The Holy Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Nicholas of Mira is a small and at the same time unusual temple in the heart of Old Havana. To get to this place you have to cross the Mother Teresa Garden of Calcutta, behind the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, like someone entering a hidden area within the historic center itself.
From that silent patio, among sculptures and tombstones of illustrious Cubans, opens the sober façade of the Byzantine church, dedicated to a venerated bishop of the 4th century. His figure —associated with the care of the poor, travelers and people—fits with the idea of the cathedral as a gesture of friendship between Greece and Cuba and as a spiritual refuge in the midst of contemporary turbulence.
The Cathedral of San Nicolás de Mira was conceived for the local and international Greek Orthodox community, resident or passing through Havana. It was built respecting the style and standards of the architecture of these churches, with barrel vaults built using traditional techniques and meticulous finishing in domes, carpentry and iconography.
The project arose from the Office of the Historian of the Cuban capital, which, based on sketches and images of Byzantine churches, developed the plans and executed the work with architects, engineers and students from the School-Workshop, in close collaboration with Greek experts.
Consecrated on January 25, 2004 by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartolomeo, with the presence of the then president Fidel Castro, the historian Eusebio Leal and other Cuban authorities, the cathedral was integrated from the beginning into the policy of intercultural dialogue that promoted the rehabilitation project of Old Havana.
Leal, who until his death was an active defender of heritage and a tireless promoter of humanism, saw in it a symbolic space to heal historical wounds and reaffirm the city as a meeting place between civilizations, now with the Byzantine tradition anchored next to the old Catholic churches and facing the bay.
Two decades later, the Holy Cathedral of Saint Nicholas remains an active sanctuary, ennobled by liturgical objects and icons brought from distant places, which serves as a meeting point for the Greek Orthodox community and opens its doors to visitors, even in a context marked by the prolonged crisis, blackouts and shortages suffered by the island.
In this complex scenario, his careful and calm presence It works as a counterpoint: a space of order and memory in a largely precarious urban environment, where faith and architecture collaborate to offer a haven of spirituality and hope. This is exactly how photojournalist Otmaro Rodríguez reveals them to us this Sunday through his images.
