The Icon

Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral, 1121 N. Leavitt St., Chicago, is the cathedral church of the Orthodox Diocese of the Midwest. Louis Sullivan, one of the seminal architects of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, designed just two churches. This is one of them. The other is St. Paul United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Sullivan’s design is a Chicago Landmark and on the US National Register of Historic Places.

Sullivan’s original watercolor design rendering.

In the late 1800s, Chicago’s Northwest side Ukrainian Village neighborhood was home to a growing Orthodox community. The church’s founders were immigrants from Carpathian Rus, Galicia, and the Balkans seeking a place to worship.

In 1895, Father John Kochurov arrived from St. Petersburg, Russia, to care for the Chicago and downstate Streeter, Illinois, parishes. Soon afterwards, he began planning for a Chicago church and rectory, engaging Louis Sullivan as the architect.

Sullivan’s design reflects the small, intimate, rural buildings that the emigrants left behind in the Old World. It features Russian provincial architectural elements, including an octagonal dome and a frontal bell tower.

Along with traditional Russian design elements, Sullivan added Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts decorative elements. These include the decorative design over the western entrance to the church, the window and roof framing, the bell tower, and the cupolas.

Tsars historically donated to build churches. Tsar St. Nicholas II of Russia gifted $2,700 ($102,000 in today’s dollars) to the construction fund. And Louis Sullivan donated $1,250 (about $47,000 in today’s dollars) of his fee, along with an elaborate Healy & Millet chandelier worth $50,000 to $100,000 in today’s dollars.

The platform where the bishop stands in the foreground with the chandelier in the center of the space.

The chandelier from below. Its eight sides echo the eight sides of the cupola above it.

The cornerstone of Holy Trinity was laid on March 31, 1902. A year later, St. Tikhon of Moscow consecrated the church on March 29, 1903.

Holy Trinity was elevated by the Diocese to cathedral status in 1923. It serves as the cathedral church of the Diocese of the Midwest of the Orthodox Church in America.

The Theotokos of Tikhvin

The Theotokos of Tikhvin is one of the most celebrated Orthodox Christian icons. According to ancient tradition, the Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God is one of several painted by St. Luke the Evangelist. The icon is associated with numerous miracles and has been a source of comfort and hope for many believers.

The Theotokos of Tikhvin replica in Holy Trinity.

Most of the icon, except the exposed skin of Jesus and Mary (the two faces and necks, both sets of hands, and the feet of Jesus), is normally covered by a chased (protective) frame of silver, gold, and jewels (riza).

The riza is evident in the replica of The Theotokos of Tikhvin.

In the 5th century, the icon was taken from Jerusalem to Constantinople. In 1383, it miraculously appeared, hovering over a Russian lake near Tikhvin. Over the centuries, its fame inspired multiple copies throughout Russia and beyond.

The Tikhvin Assumption Monastery was founded in 1560 to host the icon. Despite several fires that consumed the monastery over the centuries, it survived. It also survived the Great Terror, the Communist purge of religion that began in 1917 and finally ended in 1938.

In addition, it survived World War II. In 1941, Nazi troops occupied Tikhvin. They looted the monastery, taking the icon to Pskov, and then to Riga in 1944. The icon again escaped destruction when it was taken to the United States for safety in 1949 by Bishop John Garklāvs of Riga.

From 1949 to 2004, the icon remained at Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral. It was returned to the Tikhvin Assumption Monastery in 2004 by the bishop’s adopted son, Fr. Sergei Garklāvs of Chicago. In return, Bishop Mstislav of Tikhvin gave the cathedral an exact reproduction of the Tikhvin Icon, complete with a bejeweled riza, in 2016.

The Shot

Last Saturday, the Meetup group 1001 Things to See in Chicago Before You Die hosted a docent-led tour of Holy Trinity. The history was so fascinating that it was difficult to pull myself away to take a few images of the little-known architectural gem.

I’d encourage Chicagoans to visit. Check out Eventbrite Chicago for tour dates and times.

Thanks for looking,

Chuck Derus Zenfolio | Chuck Derus