Saints Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and Sophia Church, Orthodox church in Belgorod, Russia.
The Church of Saints Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and Sophia stands at the corner of Shchorsa and Koroleva streets in southern Belgorod. Designed by architects L. I. Kolesnikova and A. A. Likhachev, the brick church has a cross-shaped plan, a central dome and a bell tower. Construction began in 2004, and the first liturgy was served on 30 September 2008.
A parish in honour of these martyrs was registered in Belgorod on 26 January 1997. Ground works began on 20 September 2004, and on 5 December 2004 Archbishop Ioann of Belgorod and Stary Oskol blessed the foundation; architects L. I. Kolesnikova and A. A. Likhachev led the project. Archbishop Ioann celebrated the first liturgy on the patronal feast, 30 September 2008. On 15 May 2009 a fire destroyed the roof of the unfinished church, but the crosses remained standing.
The church is named after three sisters and their mother who became martyrs in the 2nd century under Emperor Hadrian. These four holy women are venerated by believers as embodiments of virtues that shape the spiritual meaning of this place.
The church stands at the crossing of Shchorsa and Koroleva streets in Belgorod's southern district, reachable by city transport along those two streets. Ground was broken on 20 September 2004, and the first liturgy was served on the patronal feast, 30 September 2008. Visitors should keep to the edges of the nave while services are in progress.
The church's name combines four holy persons, with three sisters representing the virtues of faith, hope, and love. Their mother Sophia embodies wisdom, forming a rare example of an entire family canonized together.
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