The city of Tula is located on the Upa River, 193 kilometers from Moscow.
Tula has always played the role of an outpost on the outskirts of the capital.
The history of this city goes back to ancient times. In the Nikon Chronicle, under 1146, the city of Tula is mentioned among other cities.
Today the hero city of Tula is a large industrial center.
Tula is famous not only for handicrafts, samovars, Left-handed people and the Arms factory.
There are many churches in the city - only Orthodox churches number more than thirty. There are two Orthodox monasteries and one Old Believer church.
But among them, the Annunciation Church stands out especially for its beauty and antiquity. In Tula, the Church of the Annunciation enjoys special love and attention as a historical monument of Russian architecture.
It is worth mentioning separately.
Annunciation Church
At first it was a wooden church with a bell tower on four pillars. Mention of it is in the Scribe book and it dates from 1625.
The stone temple was built later, in 1692, as evidenced by the inscription on the porch wall.
The wooden church was dilapidated by the end of the 17th century, and then with the money of the priest Theodosius in 1692 a stone five-domed Temple was built. Theodosius is also known for the fact that he built the Trinity Monastery in Astrakhan.
In the 40s (according to other sources in the 50s), a fire broke out in the city due to severe drought. The fire was approaching the temple.
If you believe the stories, the parishioners came out to meet the fire with the Icon of the Iberian Mother of God. The wind immediately abated, and the fire was quickly extinguished.
In 1891, a school was opened at the church.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the parish numbered 226 people.
After the revolution, parishes began to close. Temple buildings were either demolished or given up for household needs.
Temple restoration
The Annunciation Church was closed in 1932. He, too, could have been demolished if the question of its historical value had not arisen.
In 1960, the state secured the building of the temple as a monument of architecture of the seventeenth century.
In the 80s, it was decided to begin work on the restoration of the building, and by decision of the Tula authorities the church was transferred to the museum of local lore.
The building at that time was in poor condition. When the church was closed in 1932, warehouses were placed in it. Over time, everything began to decline: plaster crumbled, cracks crept along the foundation.
When the repair and restoration work began, it turned out that the steel bands fastening the building were dismantled. Without them, the walls of the building gradually fell apart, and the ceiling sagged - the building slowly collapsed.
Other important elements have also been removed.
In the fall of 1990, scaffolding was erected to restore the domes, repairs were carried out, heating was supplied and electricity was supplied.
In 1995, the throne was consecrated and a baptismal font was built. The altar iconostasis in the old style has been restored.
Reborn temple
On February 22, 1990, the city executive committee ordered the Church of the Annunciation to be given to believers. Tula noted a significant event: the opening of the first Orthodox church after the repression of the 30s.
Today the Cathedral of the Annunciation is pleasing to the eye. There are stained-glass windows on the windows, icons of saints in carved canopies hang on the walls. To the right of the Royal Gates of the altar is the Temple Icon of the Annunciation on the altar iconostasis.
The Iveron icon returned to the temple and, beautifully decorated, is in the right aisle.
It is so good that the Church of the Annunciation was restored in its original form in Tula! Its appearance - both outside and inside - conveys the spirit of Russian antiquity of the 17th century.
How to find the Annunciation Church in Tula?
The temple is located in the center of Tula, near the Kremlin. Nearby is Krestovozdvizhenskaya Square.
You can get from the Moscow railway station by trolleybus number 7. Get off at the Krasnoarmeysky Prospekt stop and walk towards the Kremlin for 500 meters.
Church Address: Tula, ul. Blagoveshchenskaya, d. 4