Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral (Baku)

 temple, cathedral, church, orthodox christianity

Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral (Russian: Кафедральный Собор Святых Жён-Мироносиц; Azeri: Müqəddəs Mürdaşıyan Zənənlər Başkilsəsi) is a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Baku, Azerbaijan. The church is dedicated to the Holy Myrrhbearers, who are commemorated on the second Sunday after Pascha (Easter).The building was erected in 1909 through personal donations. In 1920, it was one of the first places of religious worship to be closed down as a result of Sovietization. It was used first as a warehouse and later as a gymnasium. During the Black January of 1990, it was hit by missiles fired by the Soviet troops, and the building was severely damaged. In 1991, the building was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. With the financial aid provided by the Azerbaijani-born Russian entrepreneur Aydin Gurbanov, the building was fully restored by 2000. On 27 May 2001, Patriarch Alexius II elevated the church's status to that of a cathedral.