Assumption Cathedral in Smolensk. Assumption Cathedral in Omsk. Holy Assumption Cathedral: address Photo and description
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. There are three in the temple Orthodox shrines, whose fame goes far beyond the borders of the Smolensk land: 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.
In the ancient Russian city of Tula, so famous for its skilled gunsmiths, samovars and gingerbread, there is a wonderful temple, the main chapel of which is consecrated in honor of the great holiday - the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. What brought it great fame was not the antiquity of the building (it was erected a little over a century ago) or the famous names of historical figures who visited its walls, but its remarkable architecture, which put it on a par with the best monuments temple architecture of Russia.
The care of the Empress Mother
In 1791, the pious Empress Catherine II ordered money to be allocated for the reconstruction of the very dilapidated building of the same name by that time. convent the glorious city of Tula. These funds came at a very opportune time, since the old building, who knows when it was built (no documents have been preserved), had fallen into complete disrepair. Over many years, the walls of this two-story building sank into the ground so much that on rainy autumn and spring days the first floor was mercilessly flooded with water.
In 1792, it was dismantled and a new one was erected in the same place, also made of stone, but one-story and with three aisles. The work was supervised by the Tula civil governor Andrei Ivanovich Lopukhin. It served people and God until 1857, when it also began to show signs of decay, somewhat strange for stone structure, which did not last even seventy years. However, measures were taken: the building was strengthened and expanded, which is why, as is clear from the documents, it fell into an even worse state. It’s a common thing - we wanted the best, but it turned out...
Cathedral - beauty and wonder
However, they did not lose heart, but waited another forty years and, having received their blessing, dismantled the temple to its foundations. At the beginning of the next century, or rather in 1902, a new building was erected in its place. This time the result was a truly beautiful temple, known today as the Assumption Cathedral(Tula). The combination of red brick walls and black domes topped with golden crosses and crescents was found very successfully. Two-story, built in pseudo-Russian style and richly decorated, it has become a real decoration that Tula is rightfully proud of.
The Assumption Cathedral is also famous for its paintings interior spaces. It accurately reproduces the frescoes made by Viktor Vasnetsov when he decorated the famous Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. The level of execution is so high that it suggests the participation in their creation of masters who were previously involved in painting the Kyiv Cathedral. Work on them was completed in 1909, as evidenced by the inscription on one of the walls that has survived to this day.
Age of Destruction
The Bolsheviks, who seized power in 1917, abolished the monastery, its inhabitants were dispersed, and the Assumption Cathedral (Tula) was closed. Since the primary task was to destroy everything that had been created before, and, as it is said in their hymn, “to the foundations,” they destroyed it without hesitation. Hundreds of masterpieces of Russian temple architecture perished irrevocably in those years, but in defiance of their evil will the Assumption Cathedral (Tula) survived.
In the thirties, they repeatedly tried to blow it up, but the walls, covered with gunpowder soot, stubbornly refused to give up. This was all the more surprising since two buildings that had previously been erected on this site fell into premature disrepair and threatened to collapse without any explosions. One can only guess: whether the diligence of the builders of this “third temple” gave its walls such unprecedented strength or whether the Lord did not allow the dirty deed to happen and thanks to Him ancient Tula did not part with its shrine.
The Assumption Cathedral survived, and, having failed to destroy it, the city authorities decided to use the building for their own purely secular purposes - they placed an archive within its walls. But since the Soviet institution could not be under the shadow of domes and crosses, which were, as they said then, a relic of the past, they were demolished, hopelessly violating the harmony of the entire architectural composition.
The difficult process of reviving the shrine
The Assumption Cathedral photo of which is presented in the article, as a result of new trends brought with it by perestroika, was returned to the believers, but this process turned out to be long and complex. At the end of the eighties, it was possible to reconstruct the facade of the building, and, despite the fact that it still housed an archive, install domes and crosses destroyed in the thirties on the roof. The appearance of the building began to resemble in many ways what it was like on the eve of the 1917 disaster.
Only in September 2006, when all the formalities were settled, did ancient Tula regain its shrine. After many decades, the Assumption Cathedral again became the property of the church. In January of the following year, the diocesan bishop, Metropolitan Alexy, consecrated its lower warm church, and in May it was consecrated upper temple. This event is considered to be the day of completion of restoration work and the beginning of a new era in the life of the cathedral.
Temple today
Today, this magnificent monument of temple architecture of the early 20th century is visited daily by parishioners of the temple and numerous tourists, who are received in large numbers by hospitable Tula. The Assumption Cathedral attracts them not only for its amazing architecture, but by the significance that it acquired in the spiritual life of the region.
Among its shrines are particles of the relics of many saints who glorified the Lord with their lives and deaths. Here you can also venerate the image of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which has gained fame through many miracles revealed through prayers before it, as well as many other holy images for which the Assumption Cathedral in Tula is famous. The schedule of services held in it can be seen on the doors of the temple and on its Internet sites.
Temple opening hours
IN weekdays The Divine Liturgy is celebrated at 8:00, and evening services begin at 17:00. On holidays and weekends the schedule changes slightly. Early mass is celebrated at 7:00, and late mass at 10:00. Evening services begin in the same way as on ordinary days - at 17:00. Additional information for everyone who wants to visit the Assumption Cathedral (Tula) - address: st. Mendeleeva, 13 (liter L).
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, famous 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 playgrounds appeared in the surrounding area, parochial school and two whole schools.
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. Some time later the building was converted into Opera theatre 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.
