The Russian Orthodox Nadezhda Borodina Memorial in Merano is a vivid reminder of the Russian community that found rest and recuperation in the spa town at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Located in the Maia Alta/Obermais district, at Schafferstraße street 21, the so-called Russenhaus (Russian House) comprises a church, library, and retirement home –all made possible thanks to the generous endowment of Muscovite Nadezhda Ivanovna Borodina. The Russian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, inaugurated in 1897 on the first floor of the building, was designed by Tobias Brenner in traditional Russian style. It served as a spiritual home for the Russian spa guests. Following careful restoration in the 1990s, the church was refurnished with original liturgical objects from Russia and now functions as both a place of worship and cultural exchange.
Notable Highlights:
Inside the church, valuable icons are on display, most of them donated by the former guests of the Russenhaus. With support from the Sparkasse Foundation, these icons were professionally restored and are now housed in alarm-secured glass cases. The collection also features religious artefacts, documents, and books from the Russian Orthodox community that once lived in Merano.
A particular treasure is the “Nadezhda Borodina” library, comprising more than 1,300 books, journals, liturgical texts, and musical scores. The holdings span from the mid-19th century to the 1970s and form a valuable archive of Russian cultural history. In recent years, private donations have enriched the collection, which is open to the public as a lending library.
The exhibition is further enhanced by historical photographs of guests and clergy associated with the Russenhaus, offering an intimate glimpse into the everyday life of Merano’s Russian community and its cultural legacy.
Today, the memorial stands as a place of remembrance, encounter, and dialogue. It invites visitors to explore the traces of Russian culture in South Tyrol and to engage with a fascinating chapter in Merano’s multicultural past.