St. Nicholas Cathedral was founded in 1932 by Russian immigrants who fled the
Communism that invaded their homeland after the 1917 Russian Revolution. With
zeal and faith in God, they formed a Russian Orthodox community, bought land and
built a church. Our church was consecrated by Archbishop Tikhon of Western America on
December 19, 1937, formally dedicated to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra
in Lycia and designated as a memorial to the martyred Czar Nicholas II, his
family and all the Russian soldiers and people who died defending their faith,
czar and country. More Russian Orthodox faithful settled in Seattle after
escaping the Japanese occupation in Manchuria in the 1930¹s and the Soviet
Union’s devastation of World War II.
After the turmoil of World War II,
our émigré community grew with refugees from both Europe and Asia.
World War II "DP" (Displaced People) camps were full of Russians in Germany After Communism spread to China in 1947, many Russians who had resettled in
Shanghai, Harbin, and other Chinese cities, were forced again to flee economic
and political hardships. Many were rescued from refugee camps on the island of
Tubabao in the Philippines by the efforts of St. John of Shanghai and San
Francisco. St. John served at St. Nicholas Cathedral often and reposed here in
1966. The room where he reposed is now a small chapel dedicated to his memory.
In the early 1960¹s, Bishop Nektary was decreed as our first Vicar Bishop and
from 1992 to 2001, Bishop Kyrill has held this position. In 2001,
Archbishop Kyrill became the Archbishop of San Francisco and the Western
American Diocese. Our Cathedral has been blessed by the
service of many wonderful priests, including Archpriest Michael Nicolaevsky,
Archpriest
Michael Danilchik, Mitred Archpriest Andrew Nachonetchny and Protoprebyter Konstantin Tivetsky,
Priest Serafim Gascoigne, and now Archpriest. Alexei Kotar, who also is the Dean of the
Northwest parishes. We have had temporary
priests, of note is Protopresbyter Elias Wen (after Fr. Michael Danilchik) and
Archimandrite Anastassy (before Fr. Alexei). We have been visited by Russian
Orthodox dignitaries such as Metropolitans Anastassy and Philaret, Bishop Savva
of Edmonton,
Archbishop Anthony of San Francisco and our current first hierarch - Metropolitan Laurus, among
many others. We have hosted the annual Russian Orthodox Choir Musician's
Conference twice in the past ten years.
We are one of the oldest parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church
Outside of Russia in the United States.
