The Ural capital has a rich history. There are many churches and temples in Yekaterinburg . Golden crosses and dummies of most monasteries are visible from afar. There are about a hundred churches that are part of the Orthodox diocese, there are also mosques, Catholic churches. Many large religious cathedrals that have come down to us from pre-revolutionary Russia have a rather difficult fate. In Soviet times, when religion was banned everywhere in the USSR, most churches hosted clubs, warehouses, and at best museums. One of these holy monasteries with a difficult fate is the temple "Big Chrysostom."
Address
It is located in the very center of Yekaterinburg, on the corner of March 8 and Malyshev streets. From far away you can see the high domes of this beautiful building. The exact address where you can reach it is March 8, Building 17. A metro station is a two-minute walk from the temple. The nearest public transport stop is twenty meters away. In Yekaterinburg, almost every adult local resident knows where the Big Chrysostom Temple is located. Tourists often come here. The cathedral has another name “Maximilian Church”, but most of it is still known as the temple “Big Chrysostom”, whose history is quite rich in events. The monastery knew both rebirth and decline, after which it was restored and today appears before people in a more beautiful form.
Story
Many cathedrals and churches in Russia have a rather difficult fate. More than once experienced the vicissitudes of fate and the temple "Big Chrysostom." The Maximilian Church has shared the plight of many cathedrals. Its history stretches from the erection in the nineteenth century to the full restoration of a copy of the destroyed monastery. She shared the difficult fate of her brother - the Cathedral of Christ of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, also going through destruction, reproach, oblivion and, finally, transformation and restoration from ruins.
The temple "Big Zlatoust" was founded on September 21, 1847 on Pokrovsky Prospekt by Bishop Jonah. It was originally built as a bell tower for the monastery, erected in honor of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Twenty-nine years of work has been going on. And as a result of painstaking work and long years of waiting in Yekaterinburg, a beautiful temple “Big Zlatoust” appeared, which has the highest bell tower in the city.
The need for a new bell tower
When a big fire occurred in Yekaterinburg in 1839, he also damaged the wooden structures of the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Its bell tower was completely destroyed. And therefore there was a need for the construction of a new or restoration of the old belfry. Initially, it was decided to reconstruct the church in order to erect a bell tower above it. Architect Mikhail Malakhov developed a project that was not approved by the city authorities. So for several years the church "Small Zlatoust", as many call it, stood without a bell tower. But after a while a new project was put up for discussion, which was opposed by most of the city's residents. There were two reasons: firstly, they did not like it externally, and secondly, it was very expensive.
Two projects - the third won
As a result, the city authorities had to cede to the townspeople. They approved the Malakhov project and gave permission for the construction. Moreover, in 1844, it was approved by Emperor Nicholas Ι himself . At the general meeting of the townspeople, it was decided to build a majestic temple, increasing the dimensions that were indicated in the drawings several times. In addition, the locals themselves proposed another version of the cathedral - already without a bell tower. According to their project, it was supposed to erect another separate building for the belfry and consecrate it in memory of the martyr Maximilian. However, the parties did not agree: both options were rejected by the city government. And already in 1847, the architect Vasily Morgan developed a completely new project, approved by the Emperor. It was supposed to build a large magnificent building for the church itself, which has three chapels, and in front of its entrance to arrange a bell tower in honor of Maximilian the Martyr. And the old construction of the Descent of the Holy Spirit was supposed to be dismantled.
Construction
According to his plan, it was planned to build not only the bell tower itself, but also erect another - a rather large building, similar to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, standing in Moscow. The work progressed with great difficulty, mainly due to the dedication of construction managers and workers. Several times the central authorities did not approve the documents sent to them from Yekaterinburg. As a result of long months, the Great Chrysostom Temple appeared. A photo of him proves that the building, which was originally supposed to be just a bell tower, turned out to be much higher than the Church of the Descent of St. Of the Spirit. Therefore, the latter, based on its size, today is called "Small Zlatoust."
About the First Rector
Those who visit the Bolshoi Zlatoust temple can see a cross and a marble tombstone near its southern wall along Malyshev Street. Here lie the remains of John of Znamensky, the mitrophore archpriest who became the first rector of the Holy Spirit Church. The Clearing List, dated 1896, says that he was born in 1831 in one of the villages of the Nizhny Novgorod province. His father was a deacon. After graduating from the Kazan Theological Academy, John Znamensky from 1858 taught at the Perm Seminary. In 1860, he received the rank of priest and a year later was transferred to the city of Yekaterinburg, where he served in the Church of the Holy Spirit until his death.
