Church of St Olga

Church of St Olga stands on ul. Piramowicza in Łódź's Śródmieście [city centre] district as a historic chapel of the parish of St Alexander Nevsky. It was built in the late nineteenth century next to an orphanage for Orthodox children.

Land from Juliusz Kunitzer

The plot for the future temple was donated in 1891 by Łódź industrialist Juliusz Kunitzer to the Orthodox parish of St Alexander Nevsky. Four years later, school buildings and an orphanage for Orthodox orphans were erected there, with a chapel added to it.

Consecration and patroness

The church was consecrated on 16 October 1898 under the direction of Archbishop Hieronim of the Chełm and Warsaw diocese. Construction was financed by donations from the faithful, and the design was prepared by Franciszek Chełmiński, architect of the city of Łódź. The patroness became St Olga of Kyiv, who also patronised the eldest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II.

Architecture

The single-nave building on a rectangular plan is closed from the east by a presbytery with an apse, above which rises one golden onion dome with the main entrance. The interior contains a three-tier iconostasis, originally designed for the cathedral of St Alexander Nevsky, for which it proved too tall. The ceiling is decorated with carpet-like painting in red, blue, green and yellow, and on the northern wall are inscriptions in Church Slavonic.

History of the building

Until 1954 the church operated at the orphanage, then became a chapel of the parish of St Alexander Nevsky. It was entered on the list of monuments on 1 October 1980. In 2005 it underwent renovation, during which the dampness on the northern wall was repaired.

Surroundings

Nearby stands the cathedral of St Alexander Nevsky, the mother parish of St Olga. Towards the centre lies Plac Wolności.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Piramowicza 12, Łódź (Śródmieście)
• Access: by public transport, close to main city centre routes
• What to expect: active Orthodox church, historic architecture with one golden dome, service times available on the diocese website before visiting