Cathedral of the Intercession Holy Mother of God, which is on the Moat (colloquial name - St. Basil's Cathedral) - Orthodox church, located on Red Square in Moscow. Wide famous monument Russian architecture. Until the 17th century, it was usually called Trinity, since the original wooden church was dedicated to the Holy Trinity; was also known as “Jerusalem”, which is associated both with the dedication of one of the chapels and with the procession of the cross to it from the Assumption Cathedral on Palm Sunday with the “procession on the donkey” of the Patriarch.

Status

Currently, the Intercession Cathedral is a branch of the State Historical Museum. Included in the List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Russia.

The Intercession Cathedral is one of the most famous landmarks in Russia. For many, it is a symbol of Moscow and Russia. In front of the cathedral in 1931, a bronze Monument to Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky was erected, which has stood on Red Square since 1818.

Story

Versions about creation

The Intercession Cathedral was built in 1555-1561 by order of Ivan the Terrible in memory of the capture of Kazan and the victory over the Kazan Khanate, which happened precisely on the day of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos - in early October 1552. There are several versions about the creators of the cathedral. According to one version, the architect was the famous Pskov master Postnik Yakovlev, nicknamed Barma. According to another, widely known version, Barma and Postnik are two different architects, both participating in the construction; this version is now outdated. According to the third version, the cathedral was built by an unknown Western European master (presumably an Italian, as before - a significant part of the buildings of the Moscow Kremlin), hence the unique style, combining the traditions of both Russian architecture and European architecture of the Renaissance, but this version has not yet found any clear documentary evidence.

According to legend, the architects of the cathedral (Barma and Postnik) were blinded by order of Ivan the Terrible so that they could not build a similar temple again. However, if the author of the cathedral is Postnik, then he could not have been blinded, since for several years after the construction of the cathedral he participated in the creation of the Kazan Kremlin.

The temple itself symbolizes Heavenly Jerusalem, but the meaning of the color scheme of the domes remains an unsolved mystery to this day. Even in the last century, the writer Chaev suggested that the color of the domes of the temple can be explained by the dream of Blessed Andrew the Fool (of Constantinople), a holy ascetic with whom, according to Church Tradition, the Feast of the Intercession is associated Mother of God. He dreamed of Heavenly Jerusalem, and there “there were many gardens, in them there were tall trees, swaying with their tops... Some of the trees bloomed, others were decorated with golden foliage, others had various fruits of indescribable beauty.”

St. Basil's Cathedral in 1613

F. Ya. Alekseev St. Basil's Cathedral and Spassky Gate

Cathedral at the end of the XVI-XIX centuries.

In 1588, St. Basil's Church was added to the temple, for the construction of which foundation stones were laid in the northeastern part of the cathedral. arched openings. Architecturally, the church was an independent temple with a separate entrance.

At the end of the 16th century, figurative domes of the cathedral appeared - to replace the original covering, which burned down during another fire.

In the second half of the 17th century, significant changes took place in the external appearance of the cathedral - the open gallery surrounding the upper churches was covered with a vault, and porches decorated with tents were erected above the white stone stairs.

The external and internal galleries, platforms and parapets of the porches were painted with grass patterns. These renovations were completed by 1683, and information about them was included in the inscriptions on the ceramic tiles that decorated the façade of the cathedral.

As P. V. Khavsky pointed out, in the book of 1722 there were 18 churches (thrones) listed in the temple: Life-Giving Trinity, Entry into Jerusalem, Paraskeva-Friday, St. Nicholas of Velikoretsky, Beheading of John the Baptist, Barlaam of Khutyn, Apostle Andronicus, Cyprian and Justinia, Gregory of Armenia, Deposition of the Virgin Mary (with the relics of John the Blessed), Basil the Great, Virgin Theodosius, Alexander of Svirsky, Sergius of Radonezh , Mary of Egypt, Epiphany, All Saints and Three Patriarchs.

In 1817, the architect Osip Bove, reconstructing Red Square, lined the retaining wall of the temple with stone and installed a cast-iron fence (initially along Moskvoretskaya Street; in 1834, after the construction of Maslyany Lane, on the southern side of the temple).

