Church in Yantarny, Eastern Orthodox church in Yantarny, Russia.
The Church in Yantarny is a former Lutheran parish church built of fieldstone and shaped brick, with a pointed tower and stylistic echoes of the St. George Chapel at Berlin's Monbijou Palace. Since 1990 it has served as an Orthodox church; the former altar wall was replaced by an iconostasis and the pews were removed.
The building was constructed in 1892 and reflects the architectural style of the late 19th century in the Kaliningrad region. Its creation falls during a period when this part of the Baltic coast was under Prussian rule.
The church is dedicated to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, which replaced the former altar wall with an iconostasis after 1990. The restored bell returned to its original place in 2008. The building also preserves the memory of the two named bells and the amber-inlaid copper altar vessels donated in 1920.
The church stands at the southern edge of Yantarny, on the eastern side of the road; the town has no rail service, so visitors arrive by road via Krasnotorowka or Russkoje. Inside, the former altar wall has been replaced by an iconostasis and the pews removed, leaving an open floor. It is an active Orthodox parish, so sightseeing gives way during services.
The church was founded by Moritz Becker, the amber-mining entrepreneur whose firm Stantien & Becker paid for its construction. Two named bells hung in the tower; a restored bell was returned to its original place in 2008. The organ and the stained glass, made with local scenes, were lost after 1945.
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