Saints Constantine and Helena Church in Simferopol, Russian Orthodox church in Simferopol, Russia
Saints Constantine and Helena Church is a single-storey Russian Orthodox building in Simferopol with seven windows, the central three of which are semicircular. Its cornice is decorated with rows of dentils that divide the facade into three parts. The church was rebuilt in the Russo-Byzantine style after its Soviet-era destruction.
In 1785 Colonel B. A. Tishchev bought a house in Ak-Mechet and set up a regimental church dedicated to Constantine and Helena. After the troops left, Governor Vasily Kakhovsky ordered an iconostasis in 1786, and on 27 May 1787 Catherine II prayed here. A two-tier bell tower was added in the 1880s, the church was consecrated anew in 1887, and in 1914 it again served a regiment. Closed in 1929, it was restored through Metropolitan Lazar and reopened in 2001.
The church is popularly called "Yekaterininskaya" because Catherine II prayed here in 1787, though the city's official Church of St Catherine the Great Martyr is a different building. A memorial plaque at the entrance marks the empress's visit.
The building is located in central Simferopol and can be accessed on foot. Visitors should note that religious ceremonies expect certain behaviors, such as modest dress and respectful conduct inside.
The church is often called "Ekaterininskaya" after Catherine II, who prayed here in 1787, though the city has another church officially dedicated to Saint Catherine the Great Martyr. A memorial plaque by the entrance marks the imperial visit.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,737 contributors worldwide.