Igreja de Santa Mártir Zenaide, Russian Orthodox temple in Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Igreja de Santa Mártir Zenaide is a Russian Orthodox church in Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro. Its design by engineer Konstantin Trofimov follows the style of Pskov churches of the late 13th and early 14th centuries. The building has a central dome and white walls, and is recognized as an object of artistic value.
Russian refugees fleeing the 1917 Revolution built this temple between 1935 and 1937. Its completion established the first Russian Orthodox parish in Rio de Janeiro and marked an important presence of the Russian diaspora in Brazil.
The parish was founded by Russian émigrés who arrived in Rio from Turkish camps in 1921 and from Harbin in the 1950s. Its choir, led for years by Boris Kirillov, reached 25 singers and gave concerts in the city and at the Ministry of Culture. The church is dedicated to Saint Martyr Zinaida, patron saint of the wife of architect Gleb Sakharov.
The church stands in Santa Teresa, a district where the city's tram lines once converged, so it is reached by tram or on foot along sloping streets. Orthodox practice here calls for women to cover their heads and men to remove their hats; modest dress applies to all visitors.
This is the only church worldwide dedicated to Saint Martyr Zenaida, reflecting a specific connection to Russian Orthodox heritage in South America. The choice of this uncommon name shows the veneration of this early Christian saint among the Russian community.
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