Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur France
Russian Orthodox
A sizeable Russian colony was present in Nice by the latter half of the 19th century. In 1856 plans were made for a Russian Orthodox church, the second to be established outside Russia, to serve this community. As Nice was Italian at the time, the church was to be somewhat hidden behind a library and would have neither bells nor a cemetery close by. It was consecrated in 1860 the same year Nice became French. By 1903 the church was too small and the Cathedrale St Nicolas was built. St Nicolas and Ste Alexandra is still an active parish. The church was returned to Russia following legal challenges in 2025.