Holy Assumption Cathedral. Holy Assumption Cathedral: the shrine is immortal. The difficult process of reviving the shrine
The iconostasis of the temple is striking in its grandeur - a 30-meter, five-tiered, carved, gilded, decorated big amount wooden sculptures; You will not find anything like this in other Russian lands. The temple contains three Orthodox shrines, the fame of which goes far beyond the borders of the Smolensk land: the sandals of St. warrior of Mercury (XIII century), gold woven shroud from the workshops of Prince. Euphrosyne of Staritskaya (XVI century) and, of course, the miraculous image of the Icon of the Smolensk Mother of God “Hodegetria” (XVII century).
The holy warrior Mercury in 1238 (9), being the governor of Smolensk, defeated a detachment of Mongol Tatars near the village. Longitude 27 km. south of Smolensk, but he himself died in the process - he was beheaded by a fleeing Tatar. Relics of St. Mercury were laid in the Assumption Monomakh Cathedral, where his armor was also located. After the Polish invasion in the 17th century, they disappeared; in 1812 a spear was stolen, and in 1954 a helmet was stolen. Only Mercury's sandals have survived to this day. Tradition says that while the military armor of St. Martyr Mercury are in Smolensk, the Queen of Heaven will constantly remain with this city, preserving it from all troubles and evils.
Shroud of the book's workshops. Euphrosyne Staritskaya was made in 1561 and donated to the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin to commemorate the soul of the murdered prince. Vladimir Staritsky, cousin of Ivan IV the Terrible. In the fall of 1812, a convoy with looted Moscow valuables, which contained the shroud, was recaptured from the French by a Russian detachment, and the shroud was transferred for storage to the Smolensk Assumption Cathedral. After Napoleon was expelled from Russia for the outstanding services of Smolensk in the Patriotic War of 1812, according to the unanimous opinion of Emperor Alexander I and commander M.I. Kutuzov, it was decided to leave the shroud for eternal storage in Smolensk. The shroud was made using the technique of facial embroidery and, in terms of complexity and purity of execution, is a precious rarity.
The miraculous Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God “Hodegetria” is one of greatest shrines the entire Christian world. According to legend, it was written by the holy evangelist Luke during his earthly life Holy Mother of God. It was moved to Smolensk from Chernigov by Vladimir Monomakh at the beginning of the 12th century and placed in the Assumption Cathedral. From that time on, the Icon of the Mother of God “Hodegetria” (translated from Greek as “guidebook”) began to be called “Smolensk”. Many times she saved the city and its inhabitants during invasions. In 1812, the icon was taken to Moscow and on the eve of the Battle of Borodino it was carried in a religious procession around the Kremlin. During the Great Patriotic War, the ancient miraculous image disappeared without a trace.
In 1943, after the liberation of Smolensk from the Nazi invaders, the Holy miraculous gate icon of the Smolensk Mother of God, painted in 1602 from the original image, and donated by Tsar Boris Godunov for the consecration of the newly built Smolensk fortress wall, was transferred from the Odigitrievskaya gate church to the Holy Assumption Cathedral. . It is Godunov’s list that is now in the Assumption Cathedral. On August 5, 1812, Russian troops, leaving Smolensk, took the icon out of the city and from then until the expulsion of Napoleon’s army from the territory of the Smolensk province in November 1812, Godunov’s image of “Hodegetria” was in the active army. On the eve of the Battle of Borodino, this image was worn around the Russian camp to strengthen and encourage the soldiers for a great feat. In 1912 and 2012, this image was procession to Borodino.
Holy Dormition Cathedral(Russia) - description, history, location. The exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.
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The Holy Assumption Cathedral is the largest church in Omsk. It is included in the catalog of world temple culture and is considered a unique monument of Russian architecture.
The first stone for the foundation of the future temple was laid by Nicholas II, who was not yet an emperor, but only a crown prince. When Omsk becomes the capital of White Russia, the Holy Assumption Cathedral will be the main temple for the White Guard movement.
