During the years of perestroika, among the many temple buildings that were once taken away from the church and finally returned to it, there was the Peter and Paul Cathedral in Perm. Amazing in beauty and an outstanding monument of Russian architecture, it again, as in previous years, became a place of prayer, repentance and divine thought.
The village has become a city
In the first quarter of the 18th century, in the place where its tributary flowed into the Kama River, the Yegoshikha River, the construction of a smelter began. Upon its completion in 1723, a working village was formed near the newly rebuilt buildings. Since all its inhabitants were Orthodox people, the need arose for the temple of God. Soon, a wooden church appeared in the middle of the village. It was so fateful that, over time, the village grew and gradually turned into a city called Perm.
The Peter and Paul Cathedral, built next to this wooden church, became its first stone building. The construction of the temple was prompted by a fire that occurred in 1759 and destroyed most of the wooden rural houses. Despite the fact that the previously built church was not damaged, it was decided not to tempt fate and build a new church from stone. Its solemn consecration took place in 1764.
Built by craftsmen specially written out of the capital, he amazed with his wealth of decoration and architectural grandeur. The cathedral in Perm is rightfully considered one of the most striking monuments of temple architecture. The five-domed and multi-tiered bell tower, which has a characteristic shape, allows us to attribute it to the samples of the provincial baroque, so common in Russia of that period.
The city created at the behest of the empress
In October 1781, the former workers' settlement was officially transformed into the city of Perm. Peter and Paul Cathedral became the place where a solemn prayer service was held on this occasion. After him, the inhabitants of the city, led by the clergy, by the ringing of bells walked the procession of the cross all any significant city buildings, stopping near each of them and performing the rite of sprinkling with holy water. The procession completed its journey on Cathedral Square, where an illuminated portrait of the empress Catherine II was installed, by the command of which Perm was founded.
Peter and Paul Cathedral - the spiritual center of the new city
The former village, which became a city by royal rule, was growing rapidly. This was facilitated by the transfer to it of many administrative institutions and the arrival of a significant number of officials, who soon made up the bulk of the population. Towards the end of the century, the Perm Diocese founded five churches in the city, among which the main place was given to the Peter and Paul Cathedral.
During the XIX century, the cathedral was repeatedly reconstructed. In 1801, a new dome was erected over it. As contemporaries testified, in terms of beauty it was in many ways superior to the former. The internal painting was supplemented, and in some places completely changed. For its execution, as in due time for the construction of the cathedral itself, masters from St. Petersburg were invited. The donations of the pious merchant F.P. Yeremeyev established a new stone fence.
Thus, the cathedral complex, which also included the houses of clergy, became not only a spiritual center, but also a city attraction, which Perm was rightly proud of. The Peter and Paul Cathedral held a prominent place in public education. With funds raised by his trustees, which included many wealthy residents of the city, a parish school was opened, in the premises of which lectures and public readings were regularly held.
Closing of the cathedral
In the early post-revolutionary years, thanks to the efforts made by the Perm diocese, the cathedral remained operational, although it was repeatedly subjected to the most unceremonious plunder. This happened under the guise of seizing church values in favor of the starving, and without any justification. More than once ordinary criminals penetrated into it, and in those years a lot of them bred.
The closing of the cathedral took place in 1929 as a result of another wave of anti-religious campaign. A so-called liquidation commission was created, which included representatives of the city administration and the police. To create the appearance of democracy and the rule of law, a priest was also introduced into it.
By the decision of the commission, the building of the cathedral, as well as all buildings located on the territory adjacent to it, were transferred to the municipal services. The only part of the church plate that had been preserved by that time was left to the members of the collegial community, which they were obliged to immediately transfer to the only functioning city church at that time.
The return of the cathedral to the ownership of the church
Throughout the Soviet period, city authorities tried to use the cathedral building for various household needs. However, each time they were harassed by failure, as if an unknown force had prevented the shrine from shaming.
In the early nineties, Perm was also involved in the perestroika processes. Peter and Paul Cathedral, whose address: st. Sovetskaya, d. 1 - again became the property of the Orthodox community, and after completion of restoration work, divine services resumed. Today it is again the largest spiritual center, and one of the most beautiful buildings of the city.