Holy Trinity Church

One of the most remarkable landmarks of Karakol is the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, which was built in the 19th century by the Russian community that settled in the city.

The church’s history dates back to the founding of Karakol in 1869, when the first Russian settlers erected a small church on this site. However, this original structure did not stand for long, as it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1876. The construction of a new church began in 1895, carried out by architects from the city of Verny (now Almaty), who designed the building in the form we see today. The church is crowned with five domes, and its walls are constructed from wooden logs, beautifully adorned with carvings and various paintings. The structure is made from the resilient Tian Shan spruce.

By the late 19th century, wooden churches were no longer being constructed in Russia. However, the Semirechye region, to which Karakol can be conditionally attributed, was prone to seismic activity, which necessitated building wooden churches instead of brick ones that were prone to collapse during earthquakes. This was certainly true for both Almaty and Karakol. As a result, such unique wooden structures have survived to this day.

The fate of the church during the Soviet era was quite challenging. Following the October Revolution, as part of the Soviet campaign against religion, the church was closed and later repurposed as a children’s sports school.

With only brief interruptions, the sports school continued to operate in this building until 1986, when a decision was made to restore the church and convert it into a local history museum. Restoration work on the church lasted for three years. However, due to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the museum was never established, and in 1992, the restored building was taken over by the clergy once again.

One of the most revered Orthodox relics of the church is the icon of the Tikhvin Mother of God, which was painted in 1897.

The Holy Trinity Church in Karakol is open to visitors, though women are advised to cover their heads with a scarf, which is available at the entrance.

The church itself is beautifully decorated with intricate carvings, and though much of the interior has been restored, some elements have retained their original charm, despite the building’s prolonged period of non-religious use.