In the center of Saratov is the Orthodox Church "Satisfy My Sorrows." The sanctuary received its name in honor of the image of the Mother of God. By the way, the icon “Satisfy My Sorrows” is considered an object of cultural heritage in Russia. This article will detail the history of the creation of the Saratov temple, its architectural features, as well as the changes that have occurred with it in recent years.
Satisfy My Sorrows (icon): meaning
The image of the Mother of God was first seen in Moscow in the distant 1640. For many years this holy image was kept in the church of St. Nicholas. Here, for a long time, records were kept of miracles that were accomplished thanks to the power that the icon "Satisfy My Sorrows" possesses (a photo of the image is presented in the article). Unfortunately, the fire in 1771 did not leave the descendants of such an interesting heritage. However, several legends have survived to this day. Among them stands out one of the most famous. This legend tells of a seriously ill woman of noble birth. For her, a miraculous icon was searched for in the temple for an extremely long time. But I could not find the right one. Then it was decided to bring from the church all the images with the Mother of God, and even the images stored in the church bell tower were even collected. Among all the Orthodox images, only one icon attracted attention - “Satisfy my sorrows”. According to legend, a sick woman, unable to even move her fingers when she saw her, was able to cross herself. The prayer of the icon “Satisfy my sorrows” lifted her to her feet. The woman got up completely healthy. It is worth noting that after this incident they began to honor this image.
The icon depicts the Mother of God. With her right hand she holds Christ. The Baby has in his hands a scroll in an expanded form. Mother's left hand is depicted leaning against her head, leaning slightly to one side.
Temple. The beginning of the story
The Saratov architect P.M. Zybin in 1903 developed a project for the church at the Bishop's Court. This construction was approved and received the blessing of the bishop of Tsaritsyno and Saratov, the holy martyr Hermogenes. By the way, in 1906 the construction of the temple was already completed. In this holy place one throne was created - in honor of the icon of the Mother of God - under the name "In sorrow and grief Consolation." According to legend, this image was ordered by Bishop Hermogenes on Mount Athos. What is characteristic, according to legend, the icon “Satisfy My Sorrows” was completely copied from the miraculous Athos prototype.
The fate of the church under the communist system
During the existence of the USSR, the Saratov planetarium was located in the temple building . It is worth noting that during these years the structure itself has practically not undergone any changes. As a result, today, temple visitors can admire its pristine splendor. However, in 1960, the crosses were dismantled, and for some time the temple stood without them. But in 1965, Lord Pimen turned to the city authorities with a proposal to restore the temple at the expense of the diocese. This request was extremely puzzling to statesmen, since at that time it was “not accepted” to carry out repair work in former cultural institutions. As a result, the offer of the clergyman was rejected. However, against the backdrop of the changes beginning in the country, the executive committee itself found the necessary funds and carried out external restoration work, ennobled the facade of the Planetarium. After that, the first secretary of the regional party committee, taking responsibility, ordered that the once dismantled crosses be lifted and reinstalled. Later, after all the work done, the church building was included in the list of attractions of the city. Tourists began to visit him.
Internal changes
At the end of the 20th century, the temple was transferred to the diocese. As a result, after the return of the sacred building of the Orthodox Church, it was decided to organize an aisle in the side extension. In addition, immediately after completion of the necessary work, the altar was lit. In the name of the Monks Seraphim of Sarov and Sergius of Radonezh, antimins was entrusted to the throne. As the story goes, at one time he was rescued from a seminary church destroyed by the worshipers. Thanks to the efforts of the first abbot, Archpriest Lazarus of the Newly Baptized, a bell tower was built, all interior rooms were restored and icons were bought. In 1993, the Archbishop of Saratov and Volsky (later Bishop Pimen) lit the throne of the church in honor of the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Temple in the 21st Century
In 2004, the Cathedral “Satisfy My Sorrows” organized the Bishop’s Compound. At that time, a chapel located on the theater square of the city ​​was assigned to it. In addition, this year was marked by the beginning of large-scale restoration work in the temple. First of all, they engaged in the decoration of the altar and installed a new iconostasis. Since images appeared in the temple, including the icon “Satisfy My Sorrows”, made in the ancient style, it was decided to replace the interior of the temple. In 2005, such changes affected the altar of St. Sergius Church. For information, reconstruction work was even carried out here. Namely, due to the demolition of utility rooms, it was possible to increase the area of ​​the aisle. In addition, a vaulted ceiling was created in it and a font was purchased for baptism. It is worth noting that a "vessel" was chosen that meets the Church Charter. The roof of the church building was completely replaced and acquired a copper “color”. The Church “Satisfy My Sorrows” has at its disposal the best parish library in the diocese. The catalog of this "book world" has more than 8 thousand titles of Orthodox works. In addition, a Sunday school is organized on site. There is also an Orthodox World society and even a youth community. The rector of the church every week after Sunday evening services holds talks with parishioners.
Architectural features
The stone building of the church, made in the form of three kokoshniks and having two narthexes, is in extremely good harmony with the general structures of the Bishop's estate. In addition, the Saratov temple fully fits into the architectural ensemble of the city. During the construction, the creators of the church gave it a special highlight in the form of a large tent. This element is surrounded by a large number of motley painted small heads.