The Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral in Baku is a distinguished edifice of the Russian Orthodox Church, designed by the renowned architect Fyodor Mikhailovich Verzhbitsky. The funding for this significant project came from the War Office of Tsarist Russia, supplemented by generous donations from the prominent Baku merchant Gadzhi Zeynalabdin Tagiev. The design of the cathedral was part of a standardized architectural plan, with over sixty similar cathedrals constructed across Russia by the time of the revolution.
The cathedral’s name carries a rich historical significance. Built in 1909 for the 206th Saliyan regiment stationed in Baku, it was consecrated to honor the women who visited the tomb of the resurrected Jesus Christ on the first day after the Sabbath to perform the sacred ritual of anointing His body with fragrant oils and myrrh. This act of devotion is the origin of the cathedral’s name.
The foundation stone of the cathedral was laid in May 1908, and the formal consecration took place in December 1909. Prior to the construction of the Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral, soldiers had attended services at the Church of St. Michael the Archangel, which remains standing to this day in the city’s central area.
During the Soviet era, the cathedral was closed to worshippers and repurposed first as a warehouse and later as a gymnasium. This period saw a gradual deterioration of the building’s structure. In January 1990, the cathedral suffered significant damage when its bell tower was struck by two shells amid civil unrest, further compromising its integrity.
In the 1990s, the Russian Orthodox Church undertook extensive restoration efforts to revive the temple. The architectural features were meticulously restored, and on May 27, 2001, His Holiness Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and All Russia visited Azerbaijan to consecrate the church, elevating its status to that of a Diocesan Cathedral.
After the restoration was completed, the Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral was reopened on March 24, 2003. Today, it not only serves as a place of worship but also houses significant relics, including a piece of the hallowed remains of the Apostle Bartholomew and the revered Holy Icons of the Mother of God of Tikhvin and the Caspian.