Key Dates of the London Russian Orthodox Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God

1725: House Church located at York Buildings, near Charing Cross


1756: House Church relocated to Clifford Street, near Piccadilly


1769-1780: Archpriest Andrei Samborsky, Rector of the Embassy Chapel


1780-1840: Priest James Smirnove, Rector of the Embassy Chapel


1813: House church relocated to Welbeck Street, north of Oxford Street


1842-1875: Archpriest Eugene Popoff, Rector of the Embassy Chapel


1866: Purpose-built Russian Orthodox Church (Embassy Chapel) built at 32 Welbeck Street


1877-1923: Archpriest Eugene Smirnoff, Last Rector of the Embassy Chapel; first Rector of the parish


1919: Formation of the parish of the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile


1921: Opening of St Philip’s, Buckingham Palace Road as a Russian Orthodox Church


1922: Closure of Welbeck Street church


1928-1932: Bishop Nicholas Karpoff, Rector of the parish and first Orthodox Bishop of London


1938-1948: Archpriest Michael Polsky, 1938-1948 Rector of the parish


1948-1951: Archimandrite Vitaly Oustinow, Rector of the parish; later Metropolitan of New York & Eastern America and Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.


1952-1961: Archpriest George Cheremetieff, 1952-1961 Priest of the parish; retired 1961; (Priest of the Convent in London 1967-1971.)


1952-1976: Archbishop Nikodem Nagaieff of Richmond and Great Britain, 1952-1976 Rector of the parish; from 1954 Bishop; from 1964 bishop for the diocese in Great Britain; from 1968 Archbishop.


1953-1962: Saint John the Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco, Archbishop of Brussels and Western Europe (including London and Great Britain); later Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America; glorified in 1994.


1956: Closure and demolition of St Philip’s


1956-1959: services conducted at the Bishop’s residence (Chapel of All Saints) in Baron’s Court, London W6


1959: Opening of the Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile at Emperor’s Gate, London SW7


1981-1986: Bishop Constantine Jessensky of Richmond and Great Britain, Rector of the parish; Diocesan bishop for London and Great Britain.


1986-now: Archbishop Mark Arndt of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain, Rector of the parish; Diocesan bishop for London and Great Britain.


1989: Closure of the Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile at Emperor’s Gate, London SW7


1990: Purchase of house and land at Harvard Road, London, W4


1989-1994: services conducted at the Bishop’s residence (Chapel of All Saints) in Baron’s Court, London W6


1994: Opening of temporary church of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad at Harvard Road, London W4


1997: Laying of foundation stone of the new Cathedral


1999: Opening of the new Cathedral of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God and Holy Royal Martyrs at Harvard Road, London W4


2003: Lesser consecration of the lower church (Holy Royal Martyrs)


2005: Full consecration of the lower church (Holy Royal Martyrs)


2009: Installation of new iconostasis in the upper church (Dormition)


2010-now: Archpriest Vladimir Vilgerts, Deputy Rector of the parish


2013: Completion of the belfry over the west porch