In the “Index of Church Antiquities of the City of Smolensk” there are the following words:
“The Smolensk Assumption Cathedral is one of the famous and majestic churches of our fatherland. It serves as the best decoration of the city of Smolensk, and at the same time its most precious shrine. Built almost in the city center, on high mountain, it immediately stands out from the mass of city buildings both by its grandeur and its open view. Rising with its domes and crosses into the heavenly heights, it seems to stand above the city and dominate the entire surrounding area.”
Indeed, the location Holy Assumption Cathedral in Smolensk extremely successful. But for this we should be grateful to the architects rather than. But the impressive size, which allows the cathedral to dominate the city landscape, and its solemn architectural appearance are the merit of the masters of the 17th-18th centuries.
From a compositional point of view architecture of the Assumption Cathedral in Smolensk repeats many ancient temples. Cross-domed, four-pillared, it is a massive cube with protruding altar apses, crowned with a traditional five-domed structure (as we remember, at first there were seven chapters). The design has a strong Baroque influence, and this is Baroque in its Ukrainian version.
The author of the decorative concept of the Assumption Cathedral should be considered Anton Ivanovich Schedel, the son of the German architect Gottfried Johann (Russian - Ivan Ivanovich) Schedel, who arrived in Russia back in 1713 and built a lot in St. Petersburg and Kyiv. In particular, Schedel Sr. also owned the projects of the Great Lavra Bell Tower in Kyiv.
The architect worked in the Baroque style, and the work of his son also turned out to be set within the framework of this magnificent style. Unfortunately, we know almost nothing about the life of A. I. Shedel, his other works - except for the Assumption Cathedral - are not known to us. And the fact that several years after the completion of construction the cathedral’s vaults showed dangerous cracks, of course, does not speak in favor of the fact that Anton Ivanovich was an outstanding architect. But he managed to create a memorable image of the Assumption Cathedral in Smolensk.
Near the northwestern corner of the cathedral there is a two-tier bell tower built in 1766-1772 with a clock extension.
Before the revolution, the cathedral bell tower had a beautiful belfry. Among others there were:
“a holiday bell weighing 100 pounds, a polyeleos bell weighing 450 pounds and an everyday bell weighing 65 pounds... Another bell with the inscription: “Kashtom and overhead of the glorious gentleman Ivan Semenovich Vodozovich, tradesman Golovchinsky; sent that bell to the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior, to the honor and praise of God, the fate of 1634.” The bell weighs 31 pounds 30 pounds."
After the revolution, the belfry was plundered, and subsequently the bells had to be reassembled.
Parish of the Holy Dormition Cathedral in Vitebsk, Vitebsk Diocese of the Belarusian Orthodox Church.
Address: 210 026 Vitebsk, st. Krylova, 9.
Tel.: (0212) 662 853.
Story.
The first documentary evidence of the existence Orthodox Church The Most Holy Theotokos on Lysaya (Prechistenskaya) Mountain, at the confluence of Vitba and Western Dvina, dates back to 1406. And by the beginning of the 15th century, the newly built Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared, and the dominant height in the city was named Assumption Mountain.
By that time the church was already covered with stone.
Following the verdict of the Polish court regarding the murder of Uniate Bishop Josaphat Kuntsevich, the Assumption Church was dismantled, 20 people were executed, and the city was deprived of Magdeburg rights and all privileges.
A few years later, with the money collected, the residents of Vitebsk restored the wooden church, but in 1629 it burned down. In 1636, a new Assumption Church was built, but half a century later it fell into disrepair.
In 1743, the brick building of the temple and monastery was laid. The author of the project was the Italian architect Joseph Fontana.
The temple was completed after the partition of Poland through the efforts of the Russian Orthodox Governor-General Chernyshev and the civil governor Krechetov and was completed in 1777. In 1799, the Assumption Cathedral by order
Paul I was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Orthodox. On August 30, 1799, the cathedral was consecrated with a new rite by the Belarusian Bishop Anastasy. In 1804, a dome was installed on the cathedral. In 1839, a solemn service took place in the church on the occasion of the return of the Uniates to Orthodoxy. In 1864, a chapel in the name of St. was built in one of the towers of the cathedral. Euphrosyne, Princess of Polotsk.
The complex with the cathedral included the buildings of the Vitebsk Theological Seminary. After October 1917, the seminary and cathedral in Vitebsk were closed. By the resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the BSSR dated July 5, 1926, the Assumption Cathedral was declared the state property of the republic, which did not prevent one of the most beautiful churches of White Rus', the spiritual shrine of Vitebsk, from being blown up in September 1936.
In 1949, a huge workshop for a sharpening machine factory was built on the site of the cathedral. The complete blasphemy did not bring any good; the plant fell into disrepair and ceased to exist even under its builders. In the 80s, the building was abandoned and only demolished in the summer of 1998.
In space and time, the Holy Assumption Cathedral has passed its historical path. He died in fire and was reborn, destroyed by the hands of Gentiles and rose again.
On September 26, 1998, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow laid a capsule with a commemorative letter and consecrated the first stone for the restoration of the cathedral.
The idea of reviving the Holy Assumption Cathedral in the 90s of the last century was supported by the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Grigorievich Lukashenko.
Construction work began in June 2000. By the winter of 2004, builders began re-coating the basement floor to avoid the negative impact of winter weather. weather conditions and save high quality completed amount of work. The construction headquarters for the revival of the Holy Assumption Cathedral was active from the very beginning. Vladimir Leonidovich Polovtsev, an experienced construction specialist, considered the revival of the temple his sacred duty. The cathedral's board of trustees was headed by the chairman of the regional Council of Deputies, Alexander Egorovich Atyasov.