Often you can hear the question: "Why does history not teach anything?" It is impossible to answer it, just as it is impossible to convince pessimists that evil will still be defeated by good, or that truth will triumph. An example of this is one of the sad pages of Russian history regarding the object of the Temple on Blood. Yekaterinburg, Ipatiev House - the place where the family of the last Russian emperor was destroyed in 1918, and in 1981 its members were numbered as great martyrs and canonized by the Orthodox Church in 2000.
Historical crimes
Of course, the deceased will not know that in almost a hundred years they will be rehabilitated, ranked as martyrs, and thousands of people will come to the place of their death. But why the living, having before their eyes hundreds of historical examples, do not understand that for centuries evil will still remain evil? It is difficult to find words, not to talk about Russia with screen phrases, but this is really a huge, great country with a tragic fate. There are many confirmations for this.
The tragedy of the imperial family is an inexplicable, very sad page, and no pain in the historical process can explain the painful shooting of children. Maybe all dynasties have their shameful pages, but the behavior of the Romanovs in relation to their representatives is sometimes simply amazing. The English cousin did nothing for the prisoners, doomed to bullying and death, Germany did not say anything, although Alexandra Fedorovna was German. And how amicably all the Romanovs do not want to know about the achievements of Russia during the reign of Fedor Alekseevich.
What is the Ipatiev House
In tsarist Russia, the profession of engineer was very much appreciated. Garin-Mikhailovsky even has a novel with that name. It was a fairly well-off and respected layer of the country's population. The engineer could afford to live in a two-story mansion. But could Nikolai Ipatiev, a civil engineer, imagine that his name would be famous for centuries, that the house that got his name - Ipatievsky, demolished from the face of the earth - would be reproduced in a structure included in the general ensemble - the Temple on Blood, Yekaterinburg will regain its historical name, and in Russia there will be another holy place?
The image of B. Yeltsin would have been much nicer if, on his orders, the Ipatiev House had not been demolished in the 70s.
Correction of historical injustice
In 1990, devotees put the first cross at the site of the death of the royal family. It was demolished and put back up until this site was transferred to the protection of the church. Almost 13 years have passed since the erection of the first cross, and at the site of the death of the martyrs in 2003, a beautiful ensemble was consecrated, which became known to the whole world under the name of the Temple on Blood (Yekaterinburg). The name of the city is always added to the name of the temple, probably not to be confused with the St. Petersburg Cathedral, erected on the site of the death of Alexander II the Liberator. In Russia there is another Temple-on-Blood - in Uglich, where Tsarevich Dmitry was stabbed to death. The full name of the Yekaterinburg church is the Monument Temple on Blood in the name of All Saints who shone in the land of Russia. A worthy, beautiful name, a stunning original design, a very majestic ensemble, standing on a dais, on the Ascension Hill.
Innocent victims
All this makes the Temple on Blood object (Yekaterinburg) a desirable place for thousands of pilgrims and tourists. In addition, he is constantly visited by top officials of the states and senior representatives of the clergy of many countries. It is understandable. The last emperor of a great great power who voluntarily gave up power even before the Bolsheviks arrived, his wife, five young girls, a very sick boy and several close associates - how can they justify their murder? Only an unhealthy psyche and omnipotence of the media. What is the scene from the film "Lenin in the 18th year" when a simple worker persuades M. Gorky, who came to the leader to ask for pardon of the tsar. A simple worker says that he will have no further life if the "bloodsucker" is not destroyed.
The burdens of construction
An interesting story is the Temple on Blood (Yekaterinburg). The time elapsed from the moment the church acquired the site to the erection of the temple, there were many events: the troubled 1991 and the ensuing events. In 2000, Nicholas II and his family were canonized, and in the same year the foundation stone was laid in the foundation of the future church. Construction began by Patriarch Alexei II. Due to the confusion, which is always full of great undertakings, the initial draft of K. Efremov, approved before 1991, was canceled, and a new one was adopted - V. Morozov, V. Grachev and G. Mazaev. The round date was approaching from the day of the death of the imperial family - 85 years old, and the desire to pay back, finally, due to the innocent killed ensured the record pace of construction, which was carried out in two shifts by 300 builders. The action "Bells of Penance" was carried out, which allowed to collect 11 bells for the belfry of the church with the money raised (as has always been the case in Russia - for a holy cause, the whole world). They were hoisted in 2002, and the largest, 5-ton, with a low timbre, in 2003. It should be noted that Alexander Novikov, a poet and composer, was the initiator and active participant in fundraising.
The area near the Ascension Hill was very decorated with a new object - the Temple on Blood. Yekaterinburg acquired a new sound - a place of repentance.
Unique compositional solution
A reminder of the evil committed here is an unusual compositional solution - the temple, as it were, grew and ascended above the crime scene. In the foreground is the restored part of the Ipatiev House, located at the base of the church. Here, in the basement, there is a "shooting" room, erected on the site of genuine. Upon restoration, the remnants preserved after demolition were skillfully included in it. Here, next to the altar, museum, viewing room with 160 seats. The “execution” room and the altar represent the lower memorial church dedicated to the tragic event, while the upper, flooded with light, is dedicated to the memory of all the saints.
Many churches include Yekaterinburg. Church on Blood (photo attached) - one of the largest and most beautiful not only in this city, but also in Russia.
Temple device
Its area is 3000 square meters. meters. The five-domed structure rose 60 meters in height. The style of the temple is Russian-Byzantine, exactly the one in which the construction was common during the reign of the last Russian emperor. This, according to the authors' intention, should symbolize the connection of times, and the burgundy-red color of granite, with which the facade is trimmed to a height of 9 meters, is blood shed here. The building was built so that from the upper church, symbolizing the eternal light, lit for the glory of all the saints, you can see the gloomy place of execution of the royal family. Along the entire perimeter of the temple are bronze icons of the most revered saints in Russia - 48 pieces. The spaces between them, made in the form of arches, are often decorated with excerpts from the Psalms.
Beautiful icons to see
Even a simple description speaks of the extraordinary originality of the structure, located at the Temple on Blood, Yekaterinburg. The icons of this holy place deserve separate enthusiastic words. The iconostasis itself is located under the upper, largest dome. There are windows in a circle, location - elevation, there is always a lot of light. On sunny days, the iconostasis of rare white marble is especially good. It is large enough - a height of 13 meters, a breadth in width reaches 30. The faience iconostasis itself was designed and executed by the Terem workshop under the direction of V. Simonenko. It has unique icons. One of them, made of Ural gems in the style of the Byzantine mosaic, is dedicated to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The work was carried out by Uraldragmet Holding. In the left wing are icons dedicated to the martyrs - members of the royal family.
The especially revered icon of the Mother of God “Three-Handed” is another pearl of this extraordinary iconostasis. The cancer located in this temple is unique for the relics of Seraphim of Sarov.
You can talk about this unusual place a lot, but it's better to see it all. The fame about the beauty of the complex called the Temple on Blood (Yekaterinburg) has spread far. The excursion here is becoming more and more popular for guests from all over the country and abroad, where the tragic fate of the royal family is known. There are many hotels, organized sensible advertising and convenient routes. This temple has become the pearl of Russian Orthodoxy.