During the construction of the Holy Dormition Church, the design of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg was taken as a basis. The architect Virrich did not make an exact copy of the capital's church, but creatively reworked the original version of the project. The result was a unique building.
After the revolution, the Holy Assumption Cathedral in Omsk suffered a sad fate. At first the temple was supposed to be converted into Opera theatre, but the acoustics turned out to be insufficient, and the building was blown up in 1935, and the church bells were sent for melting down. On the cleared site, the Pioneer Garden was laid out, where the city Christmas tree was held annually. Only in 2005 did the Omsk authorities decide to restore the sanctuary. The temple was recreated as an exact copy of the destroyed one. The consecration of the Holy Dormition Cathedral took place in 2007, and in the same year new bells rang.
In 2009, a shrine containing the relics of Archbishop Sylvester, who was shot in Omsk shortly before the destruction of the temple, was installed in the cathedral. Anyone can venerate the relics of the martyr.
After the consecration of the temple, the area around it was renamed Cathedral. Now all the main city holidays take place here.
If possible, take a walk around the temple in the evening. When darkness falls, the building is illuminated with the help of a large number of lamps, making the Holy Assumption Cathedral look especially majestic.
Address: Omsk, Internationalnaya, 12.
The main Orthodox landmark of the city of Omsk is rightfully considered the Assumption Cathedral, built in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Despite its complex history, the temple is still active today and attracts thousands of parishioners within its walls.
How the Assumption Cathedral was built
Architect Ernest Virrich, known for designing the main streets of St. Petersburg, laid the first stone for the foundation of the future temple in the summer of 1891. Before this, preparatory work had been carried out for 13 long years. Initially, the Assumption Cathedral (Omsk) was built with money from donations and the fund of the municipal Orthodox Union. That is why the process dragged on for many years.
The construction project was based on the famous Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. However, the Assumption Cathedral in Omsk did not become a simple copy, but received its own redesigned appearance. More than 30 types of brick were used during construction, so the structure was unique in many ways.
The Assumption Cathedral (Omsk) was a collection of best ideas traditional folk and This is exactly how the architects of that time saw the main prayer buildings of the country. From Byzantine architecture, Virrich took onion domes, and from Russian - hipped porches, frames of arches and platbands, melons, decorative kokoshniks, etc.
The temple opened in 1898, and a few years later, numerous children’s playgrounds, a parish school and two colleges appeared on the adjacent territory.
On the verge of extinction
After the revolution, the Assumption Cathedral in Omsk went through difficult times. In 1920, the temple, along with the entire territory, was given over to the Renovationists, who were unable to maintain it. Gradually, the parishioners began to turn away from God's house.
By the mid-1920s, the Assumption Cathedral in Omsk was completely empty. It is for this reason that local authorities decided to begin demolition of the structure. The first thing that suffered from theft was the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral. Following him, the chapters and bells were removed. By 1934, only the walls and roof remained of the temple. After some time, the building was converted into an opera house for workers of the regional party committee.
In February 1935, the municipal executive committee decided to demolish the building for the benefit of the future Omsk People's Commissar. The procedure did not take much time. By the end of the year, ruins had formed on the site of the temple, and the bishop's garden for the children of parishioners became a place for meetings of pioneers. Only part of the altar wall remains from the cathedral. In the mid-1990s, the city authorities made a decorative fountain on the site of the ruins.
Resurrection from the Ashes
In the summer of 2005, by decree of the regional government, the reconstruction of the temple began, which resulted in the current Assumption Cathedral in Omsk. It is worth noting that during the excavations entire burials were discovered. Archaeologists found the relics of Archbishop Sylvester in the foundation on which the Assumption Cathedral in Omsk was located. Also found in the tomb were ancient icons and the porch of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
The first stone for the foundation of the new church was laid by Metropolitan Theodosius. Also, Father Omsk and Tarsky placed a reliquary in the foundation along with the relics of the sacred martyr Sylvester. In January 2006, active construction of the walls began, and by August, new, recently cast bells (13 pieces) were consecrated on the territory of the cathedral.
