Visiting Holy Cross Cathedral in Irkutsk
My posts are starting to get a little out of order. The Holy Cross Cathedral was the first Russian Orthodox church I visited since arriving in Russia, stumbling upon it while walking to get lunch. It's listed on Google in English as Holy Cross Cathedral. The name at the entrance says Krestovozdvizhenskaya Cathedral. It's written like this on Google Maps, too. It feels like a neighborhood church, so admission is free, but you have to walk past a few people begging to get inside. Normally I would have given them a little something, but I wasn't really in a position to do so right now, so I apologetically walked past them this time. For some reason, not being able to give them money is really weighing on my mind today.
Anyway, no matter what temple you visit around the world, there are always a lot of people begging. It seems everyone knows exactly where the best spots are to receive money.
The exterior has a uniquely Russian architectural style, distinct from the Roman Catholic cathedrals of Western Europe. I only realized this later when I went to Moscow and St. Petersburg, but this unique church exterior could only be seen in the Siberian region. While Western European cathedrals are left in their natural stone state without paint, this Russian Orthodox church is painted in white and a reddish color close to crimson. The size is similar to temples in other countries, but surprisingly, it feels small and warm rather than grand and majestic. Perhaps because of the paint colors, it doesn't have the towering, dignified, and overwhelming feel of a Western European cathedral, but rather feels like one of the neighborhood apartment buildings. Thanks to that, I was able to step inside comfortably without any hesitation.
The interior is even more different from Roman Catholic cathedrals. In contrast to Catholic churches lined with long pews, there are no chairs here at all; instead, the building is filled with statues of Jesus and paintings of saints. These paintings are called icons. The interior layout resembles a Buddhist temple you might see in Korea or Thailand more than a Christian church. It looks so similar to a Thai Buddhist temple, in fact, that I was momentarily confused. The believers greet Jesus and the various saints in their own ways, offering prayers, embracing them, and speaking what's on their minds.
Unlike the outside, I was so overwhelmed by the solemn atmosphere inside that I couldn't make a sound and just watched. The most impressive part was that the believers weren't attending a special service; they just dropped by in casual clothes for a short time to pray, as if they were stopping in to say hello while passing by. I always thought of Russia as part of Europe, and while the temple's exterior follows Western styles, the interior is quite similar to Eastern ones. This is especially true in Siberia. Because of these characteristics, it seems people evaluate Russia as its own distinct entity rather than just a part of Europe. I didn't know this before coming here, but aside from communism, there is definitely something uniquely Russian.
Expenses (Per Person)
- Room change additional fee 50RUB
- Bus 150RUB
- Lunch 150RUB
Lenin Coffee 108RUB (older brother bought it)- Water 61RUB, Bread 17RUB = 88RUB
Dinner unknown (older brother bought it)- Train 6,922RUB
- Shower 100RUB
Total Expenses 7,460RUB
Total Trip Expenses 525,936KRW + 11,956RUB + $53.16