The Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow is the central Russian cathedral of the Church of Orthodoxy. The current building is a complete resemblance to an old temple built in the 19th century. The Cathedral of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow is a kind of memorial tombstone for the army of the Russian people, who gave their lives in a fierce war with the French. This bloody battle lasted from 1812 to 1814. The names of soldiers buried during the Patriotic War, as well as those who fought during the Overseas Campaigns of 1797-1806, are carved on the walls of the building.
The idea of ​​recreation
The idea of ​​creating the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow appeared after the Russian-French war in gratitude to the Almighty, in honor of the liberation of the Russian people from the army of Napoleon.
The construction of monuments - temples comes from the ancient tradition of temples - vows, which the ministers built in gratitude for the victorious completion and in the eternal memory of those who died in unequal battles.
In 1814, a general competition for the right to develop was announced in advance. The winner was the famous urban planner A. L. Vitberg. In 1817, the official laying of the foundation stone for the construction of the main building took place. At first they wanted to build a building on the Sparrow Hills. After 9 years, due to a complex soil feature, the construction had to be suspended and then completely completed, as financial irregularities were discovered during the construction.
Resumption of construction
In 1832, by the intention of Emperor Nicholas I, the main building in Moscow began to be rebuilt. The sovereign ruler appointed a new designer. They became an unknown Konstantin Ton. The fertile land near the Moscow Kremlin was chosen as the place of laying. Nicholas I issued a decree on the demolition of the Church of All Saints and the girl’s Alekseevsky monastery, which in those ancient times stood on the site of the construction of the church.
In 1839, the construction of the main building began. Public donations were collected throughout the country. A large share of the funds was taken from the state treasury. Finally, in 1883, the temple was consecrated. The celebration was attended by a few veterans of World War II with Napoleon.
In the late 30s, during the reign of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, the cathedral was destroyed for religious reasons. The huge construction of the Palace of Soviets was planned, but the Second World War of 1941-1945 prevented the construction. After the victory, the relevance of such a building has lost its original significance. In 1960, the Moscow pool was built on this site.
New construction planning began in the 1990s. Donations collected by the people quickly depreciated due to the unstable economic situation in the country. Despite the crisis, builders continued to erect a structure similar to the original one. In 2000, the newly formed Cathedral of Christ the Savior was solemnly consecrated.
Modern temple
The current Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow is an exact copy of the temple, built according to the sketch of the architect Konstantin Ton in the 19th century. According to the designer, the first erection of the cathedral in those ancient times was to bring together Byzantine folk traditions and Russian architectural culture.
The first information about the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow dates from 1839, when the first construction of the temple began. But the old building did not survive.
A modern building with a height of 103 meters is located near the Moscow River. The hall accommodates up to 10 thousand people. The temple is now a symbol of Russian history.
The composition of the new temple
The current Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow includes:
- The Cathedral of Christ the Savior is the main building of the upper temple. Contains three thrones: the most important in the middle in the name of the Nativity of Christ. There are two neighbors: the right - of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the left throne in the name of Alexander Nevsky. At the end of summer 2000, this building was consecrated.
- The Lower Temple is the Preobrazhenskaya Church, built in honor of the Alekseevsky girl’s monastery, which was located here earlier. Contains three altars: the main one in honor of the Transfiguration. Two thrones at the edges: the left in the name of Alexy - a man of God and the right - in honor of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. The church was lit in the early summer of 1996.
- Stylobate part. Here is the main museum of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Next, the living room of the Church Councils was built, then the hall of the Highest Church Council, the reception room for meals, service and technical chambers.
A service is held every day in the Lower Church of the Transfiguration Church. From 5 pm - Vespers, at 8 am - liturgy. On Sundays and on big holidays, services are held from 5 pm - Vespers, at 10 am, a liturgy in the upper part of the church. The services are read by the Patriarch of Moscow.
Cathedral
The church itself bears the title of cathedral. This status of the cathedral in Orthodoxy is of particular importance and is assigned once and for all. It is given to the main temple of the city. The cathedral is called the temple, where the bishop serves and there is a bishop's chair.
In the old days, only in big cities there were cathedrals. The chief archbishop could choose any temple for himself and make it a cathedral. In such a cathedral, the main festive services are held.
So, in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, services are held on holidays such as Christmas, Christening, Holy Easter, Holy Trinity, Transfiguration and other Orthodox celebrations. The church also hosts funeral services of people significant for modern Russian culture and history.
How to get there
Cathedral of Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, located at: house number 17, Volkhonka street, Moscow, Russia. It is one of the first tourist places for public visits. Every day, millions of tourists want to visit this place. Any native resident knows how to get to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.
What matters is where tourists want to travel from. Of course, you can get there by car using the taxi service, but it will cost too much. The easiest and cheapest way to get to the temple is to resort to underground services.
The metro station you need to get to is known as the Kropotkinskaya line of the Sokolnikov Moscow metro line. When exiting the underground entrance, a beautiful view of the temple building is revealed. Bypassing the Kropotkinskaya station, walking along Gogolevsky Boulevard, you can slowly get to the entrance to the temple.
Another way
The church is included in a short tour of the capital. A photo of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow can be seen on tickets purchased at the box office of the city, on many more souvenirs made of ceramics. You can choose an excursion route, then it will not be difficult to get to this place. Tourists are transported on a special bus. An interesting excursion includes: visiting the Upper and Lower churches, the main temple museum, viewing platforms, refectory rooms. The most interesting part of the tour is the elevator lift to the very top. Here, on the observation deck, whose height is forty meters, you have the opportunity to see the capital from a bird's eye view, to see the city from the most unusual sides.
But, arriving in the capital of our country, many travelers like to walk along the busy streets of Moscow. You can start a walk from the walls of the Moscow Kremlin from the Alexander Garden. Having arrived here by metro to the Borovitskaya station of the Serpukhov-Timiryazevskaya line, then, following Volkhovka Street, it is easy to reach the gates of the Upper Church Building.
The status of the main temple
In modern times, the cathedral has the status of the main Church of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2004, a decision was made to donate the church for free use to the Russian Orthodox Church. His Holiness Patriarch is the rector of the cathedral. The Patriarch of All Russia holds the most important Orthodox services there, including holiday ones. The main decisions in church life are made by the Patriarch in the Moscow Cathedral.