Having ascended to the Russian throne, the first sovereign from the Romanov dynasty - Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich - wished to perpetuate the memory of the country's liberation from Polish intervention, and in honor of this event ordered to lay the church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. However, his good undertaking was destined to be accomplished only in the subsequent reign under his son, Alexei Mikhailovich. The reason for this was the birth of his first child - Tsarevich Demetrius.
Temple of the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God in Kolomenskoye
Historical documents indicate that in 1649 the decree of sovereign Alexei Mikhailovich was issued on the establishment of a general church veneration of the image of the Virgin, revealed in Kazan. Its consequence was the erection of a brick church in the Yaroslavl nunnery, in addition, the temple of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God was built and consecrated in Kolomensky, a village near Moscow, where the wooden royal palace was located. Its construction was completed within four years.
Temple - memory of past victories
This brick five-domed church, decorated with a tent bell tower, has survived to our days almost unchanged. There is evidence that under the cross of its central chapter there was an inscription stating that the church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was erected on the site of a wooden church that was here before, in honor of the centenary of the capture of Kazan. This is consistent with historical chronology - the capital of the Volga Tatars was conquered in 1552, respectively, the centennial of this event coincided with the period of work.
As for the wooden church, which had previously stood on this site, then, probably, we are talking about the Kazan Church, which was built in the thirties of the 17th century and mentioned in a number of documents. Church tradition on this subject says that at the time, False Dmitry II organized his camp here . It was the memory of the expulsion of the impostor from Kolomna that prompted the tsar to erect a kind of monument to the events of those years.
The temple is part of the palace complex
The new church in the village of Kolomenskoye served as a house church at the sovereign's palace and was connected by a covered passage with the chambers of the queen. This was done taking into account all the requirements of convenience and comfort. The Polish envoy, who visited Kolomenskoye in 1671, describes in his diary a series of transitions covered with felt for warmth and convenience, muffling the steps of those walking. Their total length was fifty meters and a width of three.
It should be noted that the features attached to the temple were very characteristic of buildings of this kind in the middle of the XVII century. According to many art historians, the dignity of the temple lies not in the originality of its architectural solution, but in perfecting previously developed forms.
When the construction was completed, the temple of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God in Kolomenskoye was removed with a luxury corresponding to its status. As one of the elements of the complex of the royal palace, it was decorated with rich paintings, expensive fabrics and carpets. The floor of the central part of the temple and its limits was insulated with felt, and the icons were decorated with blankets and towels. Many of them were kept in carved cases made by the best Russian craftsmen.
Mother of God Church in the capital
Shortly before the creation of the royal house church in Kolomna, the temple of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Moscow on Red Square was also erected . Its appearance is also associated with the beginning of the general church veneration of this holy image, recognized miraculous. It is known that the first wooden building was erected in 1624. The construction was carried out at the expense of Dmitry Pozharsky according to his vow. Unlike many information about the life of this patriot and defender of Russia, this information is drawn from documentary sources.
It is assumed that, having existed for about ten years, this temple burned down, and in its place the construction of a new one, a brick one, began. This construction was erected at the expense of the command of the pious sovereign Alexei Mikhailovich and was completed in 1834. Being an architectural decoration of the square, the temple eventually became an important religious center.
Events of the last two centuries in the life of the temple
In the pre-revolutionary period, the life of the temple flowed peacefully and measuredly. It was completed and updated several times at the expense of wealthy donors. The fire of 1812 also spared him. A bright event in the history of the temple was a sermon on the murder of the royal family, delivered in it in 1918 by Patriarch Tikhon.
But in 1936, by the decision of the government, it was demolished as inappropriate to Red Square - the center of public processions and celebrations. In the vacated place, the city leadership planned to create an assembly hall for admission to the pioneers, but limited themselves to the fact that they built a public toilet. Only in the early nineties the cathedral was rebuilt according to the drawings and sketches of past years. Like the temple of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God in Kolomenskoye, it recalls the liberation of Russian land from Polish invaders.
Cathedral on the banks of the Volga
Continuing the conversation about veneration of this holy image, one cannot but recall the temple of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Kazan. In 1926, it was completely destroyed, and for many years its territory was used for household needs, but in November last year a decision was made to recreate it in the form in which it was before.
The history of its creation is very interesting. It is associated with the acquisition in 1579 of the holy image of the Virgin. Subsequently, by the decree of Ivan the Terrible, the Mother of God Convent was founded at this place, where a log church was laid - the forerunner of a large stone cathedral. It is interesting to note that many Orthodox people have settled in this Muslim city since ancient times. This is largely due to the fact that they were engaged in trade, and the Volga was an important transport artery, through which a significant amount of goods was rafted. Naturally, they needed a temple.
It was erected in 1595. The reason for replacing the wooden structure with a stone one was the frequent fires that occurred in the city and caused significant damage to it. He underwent a major restructuring during the reign of Empress Catherine II, when significant funds were allocated for his reconstruction, and in the subsequent reign, under Paul I, he was completely demolished and rebuilt on the basis of an improved and more modern project.
In the post-revolutionary period, the cathedral shared the fate of most temple buildings: at first it was nationalized and used for household needs, and then blown up. And now work is beginning to recreate it. Soon the Orthodox inhabitants of Kazan will find it in its original form. Fortunately, a significant number of photo documents and construction drawings have been preserved in state funds and private collections, with which this difficult task will be completed.