The Church of the Holy Protection (Pokrov) of the Theotokos in Tianjin was a expansion project begun in 1922 by its first rector Hieromonk Viktor (Sviatin) and completed in 1925 to rebuild the Church of our Saviour in the Russian Concession. Located on the east bank of the Haihe River (today's South Station zone in Hedong district), it was able to accomodate a capacity of 100 worshippers. It later became a Cathedral. Fr Ioann Du was sent on October 1943 to serve as the protodeacon.