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[[Image:Saint Sophia - Harbin, China.jpg|right|thumb|230px|The Cathedral of the [[Holy Wisdom ]] of God in [[w:Harbin|Harbin]], China. Built in 1907 and expanded from 1923-32, it was closed during the [[w:Great Leap Forward|Great Leap Forward]] and [[w:Cultural Revolution|Cultural Revolution]] period, and recently turned into a museum in 1997.]][[Image:Saint Sophia1 - HarbinChrist the Saviour Cathedral (Borki, ChinaUkraine).jpg|right|thumb|230px|The ornate ''Christ the Savior Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom of God '' in [[w:HarbinBorki train disaster|Borki]] ([[w:Kharkiv Oblast|HarbinKharkiv Oblast]]province, Ukraine), ca. 1900, Chinawas the inspiration for the St. Sophia Cathedral in Harbin.]][[Image:Saint Sophia (Dome) - Harbin, ChinaFotiy Huo Desheng.jpg|right|thumb|230px|Interior Fr. Fotiy Huo Desheng was the ninth rector of dome St. Sophia Church of the Harbin.]]The '''Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom of God ''' or ''Saint Sophia Cathedral in Harbin'' <br>(Chinese: 聖索菲亜教堂, Russian: Софийский собор в Харбине) is a former Russian Orthodox church located in the central district of [[w:Daoli District|Daoli]], [[w:HarbinCity|HarbinCity]], Heilongjiang Province, China.]]

The '''==History==St. Sophia Orthodox Cathedral is one of the Holy Wisdom of God''' or ''Saint Sophia Cathedral most magnificent structures in Harbin'' <br>(Chinese: 聖索菲亜教堂, Russian: Софийский собор в Харбине) is a former Russian Orthodox church located . It was built in 1907 after the central district completion of the [[w:Daoli DistrictTrans-Siberian Railway|DaoliTrans-Siberian Railway]]in 1903, which connected [[w:Harbin CityVladivostok|Harbin CityVladivostok]]to northeast China. The Russian No.4 Army Division arrived in this region just after Russia's loss to the Japanese in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). St. Sophia Church was built and completed of timber in March, Heilongjiang Province, China1907 as part of a plan to reconsolidate the confidence of the army by building an imposing spiritual symbol.

St. Sophia Orthodox Cathedral is one In 1921, Harbin had a population of the most magnificent structures in Harbin300,000, including 100,000 Russians. It was built in 1907 after the completion of the <ref>''"[[whttp:Trans//books.google.com/books?id=bxFC5ynXN2YC&pg=PA68&dq&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false Memories of Dr. Wu Lien-Siberian Railway|Transteh, plague fighter]"''. Yu-Siberian Railway]] in 1903, which connected lin Wu (1995). [[w:VladivostokWorld Scientific|VladivostokWorld Scientific]] to northeast China. The Russian Nop.4 Army Division arrived in this region just after Russia's loss to the Japanese in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)68. St. Sophia Church was built and completed of timber in March, 1907 as a spiritual symbol to help the army regain confidence. It ISBN 9810222874</ref> The church was expanded and renovated from [[September 23|September 23rd]] 1923, when a ceremony was held to celebrate the laying of the corner stone, to its completion on [[November 25|November 25th]], 1932, after nine years. The present day St. Sophia Church was hailed as a monumental work of artand the largest Orthodox church in the far east.

This church stands at 53.3 meters (175 feet) tallAccording to Harbin municipal religious and Daoli district archives, occupies an area of 721 square meters (0Fr.18 acres), and is the perfect example of [[Neo-Byzantine architecturehttp://www.orthodox.cn/localchurch/harbin/fotihuo_en.htm Fotiy Huo Desheng]]. The main structure is laid out like a cross with was the main hall topped with a huge green tipped domeninth rector of St. Under the bright sun, the church and the square area it lies on looks quite like the Red Square in MoscowSophia Church of Harbin.

===Description===The church is located on the corner of Toulin Street (Toulin jie) and Zhaolin Street (Zhaolin jie). It stands at 53.3 meters (175 feet) tall, occupies an area of 721 square meters (0.18 acres), and is the perfect example of [[Neo-Byzantine architecture]]. The main structure is laid out like a cross with the main hall topped with a huge green tipped dome. Under the bright sun, the church and the square area it lies on looks quite like the Red Square in Moscow.  ===Closure===

