Русский | Russian Cultural Association "RESURRECTION", Jan 9, 2005 - Beijing.
Service of Thanksgiving for the
decision to restore Holy Dormition
temple in Beijing
English Translation by Nina Tkachuk Dimas

Russian Embassy Garage
formerly the Dormition Church

On January 9th, during the week following the Nativity of Christ, Prayers of Thanksgiving followed the Divine Liturgy in Russia's Embassy in Beijing occasioned by the decision to restore the temple of the Holy Dormition. The temple of the Holy Dormition was erected in 1902 on the territory of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Beijing and was used as a summer temple until 1954. After the transfer of the Mission's territory to the USSR Embassy it is being used as the embassy garage.

After the end of the Thanksgiving Service, a procession led by icons of the heavenly patrons of Orthodoxy in China took place; the troparion of Christ's Nativity was sung at the temple walls, where a thanksgiving prayer was read and petitions were offered to promptly execute the decision to revive divine services within the walls of the only surviving Orthodox temple on the territory of China.