From Russia With Love - The story of Brooklyn's most beautiful cathedral

by Meghan Sutherland
Photos by Jason Kempin

Williamsburg is filled with buildings that seem out of place, empty, or just plain interesting. When I walk by them I always wonder who goes in there? What do they do in there? Can I go in there? Do I want to go in there?

One of these structures is the "onion dome," the beautiful Russian cathedral on the corner of Bedford and North 12th Street. With its Patina green domes and traditional Byzantine architecture, the cathedral is hard to miss.

To people who don't attend this church, the building seems an anachronism, perhaps a little out of place. But members of the congregation at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Lord know that this place is special. Not only is it a unique piece of architecture, it's old enough to pre-date you, your Tops-shopping roommates, and maybe even your landlord. Built in 1921, it is a national and New York City landmark visited each week by Russian Orthodox worshippers from as far away as New Jersey.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, the parish was busy preparing for a fundraising concert. A bevy of older ladies sat and talked, choir members rehearsed hymns in the balcony, and John Mace, a parish member since the 1970s, explained what the excitement was about.

"Tonight's concert is a benefit to raise money for an upcoming restoration on the domes and the rest of the church," Mace says. The cost? A cool $6 million.

Mace knows it will take a while to raise the funds, but says that it'll be worth it in the end. Since the cathedral was consecrated in 1922, the church has undergone many repairs and restorations. But the upcoming restoration will faithfully restore the entire structure. Extra attention will be paid to the domes and frescoed walls inside.

Keeping with the tradition of Russian Orthodoxy, iconography is found throughout the church. The interior of the church is intricate and ornate. Crystal chandeliers, Sistine Chapel-worthy frescoes, and an oak wood floor are some of the beautiful interior touches. It's a truly divine setting for an Orthodox service. "An Orthodox service affects all of your senses at once," says Mace. "With the incense, the singing, the candlelight's it's wonderful."

Mace drives from New Jersey with his wife, who was baptized in this cathedral, each Sunday. There are other Russian Orthodox churches, but Mace has always favored this parish. "My wife and I have a strong attachment to this place, and the people who come here," he says. Mace converted to the Russian Orthodox faith, but it wasn't for his wife. "People thought I converted for [my wife], but that's not the case," says Mace. He says he fell in love with the cathedral's unique beauty, and he forged an especially strong bond with one of the priests. "It was almost like a father-son bond," explains Mace.

The parish has an interesting history. Around the turn of the century, a wave of immigrants from Russia and the Galicia region of Austria-Hungary settled in Greenpoint and Williamsburg. Like many immigrants, the Slavic community faced unfamiliar language, laws, and culture in America. The establishment of the Parish of the Transfiguration helped them maintain cultural and spiritual ties to their homeland.

When it was first established in 1908, parish members congregated in an old Methodist Church. Construction began on the cathedral in 1916, but was halted when the Russian Revolution roared through their homeland, ultimately leading to the demise of the Royal Family. Parish members had hoped that Tsar Nicolas II would help fund construction of the cathedral, but when he was murdered, they had no money to finish building the cathedral. Eventually a few parish members donated personal funds, and the cathedral was finally consecrated in 1922.

Since the first immigrants arrived from Russia in the early 1900s, many changes have happened in the Parish of the Transfiguration. Until the end of World War II, the church was a bustling place of worship. Parishioners flocked to the cathedral for liturgies and community events. "During Easter, the church was packed very full," says Mace. "The crowd spilled outside onto the sidewalk -- they even spilled into the park sometimes."

After World War II, America enjoyed an economic boom while Williamsburg struggled. In the 1950s, "white flight" occurred as the Hasidic and Puerto Rican population increased. In the following decades, Williamsburg's economic situation deteriorated quickly. One after the other, factories shut down throughout the area. "White flight" afflicted the neighborhood as the region became increasingly industrialized. Clearly, times had changed since the neighborhood had been a haven for eastern European immigrants just two decades earlier. Soon the cathedral saw what Mace calls a "dramatic decline" in the size of its congregation. "After that initial decline, [the congregation] just dwindled and dwindled," Mace says.

Today, the church is about half-full on a typical Sunday morning, and attendance is slowly increasing. During Easter, a paramount celebration in Russian Orthodoxy, the cathedral fills to capacity. Mace estimates that about 80 per cent of Parish of the Transfiguration parishioners speak Russian, and all liturgies are bilingual - half in English and half in Russian. Many parish members are first, second or third generation immigrants who descend from the region that now makes up western Russia, Poland, Ukraine, and Slovakia

Some parish members walk to church, and others drive - some from as far away as Queens, Staten Island, and New Jersey. The parish also hosts some Latino members, many of whom are curious to look inside the domed cathedral. "They stop by during a service and ask to look around," Mace explained. "And we love that, we're happy to see everyone and they're more than welcome to join us."

With the population influx hitting our neighborhood these days, one day it might fill to the rafters again. "We're not at the point where people flood out into the park or onto the sidewalk, but that might happen again someday."

The re-birth of Williamsburg will be a boon for the church. Mace is happy to see the neighborhood becoming revitalized. "Now there are people in the parks, and residents on the streets, and that's a good thing," he says. This warm, welcoming attitude, along with improving economics of Williamsburg, will help this parish maintain its original glory. And with the restoration project around the corner, we can't wait to see what the future holds.