In the southwestern administrative district of Moscow, in the Yasenevo district, there is an old church, erected in honor of the apostles Peter and Paul. It is a compound of the well-known Optina Desert. Considered by right not only a religious center, but also a historical monument, it attracts a large number of parishioners, and just amateurs and connoisseurs of antiquity.
The construction of the first wooden church
The Church of Peter and Paul in Yasenevo has a centuries-old history dating back at least seven centuries. In the historical documents that have reached us, Yasenevo is mentioned from the XIV century. Since in the papers certifying the rights of its owners, it is designated precisely as a village, this suggests the presence of a church in it, since this was part of the tradition of past times.
The earliest documentary evidence of this, with a description of the building itself, dates back to the time of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. Near the place where the temple of the apostles Peter and Paul is located (in Yasenevo), in 1626, by order of Patriarch Filaret, the father of the first king of the Romanov dynasty, the construction of a wooden church began.
It should be noted that in the historical period when the years of difficult trials, which went down in history as the Time of Troubles, were approaching the end in Russia, a tendency toward spiritual growth was outlined in the minds of Russians. This was expressed primarily in the construction of many churches, cathedrals and monastery complexes. The temple discussed in this article was part of this universal process.
Higher Decree Commission
The Historical Archive has preserved the letters of the village owner F. A. Lapukhin, who, since 1733, has repeatedly asked the diocesan leadership for permission to build a new stone church on his land in return for the rather dilapidated wooden church.
As this often happens with us, the matter dragged on, and it was only in the reign of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna that a personal commission was sent to Yasenevo by her personal decree. She was ordered to determine the degree of dilapidation of the old wooden church, and if it was deemed unsuitable for further use, apply for the construction of a new one - this time a stone one.
Appearance in Yasenevo stone church
The statesmen examined the church, which was rickety from time to time and darkened from the weather, cautiously listened to the creak of its roof and gave a conclusion about the impossibility of holding services in it. This document became the legal basis for the start of construction, as a result of which the church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (Yasenevo) appeared.
The initial appearance of the temple was different from the one that has survived to the present day construction. In those years, it was only the eastern part of the cubic form. In it was a central - unheated - aisle. An octagonal drum towered above it, cut through the windows and crowned with a dome. This building was made in the then fashionable style, called the Catherine’s Baroque. In 1822, the parents of the future writer Leo Tolstoy - Princess M.N. Volkonskaya and Lieutenant Colonel N.I. Tolstoy were married in this temple.
Further reconstruction
The temple in Yasenevo (Peter and Paul) acquired its modern appearance at a time when the village belonged to Prince S. I. Gagarin. In 1832, by his order, a warm side chapel was erected, consecrated in honor of St. Barbara, who was the heavenly patroness of his wife. In the same year, the bell tower that has been preserved to this day was built.
However, over the years, significant errors have been identified in the work. In particular, the built warm chapel was not strong enough, and one of its walls squinted. Many complaints were voiced about the bell tower, which was extremely narrow and disproportionate to the whole building. In addition, there was a need to redevelop the interior for the greater convenience of numerous parishioners of the temple.
The final formation of the appearance of the temple
In this regard, in 1860, the owners of the estate turned to the leadership of the diocese and personally to the ruling metropolitan for permission to rebuild the church, taking into account all of the above shortcomings. A blessing for the work was received, and reconstruction began that year.
The architect of the new temple was the architect Kalugin. In 1665, the church in Yasenevo (Peter and Paul) was solemnly consecrated, but this event happened after the death of the estate's owner, Sergei Ivanovich Gagarin, who died in 1862.
As a result of the work, the shape of the temple, so famous today for all Muscovites, was finally formed. Its architecture corresponds to a three-part composition symmetrically located along the longitudinal axis of the building. Its components are the temple, the narthex and the bell tower. This type of temple building was very common in the 19th century in the estates of Central Russia.
The fate of the temple during the years of universal atheism
In the Soviet period, the temple in Yasenevo (Peter and Paul) suffered the fate of many religious centers of the country. In the thirties it was closed, but, fortunately, it was not destroyed, but was used as a state farm warehouse.
The building as a whole was preserved, but the internal wall painting, made in the first half of the 19th century, and of high artistic and historical value, was irretrievably lost.
From 1973 to 1976, restoration work was carried out in the temple, as a result of which the exterior facade of the building was restored to its original form, and crosses were erected on the dome and bell tower. However, this was not all. The territory on which the architectural monument was located belonged to the local motor depot and was closed to outsiders. The question of the resumption of worship in the temple was not even raised.
Return of the temple to parishioners
Only with the onset of democratic change and a change in state policy regarding the church, the church (in Yasenevo) of Peter and Paul was returned to believers. This happened in 1989, and ten years later he received the status of the Moscow Compound Optina Desert. Today it is one of the most famous Orthodox churches in the capital. Every day, the services held in it are attended by members of a large parish community, as well as those who come from other areas and cities of the country to bow to the shrines stored here. The temple of Peter and Paul in Yasenevo widely opens its doors to everyone.
The schedule of services posted at the entrance and posted on the official website indicates that the services are held in full, as provided for in the Church Charter. Everyone who is going to visit Moscow is recommended to visit this center of Orthodoxy. The address where the temple of Peter and Paul is located: Moscow, Yasenevo, Novoyasenevsky prospect, house 42. You can get on the metro to the station "Novoyasenevskaya".