Church-Lighthouse of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

The Church-Lighthouse of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Khram-mayak Nikolaya Chudotvortsa) is a working Orthodox church in the village of Malorechenskoye, on the southern coast of Crimea between Alushta and Sudak. Alushta is about 14 kilometers away along the Sudak highway. The church is roughly 65 meters tall, making it the tallest Orthodox church on the Crimean peninsula, and its dome is visible far out at sea, just as a lighthouse should be.

Architecture

The complex is built around a maritime theme: anchors and anchor chains are mounted on the facades, and the church's dome doubles as a working lighthouse. Beneath the main cross sits a gilded sphere symbolizing planet Earth, with a lighthouse lantern housed inside it. The project's architect was monumental artist Anatoly Gaidamaka.

Construction history

The first stone was laid in October 2004, and the church was solemnly consecrated on May 15, 2007. Construction proceeded with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia. Among the donors credited with funding the building are State Duma deputy Alexander Lebedev, the National Reserve Bank, the bank "NRB-Ukraine", and the "More" resort. The total cost of the work is estimated at about 5 million dollars. Just under three years passed between the laying of the first stone and the consecration.

Museum of Water Disasters

Since 2009 the church's basement level has housed the Museum of Water Disasters. Its 17 rooms are designed to resemble the interior of a sunken ship. The collection holds about 500 exhibits: weapons, parts of sunken vessels, ship models, and diving equipment. The exhibition tells the story of shipwrecks and the people who died at sea. Visitors can also access an observation deck styled as a ship's bridge, with views of the coastline and the sea.

Getting there

Minibus route No. 113 runs to Malorechenskoye from the Alushta bus station or the "Sovetskaya Ploshchad" stop in the city. By car, the Sudak highway leads from Alushta toward Sudak and passes right by the church-lighthouse.