After 4 years of meticulous restoration work, the historic Russian Church within the Oltu district of Erzurum has been efficiently accomplished. The restoration was undertaken as a part of the “Financial Support Program for the Development of Social Infrastructure and Tourism Infrastructure” for nonprofit organizations (NGOs).
Oltu District Governor Cevdet Bakkal highlighted the importance of Erzurum as a preferred winter tourism vacation spot, attracting a substantial variety of Russian vacationers who go to the town to discover its historic landmarks. Art historian professor Haldun Özkan additional emphasised the rarity of the Russian Church, stating, “It represents one of the few surviving examples in our region that bear the traces of that period. In that respect, it holds great tourism potential and is a valuable historical work.”
Designed by famend Russian architect Mikhailovich Verjbitsky within the nineteenth century, the church spans a formidable space of 480 sq. meters (5,166.68 sq. toes). Construction of the church is estimated to have taken place between the years 1877 and 1917, encompassing the interval from the Ottoman-Russian War to the Bolshevik Revolution. During the restoration course of, cautious consideration was paid to restoring the church to its authentic kind, primarily based on archival images.
The venture, initiated in 2018 with the help of the Northeast Anatolian Development Agency (KUDAKA), was collectively ready by the governorship, district governorship, and municipality. Restoration work commenced in 2019, and as we speak, the venture stands as a testomony to the profitable collaboration between varied stakeholders.
Governor Bakkal expressed optimism relating to the excessive demand for visits to the church following its reopening. He famous that the restored church would develop into a major attraction, contributing to the diversification of tourism choices within the area. The venture goals to reinforce historic consciousness and place the Oltu church as a particular vacation spot for each home and worldwide vacationers, thereby selling tourism range and elevating consciousness of historic artifacts.
Professor Özkan revealed that the church’s genuine title is the Alexander Nevsky Church. He defined that the Russian troopers constructed church buildings within the occupied areas as a method to bolster their morale and facilitate prayer, and this specific church was constructed for that function.
Özkan emphasised the importance of the restoration, stating, “The building, constructed using camber stone, a heating system was installed utilizing a device where a stove is placed inside the wall of a room, circulating heat through pipes to warm the various rooms. Its functional simplicity is a distinguishing characteristic.”
Drawing consideration to the Russian efforts throughout that interval, Özkan highlighted that roughly 1 million rubles have been allotted to construct practically 70 church buildings. Among the initiatives applied by the famend architect Mihalovic, three church buildings might be present in our area. These embody the Fethiye Mosque in Kars, one other in Sarıkamış, and the third in Oltu. The Russian Church, now restored to its former glory, guarantees to be an alluring attraction, attracting guests from far and vast, and contributing to the area’s flourishing tourism sector.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