Restoration

Fires, which were frequent in wooden Moscow, greatly damaged the Intercession Cathedral, and therefore, from the end of the 16th century. were held there renovation work. Over the more than four-century history of the monument, such works inevitably changed its appearance in accordance with the aesthetic ideals of each century. In the documents of the cathedral for 1737, the name of the architect Ivan Michurin is mentioned for the first time, under whose leadership work was carried out to restore the architecture and interiors of the cathedral after the so-called “Trinity” fire of 1737. The following comprehensive repair work was carried out in the cathedral by order of Catherine II in 1784 - 1786. The restoration was led by architect Ivan Yakovlev. In the 1900s - 1912, the restoration of the Temple was carried out by the architect S. U. Solovyov. In the 1920s, repair and restoration work in the temple was carried out by architects N. S. Kurdyukov and A. A. Zhelyabuzhsky.

In 1918, the Intercession Cathedral became one of the first cultural monuments taken under state protection as a monument of national and world significance. From that moment on, its museumification began. The first caretaker was Archpriest John Kuznetsov. In the post-revolutionary years, the cathedral was in dire straits. In many places the roof was leaking, windows were broken, and in winter there was even snow inside the churches. Ioann Kuznetsov single-handedly maintained order in the cathedral.

In 1923, it was decided to create a historical and architectural museum in the cathedral. Its first head was a researcher at the Historical Museum, E. I. Silin. On May 21, the museum was opened to visitors. Active collection of funds has begun.

In 1928, the Intercession Cathedral Museum became a branch of the State Historical Museum. Despite the constant restoration work that has been going on in the cathedral for almost a century, the museum is always open to visitors. It was closed only once - during the Great Patriotic War. In 1929, services were banned in the temple and the bells were removed. According to the testimony of restorer P. D. Baranovsky, in the mid-1930s. The temple was threatened with demolition, but it escaped destruction. Immediately after the war, systematic work began to restore the cathedral, and on September 7, 1947, on the day of the celebration of the 800th anniversary of Moscow, the museum reopened. The cathedral became widely known not only in Russia, but also far beyond its borders.

Since 1991, the Intercession Cathedral has been jointly used by the museum and the Russian Orthodox Church. After a long break, services were resumed in the temple.

Temple structure

The height of the temple is 65 meters.

The cathedral consists of churches, the thrones of which were consecrated in honor of the holidays that fell on the days of the decisive battles for Kazan:

Plan of the cathedral (second tier)

• Trinity,
• in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (in honor of his Velikoretskaya icon from Vyatka),
• Entry into Jerusalem
• in honor of the torment. Adrian and Natalia (originally - in honor of St. Cyprian and Justina - October 2),
• St. John the Merciful (until XVIII - in honor of St. Paul, Alexander and John of Constantinople - November 6),
• Alexander Svirsky (April 17 and August 30),
• Varlaam Khutynsky (November 6 and 1st Friday of Peter's Lent),
• Gregory of Armenia (September 30).

All these eight churches (four axial, four smaller ones between them) are crowned with onion domes and grouped around the ninth pillar-shaped church rising above them in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God, completed with a tent with a small dome. All nine churches united common ground, a bypass (originally open) gallery and internal vaulted passages.

In 1588, a tenth chapel was added to the cathedral from the northeast, consecrated in honor of St. Basil the Blessed (1469-1552), whose relics were located on the site where the cathedral was built. The name of this chapel gave the cathedral a second, everyday name. Adjacent to the chapel of St. Basil's is the chapel of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in which Blessed John of Moscow was buried in 1589 (at first the chapel was consecrated in honor of the Deposition of the Robe, but in 1680 it was reconsecrated as the Nativity of the Theotokos). In 1672, the discovery of the relics of St. John the Blessed took place there, and in 1916 it was reconsecrated in the name of Blessed John, the Moscow wonderworker. A tented bell tower was built in the 1670s.