:Although the cathedral's sturdy structure withstood its intended destruction during the Cultural Revolution, its empty hull became a warehouse for a nearby state-run department store, its windows were bricked up and saplings grew from the roof. Prefabricated concrete high-rises boxed the church in on all four sides, coming within yards of its walls, making the cathedral inaccessible and invisible from the street. For decades it remained the invisible center of the city, surrounded by decorative material stalls, an auto body shop, a pen factory, and apartments for city government employees, until the Beijing government designated the cathedral a national cultural heritage site in 1996 as part of a nationwide campaign to protect historical sites.<refname="Koga">Yukiko Koga. ''[http://books.google.ca/books?id=hkq9tNjsSo8C&printsec=frontcover#PPA221,M1 "The Atmosphere of a Foreign Country": Harbin's Architectural Inheritance].'' In: Anne M. Cronin, Kevin Hetherington. '''Consuming the Entrepreneurial City: Image, Memory, Spectacle'''. Routledge, 2008. p.229.</ref>

===Restoration of the Cathedral (Old Harbin Nostalgia)===Following its designation in 1996 as a national cultural heritage site(First class Preserved Building), <ref>''"[http://www.upp.cn:8084/english/view/Arts/index_1.html PRESERVED BUILDINGS]."'' [http://www.upp.cn/english/ Harbin Urban and Rural Planning Bureau].</ref> a newspaper article about the "hidden" cathedral prompted donations from locals to restore the church. Local corporations, individual businesses as well as workers from nearby department stores donated money to restore the cathedral and renovate the square. A total of 12,000,000 yuan (approximately $1.5 million US) was eventually gathered and the cathedral regained its visibility in 1997, as the surrounding buildings were torn down.

A new "Harbin Architecture Square" conspicuously highlighted the cathedral with a huge new fountain at its entrance. The European-looking space was assigned a new meaning as the embodiment of culture and art and was re-presented to the public as the proud heritage of the city.<ref>Yukiko Koga. ''[http://books.google.ca/books?idname=hkq9tNjsSo8C&printsec=frontcover#PPA221,M1 "The Atmosphere of a Foreign CountryKoga": Harbin's Architectural Inheritance].'' In: Anne M. Cronin, Kevin Hetherington. '''Consuming the Entrepreneurial City: Image, Memory, Spectacle'''. Routledge, 2008. p.229.</ref>

==Sourcesand further reading==* David Wolff. [http://books.google.ca/books?id=5OnhlIo4kKoC To the Harbin Station: The Liberal Alternative in Russian Manchuria, 1898-1914]. Stanford University Press, 1999.* Yukiko Koga. ''[whttp://books.google.ca/books?id=hkq9tNjsSo8C&printsec=frontcover#PPA221,M1 "The Atmosphere of a Foreign Country":Saint Sophia Cathedral in Harbin|'s Architectural Inheritance].'' In: Anne M. Cronin, Kevin Hetherington. '''Consuming the Entrepreneurial City: Image, Memory, Spectacle'''. Routledge, 2008. * [http://www.harbin.gov.cn/english/hrb_ywb/display.php?id=53 Saint -Sophia Cathedral in Church]. Government of Harbinwebsite. * ''"[http://www.upp.cn:8084/english/view/Arts/index_1.html PRESERVED BUILDINGS]] at Wikipedia."'' Harbin Urban and Rural Planning Bureau.* "[http://www.chinaspringtour.com/guide/item.jsp?id=604 St. Sophia Church 圣索非亚教堂] ." China Spring Tour. ==External links==* [http://www.orthodox.cn/localchurch/harbin/sophia_en.htm St Sophia Church of Harbin] at Orthodox.cn.* [http://image.baidu.com/i?tn=baiduimage&ct=201326592&lm=-1&cl=2&fm=ps&word=%CA%A5%CB%F7%B7%C7%D1%C7%B4%F3%BD%CC%CC%C3 Saint Sophia Cathedral in Harbin (The Baidu Photo Gallery)] (in Chinese)

* Yukiko Koga. '''Wikipedia''':* [http[w://books.google.ca/books?id=hkq9tNjsSo8C&printsec=frontcover#PPA221,M1 "The Atmosphere of a Foreign Country"Saint Sophia Cathedral in Harbin|Saint Sophia Cathedral in Harbin]]: Harbin's Architectural Inheritance* [[w:Byzantine Revival architecture|Byzantine Revival architecture]].'' In:* [[w: Anne M. Cronin, Kevin Hetherington. '''Consuming Neo-Byzantine architecture in the Russian Empire|Neo-Byzantine architecture in the Entrepreneurial CityRussian Empire]]:* [[w: Image, Memory, Spectacle'''. Routledge, 2008. 305 pp., (pp.221-254). (ISBN 041595519X; ISBN 9780415955195)Harbin Russians|Harbin Russians]]

[[Category:Churches|Sophia]][[Category: Churches in China|Sophia]]