The administrative center of the Samara region - a rather large and modern city of Samara - is the cultural, economic, scientific center of the Volga region. It has many historical and architectural monuments, and the churches and temples of the city have a long history. But in this article we will talk about a younger, but no less beautiful building - the Church of St. George in Samara.
Its construction was associated with two memorable dates: the 55th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War and the 2000th anniversary of Christianity. The idea of building a unique temple-monument was expressed by the participants of the competition, who worked on creating a project for the reconstruction of the Glory Square in 1997.
Church of St. George in Samara: the history of creation
At the place where today the magnificent snow-white temple is located, in ancient times there was also a church, and much larger than the current one. In 1871, the first stone in its foundation was laid by Emperor Alexander II and Tsarevich Alexander.
An amazingly beautiful temple, erected on this earth, accommodated almost two and a half thousand parishioners. In those days, it became one of the most impressive temple complexes in our country. His presence was honored by the church and Emperor Nicholas II, who was consecrated in the name of the Great Martyr George the Victorious, who, during a visit to Samara, made a prayer here. This happened on July 1, 1904.
The temple in Soviet times
Like most religious buildings in our country, with the advent of the Bolsheviks, the Samara Cathedral suffered a terrible fate. At that time, the city was inhabited by Archbishop Isidore, who had already left the service and went to rest. This did not stop his tormentors, and the venerable old man was put on a stake. This tragedy happened near the very place where the temple-monument is located today.
The cathedral was blown up in 1934, but for more than five years the workers dismantled the ruins of the famous Church of St. George the Victorious in Samara.
Temple revival
Despite the barbaric destruction, the cathedral was destined to be reborn on this earth. The decision to build a new temple was made in 1997 by participants in the competition for the best project for the reconstruction of the Glory Square. For its construction, a place was chosen on a high picturesque slope, in a square over the Eternal Flame.
Project development
Many very interesting projects were considered, but the choice of experts fell on the work of the famous Samara architect Yuri Ivanovich Kharitonov, who is the author of such important objects for the city as the Zvezda entertainment center, SKA pool and others.
Initially, the idea of construction was based on the architectural sketch-project of Academician Ernst Giber, who went down in the history of Samara as the author of the cathedral, which once stood on the site of the present square. Kuibyshev. The architect of the project, Yu. I. Kharitonov, developed the building in the style of Russian traditional five-domed.
Start of construction
The city authorities officially allocated land for lease to the Samara diocese on March 10, 1999. In early spring, Archbishop Sergius signed an agreement with contractors who began work on the creation of a memorial church. The construction site was visited by the Patriarch of All Russia Alexy II. On October 14, 1999, he performed a thanksgiving service here. Then, together with the Archbishop of Syzran and Samara, Sergius, they laid a capsule with a message in the foundation of the Church of St. George the Victorious. In it, the ministers of the Church blessed the construction of the temple, designed to become the personification of victory, peace and love.
Already in early May 2000, the top of the temple of St. George in Samara was decorated with the main dome, which struck the townspeople with its size and weight: a structure weighing 8 tons in height reaches 11 meters. Moreover, the procedure for lifting it lasted no more than 20 minutes. On this significant day, the liturgy was held by the Archbishop of Syzran and Samara, Sergius. The remaining domes took their places on May 27.
On October 14, 2000, Archbishop Sergius consecrated 12 bells that were ordered and cast according to all church canons of copper with additives at the Vera Bell Foundry in Voronezh. The largest (Blagovest) weighs 560 kg. The remaining bells are from 5 to 352 kg. Their total weight exceeds 1200 kg. All of them are registered. The domes are covered with nitrotitanium - a special composition that can be preserved in urban conditions for several decades, while gold must be restored in 5-7 years.
Today the temple received the status of a monument. It carefully stores memorabilia with the names of city residents who died on the fronts of World War II, as well as those who gave their lives in military conflicts outside the country, took part in the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident, died as a result of a fire in the Samarsky building GUVD (1999). Their feat of arms is also reflected in the ornament of the temple. On its facade there is a commemorative plaque on which the names of all who donated to the building are indicated.
In the territory adjacent to the church, on July 8, 2008, a monument was unveiled to Saint Pious Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia of Murom, which became a model of love and family loyalty. It is symbolic that this event occurred on the All-Russian Family Day. Currently, the Church of St. George the Victorious in Samara and the monument make up a single historical and church complex, located in one of the most beautiful places in the city. He perfectly fit into his panorama, becoming not just a spiritual monastery, but also one of the main architectural attractions of Samara.
The new temple for the citizens and all citizens of Russia became a reminder of the destroyed, as well as our repentance, the assertion that our faith won and survived.
Description of the Church of St. George in Samara: architectural features
Initially, when discussing the design of the cathedral in Samara, an architectural group led by Yu. I. Kharitonov decided to take as a basis the old projects, according to which the temple was built in tsarist times. But over time, the developers had to admit that this idea was not suitable for a large city, so the project underwent some changes: spacious underground rooms were added, the internal structure changed, and as a result, a beautiful project appeared with closed stairs, transparent walk-through galleries, choirs for singers.
The Temple of St. George the Victorious in Samara, symmetrical and five-domed, is a vivid example of the classical Byzantine style. The building area is over 250 m². It is designed for 200 people. The structure has three levels:
- lower (refectory, office premises, baptismal);
- middle (altar with a five-tiered iconostasis, prayer hall);
- upper (cells, choirs).
Its height (to the base of the cross) is 30 meters. The walls are made of bricks and lined with Ural marble on top. This is also a small departure from the project, which initially provided for the lining with Zhiguli white stone. It was the design, and then the manufacture of facing plates, when a special calculation and a separate drawing is performed for each element, the architect Yu. I. Kharitonov considered the most difficult to work.
At the top of the temple is an observation deck, which offers stunning views of the Volga and the surrounding area. In the lower part there is a baptismal room with a marble font. In a festive atmosphere in the presence of citizens and guests of Samara, the temple opened its doors on May 6, 2002. Its uniqueness was confirmed by foreign experts. The temple was awarded a diploma of the International Festival "Architecture-2002" in the field of architecture.
Schedule of Divine Services
The temple is open daily from 8.00 to 19.00. Services are scheduled:
- morning service at 07.45, evening at 17.00 on weekdays;
- on Saturday and on the eve of church holidays at 17.00 the all-night vigil begins;
- On Sundays and public holidays, confession is held at 06.45 and 08.45, the liturgy is at 07.00 and 09.00.
How to get to the temple?
It is not difficult to get to the church of St. George in Samara. Cathedral address: st. Mayakovsky, 11. To visit it, you should use a minibus number 24, 92, 232, bus number 24, tram number 5, 15, 20 to the stop "Samara Square". You can also get by buses No. 11 and 61 to the stop "Hotel Volga".
Visitors reviews
Many people who visited the unique temple-monument believe that modern masters managed to recreate the magnificent building. The temple impresses not only with its architectural features, but also with its interesting interior decoration: the hand-painted walls, ancient icons, including the image of St. George the Victorious and a particle of his relics ... Unfortunately, it is forbidden to photograph inside the church, and many would like to have memorable pictures that could be shown to friends and acquaintances. The temple is spacious and bright. Despite the fact that it accommodates far fewer believers than the ancient, destroyed one, an atmosphere of peace and tranquility reigns in it.