Sergiev Kazan Cathedral in Kursk is a landmark that relentlessly impresses parishioners. The history of its creation is amazing with legends and traditions. In the article we will consider the description of this shrine, especially the work of a religious organization.
Holy sign
Sergiev Kazan Cathedral in Kursk took the place of a wooden building, which housed the parish church, built in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh. It was completely burned at the beginning of the 18th century.
In the process of clearing the ashes, people discovered a wonderful thing - one of the icons miraculously survived in the flame of a fire. It was the face of the Kazan Mother of God. Despite the fact that the shrine was in the ashes, it remained completely invulnerable. This was the impetus for the erection on the site of the wooden church of the stone building of the new temple. The Blessed Virgin Mary peculiarly blessed the inhabitants of the city for this good deed.
To preserve the memory of the church in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh, they decided to name the lower church by his name. The upper holiday was given the name of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. The icon that survived the fire became a guiding sign for good deeds.
Start of construction
Sergiev Kazan Cathedral in Kursk began to be erected in 1752. The construction contractor was the merchant Moshnin. During his life, he did not have time to complete his plan, and his wife Agafya was engaged in further work. She was a deeply religious person and carefully monitored the progress of construction. The woman decided to complete the work begun by her late husband. In this she was supported by seven-year-old son Prokhor. The boy was keenly interested in the progress of construction work, always accompanying his mother.
Wonderful case
During the construction of the Sergiev Kazan Cathedral in Kursk a wonderful event happened. Once Agafya Moshnina and her son went up to the top of the bell tower. And the boy suddenly lost his balance, flying down from a great height. He fell on a pile of construction debris. The desperate mother did not hope to see her son alive. But he not only survived, but did not even hurt himself.
Over time, this boy Prokhor became known as the great Russian saint Seraphim of Sarov. He was destined for a bright worldly way. The place where he fell in childhood is now marked with a memorial sign. One of the chapels of the temple is dedicated to this amazing man.
After the construction of the temple, the first consecration of the lower church was completed. Fifteen years passed, and the same procedure was applied to the upper temple. The construction of the iconostasis is impressive - an almost 20-meter creation, arranged in three tiers. It is truly magnificent.
Architecture features
The Sergiev Kazan Cathedral of Kursk, the schedule of services of which is indicated on the official website of this religious organization, belongs to the Elizabethan Baroque in architectural style. The traditional composition has the shape of a ship and contains a bell tower, a refectory, a section of the main temple and the metro altar. The project indicated that the structure will be 33 meters in length. This is almost double the width of the building. This feature provided the building with the correct form. After an extension was built in the 19th century, this strict proportionality was destroyed.
XX century
The Sergiev Kazan Cathedral in Kursk, like many other churches, also acutely felt the need for restoration work over time.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the floors in the building were redone. The arches of the lower temple acquired a marble finish. But the construction itself remained the same, without significant changes.
They also refreshed the paint on the roof and walls, restored the sculptural ornament of the facade.
The years of socialism did not pass without a trace for this temple. The era of atheism required the cessation of worship. But the temple survived the times of godlessness relatively calmly. The upper part of the building was given over to an art gallery. An art workshop was organized in the lower temple.
Later, the former church was used as a museum of atheism. But this was good for the shrine, as icons and other religious exhibits of the whole city were brought here. Thus, they have been saved to the present day. As you can see, the support of the holy forces never left this building.
Temple re-consecrated
Sergiev Kazan Cathedral in Kursk, the photo of which is provided in the article, passed the rite of blessing. The exact date of this event remains unknown. According to some sources, the event was preceded by the restoration of Gornostaev. Other sources indicate that the consecration ceremony was held in the middle of the last century in honor of the opening of the temple after restoration work.
There was a time when the initiation of the upper and lower temples changed. The lower part was now dedicated to Our Lady of Kazan, and the upper church - to St. Sergius of Radonezh. The restored shrine has survived to this day. It impresses with the luxury of decoration, preserved despite all the hardships of the past.
The veneration of Seraphim of Sarov
Today, the cathedral is full of signs by which to judge the continued devotion of parishioners to St. Seraphim of Sarov. The memorial plaque mounted on the facade of the building contains information that Prokhor Moshnin, who became the future Rev. Seraphim of Sarov, prayed here. A commemorative plaque was erected in honor of the centennial from the moment when the saint was canonized.
A year later, in 2004, they celebrated 250 years since the birth of Prokhor, who became a great ascetic, into the world. In honor of this bright event, a memorial chapel was erected.
Latest events
Recently, on the day of the saint's memory, the iconostasis was updated. The memory of St. Seraphim does not fade in our time.
The place where the young man Prokhor fell when he climbed with his mother to the bell tower is especially revered by believers. Previously, there was a well-groomed flower garden. Later he was replaced by stone slabs, a memorial plaque was installed. It depicted a saint and flaunted an inscription about the events that happened.
Such actions were not supported by everyone. According to critics, it would be more correct for the place where the boy fell to remain untouched. But it should be noted that the appearance of a commemorative plaque carries information to posterity. And it protects from oblivion.
Visitor Information
Attraction can be found by studying the information on the site of the cathedral. Address of St. Sergius-Kazan Cathedral in Kursk: 2 Maxim Gorky Street. The doors of the temple are open to all Orthodox Christians.
The schedule of the Sergiev Kazan Cathedral in Kursk is as follows: the church is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Services are held here every day.
Schedule of services in the Sergiev Kazan Cathedral of Kursk:
- Morning service - from 7.30.
- Evening service - at 17 o’clock.
- On Sundays, morning service starts at 8 o’clock.
- Sunday school classes are held weekly from 12 noon to 4 pm.
To get to the cathedral from the capital, you can take the Solovey train. After 8 hours, he will take you to Kursk. When choosing a bus route, you should come to the Novoyasenevskaya station. The bus here will be passing through. From the Teply Stan stop, you can drive directly to Kursk. Travel time is 9 hours.
When choosing your own transport, the distance between the capital and Kursk will be 530 km. The path runs through cities such as Tula and Oryol. You need to move along the highway "Crimea".
To summarize
Today, the cathedral has become the center of the spiritual life of this district of Kursk. Parishioners and everyone can visit the premises of the Orthodox library and pick up religious literature for study. The assembly hall of the cathedral is used for classes with the younger generation.
Religious procession takes place every spring and autumn with the participation of clergy and parishioners. They carry banners and candles. This event is dedicated to the Kursk icon of the Mother of God, called the "Sign".
The sacristy of the cathedral holds a rare relic - the shroud of Jesus himself. This is a rare highly artistic work, for the creation of which gold and silver threads were used. Believers have the opportunity to pray at this sacred relic.
The refectory for students studying at the regency department in the Kursk Theological Seminary operates in the cathedral. Here you can always get food for the body and soul. Thanks to the parishioners, there are food items in the refectory. They bring food here as a donation.
In the icon and bookshop at the temple, you can purchase the appropriate products. All icons are pre-consecrated. You can choose them for home or as a gift. Studying church literature will help the Christian shape his spiritual development.