Holy Dormition Cathedral

The Holy Dormition Cathedral, also known as the Assumption Cathedral or Uspensky Sobor, is the cathedral of the Tashkent and Uzbekistan Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church and the centre of Orthodox life in the country. It stands on Avliyo-Ota street, a few minutes from Tashkent's central railway station, its white walls, blue and gilded domes and tall bell tower an unexpected sight in a Muslim-majority city.

Its history explains its unusual dedication. The church began in 1877–1879 as the hospital church of St Panteleimon, the healer, beside the military hospital and its cemetery; the governor-general Konstantin von Kaufman and the merchant Dmitry Zakho were among its donors. Closed in 1933, it served as a medical warehouse until December 1945, when it was returned to believers, re-consecrated to the Dormition of the Mother of God and made the cathedral of the diocese. It was rebuilt and enlarged in 1958–1960 and restored again in the following decades.

What to see

• The cathedral itself, in the Russian Revival style, with blue and gilded domes.
• The separate multi-tiered bell tower, consecrated in 2009 and described by the diocese as the tallest in Uzbekistan.
• The iconostasis and icons inside, including an image of St Luke (Voyno-Yasenetsky), the surgeon and bishop most closely tied to Tashkent, who was ordained a priest in the city and consecrated bishop in 1923.
• A monument to St Luke on the cathedral square and a chapel for the blessing of water in the grounds.

Visiting

The cathedral is a working church with daily services in Church Slavonic. Visitors are welcome outside services and may stand quietly at the back during them. Women should cover their hair and wear a skirt below the knee; men should remove hats, and shorts are not appropriate. Photography inside is best avoided during services; ask at the church shop at other times. The great feasts, above all Pascha and the patronal feast of the Dormition on 28 August, draw several thousand people. The cathedral is a short taxi ride from the centre or a 10-minute walk from Tashkent railway station.