A few months later, the domes were raised, the total weight of which was 15 tons. The cross was installed in April 2007, and ceramic and painted work began in May. So by mid-summer, on July 15, the cathedral was completely built from scratch and consecrated.
Architecture and interior
The area of the temple is more than 1500 square meters. meters. The height of the bell tower together with the cross is 47 m. The diameter of the main dome is 15 meters. The Holy Assumption Cathedral (Omsk) is a majestic five-domed structure. The domes are made in a helmet shape. At their base there are powerful cylindrical towers with arched windows.
An 8-sided lantern with pilasters is installed above the main dome. A similar style was used in the construction of the bell tower with an upper interception. The crosses on the heads are eight-pointed. It is worth noting that the bell tower is made of three tiers with elongated openings. This architectural move is used quite rarely, but the architects started from the original designs of Ernest Virrich.
The interior of the cathedral consists of the main and middle halls, as well as a vestibule with a bell tower and a refectory. Above the altar there is a 5-sided concha. As for the roof of the refectory, it is a classic gable roof. In the basement of the temple, a type of cladding called rustication was used. Each room is decorated with amazing paintings in warm colors, decorative niches, shovels and multi-tiered cornices. The windows of the cathedral are decorated with carved frames.
Shrines and icons
The most important component of the temple in the 19th century was the image of the holy princess, known to the townspeople as At the base of the frame there were particles of the relics of the missus.
The icons of the Assumption Cathedral of that time require special attention. In the early 1910s, Bishop Andronik brought with him a number of miraculous images from Novgorod. These were icons of the Mother of God, St. Euphrosyne, and others. Each of them contained the relics of saints.
Currently, the main shrine of the cathedral is a shrine with particles of the body and clothes of Archbishop Sylvester. The relics were transferred to cave church(lower tier of the temple). The iconostasis of the cathedral also includes an image of the Mother of God of Kazan with the personal signature of Patriarch Alexei II.
Temple Clergy
At the end of the 19th century, the staff of the Assumption Cathedral included 11 people: the cathedral archpriest, 2 priests, a clergyman, 2 psalm-readers and 5 deacons. The first leader of the temple was Abbot Nedosekov. It was he who founded the Omsk Church School together with Klyuchar Skalsky at the beginning of the 20th century. Since 1911, the archpriest was rector Soloviev, who received the Order of the highest degree for his faithful service.
Currently, the cathedral is headed by Metropolitan Vladimir. He has 6 priests and 5 deacons under his command. The chief among the clergy is considered to be the cleric Oleg. The archpriest of the temple is Valery Zheltovsky.
Addresses and services
The Holy Dormition Cathedral (Omsk) is located in building No. 12 on Internatsionalnaya Street. Its domes and bell tower are visible from afar, so finding the temple will not be difficult. Public transport also runs nearby.
Today, the Assumption Cathedral, where services are held on weekday evenings and weekends, is open every day until late at night for everyone. On holidays, parishioners have the opportunity to climb the bell tower.
The following cathedrals of Omsk are also assigned to the cathedral church: Resurrection, Pavel Komelsky and Iverskaya.
Good to know
For initial construction Church at the end of the 19th century, the necessary funds were collected not only by the city authorities and the Holy Synod, but also by parishioners from all over the empire. The State Treasury took over the interior decoration, and the iconostasis was imported with the personal money of Nicholas II. In total, more than 125 thousand rubles were spent on construction and decoration.
In April 2005 in Omsk region A grandiose exhibition project dedicated to the Assumption Cathedral of the late 19th century was launched. The exhibition included rare exhibits of ancient Russian architecture, church vestments, books and the first photographs of the temple.
Today, on the square adjacent to the cathedral, various events are held annually. holiday events city and state significance, for example, the May 9 parade. Also, with recent measures, the main road to the temple, by decree of the regional government, has become the main venue for sports competitions.
