A Russian Orthodox church, located on the slope of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, built in the late 19th century by order of Emperor Alexander III of Russia in memory of his mother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna.
It bears the name of Mary Magdalene, the disciple of Christ whom Saint Thomas Aquinas described as the “Apostle of the Apostles.” According to the Christian view, she is the only woman who followed Christ on his way to be crucified, and she was the first to see him after his return to life.
The church was given this name because Mary Magdalene was the patron saint of Maria, the mother of Emperor Alexander III.
Built in the style of 16th and 17th century Russian churches, it features seven gilded domes topped with an Orthodox cross.
The Russian government is demanding that Israel restore ownership of this church along with other historical religious sites such as the Church of the Ascension and the Church of the Galilee.
the site
The Church of Mary Magdalene is located on the slope of the Mount of Olives near the Garden of Gethsemane and overlooks the Old City of Jerusalem.
Date of establishment
In May 1881, some of the sons of Empress Maria Alexandrovna went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The timing of the trip coincided with the first anniversary of her death. The head of the Russian mission in Jerusalem, Father Antonin Kapustin, suggested that they build a church on a site on the slope of the Mount of Olives in memory of their late mother. The Russian Tsar, Emperor Alexander III, responded to this suggestion.
The Russian architect David Ivanovich Grimm designed the church in the style of Russian churches of the 16th and 17th centuries, and the construction was carried out by the Imperial Orthodox Society under the supervision and direction of Archimandrite Antonin.
The Tsar and his brothers financed the construction of the church from their own money, and it cost them about 200 thousand rubles, while members of the aristocracy participated in its decoration and equipment.
The opening ceremony of the church on October 1, 1888, was attended by Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and his wife, Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna (Princess of Hesse and by Rhine), the Governor of Jerusalem Rauf Pasha, the Greek Consul, members of the Russian Consulate, and more than 150 Russian pilgrims.
This spiritual journey to the Church of Mary Magdalene had a great impact on Duchess Elizaveta, who decided in 1890 to convert to Orthodoxy. She was so impressed by the church that she wished to be buried there.
After her husband’s death, Grand Duchess Elizaveta sold her jewelry and valuables and built the St. Martha’s Convent in Moscow, which included a church, a hospital for the sick, and a school for orphan girls.
She devoted her life to religious work and managing the affairs of the monastery. She also built a hospital in Jerusalem and an institution that financed trips for Russian pilgrims to the Holy City.
In 1917, the Bolshevik Revolution broke out in the Russian Empire, and Elizaveta was taken prisoner along with the rest of the royal family.
According to popular accounts, Duchess Elizaveta was taken with a devoted nun named Barbara Yakovlev out of Moscow, and on July 5, 1918, they and several other members of the royal family were thrown deep into an old abandoned mine and executed by throwing explosives at them.
In 1921, Duchess Elisabeth’s wish was fulfilled, as her remains and those of her companion, Sister Barbara, were transferred to Jerusalem and buried under the arches of the Church of Mary Magdalene. After their canonization as “martyr saints” in 1981, their remains were transferred to the main part of the church and placed in marble shrines.
Princess Alice of Beatenberg, mother of Prince Philip, husband of the late Queen Elizabeth II, had requested that she be buried next to her aunt, Duchess Elisabeth, which was fulfilled in August 1988, when her remains were transferred to be buried in a crypt beneath the church.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a Russian cemetery was built near the Church of Mary Magdalene, dedicated to the burial of figures from the Russian Spiritual Mission and the Palestinian Orthodox Society.
Building Features
The church is topped with 7 golden domes that distinguish it from other churches in Jerusalem. Above each dome stands a tall Russian Orthodox cross.
Above the entrance to the church is a blue, circular mosaic representing Mary Magdalene, and its facade is made of carved white sandstone.
One of the most famous Russian artists of that period, Ivanov, painted the large paintings hanging on the four walls of the church, and Archimandrite Antonin had suggested their content, which reflects the main episodes in the life of Mary Magdalene.
