The Orthodox Church of the Transfiguration in the city of Balashikha is the parish of the Moscow diocese. It is located on the territory of the estate Pehra-Yakovlevskoe, which once belonged to the princes Golitsyn, and is considered the spiritual center of the ancient village.
Pehra-Yakovlevskoe
Since 1591, the small village of Pehra-Yakovlevskoye was owned by the famous Golitsyn family. In 1960, Peter Golitsyn begins the construction of his own estate in the center of the village. With central windows she had to go to the former Vladimirsky highway, which at that time was a fairly busy road. Therefore, the estate should have been distinguished by its ceremonial appearance and striking all passing by.
The most popular trend in the architecture of the time was classicism. In his style, a new manor was built. Around it were gardens, flowering paths and alleys in the French manner, along which vacationers walked. Many local plants grew in the local greenhouse. Unfortunately, nothing has been preserved from this park complex.
In front of the house was a large outdoor area with statues and a fountain. On the whole, the ensemble was so successful that it was often captured by many famous painters in their paintings. For example, the landscape of E. Swiebach “Walk in the park”, which captures the estate in Pehra-Yakovlevsky.
The Transfiguration Church is the only building from the estate ensemble, preserved to this day in its best form.
Church history
The first Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Pehra-Yakovlevsky was built at the end of the XVII century. It was a small wooden church, consecrated in honor of the icon "Savior Not Made by Hands". And until 1996, the temple was called Spassky.
The erection of a stone temple began in 1777. Like the estate, it was built in the style of classicism. Brick was used as material, and white stone was used for decoration.
The building has the shape of a rotunda with a covered gallery and two belfries, which was a rarity for those near Moscow in those years. The name of the architect who designed the temple of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Balashikha is unknown. There are several versions about this, but not one of them has found its documentary evidence.
The interior of the church was also rich, which delighted contemporaries. The iconostasis was decorated with oil paintings by the Italian painter S. Torelli. Elegant design and unusual architectural performance made the temple unique and unlike other buildings of that time.
The temple had two chapels. The first was consecrated in honor of the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands, and the second, warm, in honor of the Archangel Michael. Near the temple was a churchyard and a chapel. A little further away were the houses of the clergy.
By the XIX century, the population of Pehra-Yakovlevsky increased. In his district worked as many as five textile mills. Gradually, the temple from the estate became a parish - believers came here from all over the territory of present Balashikha. Despite this, concern for its maintenance and maintaining a magnificent appearance still lay with the owners of the estate.
Soviet years
The last owners of the estate were the Roop family. General Christopher Roop was a member of the Council of State. His fate after the revolution is unknown. His wife Maria Stepanovna (nee Shestakova) died in 1918 and was laid to rest in a church cemetery. Her grave, like the entire churchyard, was later razed to the ground.
In the post-revolutionary years of service in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Balashikha, they continued for several more years. In 1922, requisition of church values was made.
In 1933, the temple was closed and finally plundered. Everything that was saved after the 1922 campaign was destroyed. Icons, paintings and documents were burned, and the bells sent for re-melting. From the former rich decoration of the church there were only bare walls.
At first, they tried to arrange the production of shoe polish in the temple building, then the premises were converted into a warehouse. In 1951, believers made an attempt to return the church, but it was unsuccessful.
Later, the library of the agrarian university was opened in the walls of the temple. This saved it from destruction, but the building underwent significant rebuilds, which it is now impossible to remake without damaging the walls.
Rebirth
In 1990, the Church of the Transfiguration in Balashikha was transferred to the Orthodox Church. By mid-1996, all restoration work in the temple was completed. The altar and aisles with iconostases were recreated, new icons were painted, the walls were decorated with stucco moldings, copper domes were raised.
In parallel with the reconstruction of the church, parish life was reborn. An evening school for children and adults has been opened, and the publication of the Orthodox newspaper Preobrazhenie has been launched. There is a huge church library, in which there are about 8 thousand volumes of spiritual literature.
In the summer of 1996, the church was consecrated in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord and is open to parishioners. Every day, the required services are performed in it and the trebes according to the following schedule:
- 8:00 - morning service;
- 17:00 - evening service.
On Sundays, readings by the Akathists of the Virgin are performed. On holidays, the schedule of services is subject to change.
Address
Church of the Transfiguration in Balashikha is located at: Leonovskoe highway, 2.
The current phone number can be found on the official website of the administration.
How to get to the temple of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Balashikha?
You can get to the Transfiguration Church without problems by public transport. It won’t take much time.
Every 10 minutes from Moscow from the Kursk station there is an electric train Moscow - Balashikha.
You can get from Balashikha station by buses No. 336, 338, 396 or minibuses No. 125, 291. You should get off at the RGAZU stop.