Makhachkala Deanery
Holy Assumption Cathedral in Makhachkala
Historical reference:
In 1905 workers railway station Port Petrovsk (now Makhachkala) turned to the state authorities and the dean of the Dagestan Port-Petrovsky district of the Vladikavkaz diocese, Archpriest Ioann Shavanadze, with a request to build a temple for the needs of the Orthodox population. Soon the believers' request was granted: a construction committee was created. A thousand rubles were allocated from the royal treasury for the temple under construction, and the remaining funds for the temple were collected by parishioners. On February 25, 1906, the temple, made in the Byzantine style from local white stone, was consecrated in honor of the Mozdok Icon of the Mother of God. Archpriest Afanasy Alibekov was appointed the first rector of the temple.
In the troubled times of godless hard times, the temple in honor of the Mozdok Icon of the Mother of God did not escape the fate of thousands of other closed and ruined houses of God: in 1929 it was closed. After this, the crosses were torn from the domes, the bells were thrown down and sent to be melted down, the iconostasis was destroyed, taken out and burned most of icons The temple was equipped with a dormitory by installing plank partitions as walls. Subsequently to church building A building was added to house a store and restaurant.
In 1945, at the request of believers, the exhausted building was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. After repairs, the temple was consecrated anew, but in honor of the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For the iconostasis of the reborn house of God, icons from the Moscow church in honor of St. Archangel Gabriel, belonging to the Antioch Patriarchate, were donated.
In the 1960s With south side A chapel was added to the temple building in honor of the holy noble Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky.
In 2000, the Holy Dormition Church in Makhachkala was given the status of a cathedral by decree of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II.
On October 12, 2004, Bishop Alexander (Ishchein) of Baku and the Caspian region performed the rite of great consecration of the Alexander Nevsky chapel of the Cathedral.
In 2005-2006 In preparation for the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the city of Makhachkala, repair and restoration work was carried out in the temple. Major renovations were started by the city authorities at the direction of the city mayor. During this time, colossal work was carried out: the iconostasis was replaced, the temple space was re-painted, the floor was replaced and the surrounding area was equipped. A group of Makhachkala artists under the leadership of People's Artist of the Republic of Dagestan A. M. Musaev painted the cathedral for a year.
On August 28, 2006, the ceremony of the great consecration of the Holy Assumption Cathedral took place, carried out by a host of bishops who arrived to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Makhachkala temple. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II, Bishop of Bakiska and Caspian Alexander (Ishchein), Archbishop of Elista and Kalmyk Zosima (Ostapenko), Bishop of Stavropol and Vladikavkaz Feofan (Ashurkov), Bishop of Bronnitsky Ambrose (Ermakov) took part in the solemn service.
Currently, the Holy Dormition Cathedral is the see of Archbishop Varlaam (Ponomarev) of Makhachkala and Grozny, who, by decision of the Holy Synod of December 26, 2012, was appointed ruling bishop of the newly formed Makhachkala diocese.
Shrines:
In the Holy Assumption Cathedral there are revered shrines: a particle of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, a copy of the Gifts of the Magi, the relics of the holy saints Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia; as well as ancient images with particles of relics preserved from the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral destroyed in 1953 - St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky; miraculous copy of the Mozdok Icon of the Mother of God, myrrh-streaming icon of St. Varlaam of Khutyn.
Cathedral clergy:
Rector – Archbishop of Makhachkala and Grozny Varlaam (Ponomarev);
Key-keeper – priest Vitaly Tarasov;
The full-time clergy are 4 priests and 4 deacons.
Address: Republic of Dagestan, Makhachkala, st. Ordzhonikidze, 148.
Opening hours: The temple is open daily from 7.00 to 19.00, services are held daily at 8.00 and 17.00.
The Holy Dormition Cathedral (also known as the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary) is the main religious attraction of Smolensk, located in its center, on Cathedral Hill, offering panoramic views of the city. The cathedral is an object cultural heritage federal significance.
The Assumption Cathedral was built in 1677 on the site of the 12th century cathedral of the same name.
The height of the Holy Assumption Cathedral is 69 meters.
