Russian culture abroad: The first Russian cathedral will be open in Madrid

The construction of the Russian Orthodox cathedral in Madrid is coming to an end. This will be the first and the only cathedral of the Russian Church, and today – the largest from all the Orthodox cathedrals in the Spanish capital.

A full completion of all construction works is scheduled on March 2013 and at Easter which will take place on May 5 the cathedral will open its doors for the faithful.

The main construction works of the future St. Mary Magdalene's Church were held less than a year. The Foundation stone was honored in December 8, 2011. However, the idea of the construction of the cathedral appeared nine years ago.  

According to official statistics, Spain is a home for almost 34 thousand Russians, more than 70 thousand Ukrainians and 3 thousand Belarusians. Small communities of the Russian Church are in the top ten cities of the country, but the current church is still the only one – it is the church of the Archangel Michael, located in the town of Altea in the Alicante province.