Renovation and reconsecration

In the early 1990s, plans were made by the Office for Monument Protection to restore the church by 1997, the 850th anniversary of Moscow’s foundation. This proposal was not implemented because of the dispute over occupancy. However, in 1995, the city determined that the parish would be responsible for renovation costs. A commission was founded for the planned renovation, chaired by parish priest Josef Sanevski, Russian historian Stanislav Durnin, and Polish building contractor and politician Grzegorz Tuderek.[4]

From 1996 to 1999, the church was renovated with the help of sponsors EnergoPol, a Polish company, and Renovabis, a German association for Roman Catholic churches.[5] The Russian government provided funds towards the conclusion of the project.[4] Reconstruction took place initially under the direction of Polish companies PKZ and Budimex, who completely renovated the façade and roof. From September 1998, Father Andrzey Stetskevich and Jan Tajchman, architect and restorer from Toruń, Poland, jointly oversaw the work; they had previously headed the renovation of the Catholic Assumption Cathedral in St. Petersburg. (Stetskevich later rose to become vicar general of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Moscow.) The interior fittings and the new altar were built by Ukrainian, Belarussian and Russian experts. Companies in Moscow carried out all the internal and external marble work. The church furnishings were produced, under the direction of Vladimir Mukhin, by students from the St. Petersburg renovating school. Stained glass for the façade’s rose window were made in Toruń, other windows were produced by Tolotschko, a Belarussian company from Hrodna.[4][5][11] The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was ceremonially reopened on 12 December 1999 and was reconsecrated by the Secretary of State of the Roman Curia, Angelo Cardinal Sodano.[5] The cathedral incorporates a library, the editorial office of the Russian Catholic magazine The Catholic Messenger – The Light of the Gospel (Russian: Католический вестник – Свет Евангелия) as well as the local office for the Caritas charity.