There are only eleven domes, of which nine are above the temple (according to the number of thrones):

1. Intercession of the Virgin Mary (center),
2. Holy Trinity (east),
3. Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (west),
4. Gregory of Armenia (northwest),
5. Alexander Svirsky (southeast),
6. Varlaam Khutynsky (southwest),
7. John the Merciful (formerly John, Paul and Alexander of Constantinople) (northeast),
8. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Velikoretsky (south),
9. Adrian and Natalia (formerly Cyprian and Justina) (north).

Two more domes are located above St. Basil's chapel and above the bell tower.

The cathedral has been restored several times. In the 17th century, asymmetrical extensions were added, tents over the porches, intricate decorative treatment of the domes (originally they were gold), and ornamental paintings outside and inside (originally the cathedral itself was white).

In the main, Intercession, church there is an iconostasis from the Kremlin Church of the Chernigov Wonderworkers, dismantled in 1770, and in the chapel of the Entrance to Jerusalem there is an iconostasis from the Alexander Cathedral, dismantled at the same time.

The last (before the revolution) rector of the cathedral, Archpriest John Vostorgov, was shot on August 23 (September 5), 1918. Subsequently, the temple was transferred to the disposal of the renovation community.

First floor

Podklet

There are no basements in the Intercession Cathedral. Churches and galleries stand on a single foundation - a basement, consisting of several rooms. Durable brick walls the basement (up to 3 m thick) is covered with vaults. The height of the premises is about 6.5 m.

The design of the northern basement is unique for the 16th century. Its long box vault has no supporting pillars. The walls are cut with narrow holes - by the spirits. Together with "breathing" building material- brick - they provide a special indoor microclimate at any time of the year.

Previously, the basement premises were inaccessible to parishioners. The deep niches in it were used as storage. They were closed with doors, the hinges of which have now been preserved.

Until 1595, the royal treasury was hidden in the basement. Wealthy townspeople also brought their property here.

One entered the basement from the upper central Church of the Intercession of Our Lady via an internal white stone staircase. Only initiates knew about it. Later this narrow passage was blocked. However, during the restoration process of the 1930s. a secret staircase has been discovered.

In the basement there are icons of the Intercession Cathedral. The oldest of them is the icon of St. St. Basil's at the end of the 16th century, written specifically for the Intercession Cathedral.

Two 17th-century icons are also on display. - “Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and “Our Lady of the Sign”.

The icon “Our Lady of the Sign” is a replica of the façade icon located on the eastern wall of the cathedral. Written in the 1780s. In the XVIII-XIX centuries. The icon was located above the entrance to the chapel of St. Basil the Blessed.

Church of St. Basil the Blessed

The lower church was added to the cathedral in 1588 over the burial place of St. St. Basil's. A stylized inscription on the wall tells about the construction of this church after the canonization of the saint by order of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich.

The temple is cubic in shape, covered with a cross vault and crowned with a small light drum with a dome. The roof of the church is made in the same style as the domes of the upper churches of the cathedral.

The oil painting of the church was done for the 350th anniversary of the start of construction of the cathedral (1905). The dome depicts the Savior Almighty, the forefathers are depicted in the drum, the Deesis (Savior Not Made by Hands, the Mother of God, John the Baptist) is depicted in the crosshairs of the vault, and the Evangelists are depicted in the sails of the vault.

On the western wall is the temple image of the “Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary”. In the upper tier there are images of the patron saints of the reigning house: Fyodor Stratilates, John the Baptist, Saint Anastasia, and the Martyr Irene.

On the northern and southern walls there are scenes from the life of St. Basil: “The Miracle of Salvation at Sea” and “The Miracle of the Fur Coat.” The lower tier of the walls is decorated with a traditional ancient Russian ornament in the form of towels.

The iconostasis was completed in 1895 according to the design of the architect A. M. Pavlinov. The icons were painted under the guidance of the famous Moscow icon painter and restorer Osip Chirikov, whose signature is preserved on the icon “The Savior on the Throne”.

The iconostasis includes earlier icons: “Our Lady of Smolensk” from the 16th century. and the local image of “St. Saint Basil against the backdrop of the Kremlin and Red Square" XVIII century.

