ÉGLISE ORTHODOXE RUSSE
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Orthodox church built in the Byzantine style, decorated with icons coming straight from St. Petersburg to Biarritz
The Orthodox church was built in the Byzantine style in 1892, to coincide with the year of the alliance between France and Russia. Its construction was justified by the large number of Russian visitors, including Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of the Tsar. The already fashionable seaside resort became an "imperial city" in the 19th century. The church was adorned with icons straight from St. Petersburg. Inaugurated in September 1892, in the presence of members of the Russian imperial family, the church was made possible thanks to the intervention of Tsar Alexander III and the dedication of Father Herodion. It is dedicated to the protection of the Mother of God and Saint Alexander of the Neva. It attracts many tourists, but its proximity to the ocean has led to difficulties and damage. The church was restored in 1984 thanks to subscriptions and donations from all over the world, including a contribution from Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Over the past 20 years, the parish has expanded to include the descendants of White Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, Georgian and Moldavian immigrants to the Basque Country, as well as French-speaking Orthodox. Since 2015, the Orthodox church has been classified as a historic monument, and since the beginning has been reserved exclusively for the Greek-Russian Orthodox worship of the Eastern Christian Churches, Patriarchate of Constantinople. Further renovations have been carried out until 2024 to enable it to be reopened to the public.
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