Date of construction: 1894 – 1895
Date of consecration: 13 August 1895 by Archbishop Arseny (Briantsev) of Riga and Mitava
The history of Jõhvi parish is closely connected to the Baltic Orthodox Brotherhood which was founded on the 80s of the XIXth century in Jewe (former name of Jõhvi). The basic material for building Orthodox churches in the second half of the XIXth and at the beginning of the XXth century was cobblestones. Estonian peasants had used this material for a long time for household buildings. It suited the Estonian landscape, endured temperature differences and humid climate. It is interesting that in Northern Europe you can find buildings made with granite chipped lumps, but only Orthodox churches, were built from such material in Estonia.
Usually the churches were built in the form of a cross aligned from west to east. A hipped roof belfry built above the west entrance, then a refectory with two or three windows from both sides and then a five-cupola or one-cupola church with semicircular altar apse. Facades of churches were usually decorated with red or yellow Riga bricks. Riga bricks also were used for making kokoshniks, corbels, columns, window frames and corners. Examples of such constructions are the Church of the Epiphany in Lohusuu, the Church of St. Nicholas in Yama village, the church of the Epiphany in Jõhvi amongst others.
The building of Jõhvi church was carried out with government grants and was finished by the summer of 1895. The church accommodates 300 people. The design was developed for a five-cupola church but during the building the design was simplified and for this reason the church looks a little heavy. The high socle emphasizes it and from the outside the church seems more spacious than it actually is. The church was consecrated on August 13, 1895 by Archbishop Arseny (Bryantsev) of Riga and Mitav.
From 1950 to 1958 the rector of the church was Alexy (Ridiger), nowadays the Most Holy Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, and before him the rector was Archpriest Roman Tang, later Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia.
Address: Narva mnt. 2A, 41532 Johvi
Web site: www.theophany.ee