The beauty of Orthodox churches did not take shape right away; they were erected for several years, and sometimes decades. In most cases, they were wooden log cabins, and only much later a stone church was built to withstand the vicissitudes of epochs and human imperfection, such is the Transfiguration Cathedral (Tambov).
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In 1636, Tambov was not yet a city, but only a place on the border of Ancient Russia, where a fortress and a church were erected to protect the borders. The temple and the bell tower were laid on April 17 and built very quickly, in three months. The building was built of thick logs, had two floors, consecrated the temple in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord on the day of this holiday - the sixth of August (old style) in 1636. Now you cannot find the exact place where the wooden church was located, you can only guess where it was located. Most likely, according to researchers, she stood on the banks of the Tsna River, east of the place where the Transfiguration Cathedral (Tambov) now rises. At the time of construction, the church was needed by the defenders of the city, a small flock, and was quite able to cope with the tasks of spiritual support for its parishioners. But the city was growing rapidly, and the time was changing, a small church on the outskirts became too small.
Cathedral
Forty years later, in 1677, the Transfiguration Church received the title of Cathedral. She became the center of church life, people reached into the Transfiguration Cathedral (Tambov). The schedule of services has not changed, although there were joint services of several city churches. He supervised the affairs of the archpriest, who needed to receive visitors and subordinate clergy, collect duties. The entire staff consisted of archpriest, deacon, clerk, sexton and two priests. Ministers lived near the cathedral in their own homes. A prosphora was built at the cathedral.
New life
When the Tambov diocese was formed in 1682, the cathedral received the status of a cathedral and became the main temple of the city. The first bishop, Leontius, sought to put the dilapidated building in order, but he only managed to equip the bell tower with a large bell weighing fifty pounds. He did not have time to do anything else, as he was transferred to another duty station. New life in the Transfiguration Cathedral of Tambov came along with the second bishop - Pitirim.
The new head of the cathedral spent some time in the Smolensk province, where it was already a tradition to build temples of stone, and therefore St. Pitirim decided not to hesitate to get down to business. Even before his arrival at the place of service in the Transfiguration Cathedral (Tambov), the new Bishop made efforts to raise funds for the maintenance and construction of the church. Having written several petitions of the reigning dynasty, he received additional parishes in submission, settled peasant families on a certain amount of land. By 1687, St. Pitirim streamlined the inner life of the cathedral: everything necessary for a full bishop's ministry was purchased, the sacristy appeared, and repairs were carried out. The bishop made grandiose plans, which he put into practice.
Stone Temple of Bishop Pitirim
The construction of the stone temple was carried out near the wooden church. In 1694, work began. During the warm summer months, the walls of the new building rose 14 meters. According to some evidence, the one-story temple was originally conceived, but St. Pitirim after his illness in 1695 changed the plan in favor of a two-story building. The necessary changes were made: additional windows were punched, vaults for the stairs to the second floor were laid, preparatory work was done to lay the heating of one of the floors. In the unfinished church, the St. Nicholas chapel was consecrated. Unfortunately, Bishop Pitirim did not manage to complete the construction in full. He died on July 28, 1689 and was buried in the consecrated aisle of the cathedral.
Decline and end of construction
After the death of Bishop Pitirim , the Transfiguration Cathedral (Tambov) gradually fell into decay. It was possible to finish the second floor only in 1738, but the material was wood, not stone. At the same time, the iconostasis of the simplest execution was made, without gilding, intended for the upper church. Bishop Pakhomius, appointed in 1758, noted the deplorable state of the cathedral and even made an estimate for restoration, but no funds were allocated from the Synod. The temple continued to deteriorate, by the 80s the top floor squinted, threatening to collapse. Then it was decided to turn to the townspeople for help in the restoration.
Local merchants allocated funds, they were enough for partial restoration and redecoration. In the future, the company repeatedly took part in the construction of the temple, finally the Transfiguration Cathedral in Tambov was completed in 1793.
Bell tower construction and restoration
While all the strength and attention were riveted to the cathedral, the bell tower of the temple greatly worsened. Repair in it has not been carried out since construction. It was succeeded to begin construction of a stone structure in 1809. The foundation was laid twenty meters from the cathedral, but the work slowed down. The reasons for the freezing of construction are not known for certain. The stone belfry was completed only by 1817. Bells became its main decoration, the largest weighed about 8 tons. According to the project, it was assumed that the cathedral and the bell tower would be connected by a covered gallery, but the lack of funds did not allow the idea to be implemented.
In the same period, a new iconostasis richly decorated with carvings and gilding was made and installed in the cathedral on the second floor for donations from parishioners. Over the next several decades, a porch was added to the temple, which greatly changed the architecture of the building, domes were installed, and gilded dome crosses and stars that adorned the onions were made.
Temple life
In 1846, an active headman, Gabriel Ivanovich Kazakov, appeared in the temple, making a huge contribution to the improvement of the cathedral. Under his leadership, the obsolete and deteriorated iconostasis was replaced in the upper temple, the interior of the temple underwent pleasant changes according to the then fashion. Also, plastering work was carried out, murals appeared with images of plots of the Old and New Testaments, window frames were replaced.
After this renaissance, until 1914, no repairs were carried out in the cathedral, which sadly affected the state of construction. Local architects, examining the condition of the walls and the foundation, noted the presence of cracks, in some places they were through, because of which rain and snow fell into the interior. Drafts walked inside the cathedral, and the foundation stones sank due to antiquity. It was not possible to carry out major repairs, but the gaps were closed, the foundation was strengthened with small forces, and the exterior walls of the temple were plastered. The work was completed in the summer of 1914.
Soviet period and rebirth
With the advent of Soviet power in Tambov, all churches were destroyed, only the Transfiguration Cathedral (Tambov) remained. The schedule of services was abolished, and the clergy was partially dissolved and partially repressed, the bell tower was destroyed. On the initiative of the museum staff in 1931, the temple was transferred to their jurisdiction. The walls of the ancient temple underwent changes: the frescoes were painted over, the partitions were mounted, and the museum's exhibits were on display. During the war, St. Luke (Voyno-Yasenetsky) stood up for the restoration of the church for worship, but was refused.
The situation has changed since 1989, when perestroika began in the country. But the first liturgy was held only in 1993, the museum staff released the first floor of the temple. Then they began to restore frescoes, domes, dreaming of reviving the Transfiguration Cathedral in all the centuries-old grandeur of Tambov. The schedule of services took its place of honor, parishioners were given the opportunity to touch the shrines again.
Modernity
Today everyone can visit the Transfiguration Cathedral (Tambov). A photo of the temple demonstrates its magnificent man-made beauty. The facade of the building is plastered and painted with light green paint, which favorably emphasizes its weightlessness in the surrounding space. Gilded domes rush up, glinting with sun glare. The whole appearance of the temple causes a joyful sense of rebirth.
You can join the historical and spiritual relics at any time, you just have to go to the Transfiguration Cathedral (Tambov). Address: Cathedral Square, 4. If there is no possibility or desire to attend church service, then you should always admire the architecture of a nearly four hundred year old church. In the afternoon, it strikes with the perfection of form, and the evening light gives the structure a solemn appearance.
For pilgrims, parishioners and believers, the path to the Transfiguration Cathedral (Tambov) is always open. The schedule of services has been invariably for many years and in line with the Orthodox tradition. Services in the temple are held daily. On weekdays, the morning service begins at 07:30, and the evening time at 17:00. Sunday and holiday services are richer: early morning services start at 07:00, late mornings are held at 09:00, and evening starts at 17:00.