How high is Sophia Church in Harbin?

With a height of 53.35 meters and a building area of 72 1 m2, the church can accommodate 2,000 people and is the largest Orthodox church in the Far East of Asia.

In Hagia Sophia Square in Harbin, flocks of pigeons flew by and tourists were weaving.

The church of Hagia Sophia towering in the center of the square, with its dark green onion-like top, mysterious and deep window sills, red ochre brick walls and heavy doors, aroused my various associations with this church and this city. I want to know the historical scenes that have passed away, so I need to interview those who have been there. I wandered around the square and heard tourists from Europe and the United States praising the government of China for protecting this special historical site so perfectly. I can't help feeling a little proud-let the world see that China is striding towards civilization and the rule of law!

One Sunday morning, I met several dying old people. Their memories sketched a vivid scene for me.

"Belarus" ran away and fled to the northeast.

19 17, the battleship "Aphrodite" destroyed the Russian government, and the former princes and nobles fled in succession.

Mr. Wang Junlao, who is over 90 years old, told me that when he 12 years old, he and his father were running around Vladivostok dumping leather goods, and he met the scene of Russians "running backwards". They hired migrant workers from China to push carts and carry boxes containing gold bars and jewels. Every day, dozens of groups and hundreds of people run to China day and night from roads and trails. Capitalist nikolayev closed the factory, packed up his gold and pearls, hired a crude carriage, loaded two gold bars, and fled with his family overnight. Andre, the owner of the manor, and his family rode their good horses and fled for their lives. In the fleeing ranks, quite a few are clergy, and some people who come from noble families but become civilians, beggars and even prostitutes and thieves are also wrapped in the ranks of exiles. Exiles stay up all night, or travel day and night, with unprecedented strength and courage, through the wild forests infested by Siberian wildlife, waded through uninhabited wasteland and swamps, and fled to places where they could live in their minds.

Northeast China is the first choice for most Russian exiles to flee. It is adjacent to the Russian Far East. 1896, the czar's government built the Middle East Railway in the northeast, and the Russians stepped into the northeast of China. 1On July 6th, 898, the Russians began to build the Middle East railway branch line, recruited 654.38 million Russian road builders, and extended this trunk line across the Far East and connecting China and China from Harbin to Lushunkou, Dalian, a naval base leased by Russia. The development of the Middle East Railway has brought thousands of Russian engineers, businessmen and policemen to the northeast of China. 1904 to 1905 After Russia was defeated in the Russian-Japanese War, its sphere of influence retreated to Harbin, Heilongjiang. Due to this historical reason, Russians have a deeper understanding of Northeast China, especially Harbin. Therefore, Russian exiles regard Harbin as their first choice. China calls Russian exiles "Belarusians". Many of them have become impoverished refugees, because they fled in a hurry, empty-handed. Others who own gold, jewels and valuables continue to do business and buy houses after they settle down, and still live a rich life. Two years before Belarus fled, as many as 36,000 Russian residents lived in Harbin. After 1920, fleeing Russians can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys of Harbin. According to the statistical data of 1922, among the 480,000 urban population in Harbin, there are120,000 Russians with gray hair, blue eyes and big noses, accounting for a quarter of the city's population.

At that time, the northeast warlord Zhang did not take measures to stop and repatriate the desperate "Belarus".

Building the Capital of Fighting Style

In the early years of the 20th century, Harbin was like a busy construction site. There are bricks and stones everywhere, and scaffolding everywhere. Buildings have sprung up, and the streets have been continuously extended, which is in sharp contrast with the sails, cooking smoke, bazaars and huts in the suburbs. Harbin, which was born in the 20th century, gave the Russians space to survive and create. They began to build many buildings. Hagia Sophia Church, located in Toulong Street, Daoli District, Harbin, was founded in March 1907. It is an embedded church built by the Fourth Infantry Division of Siberia, Russia, which participated in the construction of the Middle East Railway. In the same year, a fully wooden church was rebuilt on the basis of the embedded church, funded by Russian tea merchant Skakov. Four years later, people built a brick wall outside the wooden wall, forming a church with brick and wood structure. By 1923, the second reconstruction of Hagia Sophia took 9 years and was completed in 1932,165438+1October. The rebuilt Hagia Sophia is presented to people in a solemn, grand, elegant and refined Byzantine style. With a height of 53.35 meters and a building area of 72 1 m2, the church can accommodate 2,000 people and is the largest Orthodox church in the Far East of Asia.

