Russian land is rich in monuments of sacred architecture. One of the extraordinary places of worship is the Znamenskaya Church (Dubrovitsy). The temple was erected in the late XVII - early XVIII century. To this day, information about the designer and builders of the church has not been preserved. It is only known that the creation of an architectural masterpiece was worked by domestic and foreign masters.
Temple history
The Znamenskaya Church in the village of Dubrovitsy was founded by the educator of Peter the Great, Prince B.A. Golitsyn. Boris Alekseevich was erected in vain, and the king ordered him to return to the family estate. A year later, Peter I changed his anger to mercy, and as a sign of reconciliation with the Sovereign, the prince decided to build a temple.
At that time, the wooden church of the prophet Elijah stood on the site of the future architectural monument . In 1690 she was transferred to the village of Lemeshevo.
For the construction of a new temple, white stone was chosen. The material is easy to process, but quite durable, suitable for carving, creating decorative details. The work was carried out for nine years, but was not in a hurry with the consecration of the temple. The prince really wanted to invite Peter I to the ceremony, but the tsar left Moscow for a long time. According to another version, the consecration of the church was hindered by Patriarch Adrian, who did not like the Baroque building.
The Znamenskaya Church (Dubrovitsy) was consecrated only in 1704 by the locum tenens of the Moscow Patriarchal See, Metropolitan Stephane of Ryazan and Murom.
In 1812, the French occupied the village. The conquerors were not very careful about the Orthodox churches, but the church in Dubrovitsy remained untouched. Probably, the soldier of the Napoleonic army conquered the beauty of the religious building.
In 1929 the church was closed, and in 1931 the bell tower was blown up. Divine services resumed only in 1991.
Architecture
The Znamenskaya Church (Dubrovitsy) is designed as an equilateral cross with rounded blades. Together with the dome, the temple rises above the earth by more than forty meters. The contour of the building repeats a narrow gallery of ten steps in height, fenced with a parapet. An ornament is applied to the base of the temple and parapet.
Decorates the church and sculpture. At the western doors of the parishioners are met statues of the saints John Chrysostom, Gregory the Theologian. Above one of the doors is a statue of Basil the Great.
From the socles the evangelists look at the laity, and from the octagonal tower - the apostles. The facade is decorated with figures of angels. The church is crowned by a metal gilded crown.
Interior
A significant part of the space inside the temple is occupied by relief compositions. The sculptures are made of stucco - artificial marble, the manufacture of which uses calcined gypsum, alum, glue, lime, chalk and other materials.
In the center of the temple is the composition “Crucifixion,” to the right of which the seated angels point to scripture passages. Initially, inscriptions were created in Latin, but in the 19th century the Metropolitan of Moscow Filaret ordered the wall to be decorated with quotes from the Gospel in Church Slavonic. In 2004, Latin texts were returned to their former place.
At the top of the western ledge are choirs. A beautiful stone staircase leads from the pylon to the lower tier. This part of the temple is decorated in the form of a balcony repeating the outlines of the walls of the western vestibule.
With sculptures perfectly harmonize the image. The most revered icon is Our Lady of the Sign.
Social activities
The parish of the Znamensky Church provides charitable assistance to the disabled, sick, abandoned children, and pensioners. Residents of Moscow and the region are invited to charity excursions, conversations with the priest, tea parties. Diapers, diapers, baby clothes, medicines, medical equipment purchased with funds from the parish budget come to the Podolsk city hospital.
There is a Sunday school at the temple. Teachers introduce students to the Law of God, the history of Russia and the Church, the Church Slavonic language. Pupils also master church singing and are engaged in creativity.
Another area of the school’s work is the organization of charity concerts and pilgrimages. Children and parents take walks to the temples of the Podolsky district, cross the boat to the holy spring, visit monasteries. If someone wants to make a pilgrimage trip, but does not know where to start, then the Znamenskaya Church (Dubrovitsy) will help to implement the plan. How to get there to this or that holy place, organizers of trips at the temple know.
Every Sunday, the rector of the church Archpriest Andrei Gritsyshin talks with the mothers and fathers of students, other parishioners on the Gospel.
Schedule of Divine Services
Znamenskaya Church (Dubrovitsy) - the current church. On weekdays, Sundays and holidays, services are performed according to the established schedule. From 8.30 hours of the liturgy, memorial services. At the same time, they accept confession.
The sacraments of baptism, weddings, bare sanctification, and the funeral rite are performed by agreement with the priest. You can attend the church every day from 9.00 to 17.00. Evening services continue until 20.00.
Znamenskaya church (Dubrovitsy): how to get
Before you get to the temple, you need to get to Podolsk. Electric trains run to the regional center, as well as bus number 417 (from the Yuzhnaya metro station), minibus number 65. It will not take much time to drive your own car.
From Podolsk you should take a bus to the Dubrovitsy stop. It is recommended that motorists, before reaching the exit from the city, turn right, and then right again, focusing on signs. To get closer to the temple, you have to drive the whole village. Address - Moscow Region, Dubrovitsy, Znamenskaya Church.
The best view of the church opens from the hill. The hill allows you to carefully examine the surroundings of the temple, admire the picturesque landscapes, the Desna and Parha rivers. The village of Dubrovitsy was built in one of the most beautiful places in the Moscow region.