Above the burial place of St. St. Basil's Church has an arch decorated with a carved canopy. This is one of the revered Moscow shrines.

On the southern wall of the church there is a rare large-sized icon painted on metal - “Our Lady of Vladimir with selected saints of the Moscow circle “Today the most glorious city of Moscow flaunts brightly” (1904)

The floor is covered with Kasli cast iron slabs.

St. Basil's Church was closed in 1929. Only at the end of the 20th century. its decorative decoration was restored. On August 15, 1997, on the day of remembrance of St. Basil the Blessed, Sunday and holiday services were resumed in the church.

Second floor

Galleries and porches

An external bypass gallery runs along the perimeter of the cathedral around all the churches. Initially it was open. In the middle of the 19th century. the glazed gallery became part of the cathedral's interior. Arched entrance openings lead from the external gallery to the platforms between the churches and connect it with internal passages.

The central Church of the Intercession of Our Lady is surrounded by an internal bypass gallery. Its vaults hide the upper parts of the churches. In the second half of the 17th century. the gallery was painted floral ornament. Later, narrative oil paintings appeared in the cathedral, which were updated several times. Tempera painting is currently unveiled in the gallery. Oil paintings from the 19th century have been preserved on the eastern section of the gallery. - images of saints in combination with floral patterns.

Carved brick entrances leading to the central church organically complement the decor. The portal is saved in your original form, without late coatings, which allows you to see its decoration. The relief details are laid out from specially molded pattern bricks, and the shallow decoration is carved on site.

Earlier daylight penetrated into the gallery from the windows located above the passages in the walkway. Today it is illuminated by mica lanterns from the 17th century, which were previously used during religious processions. The multi-domed tops of the outrigger lanterns resemble the exquisite silhouette of a cathedral.

The floor of the gallery is made of brick in a herringbone pattern. Bricks from the 16th century have been preserved here. - darker and more resistant to abrasion than modern restoration bricks.

Gallery painting

The vault of the western section of the gallery is covered with a flat brick ceiling. It demonstrates a unique for the 16th century. engineering technique for constructing a floor: many small bricks are fixed with lime mortar in the form of caissons (squares), the edges of which are made of figured bricks.

In this area, the floor is laid out with a special “rosette” pattern, and on the walls the original painting has been recreated, imitating brickwork. The size of the drawn bricks corresponds to the real ones.

Two galleries unite the chapels of the cathedral into a single ensemble. Narrow internal passages and wide platforms create the impression of a “city of churches”. After passing through the labyrinth of the internal gallery, you can get to the porch areas of the cathedral. Their vaults are “carpets of flowers,” the intricacies of which fascinate and attract the attention of visitors.

On the upper platform of the right porch in front of the Church of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, the bases of pillars or columns have been preserved - the remains of the decoration of the entrance. This is due to the special role of the church in the complex ideological program of the cathedral’s dedications.

Church of Alexander Svirsky

The southeastern church was consecrated in the name of St. Alexander of Svirsky.

In 1552, on the day of memory of Alexander Svirsky, one of the important battles of the Kazan campaign took place - the defeat of the cavalry of Tsarevich Yapancha on the Arsk field.

This is one of four small churches 15 m high. Its base - a quadrangle - turns into a low octagon and ends with a cylindrical light drum and a vault.

The original appearance of the church interior was restored during restoration work in the 1920s and 1979-1980s: a brick floor with a herringbone pattern, profiled cornices, stepped window sills. The walls of the church are covered with paintings imitating brickwork. The dome depicts a “brick” spiral - a symbol of eternity.

The iconostasis of the church has been reconstructed. Icons from the 16th - early 18th centuries are located between the wooden beams (tyablas) close to each other. The lower part of the iconostasis is covered with hanging shrouds, skillfully embroidered by craftswomen. On the velvet shrouds there is a traditional image of the Calvary cross.

Church of Varlaam Khutynsky

The southwestern church was consecrated in the name of St. Varlaam of Khutyn.