Russians have built more than a dozen churches with different names in several urban areas of Harbin. Some of these churches publicized the Byzantine architectural style, while others showed the architectural characteristics of the Renaissance. At that time, every Sunday morning, at sunset, the church suddenly rang the bell of prayer, which made Harbin, a famous city in the northern east, shrouded in a strong European religious atmosphere. This is the unique landscape of Buddhist old China.

The central street in Daoli District is a street with European urban style. This section 1400 meters long and 30 meters wide, paved with granite strips, was the most prosperous street in Harbin in the 1930s. Like the Central Street, the Madill Hotel built by Russian Jewish businessmen here has been recognized as a historical relic by the Heilongjiang Provincial People's Government. Edgar snow and Soong Ching Ling live here. ...

Oriental Little "Paris"

On the night of Harbin in the 1920s, the confusing neon lights filled the city with attractive dreams. Mr. Zhang Lao, a scholar who has been engaged in cultural undertakings for more than 90 years, described the scene of that year: at that time, the neon windows of commercial buildings and restaurants on both sides of the central street flashed all night. Russian advertisements are dazzling. Explain that the capitalist business that has been banned in the old country continues to survive here.

In the "Alcazar" restaurant, Greek-style columns are supported in the box, and diners lean against the bar in the fountain to watch the songs and dances performed on the rotating stage; Fantasiya restaurant, with gypsy melody, shows the sadness that singers make a living by selling their family wealth and don't know where to go. Russian prostitutes are busy receiving guests in nightclubs where love songs are lingering.

During the day, jingling trams shuttle back and forth in the street; Buses with "Old Ba Du" cigarette advertisements paraded through the city; Horseshoe carriages carrying Russian ladies come and go in the street. In the streets of winter, coachmen sit on Russian-drawn sledges to solicit business; Russian children play "Labda" (Russian baseball) in the open space, or closely surround the stalls of China vendors and stare at hawthorn cakes and Sugar-Coated Berry for a long time. Walking along the central street are young Russian women pushing strollers, priests with bibles and beards, businessmen looking for business and boring drunkards.

Belarus fell in love with French sentiment. Strive to take Paris as an idol and create a European cultural atmosphere. 1922, Russian overseas Chinese in Harbin imitated France and held the first beauty contest. Model performances are often held in the lobby of Madill Hotel. At that time, Russian artists often performed in the central street under heavy snow. This kind of performance that can spread art and get a little charity at the same time can still be seen in Russia. The most influential is the clothing culture. China businessmen took off their robes and jackets, threw away their melons and hats, put on their suits and ties, boarded shiny leather shoes and slung their purses to do business with Russian businessmen. In winter, they don't forget to put on their Russian tweed coats and lead the ladies with Russian silver fox necks to attend the "parties" held by the upper class. Generally, young and middle-aged women are generally optimistic and boldly accept "Blagi" (Russian: skirt). This was quite avant-garde in China in the 1920s and 1930s.

"I love Russia, and I love China even more."

In the interview, Wu Lao, who has been engaged in civil affairs all his life, told me that Harbin tended to develop into an international city at the beginning of the 20th century. Besides a large number of Russians, there are also some Poles, Czechs and a large number of Russian Jews. They were able to gain a foothold in Harbin and the cities in the northeast of China, so they escaped the inhuman slaughter of the Jewish nation by German fascists during World War II.

During their decades of common life, Russian expatriates have deepened their understanding of the people of China and felt the sympathy and unique goodwill of the people of China. Many Russians began to accept China culture in the process of interacting with China people. They mastered difficult Chinese, learned to cook Chinese food and celebrated festivals in China. During the Spring Festival, I visited and entertained my friends in China. It is not uncommon for Russians and China to intermarry. In the 1960s, due to historical reasons, some Russian overseas Chinese with Soviet passports returned to the motherland, while a considerable number of Russian overseas Chinese moved to a third country.

