All Saints' Temple

One of the oldest churches of Arkhangelsk is located on the Obvodny Canal and bears the name of All Saints. Like many temples in the years after the revolution came into disrepair and warehouses were organized on its territory. Alexander Solzhenitsyn mentioned this difficult time for the temple in his work “The Gulag Archipelago”. After the thirties, the temple was completely abandoned and resumed its activities only by the 1980s.

The demolished dome and belfry at the request of parishioners were rebuilt. The main building, in which the floors were dismantled and the windows were walled, was reconstructed, and with the blessing of Bishop Leontius, the temple was transferred to the Archangel diocese. After the renovation of the temple, the first rector was appointed abbot Father Seraphim, who had outstanding organizational skills and enjoyed incredible love and respect of parishioners. Under his leadership, the main restoration work was carried out in just ten days, and the formed parish council began to return the temple of its former grandeur. With the blessing of the same Bishop Leontius, the icon of the Most Holy Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”, the icon of the Mother of God “Tikhvinskaya” and the icon of St. Nicholas were transferred from the Cathedral. Icons for the iconostasis were painted by icon painters of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.