This is one of the four small churches of the cathedral with a height of 15.2 m. Its base has the shape of a quadrangle, elongated from north to south with the apse shifted to the south. The violation of symmetry in the construction of the temple is caused by the need to create a passage between the small church and the central one - the Intercession of the Mother of God.

The four turns into a low eight. The cylindrical light drum is covered with a vault. The church is illuminated by the oldest chandelier in the cathedral from the 15th century. A century later, Russian craftsmen supplemented the work of the Nuremberg masters with a pommel in the shape of a double-headed eagle.

The Tyablo iconostasis was reconstructed in the 1920s. and consists of icons from the 16th – 18th centuries. A feature of the church's architecture - the irregular shape of the apse - determined the shift of the Royal Doors to the right.

Of particular interest is the separately hanging icon “The Vision of Sexton Tarasius”. It was written in Novgorod at the end of the 16th century. The plot of the icon is based on the legend about the vision of the sexton of the Khutyn monastery of disasters threatening Novgorod: floods, fires, “pestilence”.

The icon painter depicted the panorama of the city with topographical accuracy. The composition organically includes scenes of fishing, plowing and sowing, telling about Everyday life ancient Novgorodians.

Church of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem

The Western Church was consecrated in honor of the Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.

One of the four large churches is an octagonal two-tier pillar covered with a vault. The temple is different large sizes and the solemn nature of the decorative decoration.

During the restoration, fragments of architectural decoration from the 16th century were discovered. Their original appearance has been preserved without restoration of damaged parts. No ancient paintings were found in the church. The whiteness of the walls emphasizes the architectural details, executed by architects with great creative imagination. Above the northern entrance there is a trace left by a shell that hit the wall in October 1917.

The current iconostasis was moved in 1770 from the dismantled Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. It is richly decorated with openwork gilded pewter overlays, which add lightness to the four-tier structure. In the middle of the 19th century. The iconostasis was supplemented with wooden carved details. The icons in the bottom row tell the story of the Creation of the world.

The church displays one of the shrines of the Intercession Cathedral - the icon “St. Alexander Nevsky in the Life of the 17th century. The icon, unique in its iconography, probably comes from the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

In the middle of the icon the noble prince is represented, and around him there are 33 marks with scenes from the life of the saint (miracles and historical events: Battle of the Neva, the prince’s trip to the Khan’s headquarters, Battle of Kulikovo).

Church of Gregory of Armenia

The northwestern church of the cathedral was consecrated in the name of St. Gregory, the enlightener of Great Armenia (died in 335). He converted the king and the entire country to Christianity, and was the bishop of Armenia. His memory is celebrated on September 30 (October 13 n.st.). In 1552, on this day, an important event in the campaign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible took place - the explosion of the Arsk Tower in Kazan.

One of the four small churches of the cathedral (15m high) is a quadrangle, turning into a low octagon. Its base is elongated from north to south with a displacement of the apse. The violation of symmetry is caused by the need to create a passage between this church and the central one - the Intercession of Our Lady. The light drum is covered with a vault.

The architectural decoration of the 16th century has been restored in the church: ancient windows, half-columns, cornices, brick floor laid out in a herringbone pattern. As in the 17th century, the walls are whitewashed, which emphasizes the severity and beauty of the architectural details.

The tyablovy (tyablas are wooden beams with grooves between which icons were attached) iconostasis was reconstructed in the 1920s. It consists of windows from the 16th-17th centuries. The Royal Doors are shifted to the left - due to a violation of the symmetry of the internal space.

In the local row of the iconostasis is the image of St. John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria. Its appearance is connected with the desire of the wealthy investor Ivan Kislinsky to re-consecrate this chapel in honor of his heavenly patron (1788). In the 1920s The church was returned to its former name.

The lower part of the iconostasis is covered with silk and velvet shrouds depicting Calvary crosses. The interior of the church is complemented by the so-called “skinny” candles - large wooden painted candlesticks of an antique shape. In their upper part there is a metal base in which thin candles were placed.

The display case contains items of priestly vestments from the 17th century: a surplice and a phelonion, embroidered with gold threads. The 19th century candilo, decorated with multi-colored enamel, gives the church a special elegance.

Church of Cyprian and Justina

The northern church of the cathedral has an unusual dedication for Russian churches in the name of the Christian martyrs Cyprian and Justina, who lived in the 4th century. Their memory is celebrated on October 2 (15). On this day in 1552, the troops of Tsar Ivan IV took Kazan by storm.

This is one of the four large churches of the Intercession Cathedral. Its height is 20.9 m. The high octagonal pillar is completed with a light drum and a dome in which the Mother of God is depicted “ Burning bush" In the 1780s. Oil painting appeared in the church. On the walls are scenes of the lives of saints: in the lower tier - Adrian and Natalia, in the upper - Cyprian and Justina. They are complemented by multi-figure compositions on the theme of Gospel parables and scenes from the Old Testament.

The appearance of images of martyrs of the 4th century in painting. Adrian and Natalia is associated with the renaming of the church in 1786. Rich investor Natalya Mikhailovna Khrushcheva donated funds for repairs and asked to consecrate the church in honor of her heavenly patrons. At the same time, a gilded iconostasis was made in the style of classicism. It is a magnificent example of skillful wood carving. The bottom row of the iconostasis depicts scenes of the Creation of the World (days one and four).

In the 1920s, at the beginning of scientific museum activities in the cathedral, the church was returned to its original name. Recently it appeared to visitors updated: in 2007, the wall paintings and iconostasis were restored with charitable support Joint stock company"Russian Railways".

Church of St. Nicholas Velikoretsky

The southern church was consecrated in the name of the Velikoretsk Icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The icon of the saint was found in the city of Khlynov on the Velikaya River and subsequently received the name “Nicholas of Velikoretsky”.

In 1555, by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, the miraculous icon was brought in a religious procession along the rivers from Vyatka to Moscow. Big event spiritual significance determined the dedication of one of the chapels of the Intercession Cathedral under construction.

One of the large churches of the cathedral is a two-tier octagonal pillar with a light drum and a vault. Its height is 28 m.

The ancient interior of the church was badly damaged during the fire of 1737. In the second half of the 18th - early 19th centuries. a single complex of decorative and visual arts: carved iconostasis with full ranks of icons and monumental plot painting of the walls and vault. The lower tier of the octagon presents the texts of the Nikon Chronicle about the bringing of the image to Moscow and illustrations to them.

In the upper tier the Mother of God is depicted on a throne surrounded by prophets, above are the apostles, in the vault is the image of the Savior Almighty.

The iconostasis is richly decorated with stucco floral decor with gilding. The icons in narrow profiled frames are painted in oil. In the local row there is an image of “St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Life” of the 18th century. The lower tier is decorated with gesso engraving imitating brocade fabric.

The interior of the church is complemented by two external double-sided icons depicting St. Nicholas. They were committed religious processions around the cathedral.

IN late XVIII V. The floor of the church was covered with white stone slabs. During restoration work, a fragment of the original covering made of oak checkers was discovered. This is the only place in the cathedral with a preserved wooden floor.

In 2005-2006 The iconostasis and monumental paintings of the church were restored with the assistance of the Moscow International Currency Exchange.

Holy Trinity Church

The eastern one is consecrated in the name of the Holy Trinity. It is believed that the Intercession Cathedral was built on the site of the ancient Trinity Church, after which the entire temple was often named.

One of the four large churches of the cathedral is a two-tiered octagonal pillar, ending with a light drum and a dome. Its height is 21 m. During the restoration of the 1920s. In this church, the ancient architectural and decorative decoration was most fully restored: half-columns and pilasters framing the entrance arches of the lower part of the octagon, the decorative belt of the arches. In the vault of the dome, a spiral is laid out with small bricks - a symbol of eternity. Stepped window sills in combination with the whitewashed surface of the walls and vault make the Trinity Church especially bright and elegant. Under the light drum, “voices” are built into the walls - clay vessels designed to amplify sound (resonators). The church is illuminated by the oldest chandelier in the cathedral, made in Russia at the end of the 16th century.

Based on restoration studies, the shape of the original, so-called “tyabla” iconostasis (“tyabla” - wooden beams with grooves, between which the icons were fastened close to each other) was established. The peculiarity of the iconostasis is the unusual shape of the low royal doors and three-row icons, forming three canonical orders: prophetic, Deesis and festive.

“The Old Testament Trinity” in the local row of the iconostasis is one of the most ancient and revered icons of the second cathedral half XVI V.

Church of the Three Patriarchs

The northeastern church of the cathedral was consecrated in the name of the three Patriarchs of Constantinople: Alexander, John and Paul the New.

In 1552, on the day of remembrance of the Patriarchs, an important event of the Kazan campaign took place - the defeat by the troops of Tsar Ivan the Terrible of the cavalry of the Tatar prince Yapanchi, who was coming from the Crimea to help the Kazan Khanate.

This is one of the four small churches of the cathedral with a height of 14.9 m. The walls of the quadrangle turn into a low octagon with a cylindrical light drum. The church is interesting for its original ceiling system with a wide dome, in which the composition “The Savior Not Made by Hands” is located.

The wall oil painting was made in the mid-19th century. and reflects in its plots the then change in the name of the church. In connection with the transfer of the throne of the cathedral church of Gregory of Armenia, it was reconsecrated in memory of the enlightener of Great Armenia.

The first tier of the painting is dedicated to the life of St. Gregory of Armenia, in the second tier - the history of the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands, its bringing to King Abgar in the Asia Minor city of Edessa, as well as scenes from the lives of the Patriarchs of Constantinople.

The five-tier iconostasis combines baroque elements with classical ones. This is the only altar barrier in the cathedral from the mid-19th century. It was made specifically for this church.

In the 1920s, at the beginning of scientific museum activity, the church was returned to its original name. Continuing the traditions of Russian philanthropists, the management of the Moscow International Currency Exchange contributed to the restoration of the interior of the church in 2007. For the first time in many years, visitors were able to see one of the most interesting churches of the cathedral.

Bell tower

Bell tower

The modern bell tower of the Intercession Cathedral was built on the site of an ancient belfry.

By the second half of the 17th century. the old belfry had become dilapidated and unusable. In the 1680s it was replaced by a bell tower, which still stands today.

The base of the bell tower is a massive high quadrangle, on which an octagon with an open platform is placed. The site is fenced with eight pillars connected by arched spans and crowned with a high octagonal tent.

The ribs of the tent are decorated with multi-colored tiles with white, yellow, blue and brown glaze. The edges are covered with figured green tiles. The tent is completed by a small onion dome with an eight-pointed cross. There are small windows in the tent - the so-called “rumors”, designed to amplify the sound of the bells.

Inside the open area and in the arched openings, bells cast by outstanding Russian craftsmen of the 17th-19th centuries are suspended on thick wooden beams. In 1990, after a long period of silence, they began to be used again.

The Holy Protection Church is a place of special presence of God's Spirit, a place of worship, prayerful communication with God and union with Him. The temple is a prototype of the harmonious world created by God. The Holy Intercession Church received its name with the blessing of Archbishop Isidore of Krasnodar and Kuban. In 1995, the rector, Archpriest Mily Rudnev, sprinkled the Holy See in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God of the Intercession.

The temple conducts active spiritual and moral activities. In addition to divine services held daily (except Mondays), religious processions are held regularly on Sundays and on the Twelfth Holidays, led by the clergy.

With the blessing of Metropolitan Isidore of Ekaterinodar and Kuban, a “Parish Consulting Service” operates at the church, under the leadership of Mother Maria Garmash, the purpose of which is to provide the necessary assistance with the initial churching of the laity.

Organized at the temple Orthodox Center culture of Kuban, on the basis of which seminars are held annually with secondary school teachers. A sisterhood was created in the name of Martha and Mary to care for lonely people.

Priest Nikolai Simora cares for elderly and disabled people living in the Veterans' Home and regularly conducts confessions and communion. The sisters of the sisterhood in the name of Martha and Mary provide assistance to lonely, disabled residents of the Karasun district.

The clergy, led by the rector of the temple, provides patronage over the children of the Children's rehabilitation center juvenile offenders of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate for the Krasnodar Territory. WITH troubled teenagers Conversations are held, folklore ensembles perform concerts, and vocational school students organize exhibitions of their work, helping to reveal the talents of child delinquents.

Every week, the rector of the church, Archpriest John, conducts Sunday school classes for adults. Everyone gathers in the church refectory and has spiritual conversations in a warm, homely atmosphere, discussing various issues.

The video club created at the temple introduces parishioners to spiritual and moral films telling about the earthly life of Jesus Christ, the lives of saints, and places of pilgrimage; They also show documentaries aimed at solving social problems and overcoming vices - drug addiction, alcoholism, crime.

Another important activity of the temple is the newspaper “Pokrovsky Vestnik”. The publication is addressed not only to adults, who will be able to find here a description and interpretation of the meaning church holidays, quotes from the works of the holy fathers, memories from the life of monks, stories about holy pilgrimage places; but also for children - from the youngest to older children. For them, the newspaper always has a colorful illustrative series, and under special headings they publish poetry of Russian writers, prayers, descriptions of icons, excerpts from the lives of saints and fairy tales.

History of the temple

The history of the Holy Intercession Church dates back to the 90s of the last century, when the city administration in the building of the former Palace of Culture of the Cotton Mill provided Valentin Mertsev, the first rector, and several other priests with premises for performing spiritual services. In those cramped conditions, Divine Liturgies were celebrated for several years.

In 1992, when it was allocated land plot and a store for the Holy Protection Church, its parish is officially registered. The temple received its name with the blessing of Archbishop Isidore of Krasnodar and Kuban (now Metropolitan of Ekaterinodar and Kuban). The rector at that time was already Archpriest Mily Rudnev, and in 1995 he sprinkled the Holy See in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God of the Intercession.

From 1993 to 2004, the rector of the temple was Abbot Tikhon Nechaev. Under him, in 2003, the transfer and installation of a marble plaque to the site of the future construction of the temple took place. Father Tikhon was replaced by Archpriest Leonid Chernykh, and from 2005 to this day the rector has been Archpriest John Garmash, during whose rectorship there have been noticeable changes in the life of the church and its parish.

Construction of a new building of the Holy Protection Church began. Already in 2006, a temple chapel in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was in operation, a Sunday school was opened and a craft workshop was opened. children's creativity. In 2008, the bells were solemnly raised, a year later the bell tower was crowned with a golden dome, and a new building for the church shop was built.

The cathedral was part of the Jesuit monastery complex, which occupied a block in the central part of the city. Currently, of the entire complex, only it is used for its intended purpose, since for 200 years the monastery building has housed a prison.

Elements of sculpture and painting were used throughout the decoration of the cathedral. The multi-figure composition of the altar and support pillars, framed by decorative iconostasis columns made of wood. The fresco painting looks like a multi-story composition located in arched niches and vaults.

In the summer of 2006, due to an electrical fault, a fire occurred in the cathedral's altar, during which two statues were completely destroyed. A collection of donations was carried out with the help of which active work on the reconstruction of the altar became possible, so in the summer of 2011 the restored altar was presented to the parishioners for viewing.

Holy Intercession Cathedral

In Belarus, in the old and beautiful city The city is home to an amazing monument of religious architecture of the 20th century - Svyato-Pokrovsky Cathedral. It is located in the old part of the city, and in 1988 it was declared a monument of urban planning and architecture and is protected by the state.

In fact, Svyato-Pokrovsky is not only a religious building, but also a memorial one. It was built in 1904 in memory of the military killed in Russian-Japanese war. The cathedral is an architectural monument of the neo-Russian style; it is decorated with beautiful domes and delicate stucco decorations. The main facade of the building is crowned with a bell tower with a dome; it is made in the shape of an octagonal tent and its height is about 10 meters.

Today the Holy Intercession Cathedral is active Orthodox Church. The temple has several especially revered shrines: the icon of the “Our Lady of Kazan”, the relics of the child martyr Gabriel Zabludovsky, as well as icons from the 19th century.