Among other temple buildings in the city of Kirov, the Alexander Church (photo given in the article) occupies a special place. And this happens not only due to architectural merits. The church’s hall of organ music, which opens in its premises, makes it especially unique to the church, which leads it to a number of leading cultural centers in Russia.
Spiritual Center of Exiles
At the end of the XIX century, when the current city of Kirov was called Vyatka, among its inhabitants there were many Catholics who were exiled to Russia after the defeat of the Polish uprising of 1863-1864. Despite the fact that they were officially considered state criminals, the local society treated them with sympathy, due to which the application for the construction of the church submitted by them in 1898 was granted.
Having received permission and issued the necessary documents, the exiled settlers invited the Warsaw architect K. Vaitsekhovsky, who, together with the local architect I.A. Charushin, created a project for future construction. Thanks to these people, the Alexander Church in Kirov gained its present shape. Its solemn consecration took place at the end of August 1903. The church got its name in view of the fact that enterprising Poles, wanting to avoid bureaucratic delays, dedicated its construction to the memory of Emperor Alexander III, which greatly accelerated the matter, giving it a patriotic color.
Short period of material well-being
Ironically, the most favorable period in the history of the Kirov Alexander Church turned out to be the years of the First World War, when Vyatka was literally flooded with Catholic refugees from western Russian provinces. Thanks to the donations received from them at the church, it was possible to open a Polish comprehensive school, as well as a library in which, according to eyewitnesses, along with religious literature, secular works were widely represented.
However, this period of relative prosperity did not last long. After Poland gained independence in 1918, most parishioners of the Alexander Church in Kirov returned to their historical homeland. Cash receipts were significantly reduced, which negatively affected both the welfare of the clergy and the condition of the entire temple economy.
Abolition of a religious community and repression of its members
In those days, few could have imagined the gates of what troubles were members of the Vyatka Catholic community and their spiritual shepherds. It began with the fact that in 1922, by order of the provincial government, everything that, according to the new authorities, was of at least some value was confiscated in the church. The building itself was nationalized and transferred to the veterinary institute. Since that time, Catholic services were performed only in private apartments.
With great difficulty over the next ten-plus years, the former rector of the church, the priest Francis Budris was able at various levels to convince the Bolsheviks that their religious community was not a danger to the existing system. But the course of history was inexorable.
In May 1934, another anti-religious campaign swept through the country, during which many Christian churches of various faiths were closed. The trouble did not pass by the community of the former Alexander Church. In Kirov (the ancient Vyatka got that name that year), there were about 2.5 thousand Catholics, most of whom were repressed. Francis Budris himself was accused of anti-Soviet activity and shot. The religious life of the community was interrupted for many decades.
Return to Spiritual Origins
With the advent of perestroika, the state’s attitude towards religious issues radically changed, and in a country where the policy of total atheism was recently pursued, a course was taken to revive its spiritual foundations. Many illegally taken material assets were returned to the church’s property, among which the temple buildings occupied an important place.
Throughout the country, their restoration and revival of former communities began. The parish was once again established, which previously owned the Alexander Church (Kirov), but the building itself, which has long been used as a concert hall, has not been returned to its former owners. Today, members of the Catholic community of the city are forced to conduct their services in a completely different room.
Church, which has become a concert hall
Today, various informational resources of relevant topics present evidence of those who happened to visit the Alexander Church in Kirov. Most of the reviews relate only to concert-entertainment events held in it, but the question of the revival of a full-fledged religious life in the church, as a rule, is bypassed.
For example, visitors often note in their notes that, having enjoyed the organ concert listened to within the walls of the church, they were unsatisfied with the view of the dilapidated facade of the building, requiring urgent repair. In addition, from the reviews it follows that at the highest level of acoustics of the hall, the state of its ventilation leaves much to be desired.
There are many such records, and only a few express the wish that the city authorities provide the members of the Catholic community of the city with the opportunity to perform services in the previously owned church. From the beginning of perestroika to this day, this has been organized only a few times.