Moscow’s Catholic Cathedral hosts free sacred music concerts for Night of the Arts on National Unity Day, drawing thousands to neo-Gothic landmark.
Newsroom (05/11/2025, Gaudium Press ) On the evening of November 3, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Moscow welcomed thousands of visitors for the “Night of the Arts,” featuring three free concerts of sacred music in its neo-Gothic halls.
The event aligned with Russia’s Day of National Unity, observed on November 3 and 4, when cities across the federation host free cultural programs, including lectures, concerts, theatrical performances, exhibitions, and workshops, often extending into the night. For the third consecutive year, the cathedral – one of Moscow’s historic landmarks – participated, drawing crowds from 8 p.m. to midnight.
“Many people are drawn to the organ, one of the largest in Russia, and to the mysterious atmosphere of the cathedral’s neo-Gothic vaults,” said Marija Pecherskaja, co-director of the 2025 edition alongside Dmitrij Voronkov, in an interview with Fides. “There is a great deal of interest in the cathedral, and we receive many visitors every year. Therefore, we try to organize everything as best as possible and convey to our guests the beautiful atmosphere that we ourselves feel in this church.”
Volunteers from the cathedral parish played a key role in preparations and operations. The three one-hour concerts, each starting at 9 p.m., showcased professional musicians – including parishioners – performing Western sacred music spanning medieval, modern, and contemporary periods. The cathedral choir, directed by Timur Dosaev, provided accompaniment.
“I am certain that music and song can convey the mystery of this world and make the presence of the divine palpable here and now: through our playing, we can share with the audience the faith and love we feel when performing these pieces,” Dosaev told Fides. “That is why I consider this event an interesting opportunity.”
Among the performers was Antonio Gramsci, grandson of the Italian philosopher and Marxist politician of the same name. A Russian citizen born in Moscow, Gramsci teaches mathematics, science, and music at the Italo Calvino School under the Italian Consulate General. Identifying as an “agnostic lover of sacred music,” he shared with Fides: “I very much enjoy playing in churches and have been doing so for many years; I have also performed in Italy.”
Gramsci demonstrated his versatility by playing medieval and Renaissance pieces on historic instruments, including the Hümmelchen (a German bagpipe), the bouzouki (a Greek stringed instrument), and the darabouka (a percussion instrument from the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia).
“Every year, I see this event as an opportunity for visitors: Through the beauty of the cathedral and the tradition we want to share with them, they can learn something new and interesting for themselves and realize that the culture we share with them is a common heritage of humanity that unites us despite all our differences,” Pecherskaja said. “A heritage that we must preserve and pass on.”
The cathedral marked the 25th anniversary of its reopening in December 2024 (see Fides, 12/12/2024). Post-Soviet reforms began with Pope John Paul II’s 1991 bull “Providi quae Decessores,” establishing Apostolic Administrations for European and Asian Russia. Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, appointed administrator for Moscow, oversaw restoration of the Parish of the Immaculate Conception. Liturgies occurred outdoors for five years until President Boris Yeltsin returned the building in 1996 at Kondrusiewicz’s request.
Today, as the seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, the cathedral is embedded in the capital’s cultural fabric, hosting a robust year-round concert series at municipal and federal levels.
- Raju Hasmukh with files form Fides News
Related Images:
