Mayor Orders Additional Discussion of Cathedral Project at Strelka
The cathedral«s project will undergo further expert discussions before proceeding.
The project for a cathedral at Strelka will be discussed again at the urban planning council. A decree to that effect was signed by Krasnoyarsk Mayor Sergey Vereshchagin.
The mayor signed a decree requiring additional review of the cathedral«s design parameters.
«We are talking about a landmark object and a central attraction for Krasnoyarsk residents and our guests,» Vereshchagin explained. «We need to carefully consider the spatial characteristics and parameters of the structure. To delve into the details with the participation of all interested parties, including architects and experts. The goal is to weigh the decisions once more. They must account for the embankment»s development and its status as a beloved recreational spot for residents.«
The construction site on the embankment covers more than 17,000 square meters.
As NGS24.RU was told by the press service of the city planning department, the Krasnoyarsk Diocese has not yet applied to them for a construction permit for the cathedral at Strelka.
«At the urban planning council, architects and other specialists will leave their comments on the project,» the department explained. «The designers will address them, and only after that can an application for a construction permit be made.»
When exactly the council meeting will take place is not yet known.
The mayor«s decree also includes a purely technical clause. The intended use of the plot on the embankment was clarified—the Krasnoyarsk Diocese was once again granted permission for »conducting religious rites.« The point is that the plot is located in a recreational zone. In 2016, the diocese was permitted to use the land for a religious purpose (as the primary permitted use).
However, in 2025, Krasnoyarsk changed its land use and development rules—and religious use was made a conditionally permitted activity, the press service of the city planning department explained to NGS24.RU. In December, public hearings were held in Krasnoyarsk on this issue. Following their results, the documents are being brought into compliance.
At the end of July, the plot on the embankment was fenced off for the cathedral«s construction. In September, the »cornerstone« for the future cathedral was laid here.
The plan is to recreate the Nativity of the Theotokos Cathedral at Strelka, which was built in the second half of the 19th century. However, it stood in a different location—on what is now Revolution Square. During the Soviet era in the 1930s, it was blown up, and later the House of Soviets (now the regional government building) was erected in its place.
The idea of reviving the destroyed cathedral in Krasnoyarsk has been discussed since at least the early 2000s. In 2017, the plot at Strelka was transferred for use to the diocese. At that time, city residents protested against developing the territory. In 2019, a designer said that there was no money for construction.
In October 2024, the diocese reported that the cathedral«s design had begun and that the process might take half a year. The cathedral will accommodate 4,000 people and will feature a celebration hall and a refectory for 300 people, with a bell tower 100 meters (328 feet) high.
The cathedral is expected to be built by 2028.
