Church of Saint Nicholas, Eastern Orthodox church in Babruysk, Belarus.
The Church of Saint Nicholas is an Orthodox house of worship in Babruysk built from brick with multiple domes adorned with decorative elements in Russian Revival style. The building displays this style's characteristic design through its multi-domed composition and ornamental details across the facade and roofline.
A church dedicated to Saint Nicholas stood near the Berezina before 1812, when construction of the Bobruisk fortress forced its relocation to the Parychsky suburb; after that suburb was abolished in 1829, a wooden church was built in 1835. The present brick cathedral was erected in 1892–1894 with state funds and parish donations. Closed under Soviet rule and looted on 28 April 1922, it reopened during the Second World War, was converted into a swimming pool in 1964, and was returned to the Orthodox Church on 1 August 2003.
The cathedral is the seat of the Bobruisk and Bykhov eparchy. Its name honours St Nicholas the Wonderworker, and the main consecration took place on 22 May 2007, his feast day. A Sunday school, a sisterhood, a Cossack community and a library operate at the church.
The cathedral stands on Sotsialisticheskaya Street in central Babruysk, a short walk from the city's main squares. The whole building was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church on 1 August 2003, so parts may still be under restoration; check locally before planning a visit inside. Sunday school, a sisterhood and a library operate on the premises.
The walls were originally pink, not the colour seen today. Inside, the open second tier of the prayer hall and the drum of the central cupola rest on four massive pylons linked by arches. From 1964 the closed building served as a swimming pool until it was returned to the church on 1 August 2003.
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