Lipovan Church

 

 

 

The Lipovan Church is the place of worship of the Russian community of starovers who came to Iași in the middle of the 18th century.
The Russian Starovers are believers of the old rite who, originally, did not accept the forced modernization imposed by Tsar Alexei I, the father of Peter the Great and went into exile, settling in different parts of the world. Because they were skilled fishermen, they chose regions where this occupation offered opportunities, such as Japan, Canada, Alaska. In Romania, we find them especially in Dobrogea, but also in Brăila, Ialomița, Iași and Suceava.
Traditions that preceded the reform carried out by the Russian Orthodox Church during the reign of Peter the Great have been preserved in the Old Lipovenesc Rite Church.

Initially, it was a beam construction, erected in 1780, right on the place where the church is today. The old place was rebuilt of stone in 1830, but in 1866 both the tower and the bell tower, which remained of wood, as well as valuable church objects and icons were destroyed by fire. The ensemble was rebuilt again between 1872-1882, under the supervision of the architect Ștefan Emilian.
In the modern era, several restoration works took place, the most spectacular being completed in 2009, when all 7 towers of the church were completely covered with gold leaf.

The construction is high, with seven towers with a cut cross at the top (specific to the cult of the Russian starovers). The most impressive tower is above the closed porch which is also a three-storey bell tower. Above the nave there is another high tower, this being surrounded by 4 small towers (two on the sides of the narthex and on the sides of the nave). The seventh tower is above the altar. The building has straight nave apses (framed by two towers on each side) and a semicircular altar apse. The church can be entered from three sides: women enter the west side, men enter the south side, and the entrance on the north side is used only for special occasions.

The Lipovan community in Iași numbered about 300 people. The patron saint of the church celebrates St. Mary, on August 15/28.