Russian Orthodox Christ the Saviour Cathedral

Liturgy in Slavonic and English, Since 1915

The first Russian emigres in Toronto founded this cathedral in 1915, and it has lived alongside the city for more than a century: settlers of every wave prayed here, fine church choirs sang here, and among its parishioners was Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, sister of Emperor Nicholas II. Today it is a living community of the Orthodox Church in America, where services are heard in both Russian and English.

The parish was revived through hard years and each time came back stronger. In 1921 a small group of parishioners re-created the community, and in 1930 the parish bought a former Lutheran church, renovated it, and built an iconostasis, raising the money together through lectures, choir concerts, and small contributions. During the Great Depression the parish served free meals to the unemployed. After the war, nearly every Russian immigrant who settled in Toronto passed through the doors of this cathedral, and from 1947 Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna and her family were among its worshippers.

Come to the services:
- Saturday, 4 pm: All Night Vigil in Church Slavonic
- Sunday, 9 am: Divine Liturgy in English
- Sunday, 10:30 am: Divine Liturgy in Church Slavonic
- During the week: akathists and feast day services, with the schedule for each week posted on the website

The cathedral runs a church school where children study the Law of God, the Russian language, Russian history and literature, and theater, with a preparatory class for the youngest. The cathedral choir delights parishioners with Easter and Lenten concerts, and Sunday sermons can be watched and heard on the cathedral YouTube channel. The cathedral belongs to the Canadian Archdiocese of the Orthodox Church in America and is open to everyone looking for prayer and living fellowship.