中文 | Русский

St Seraphim Cemetery Church outside city wall near Andingmen

According to Harbin Diocese - Parishes in China for 1929, a military cemetery was located outside the walls of Beijing with a magnificent temple. At the site of the cemetery were buried the ranks of the Imperial Embassy's security guards, diplomatic officials, missionary clergymen and private individuals.

According to Dmitry Napara, the cemetery church of Saint Serafim of Sarov with capacity of 350 persons was built in 1903-1906 with Chinese government funding, that was allocated as partial compensation of the Russian casualty during the Boxer Rebellion. The dedication of the church took place on October 1/14, 1906 - the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God. The territory of the cemetery was surrounded with high stone wall. Apart from the church, there were also two stone buildings, one being a lodge. The cemetery was elevated, with two stairs leading to it.

In the North "new" cemetery (laid in 1900) joined to the Mission cemetery, there were 50 graves. The Alapayevsk Martyrs were said to have been secretly transported outside the Beijing city wall and reburied at the Russian cemetery in 1947 per order of Soviet Consul General.

The last service in Saint Serafim of Sarov church took place in 1962. Then church premises started being used as a warehouse - they had the example to follow. In 1986 the church was demolished. The original location is located at the present day golf course in Qingnianhu Park.

Photographs
 

St. Serafimovsky temple
at the cemetery of the
Russian Spiritual Mission.
1942 Photo from Museum of
Church Archaeology
, MDPA

Cemetery of the Spiritual Mission.
The works of Russian soldiers.
1942 Photo from Museum of
Church Archaeology
, MDPA

Russian Spiritual Mission in Beijing,
temple where remains of the
great princes-new martyrs were buried.
Photo from Met. HILARION
First Hierarch of ROCOR

Coffins with the bodies of the Alapaevsk martyrs.
Cemetery Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov.
April 3/16, 1920 Photo from the Paris Archive of
Prince F.F. Yusupov. Collection of the museum
"Our Era" (Moscow). Published for the first time.

photo from afanasiy.net

photos from Yíhéwúlǎo