Among the variety of Russian temple buildings, sometimes representing masterpieces of architecture, there is one that has no analogues. This is the Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary located in the village of Dubrovitsy. To be convinced of this, one glance at its outlines, so uncharacteristic of the Russian Orthodox tradition, is enough. Touching her story, one cannot help but feel the secret hidden in her.
Heir to the throne
In those distant years, when an unremarkable wooden church in the name of Elijah the Prophet stood on the site of the current Znamensky Church, the Dubrovitsa estate, located not far from Podolsk, belonged to the family of the Golitsyn princes. The eldest of them, Boris Alekseevich, was the educator and mentor of the future sovereign Peter I. Over time, when his pet, having drowned in blood all the rebellions and riots, took control of the Russian throne, the prince, as the person closest to him, became more powerful.
But there are sometimes changeable anger and mercy of the powerful of this world. There were envious persons at the court who had whispered to the emperor the slander of his old teacher, and Peter, who was quick to kill, sent him into exile in the family estate - those same Dubrovitsy. It was bitter for the old man Golitsyn to receive gratitude with such a coin for all the zeal shown by him in the educational field. It was comforting that even though he didn’t lose his head, it was customary for Pyotr Alekseevich.
Intercession of the Queen of Heaven
However, the emperor was ardent, but easygoing. A year later, he replaced his anger with mercy and again allowed Boris Alekseevich to appear before the royal eyes. To console the old man, he bestowed boyar dignity on him. Being an Orthodox man and a deeply religious believer, Prince Golitsyn reasoned that such a happy change in fate could occur only through the intercession of the Queen of Heaven. Full of gratitude, he wished to erect in his possessions, among which was the estate of Dubrovitsy, the Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary - a monument to the happy deliverance from opal.
A masterpiece of an unknown genius
The prince began construction in 1690, having previously ordered to dismantle the former wooden church of the prophet Elijah, built in 1662, and to transfer it to the neighboring village of Lemeshevo. This follows from documents that have reached us, but then continuous riddles begin. The fact is that absolutely nothing is known about the architect who created the project for this architectural miracle.
In Peter's times, many prominent foreigners worked in Russia and immortalized their names, creating a unique style known to us as the Petrine Baroque, but not one of them has anything to do with the masterpiece erected in the estate of Dubrovitsy. The Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in every detail of which the hand of a genius is imprinted, is deprived of authorship. It is absolutely excluded that one of the prominent foreign masters who were in Russia at that time did a work of a similar level, and she did not adorn his creative biography.
The hypothesis of a certain Russian genius does not stand up to criticism. Without detracting from the merits of domestic masters, it should nevertheless be abandoned.
This becomes apparent at the first glance at what constitutes a building in the estate of Dubrovitsy. The Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as experts say, is a product of Italian creative thought, which found its embodiment in the Baroque style. In Russia, they built completely differently. In all likelihood, domestic masters also had a hand in its creation, but only realizing someone’s ingenious plan.
Church Consecration Celebrations
But, one way or another, the church was erected. For its construction, a local white stone was used, often found in the Podolsk Territory. Its advantages are ease of processing and at the same time durability, allowing to work out small details of decorative carvings. The work was completed in 1699, but the church was consecrated five years later.
The reason for this delay is that Prince Golitsyn wanted to invite Peter I to celebrations in Dubrovitsy. The Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built in memory of their reconciliation, and his desire was understandable. But, since the sovereign rarely visited Moscow in those years, Boris Alekseevich had to wait five years for an opportunity.
He introduced himself in 1704, and on February 11, in the presence of Peter I, as well as his son Tsarevich Alexei, the new church was consecrated. Since the emperor loved to celebrate everything widely and on a grand scale, the celebrations lasted a whole week, and at his request (or rather, an order) all the local residents participated, from small to large.
The temple, which appeared to the eyes of the gathered guests, was really beautiful. At its base, it represented a cross with equal ends. Around the whole circumference of the porch, it was raised by a high foundation and richly decorated with carvings. The imagination and the abundance of sculptural decorations made on biblical subjects were striking. But the main highlight was a metal crown and a gilded crown, crowning the church and replacing the traditional dome.
Church untouched by the enemy
During the Napoleonic invasion, the French occupied Podolsk. The Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Dubrovitsy was also in the hands of enemies, but at the same time she avoided ruin. It is hard to believe, but the conquerors, who put fire to Orthodox shrines alien to them, not only did not dare to destroy it, but did not even touch the utensils inside and did not damage the rich salaries of the icons.
Times of persecution of the church
The next century was relatively quiet and prosperous for the church, until the 20th century broke out and the people in the country that Leo Tolstoy so rashly called the God-bearer seized power. The wave of anti-religious campaign, which began immediately after the establishment of a new government and supported by official propaganda, has reached the village of Dubrovitsy. The Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the history of which by that time totaled more than two centuries, was at the center of tragic events.
Very soon, all clergymen, considering them an alien element, together with their families and young children were evicted from houses that were transferred to the ownership of the local state farm, and the church itself was closed. Her last rector, Archpriest Father Michael (Poretsky), was sent into exile, from which he never returned.
Ruled by vandals
The new masters of life, unlike the French conquerors, did not begin to be touched by the bourgeois baroque alien to them. Destroying the old world to the ground, they did not spare the church bell tower, which was also of exceptional artistic value. It was simply blown up as unnecessary. All that remains is to thank God, who did not allow the destruction of the entire temple and guarded it at the hands of domestic vandals.
The temple remained in desolation until the end of the fifties, until the territory of the estate of Dubrovitsa was transferred to the disposal of the All-Union Institute of Livestock. We must pay tribute to the pundits who were happy about the increase in livestock weight and the increase in milk yield - they did not try to convert the church they had got into a barn. Moreover, they even started its restoration, which lasted for forty years and if not improving its appearance, then at least not allowing the building to fall apart.
Church returned to the people
But everything in the world, including human troubles, comes to an end. In 1989, believers in the city of Podolsk, emboldened by the years of perestroika, demanded the return of the Znamensky Church to them. Since by that time the forces of the local party and Soviet bodies were melting before our eyes, then, rooted in their atheistic tenacity, they could not persist for long. A year later, the church was returned to the Moscow Patriarchate and divine services resumed.
Nowadays, restored and assuming the very appearance that has earned her fame, it again takes in its walls thousands of believers. Go to her and those who, not having yet found their "path to the temple", nevertheless want to see, created more than three centuries ago in the estate of Dubrovitsa, the Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
How to get to her?
A convenient public transport route indicates a church-owned website. It is recommended to follow it by electric train from the Kursk station to the Podolsk station, and then by bus or minibus No. 65 to the village. Dubrovitsy. The Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the main attraction there. Besides her, it will also be interesting to inspect the manor building itself.
Those who have personal transport are advised to go along the Warsaw highway and, bypassing Podolsk, follow further to the sign: “Dubrovitsy Manor, Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary”. The map attached to the article will allow you to easily get to the right place.