Father John was buried in 1910 on the territory of the Big Chrysostom. It is noteworthy that at the beginning of the twentieth century in the Orthodox diocese it was forbidden to bury church hierarchs near the holy cloisters. But an exception was made for Father John. The reason was that, being a gentleman of several orders, he was also a member of the City Duma.
Description
The wedding temple "Big Zlatoust" (Yekaterinburg) has a unique appearance characteristic of churches built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in the Russian state. The tier of the belfry is located directly above the entire space.
The building was built in the Byzantine-Russian style. After completion of construction work, it was painted in the same colors as the neighboring church of the Holy Spirit. The building is decorated with five domes, the central of which, towering above the others, serves as a bell tower.
The temple "Big Zlatoust" in those years was considered the highest in Yekaterinburg. He went up to seventy-seven meters. There were ten bells on the belfry, the largest of which weighed almost sixteen tons. His ringing was heard in almost all areas of Yekaterinburg. In winter, service was carried out in the Small Chrysostom building, since the newly erected church was not heated at that time.
Interior decoration
In 1897, the merchant M. Rozhnov, at his own expense, arranged a heating system in the new premises of the monastery. Since then, services began to be held in it all year round. According to its interior decoration, the Big Chrysostom temple was luxurious at that time. He had a four-tier iconostasis with twenty-five images of saints. After a couple of years, the church acquired ten more icons from donations, which were placed in the icon cases of the side walls. The building had perfect acoustics and was famous for its choir.
Hard times
After the Revolution, church services were prohibited. A religious society gathered under him, attended by almost a thousand people, but all of them were registered with the Soviet police. Literally a year later, the number of parishioners significantly decreased: it amounted to no more than two hundred people. In 1920, the cellars of the temple were transferred to the city vegetable store, and in 1922 the authorities seized literally all church valuables - about seven hundred and forty kilograms of silver.
In 1928, the church was demolished in honor of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Literally at the same time, the city authorities ordered to remove all the domes from the "Big Chrysostom" - the Maximilian bell tower. Two years later, the building itself was demolished, and the House of Defense was built of bricks. A square was laid out in the square in front of the church, and a monument to Malyshev was erected on the site of the former altar.
Recovery
Already at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the Russian copper and Ural mining and metallurgical companies made a joint decision to restore the Big Chrysostom temple. After obtaining permission and support from the city administration in 2006, restoration work began. Almost immediately, a monument to Ivan Malyshev was moved to another place. On the day of the feast of the Protection of the Holy Virgin, the first stone was laid. The temple was restored according to the drawings and from photographs preserved from pre-revolutionary times. In 2008, a huge bell was cast. Its height is five meters, and ringing is heard within a radius of fifteen kilometers. A total of fourteen bells are installed on the bell tower.
Today
In 2007, during archaeological excavations preceding restoration work, an ancient church crypt was discovered. The remains of the very first abbot rest in it. "Big Zlatoust" was originally the only bell-temple in the city. Its base is decorated with natural stone, the building itself is decorated with stucco moldings and castings. The main bell was restored as an exact copy of its predecessor ringing in the temple destroyed by the Bolsheviks. Inside there are three iconostases with eighty icons.
Currently, parish life is in full swing here. A newspaper called “Zlatoust Evangelism” is published in the temple. Trips to holy places are constantly organized, a Sunday-parish school operates, which is attended by both children and adults. There is a shop in the territory where you can buy inexpensive religious items.
Temple "Big Zlatoust" - tips before visiting
Today, a trip to this holy monastery is included in the route of almost all sightseeing tours. Tourists are given the opportunity to climb the belfry, where the largest bell in Yekaterinburg, weighing sixteen tons, is installed. It offers a wonderful panorama. Many travelers take with them photographs of the city taken from a height of more than seventy meters.
A visit to the temple "Big Chrysostom" gives many believers strength, and especially spiritual ones. Here, human consciousness is filled with wisdom. It is better to come to the temple some time before the beginning of the service. Judging by the reviews, many
visit him to ask God for blessings, thank him for a miracle, repent of sins, etc. Here you can order a prayer service to calm or purify the soul. Those who wish to get married in it should register in the church shop for two conversations conducted by the priest. And only then is the solemn day itself determined. You can get married in the temple only after registering the marriage in the registry office. On fasting days, no rites are held. Before the wedding, it is recommended to confess and receive communion.