

After Poland regained its independence in 1920, most Orthodox churches were demolished or transferred to other religions. Miraculously, Saint Mary Magdalenes survived. During the World War II, the church suffered only minor damages, so today you still see original interior decorations including the main iconostasis and the gilded altars.

In 1944, Nazis confiscated the church bells for the purpose of making missiles, but only to discover that the bells were not suitable for melting down. The broken bells were later welded back together and can be found near the building entrance today.

Visit this church to enjoy its beautiful architecture and exquisitely decorated interiors.