The Church of St. Martin the Confessor on Taganka is an old Orthodox complex that managed to survive during the period of hard times. It has a long history. The temple was founded at the time when Prince Vasily Ioannovich III was blessed to reign. The date coincided with the memory day of St. Martin - April 14 (27), 1502. An article is devoted to the history of the Church of St. Martin the Confessor on Taganka.
Who is Saint Martin?
A Christian named Martin lived in the 7th century in Constantinople. At that time, the church was not yet divided into Orthodox and Catholic. In the Catholic tradition, Martin is revered as a martyr, and in the Orthodox tradition as a confessor. This status is given to those who declared their faith openly and, despite the torment accepted, remained alive.
The saint was buried on the outskirts of Chersonesos, and his relics are now in Rome.
Initial historical data
The first mention of the temple in historical monuments occurs in 1625. At the beginning of the XVII century, Alekseevskaya Sloboda was formed, which was located behind the Earth City, along the path connecting the Tagany Gate and the Spaso-Andronikovsky Monastery. On the way stood the Martinovsky Church, but the settlement was called Alekseevskaya by analogy with the church built in honor of Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, at the place where his tent was located during a visit to the monastery. The settlement was called "black" because it was inhabited by merchants and artisans engaged in urban landscaping. In the 2nd half of the 17th century, the settlement was occupied by bread merchants, therefore the Church of St. Martin the Confessor on Taganka began to be called "in the Khlebniki".
Erection and consecration
In 1791, a Moscow-provided tea merchant (who later became the mayor of Moscow), Vasily Zhigarev placed an order with architect Rodion Kazakov for a new church project. This architect was on a par with such eminent architects as M. Kazakov and V. Bazhenov, but in history he was undeservedly forgotten. Having received the basics of the theory from the above-mentioned masters, Kazakov continued their work, and also became the head of the architectural school, from the walls of which many gifted figures came out.
In 1792, with the blessing of the Moscow Metropolitan Plato, they began to erect the Church of St. Martin the Confessor on Taganka. By 1798, the process was completed. At the expense of Zhikharev in the same year they also built a private public school in the neighborhood of the church.
Complex in the 19th century
At the beginning of the XIX century, the Italian painter Antonio Claudo painted the temple, his work has been preserved on the walls of the complex to this day. The same master completed the icons for the main iconostasis. The Italian style of painting was uncharacteristic of the temples of that time. So, plots unusual for Orthodox churches appeared in the church: an image of Moses and the apostle Peter.
In 1806, the church was consecrated by the Moscow Metropolitan Plato.
The year 1812 brought misfortune, the temple was badly damaged by fire. Therefore, from 1813 to 1821 it was restored, restoring the floors and cladding. In the 19th century, the main temple functioned without heating. Only at the beginning of the 20th century, the merchant Sergei Alexandrov contributed to the organization of air heating. In addition, the picturesque interior decoration was also updated.
Architectural style
The Church of St. Martin the Confessor on Taganka belongs to the monuments of Russian classicism, however, it stands out among them. The building stands out for its original architecture. The temple is located on a hill descending to the coast of Yauza. At one time, the complex was one of the central urban development dominants of the whole Zayauzie and, in particular, the Tagansky district.
The building is monumental. Its architect, Kazakov, for the sake of the idea of compositional unity, refused to divide the building into the usual three parts. The building is designed in the spirit of Russian classicism: its forms are solemn and voluminous. It consists of a 4-foot quadrangle and a large apse, a western vestibule and a 3-level bell tower. The scale of the external design is large. The side facades are marked with 8-column porticoes. The windows are large, located on the sides of the facade. Particularly expressive is the view of the temple from the side of the Garden Ring.
Ruin times
Until 1917, schools and almshouses were opened at the temple, and guardianship ministry for the poor was carried out. However, after the revolution, the complex repeated the fate of many shrines. It was plundered, and in 1931 it was closed. Church premises were given to the Vostokkino film studio. At this time, the iconostasis was destroyed, and the interior of the temple was finally looted. Later, the room was occupied by the All-Union Book Chamber, placing a literary fund in the church.
Rebirth
In 1989, the idea was born of reviving the Temple of St. Martin the Confessor. Until that moment, only one church functioned in the Tagansky district - the Assumption of Our Lady in the Potters. However, the number of believers steadily increased by the end of the 80s, which required the opening of new temple complexes and the revival of the former. That is how it was decided to restore the Church of St. Martin the Confessor on Taganka. The photo shows this beautiful building.
In the early 90s, the church was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1991, the throne was consecrated. The rector was Sergey Suzdaltsev. Soon services were resumed.
In 1991, a procession took place, during which the image of the Virgin of Georgia was delivered to the temple. The icon is commemorated on September 4. It is believed that the miraculous image helps women suffering from infertility. The fate of the icon of Our Lady of Georgia, who was in the church before the revolution, is still unknown.
The rector of the church since 1992 is Alexander Abramov. Under his leadership, the complex was freed from the book fund, the heating system was replaced, the roof was rebuilt, and window frames were updated. Wall painting restored, iconostasis returned. The names of priests who took an active part in restoration work: Mikhail Fedin, Sergiy Tocheny, Andrey Bondarenko.
In 1998, the church was consecrated by Patriarch Alexy.
Address of the Temple of St. Martin the Confessor on Taganka and timetable
The complex is located at: Moscow, st. Alexander Solzhenitsyn, d. 15.
Divine services are held daily at 8:00 and 17:00, on Sundays at 10:00 and 17:00. A prayer service to St. Matrona is also held every day at 14:00. Actual information about the schedule can be clarified on the official website of the temple.
Sunday School
Today, a Sunday school operates at the temple. Its purpose is the Orthodox upbringing and education of children in the spirit of Christian values. Children learn to participate in Confession and Communion, study the Law of God, church history, the course of Orthodox worship. Schooling is free. The pupils are required to have a neat, modest appearance, reverent attitude to church utensils, in regular participation in worship.
Tips before visiting
The clergy of the temple give some advice to believers when visiting the Church of St. Martin the Confessor in Moscow:
- Entering the church should be with joy, reverence and meekness.
- At the entrance you need to make three bow bows, and in the post - three earthly.
- During the service, you should not put candles and attach to the icons, it is better to do this in advance, before the service begins, so as not to interfere with anyone present. The reading of the Gospel, the prayer “The Only Begotten Son”, part of the liturgy from the words “Like Cherubim” are moments of special concentration when it is forbidden to walk around the temple.
- A church candle is a symbol of our burning before the Lord, therefore it also deserves a reverent attitude. It should be lit from the neighboring one, and singed base, put in a candlestick.
- Greet friends should be modestly, bow.
- During prayer it is not worthwhile to look around with interest, but rather to delve into the process of worship, so that chants come from the heart.
- Children should get used to rational behavior in the temple, in which the role of parents is important. It is forbidden to eat in the temple. If the child cries, it should be removed or removed from service.
- Candle money should be prepared in advance at home.
- Leaving the service before graduation is considered a sin; if this happens, it is worth confessing.
- Women are recommended to come to the service without makeup. Communion with painted lips is prohibited.
- If one of the believers in the temple made a remark, you should not be upset, but it is better to accept reproaches with humility.
- Mobile phone must be turned off.
Miracles
Believers in their reviews of the Church of St. Martin the Confessor on Taganka often talk about miracles that occur after prayer before the image of the Georgian Mother of God. Through prayers, families received long-awaited children. Therefore, the number of people who want to adhere to the shrine does not decrease day by day.