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Origin and history

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, is a Russian Orthodox place of worship located in the cemetery of Liers in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois (Essonne). It was built between 1938 and 1939 to serve the emigrated Russian community, including the residents of the Cossonnerie retirement home, founded in 1927 by Princess Vera Mechtcherski. The cemetery already housed a square reserved for Russian Orthodox burials, motivating the construction of this place of prayer. The first stone was laid on 9 April 1938, and the building was consecrated on 14 October 1939 by Metropolitan Euloge, a major figure in the Russian Orthodox Church in exile.

The architecture of the church is inspired by the churches of Novgorod of the 15th and 16th centuries, with a square plan, a circular bedside flanked by two absidial chapels, and a blue bulb bell tower symbolizing the sky. The interior frescoes, including that of the Assumption adorning the porch, as well as the iconostasis in painted wood, were made by Albert Benois, architect and painter emigrated from St Petersburg, assisted by his wife Marguerite and painter Fedorov. The basement houses a crypt where bishops of the Orthodox diocese, the Benois architect, and benefactors like Vladimir Kokovtsov are buried. A plaque also commemorates the 30,000 Cossacks delivered to the Soviets in 1945 after the Second World War.

Classified as a historical monument since 1 July 1974, the church embodies the religious and memorial heritage of white Russians in France. Its rectangular campanile, six bells, and symbolic colours (white for purity, green for the earth, blue for the sky) make it a unique example of Orthodox architecture in Île-de-France. The site remains a place of pilgrimage for the Russian diaspora and a testimony to the history of 20th century migration.

The surrounding cemetery, with its graves of Russian emigrants like Rudolf Noureev or Ivan Bounine, reinforces the historic character of the site. The church, owned by an association, continues to host services and commemorations, perpetuating the liturgical tradition and memory of exiles. Its inscription in historical monuments underscores its heritage importance, both architectural, artistic and memorial.

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