On the southern wall is a painting of Mary Magdalene being healed by Christ, on the western wall is a painting of her in front of the cross, and on the northern wall is a painting depicting Christ’s appearance to her after his resurrection from the dead, according to Christian beliefs.
On the eastern wall above the altar, there is a painting depicting Mary Magdalene holding a red egg in her right hand, representing resurrection and eternal life, and telling the Roman Emperor Tiberius about the unjust ruling to crucify Christ.
To the right of these paintings is a wooden box inlaid with sculptures of saints and martyrs, containing the remains of these saints. To the left is an icon of the Virgin Mary. According to the circulating stories, this icon was in one of the churches in Lebanon, which was exposed to a huge fire that destroyed it and was buried under the dirt before being transferred to the Church of Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem in 1930.
Who is Mary Magdalene?
Mary Magdalene was born in the town of Magdala, located west of the Sea of Galilee at the southern entrance to the plain of Gennesaret, which is why she was called Magdalene.
Christian stories say that she came from a wealthy and influential family, and lived a life of luxury and comfort, and her life was spoiled only by the seven demons that inhabited her and controlled her mind and actions.
The stories add that this young woman found healing at the hands of Christ, who saved her from demons, and she became a calm, balanced woman, able to control herself and her mind. Since her salvation, she became one of his loyal followers and one of his servants, and she even dedicated her wealth to serving him.
Christian accounts say that Mary Magdalene attended the various stages of Christ’s trial, and sat at his feet during his crucifixion. She helped take his crucified and wounded body down from the cross and prepare it for burial according to Christian rituals. She continued to visit his grave constantly, weeping and grieving. Christ rewarded her love by being the first person to whom he appeared after he “rose from the dead.”
Saint Thomas Aquinas describes her as the “Apostle of the Apostles,” and in Chapter 16 of the Gospel of Mark it is stated that she was the first to see Christ after his resurrection, and it says, “Jesus rose early on the first Sunday, and appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.”
Some accounts state that Saint Mary Magdalene followed Saint John, son of Zebedee, also known as John the Beloved (one of the Twelve Apostles of Christ) on his missionary journey to Ephesus in Central Asia, and died and was buried in a cave, while other accounts say that she traveled to Rome and complained to Emperor Tiberius Caesar about the injustice that Pontius Pilate had inflicted on Christ.
There is also a story that she traveled on a missionary journey that took her between Gaul, Egypt, Phoenicia, Syria and other places, then returned to Jerusalem, where she spent some time before moving to the city of Ephesus, where she died.
Her remains were transferred to Constantinople in 899 by order of Emperor Leo VI, and on June 3, 2016, at the request of Pope Francis, the Congregation for Worship and the Sacraments declared the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene an official and major feast in the universal Church, because she was “the first to see the Resurrection, the first to announce the Risen Christ, and the first witness of divine mercy.” This feast falls on July 22.
Russian demands
In 2022, the Russian government demanded that Israel regain ownership of the Church of Mary Magdalene along with other historical religious sites, such as the Church of the Ascension and the Church of the Galilee.
Russia says it has documents from the Ottoman era proving its ownership of this church and the rest of the temples, and has threatened to resort to the judiciary if its request is not met through diplomatic channels.
This church and other Russian religious properties were built by the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, established in 1882 by decree of Emperor Alexander III.
This association was the means of delivering donations from benefactors and wealthy Russians to Palestine under the patronage of the Tsar.
After the weakness suffered by Tsarist Russia and its entry into the war on the side of the Allies against the Axis forces, which were joined by the Ottoman Empire, the latter declared Russian properties in Palestine as enemy property and seized them.
During the British Mandate period, the British refused to recognize the Soviet Union’s authority over religious property in Palestine, which led to many Russian properties remaining closed.
Currently, these three religious sites (the Church of the Ascension, the Church of the Galilee and the Church of Mary Magdalene) are in a status of “indefinite ownership,” according to what the head of the Council of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, Igor Ashurbeyli, explained in press statements.
The Russian government defends its claim to be the rightful owner of these churches, saying that the Russian Federation has been recognized by international bodies and by Israel as a “continuing state” of the Russian Empire.