IN architectural ensemble also includes a bell tower, chambers and carriage buildings.
The cathedral itself is made in the Baroque style; inside there is an iconostasis more than 30 meters high.
Schedule of services in the Assumption Cathedral in Smolensk
Divine services are held according to the traditional schedule: on weekdays at 09:00 - Divine Liturgy, at 18:00 - all-night vigil. On weekends and holidays: 07:00 - early liturgy, 10:00 - late, 18:00 - all-night vigil. In days Orthodox holidays The mode may change, please call for more detailed information.
History of the Assumption Cathedral
The original cathedral was founded back in 1101 by Prince Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh, who ordered the foundation of the stone Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on this site (simultaneously with the foundation of the cathedral of the same name in Suzdal).
This stone cathedral remained the only stone church building in the city for almost half a century. After the consecration of the cathedral, Vladimir Monomakh moved into it the icon of the Mother of God Hodegetria, which he inherited from his parents.
In 1127, with the coming to power of the grandson of Vladimir Monomakh, Prince Rostislav Mstislavovich, the Smolensk principality began to flourish, and in 1136-1137 a special Smolensk diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church was established, and the Assumption Cathedral (finally completed by that time) became the main cathedral.
The tragic event of the destruction of the Assumption Cathedral occurred in 1611 - then the stocks of explosives that were stored next to the cathedral hill were blown up. As a result of the explosion, part of the cathedral also collapsed.
In 1674-75, after the liberation of Smolensk from the Polish-Lithuanian occupation, the old building of the Assumption Cathedral was finally dismantled. Two years later, it was decided to build a new cathedral building, increasing its size. The architect was Alexey Korolkov. But he was unable to complete the construction, work was suspended until 1712. The temple was finally completed only in 1740 and had 7 domes. 20 years later, two chapters collapsed. The temple was rebuilt by the architect Obukhov, who gave the cathedral a traditional look with 5 domes.
The cathedral was practically not damaged during the Patriotic War of 1812. The French Emperor Napoleon was amazed by the beauty of the cathedral and ordered its protection.
The cathedral also survived the Nazi occupation. Then the prototype of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God disappeared from it, the building itself remained unharmed.
During the period of Soviet power, during times of religious persecution, the church housed an anti-religious museum.
Eventually the Assumption Cathedral was given back to the Russian Orthodox Church, and is now one of the city's main tourist attractions.
Icons of the Assumption Cathedral in Smolensk
The Smolensk Holy Assumption Cathedral houses several Orthodox shrines, including the icon of St. Seraphim of Sarov and the image of the Mother of God Hodegetria (“Guide”), which according to legend was painted by the holy evangelist Luke.
Among other shrines, it is worth noting the iron sandals of the patron saint of Smolensk, Saint Mercury, who is revered among the martyrs. He defended Smolensk from the attack of Batu Khan in 1239, accepting martyrdom. His body was buried in the Assumption Cathedral.
The skillfully made five-tiered iconostasis, more than 30 meters high, presumably dates back to the 1730s-40s.
How to get there
It is easy to get to the Assumption Cathedral in Smolensk by public transport.
Nearest city stop ground transport- “Sobolev Street”.
The following routes are suitable for you:
- buses No. 3, 7, 9, 10, 19, 22, 22sh, 23, 27, 31, 33, 38, 113, 164
- minibuses No. 2n, 9n, 13n, 16n, 27n, 38n, 41n, 46n, 52n, 55n, 56n and 119.
From Sobolev Street you will need to turn onto Sobornaya Gora Street, on which the Assumption Cathedral is located. The walk from the stop will take you 10 minutes.
You can walk from the city's railway station in half an hour: the road will go along 12 Let Oktyabrya Street, then along Kashena Street and down Belyaev Street across the bridge across the Dnieper to Sobolev Street.
To order a car, you can use applications of local taxi services: Gett and the Vezet taxi network operate in Smolensk.
Entrance to the Assumption Cathedral on Google panoramas:
Video about the Assumption Cathedral in Smolensk: