Among the most striking works of Russian temple architecture, the Ascension Cathedral in Novocherkassk occupies a special place. This magnificent building is second only to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow and St. Petersburg St. Isaac's Cathedral. Over the years of its existence, it has become a true monument to the Don Cossacks with its difficult and dramatic history.
The foundation of the first cathedral
In 1805, when the city was founded, the Ascension Cathedral of Novocherkassk was immediately founded. However, for several reasons, its construction began only six years later, in 1811. The work was carried out under the guidance of the author of the project, a staunch adherent of classicism, the Italian architect Aloysius Ruska. In 1818, when the work was not yet completed, the architect left Russia, and our compatriot Amvrosimov continued his work.
The first collapse of the temple
But the construction was not destined to be completed successfully. In 1846, during the construction of the main dome, a disaster occurred - a significant part of the building's facade collapsed . In no time, the magnificent building turned into a pile of ruins. Fortunately, there were no casualties, as the day was a holiday, there was nobody inside the building.
The tsar was personally informed of the incident, and a special commission of inquiry arrived in Novocherkassk, which revealed both errors in the architectural design and gross violations of construction standards, which led to the collapse of the building. In addition, building materials were unacceptably poor quality. Obviously, someone “warmed his hands”, and forty years of work was in vain.
Second failure
Over time, the work was resumed under the direction of another architect - I.O. Valprede. He re-compiled a project, to the implementation of which the most stringent technical control measures were applied. However, evil rock was implacable. In 1863, at the same stage of work, that is, during the construction of the main dome, the building collapsed in exactly the same way as seventeen years ago. The still unfinished Ascension Cathedral of Novocherkassk was again in ruins.
This time, the next commission that arrived from the capital saw the cause of the accident as excessive haste in carrying out the work. However, this was not blamed on Valpreda, since he was categorically against an unjustifiably fast pace, which he repeatedly stated in writing, but was forced to submit to the pressure of the local city authorities and Cossack chieftains.
Start of construction of the third version of the cathedral
But the city cannot live without the temple of God, and in 1891 the inhabitants of Novocherkassk, most of whom were Cossacks, decided to start the construction of a new, already the third version of the cathedral. In this regard, there has been a long debate over whether to restore the collapsed building or completely dismantle it and build a new one in its place. Supporters of dismantling won, and by 1882 the construction site was completely cleared of the remnants of the previous structure.
The design of the new cathedral was approved two years earlier by Emperor Alexander II. The author of this (already the third in a row) project was the Don military architect A.A. Yashchenko, shortly before that he was awarded the title of academician. However, he failed to see his brainchild. In 1893, when the work was at the stage of building the foundation, the architect suddenly died.
The new supervisor of the works, I.P. Zlobin, was laying the basement of the building when, suddenly, serious violations in the production of work were again discovered. Again, the construction stop, and again the proceedings and inquiries. The bitter experience of previous failures made the higher authorities, who oversaw the work, to be especially demanding. It is hard to imagine what consequences the next irresponsibility of the performers could turn out to be.
Completion of construction work
But finally, in 1901, the Ascension Military Cathedral in Novocherkassk was completed. It was the third largest cathedral in Russia. Its height was 75 meters, and the sides - 62 and 70 meters. At the same time, 5,000 people could attend the service. To erect this colossus, a brick factory was specially built, a water supply system was extended, and a power station was built. In addition, all materials received for construction were tested for strength in a laboratory specially equipped for this purpose. When they calculated the total cost of the work done, it turned out to be a record for those times - 2,000,000 rubles.
Features of the new temple
Of particular note is the extraordinary beauty of the dome crowning the Ascension Cathedral of Novocherkassk. All of them were covered with pure gold, and the main cross, made by special order by the masters of Bohemia, was decorated with inlaid made of rock crystal. Reminiscences of the old residents of the city, testifying that in clear weather the radiance of the domes and the cross were visible for many kilometers, as a kind of lighthouse, indicating the path to God.
The advanced technical development at that time was specially designed for the temple and now lost heating and ventilation systems. They acted in such a way that in addition to creating comfortable conditions for worshipers, they ensured that the iconostasis and frescoes were preserved in their original form. The floor of the temple was made of marble slabs, drawn from Italy and France. An interesting detail of the construction of the cathedral is the underground passage leading to the chambers of the bishop's house. Now there is the House of Officers.
The fate of the temple during the period of the fighting
When our country entered a period of atheistic insanity, the Ascension Cathedral of Novocherkassk wasn’t left behind. In the thirties, it was closed. Services ceased. Crosses and copper sheets covered with gold were removed from its domes. In the cathedral, which amazed everyone with the unearthly beauty of its decoration, the new authorities arranged a warehouse of fuel and lubricants.
It was reopened by the Germans in August 1942, when Novocherkassk was in occupation. After the liberation of the city by Soviet troops, the temple was not closed, and services were performed in it, but all its extensive cellars were used as storage facilities. Of course, there was no question of carrying out restoration and restoration work at that time.
Temple restoration
Fortunately, everything changed with the advent of Perestroika and the associated democratic reforms. All over the country, believers returned what was taken from them during the period of the atheism. Thousands of churches again became the property of the Russian Orthodox Church. Among them is the Ascension Military Cathedral. The city of Novocherkassk allocated funds for large-scale restoration work, to which many leading specialists of the country were involved.
In 2005, Novocherkassk celebrated its bicentennial. The centenary of the foundation of the temple coincided with this date. A gift from the builders and restorers of the cathedral was the completion of restoration of the facade of the building. In general, he was returned to its original appearance. In the near future it is planned to cover the domes with gold again and recreate a unique cross encrusted with rock crystal.
An original innovation of our day is a system that projects Bible scenes on the walls of the cathedral in the evening. In addition, the highlight of the entire building deserves special attention, giving it a majestic and solemn appearance. Currently, restoration work is continuing in the interior, and soon the temple will be fully restored to its original appearance.
Shrines stored in the cathedral
But the Ascension Cathedral is famous not only for its architectural perfection and rich internal painting. Novocherkassk, whose history is inextricably linked with the Don Cossacks, has always remained a truly Orthodox city, in which the veneration of miraculous icons and relics of holy saints was not stopped. So in the cathedral of the city, everyone who comes here can bow to the holy images, glorified by the miracles revealed through them.
These shrines include the icons of the Mother of God: "Don," Aksai, "" Life-giving spring "and" Recovery of the dead. " In addition, in the temple there is a tomb with the relics of St. John (Dobrozrakov). Many miraculous healings occurred through prayers that were offered before these shrines, which glorified the Ascension Cathedral in Novocherkassk throughout the country. The schedule of services performed in it does not distinguish it from other churches in Russia, but their solemnity and highest spirituality put the church and its parable in one of the leading places in Russia. It belongs to him rightfully.
And finally, let’s inform for everyone who wants to visit the Ascension Cathedral (Novocherkassk). Temple address : Rostov Region, Novocherkassk, pl. Ermak, d. 2.
The schedule of services in the church is structured in such a way that morning services (Divine Liturgies) begin at 7.00, and evening services at 18.00. All-night vigils are also performed at evening services. This is a general procedure, but every month some changes can be made in accordance with the church calendar.