The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Geneva this year marked the 160th anniversary of the Holy Cross Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), according to the diocesan website.

The celebrations were led by Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of ROCOR, who traveled to Switzerland at the invitation of Bishop Irenei of London and Western Europe.

For the anniversary services, Metropolitan Nicholas brought the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God. Several bishops celebrated the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy, joined by clergy from parishes in Switzerland, France, Luxembourg and other countries.

Following the liturgy, a procession was held around the cathedral, followed by a prayer service before the Honorable Cross. Addressing parishioners, Metropolitan Nicholas called on them to remember the thousands of services celebrated in the church over more than a century and a half and to continue living according to the Christian faith.

The Holy Cross Cathedral was consecrated on September 26, 1866, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Its construction began after the authorities of Geneva granted the Orthodox community a plot of land for a Russian church in 1862.

The cathedral was designed by architect David Grimm, a professor at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna played an active role in the construction, while funding was also raised with the support of the Russian imperial family.

Built from local stone in the tradition of ancient Russian architecture, the cathedral is distinguished by its nine gilded domes. In 1916, the building was expanded, and a bell tower with five bells was added above the central entrance.

The cathedral is also associated with several prominent figures in Russian culture. Sophia, the daughter of writer Fyodor Dostoevsky and his wife Anna, was baptized and later commemorated at the church. In 1896, artist Mikhail Vrubel and singer Nadezhda Zabela-Vrubel were married there. Over the years, the cathedral was also visited by musicians Mstislav Rostropovich and writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

During the 20th century, the cathedral came under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. It remains the cathedral church of ROCOR’s Diocese of Great Britain and Western Europe.