Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral in Chicago, a treasure of architecture and spirituality Discover and visit this sacred place on a 360-degree Virtual Tour!

Relatively unknown to the American public but visited by tourists from all over the world, the Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral located in the heart of the historic Ukrainian Village and Wicker Park district in Chicago is a monument that, by its exceptional beauty, impresses its visitors whether they are passionate about architecture or religious art, or visitors in spiritual quest. With the impetus of many Russian, Ukrainian, Greek, Serb and Bulgarian immigrants, the parish of St. Vladimir was renamed Church of the Holy Trinity in 1892 and had the honor of being the first Orthodox community in Chicago.

Designed by the renowned American architect Louis Sullivan in 1899, the Church of the Holy Trinity was built under the patronage and spiritual guidance of Fr. John Kochurov, a young and energetic missionary priest from St. Petersburg, Russia who arrived in 1895 to care for the Orthodox Christians that were in Chicago. (After returning to Russia in 1907, Fr. John became the first martyr of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 and was canonized in 1994).

In designing Holy Trinity Church, Louis Sullivan may have used a small wooden church with an octagonal dome structure (located in the village of Tatarskaya, Siberia) as a model. The construction of the church was supervised by Fr. John Kochurov, and partially funded by the Tsar Nicholas II. Construction began in April 1902 and was completed by March 1903.

Consecrated in August 1903 by Archbishop Tikhon (Bellavin) of the missionary diocese of the Aleutian Islands and North America (who was elected Patriarch of Russia in 1917 and canonized in 1989), Holy Trinity was designated a Cathedral for the diocese of Chicago and the Midwest in 1922 (Orthodox Church in America – OCA). The Cathedral and the rectory were listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic places in 1976 and received official designation as a Chicago Landmark in 1979.

The construction of the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church was an innovative marriage of traditional Russian architecture and early 20th century construction concepts and processes. Today it remains the last church designed by Louis Sullivan. The visitor, upon entering the Cathedral, is dazzled by the beauty of this sacred place. The Cathedral is filled with images and icons of Christ, The Theotokos, forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, angels, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, ascetics. With the presence of the relics of several Saints inside the Cathedral, the visitor can experience a spiritual treasure.

The Cathedral’s octagon shaped dome and frontal bell tower are Old World features of the building, but visitors will see Sullivan's added design elements influenced by the decorative design of Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts movements. During the 1980s renovation, visitors were amazed to see the interior painted images hidden under layers of soot from burning candles. Parishioners were then required to use only beeswax candles which do not produce the same residue. To place some elements in time, it should be noted that the iconostasis was purchased in Russia with a generous donation from Harold McCormick in 1912. The Chandelier was designed and donated by Louis Sullivan and was manufactured by Frenchman Louis Millet. The stained-glass windows were designed in the same way by Sullivan and were renovated in 2017. The octagonal wooden framed domes were renovated in 2013, the golden color is an anodized metal. The front bell tower was renovated in 2015.

The Holy Trinity Cathedral community has been especially blessed in that the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, which is a most sacred treasure to the Orthodox people, has been in the Cathedral for over 50 years during the persecution of the Russian Church. This icon was painted in the 1st century by the apostle Luke. The history of this icon has seen multiple episodes. In the 5th century, the icon was transported from Jerusalem to Constantinople. In 1383, seventy years before the fall of Constantinople at the hands of the Turks, the icon disappeared, and the same year, according to the annals, the icon appeared to fishermen over Lake Ladoga (in the principality of Novgorod) miraculously hovering over the lake’s waters amidst a radiant light. Shortly thereafter, the Icon appeared in several neighboring towns and finally stopped near the town of Tikhvin. A wooden church was then erected on the site and the icon was named the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. After the visit made in 1526 to Tikhvin by the great Prince Basil Ivanovich, the Tikhvin Icon was revered by all Russians and during the reign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, a stone monastery (of the Dormition) was built in 1560 near the church. Over the centuries, the Tikhvin Icon proved to be source of miracles (for instance, healings of ill children were reported). At the Monastery of the Dormition, the Tikhvin Icon was covered with a decorative sterling silver cover (or riza), embellished with pearls and precious gems affixed by many of the faithful, desiring to express thanksgiving for prayers answered through the Theotokos’ intercession.

During World War II, when German troops occupied Tikhvin, the miraculous icon was transferred to Pskov in northwestern Russia. In 1944, the miraculous Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God was welcomed by the Orthodox community of Riga (Latvia), headed by Archbishop John (Garklavs) who later took the icon to Bavaria and to the United States in 1949 where it was kept at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Chicago. After the death of Archbishop John in 1982, the Tikhvin Icon was passed on to his adopted son, Fr. Sergey (Garklavs), dean of the Cathedral, provided he returns it to the Tikhvin monastery after its reopening. Over a decade after the fall of communism and the resurrection of the , the icon was returned to Russia in 2004. More than 250,000 believers were gathered at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in on June 23, 2004 for the solemnities organized on this occasion. A replica of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, donated by the Russian Church, was presented to Holy Trinity Cathedral in Chicago in November 2016. The Orthodox Church commemorates the appearance of the Tikhvin Icon annually on June 26. “O Most Holy Theotokos, save all the Christians of this world, showing us the heavenly life!”

After more than a century of existence, Holy Trinity Cathedral continues the zeal of their forefathers in witnessing to the Orthodox faith and occupies a vital place in its neighborhood. In June 2017, the Parish celebrated its 125th anniversary and today remains the center of religious life for many Orthodox faithful and their families in Chicago and nearby communities. Since his on May 2017, Fr. Alexander Koranda serves as priest of Holy Trinity Cathedral and was assigned as dean of the Cathedral on Christmas of 2018. Since his consecration on December 24, 2014, Bishop Paul (Gassios) has been the head of the Diocese comprising the 13 States of the Midwest.

Holy Trinity Cathedral is continuously fund raising to support its renovation work. People who would like to support future work (the renovation of the outdoor stucco in particular) can find the necessary information on the website of friends of the Cathedral (www.friendsofholytrinity.com).

Since the beginning of July 2019, thanks to the digital Wiki project developed by the local university of Lake Forest, the tour of Holy Trinity Cathedral can be done online via a 360 degree virtual tour exploring the different interior and exterior shots and inviting you to admire the beauty of architecture, iconostasis, the sanctuary and even the bell tower. The virtual visitor can also access a lot of information by clicking on one of the many selectable objects, for example the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, the Iconostasis, or one of the side windows.

Virtual tour: https://digitalchicagohistory.org/exhibits/show/digital-chicago-churches/holy-trinity

Web site: https://holytrinitycathedral.net/