During the interview, Nikolai Shaik, an Australian-Russian Harbin native in Harbin, came back from Australia to visit relatives and friends. Sheikh's grandfather came to China with a large number of Russians in a carriage when the Russian government built the Middle East Railway at the end of 19, and settled in Harbin. Shayike's grandfather first released bees to collect honey in the outer suburbs of Harbin, and his life became increasingly rich. Shayike, 1939, from Harbin. He recalled rural life in fluent Chinese: "Russians and China people lived in harmony and trusted each other. Russians are not good at growing vegetables. If you have no money to buy potatoes, onions and tomatoes at the moment, just say "charge" and you can take the vegetables and fruits you need home. And China people buy bread on credit from Russian bakeries, which is just one sentence. " Shaik's grandfather never forgets to share some good honey with his neighbors in China when he receives it. Farmers in China often bring them vegetables and fruits harvested in different seasons for early adoption. This kind of friendly coexistence in the same environment makes the emotional expression, customs, living habits and aesthetic tastes of their respective nationalities blend with each other and accept and absorb each other selectively.

Schaick said, "Since 15, I have been back to Harbin for more than 20 times. In addition to having too deep feelings here, there is another reason that I have a soft spot for Russian cultural relics in Harbin. " Seeing the splendor of the newly renovated Hagia Sophia, he said excitedly: "Let people all over the world know that China has made great contributions to the protection of the world cultural heritage."

In the early spring of this year, Sasha, a Russian born in Harbin, came all the way from St. Petersburg to visit ivanova, menstruation, who had been separated for more than 30 years. Ivanova, 86, was exiled to Harbin with his parents when he was a child. After graduating from Harbin Medical University, he was assigned to work in a pharmacy. 1978 retired. A few years ago, her husband died and her children settled abroad, but she insisted on staying in Harbin. She said, "I am more suitable to live here." Because for more than 20 years, every month, the store manager and the store manager personally came to give her a pension. On holidays, colleagues and retired old sisters in the shop come to visit her like lanterns.

Sasha listened to her aunt's complaint and said excitedly to her friend in China: "This is the same as we expected, because I know that China people are good, Harbin people are good, and I am also from Harbin. China, my mother. Russia, my mother. I love Russia, and I love China even more! " In the memory of the older generation in Harbin and overseas Chinese in Russia, there are countless similar stories.

1997165438+1October 1 1, Russian president yeltsin visited Harbin, accompanied by Tian Fengshan, governor of Heilongjiang province, paid tribute to the monument to the liberation of the northeast of the Soviet Union and visited the central street. On the square of the flood-fighting memorial tower on the Songhua River, Tian Fengshan pointed to the group carvings on the memorial tower and told Yeltsin: "1959, millions of soldiers fought floods and saved Harbin, a famous city in the north. At that time, there were still 654.38 million Russians living in Harbin, and they also took part in the flood fighting. There are statues of Russians on the group carvings of this memorial tower. " After listening to the introduction, President Yeltsin said excitedly, "Let's pay tribute to our compatriots!" After that, Governor Tian Fengshan and I made three deep bows to the Harbin Military and Civilian Flood-fighting Memorial Tower standing on the Songhua River.

The clock and the pigeon

After interviewing the historical anecdotes of Russian exiles who entered Harbin that year, I returned to Hagia Sophia Church Square on a holiday afternoon. The square staff told me that a huge "Harbin Architectural Art Square" is being expanded. What an apt name! Broadly speaking, it includes churches, central streets, historical development, architectural sites and human landscapes that can reflect Harbin in the early 20th century and later years, and truly shows them to people. Our government has regarded these historical sites as national first-class cultural relics, because these cultural relics have experienced a complicated and changeable historical situation in the 20th century, reflecting the unique psychological quality, ideology, religious beliefs and life customs of the Russian nation formed for a long time. Our government's timely and strict protection in accordance with the law has not only fulfilled the historian's dream of seeking truth and being pragmatic, but also eloquently told the world that the great China has made great strides towards the rule of law and civilization.

The setting sun is slanting. At the invitation of my friend, I took the elevator to the top floor of a building adjacent to Hagia Sophia Square, overlooking the city. Among the rows of buildings, the patchwork Gothic style and pavilions in Byzantine are reminiscent of the scene when western culture began to flood in the early 20th century. The new trend of thought and the old tradition collided and impacted fiercely in this city, while Harbin was just a post station that accepted western culture and imported into China through Russia. This is the historical significance of Harbin, a famous city in the north, and also its important position in the cultural exchange between China and the West.

The church of Hagia Sophia rang with holiday bells. This melodious bell flew out of the castle and scattered between the vast world. I saw flocks of pigeons flying in the sky, echoing the bells and releasing people's emotions. ...