Sotira Lykodimou Church

Sotira Lykodimou Church

The Russian church on Filellinon Street is dedicated to the Holy Trinity and it used to be sometime ago the largest church in the city. It is cruciform with a big dome of 10 meters in diameter.

It was built during the beginning of the 11th Century by the Lykodimos family. It was destroyed from an earthquake in 1701. In 1780, the Turks demolished a section of the church and used the material to build a wall around the city.
 

During the 1827 siege, the church sustained great destruction and remained abandoned for twenty five years. In 1852, it was granted to the Russians. They restored the church and built the dome with funds from the Russian government.

The bell was donated by Tsar Alexander the 2nd. Today, it is utilized by the Russian community of Athens.