One of the unique monuments of old Moscow is the church of St. Nicholas in Pyzhi. Built in the 17th century, it became part of our history and witness to many of its important events. Today, returned to people after many years of atheistic timelessness, he again accepts under his arches all who seek their way to God.
Church in the Streltsy settlement
From archival documents it is known that in 1593 a wooden church of the Annunciation of the Lord was laid on the site where the church of St. Nicholas in Pyzhi is now located. It became one of the first built in Moscow after the establishment of the patriarchate. Since archers, headed by the tsarist capitalist M.F. Philosopher, settled nearby, they became her first parishioners.
But the fate of a military man never allowed him to sit still. During the reign of Sovereign Alexei Mikhailovich, gallant archers with their commander were sent to Kiev to perform guard duty there, and their place was taken by the regiment of governor Bogdan Pyzhov. It was his name that was immortalized in the name of a new stone church, which was laid in 1657 on the site of a wooden church and located near Pyzhevsky Lane.
Construction and decoration of the temple
In 1691, on the donations made by the archers, a chapel was installed in the name of St. Nicholas, which then gave the name to the whole church, and with the zeal of the former parishioners of the regiment of the captain Filosofov, another one, in honor of the Pechersk Saints Anthony and Theodosius. The chapel itself was abolished in 1858, however, until now, a celebration in their honor is held annually and is celebrated with great solemnity.
In subsequent years, the church of St. Nicholas in Pyzhi underwent significant restructuring, which largely changed its original appearance. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, among other Moscow churches he stood out for the extraordinary harmony of his outlines.
In the fire of the great war
The trouble befell the church of St. Nicholas in Pyzhi in 1812. Like many Moscow shrines, he was ravaged and burned by the French. In place of its former splendor, only blackened walls remained. After the expulsion of the invaders, the city and church authorities for a long time could not begin its systematic restoration, since neither the Synod nor the parishioners were able to incur such significant expenses, and the treasury allocated all available funds to the construction of administrative and residential buildings that perished in the fire of the Moscow fire.
Only in 1848 did the restoration of the temple begin . By this time, it was finally possible to collect the necessary amount, made up of voluntary donations, to which were added the money released from the treasury at the behest of Tsar Nicholas I. A great merit in rebuilding the temple belongs to his permanent trustee and main donor - the Moscow merchant of the first guild I. A. Lyamin. Over the course of all forty years, while work was underway, he exercised general supervision over them and, importantly, helped in resolving periodically arising financial problems.
Years of total atheism
But the main trials were waiting for the temple ahead, when in the coming XX century the power in the country was seized by the atheistic government. In 1934, the temple was closed, and many of its priests and parishioners were repressed. Suffice it to say that three of his clergy were subsequently canonized in the guise of new martyrs and confessors of Russia.
Partly, the St. Nicholas Church was lucky in that it was not destroyed, like so many of its Moscow brothers, and after internal redevelopment it was used for various household needs. The main aisle of the church was divided into three floors, and in the premises formed in this way, at first the dormitory of the building trust was located, then the scientific and technical laboratory, and at the end - sewing workshops.
The return of the shrine
In 1990, in the wake of perestroika, among other Moscow shrines, the church of St. Nicholas in Pyzhi was returned to believers. The schedule of services first appeared at his door after a 56-year hiatus. However, the first six months they were held next door to the sewing workshop, which continued to work in the main aisle.
During the restoration work, the iconostases of both chapels of the church, destroyed in the thirties, were re-created. Work on them for eleven years was performed by the Moscow painter I.V. Klimenko. The miracles of the late 19th century, created in due time by the artist A. Sokolov, were also cleared and put in order by miracle.
Serious work to restore the appearance of the building was carried out using old photographs and drawings found in the archive. As a result, already in 1993, the former church of St. Nicholas (in Pyzhi) appeared before the Muscovites. Photos posted in the article give an idea of its current appearance.
Again in the service of God and people
Today, when more than a quarter century has passed since the day the parishioners returned their shrine, the atmosphere of high spiritual life that was inherent in the church at all historical stages was fully restored. Under the pastoral leadership of the rector Archpriest Father Alexander (Shargunov), a full circle of services is prescribed by the Church Charter, and much work is being done on the religious education of parishioners and those who are only about to receive holy baptism. For all, the Church of St. Nicholas in Pyzhy opens its doors cordially. Address: Moscow, st. B. Ordynka, 27a / 8.
Morning services begin at 8:00, and evening at 17:00 (summer at 18:00). On Sundays and holidays, two liturgies are celebrated: early at 7:00, and late at 10:00. On Wednesdays, evening services are accompanied by the reading of akathist St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.