Russian Orthodox church gets blessing for major expansion... including domed tower |
St Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Church - dedicated to a Russian prince who lived during the 1200s - will be adding a second floor to its single-storey property on Oak Street.
The church, which has approximately 60 parishioners, will also be building a domed tower as part of its plans.
Designs of what the tower could look like (Image: Toma Design and CGI)
Father Spasimir Ivanov, the priest of the church, says all the money needed to build the tower will come from donations.
He said: "We don't know yet the cost to build the church. We will first have to design a detailed plan of the building and then estimate the cost."
Following Norwich City Council's approval, leaders can now calculate the costs of the extension and donation collections can get under way.
Several parishioners of the church supported the plans by writing to City Hall shortly after the designs were revealed.
The church is located on Oak Street (Image: Newsquest)
One person said: "The parish has grown significantly in the last few years and is a vibrant and diverse community.
"As well as a broad mix of Eastern European immigrants and refugees, there has also been an influx of British people, particularly men - me being one of them - who have found a sense of belonging and purpose through the community."
The Russian Orthodox church is the only one of its kind in the city with another one located near Bungay.
The church is located near Bungay (Image: Google Maps)
The Ikon of the Mother of God, Joy of All Who Sorrow church, in Mettingham, was founded in 2008 and is the only Orthodox Christian place of worship between Norwich and Ipswich.
It holds services from its purpose-built building which is gilded with white wooden walls and blue cupolas.