Plaani Orthodox Church

Plaani Orthodox Church / Описание

One of the few sacral buildings in the immediate vicinity of Haanja comes from the time of the Russian Empire rule when local inhabitants were encouraged to change their religious affiliations.
The church construction work had begun in 1873 on Plaani Manor land and in 1874 the church was dedicated to St. Nicholas. The church with the layout based on the Greek cross and five onion-shaped domes was built from rough stones and firebricks; it was a standard solution at the time. The church location was skilfully selected, enabling it to blend in with the picturesque Haanja landscape.
During the Soviet time the local collective farm utilised the church as a storage facility. When the Republic of Estonia was restored, the legal successor of the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church expressed the wish to establish a monastery in Plaani.