Where endless fields stretched a few hundred years ago, today stands an elegant red-stone temple, made in the intricate style of "Russian patterned". Today, in the area of the Ostankino TV tower, the vibrant life of the Russian capital is in full swing. Everyone who happens to be nearby has the opportunity to admire the beautiful domes of the church in Ostankino, crowned with five onion chapters. According to reviews, this temple looks unusually beautiful and fits perfectly into the surrounding landscape.
Church of the Holy Trinity in Ostankino: meeting
Over three hundred years it has been adorning the city. The history of the church in the Ostankino Life-Giving Trinity is inseparable from the history of the Russian capital. This Orthodox church is the most important monument of the cult of old Russian architecture, one of the culmination points in the development of the “Moscow patterne” style. The church in Ostankino belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church (Trinity Deanery of the Moscow Diocese). It is part of a complex of monuments representing the Ostankino museum-estate. The temple was founded by Shchelkalov Vasily Yakovlevich, an influential duma clerk and statesman under Tsar John IV, in 1558. Date of first mention - 1584. A church was built in the period from 1677 to 1692.
Description
The church building in Ostankino is notable for being one of the buildings of the late seventeenth century, whose facades are completely covered by decor. The construction belongs to the category of federal cultural heritage sites.
This authentic, primordially Russian church has survived to this day with virtually no changes since those days three hundred years ago, when, by order of the then owner of Ostankino, Prince Cherkassky, the first stone of the new church building was laid, replacing its wooden predecessor. It is known that the family of Count Sheremetevs made a considerable contribution to the development of the church in Ostankino. In the nineteenth century they were the owners of the estate.
Church in Ostankino (Moscow): architecture
According to the definition of art historians, the architectural style of this temple belongs to the Moscow pattern. In the external decoration of the church, an abundance of decorative elements, as well as the general intricacy and complexity of the composition, are noteworthy. The facade of the temple is completely covered with patterned tiles.
In terms of the church, its unconventionality is also no less interesting: the complete absence of the refectory, the self-sufficiency of the church aisles, inside the piers, separated from the main building and looking like separate buildings. The design of the temple is represented by a pillarless quadruple, typical of its time, mounted on a sufficiently high basement, on the sides of which there are identical aisles. On three sides of the temple extends a graveyard. With all this peculiarity, the general composition of the structure is strictly symmetrical. The church porch is covered with a richly decorated tent, at the sight of which there is an association with Yaroslavl patterned architecture.
The real highlight of the interior of the church is its nine-tier, decorated with carved gilded decor with the image of twisted vines of grapes, an iconostasis. An unexpected allusion is that in its form it resembles an organ inconceivable in an Orthodox church, but an obligatory participant in all Catholic services. Many Moscow scholars call the author of the stone church project of the serf architect Pavel Sidorovich Potekhin, the owner of which was the father-in-law of Prince Cherkassky, Yakov Odoevsky.
About the history of the construction of the temple
The wooden church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Ostankino was built back in 1617, by the end of the seventeenth century it was replaced by a stone, which became the house church for the owners of the estate, the princes of Cherkassky. Then a 9-tier gilt carved iconostasis was erected. The new stone church had three aisles: the main one - in the name of the Life-Giving Trinity; the north - built in honor of the Tikhvin image of the Mother of God, and the south - dedicated to St. Alexander Svirsky. It is known that on the eve of his wedding to the kingdom in this church, the future Emperor Alexander II prayed.
In the twentieth century, like all other Russian churches, the Church of the Holy Trinity in Ostankino gradually fell into decay. In 1919, they were transferred from the upper part of the believers to a basement, which became the fourth chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas. In 1922, salaries were removed from the church from the iconostasis and all the icons - a total of over sixty kilograms of silver.
In 1930, the temple building was transferred to the Anti-Religious Museum of Art and the financial department of the Dzerzhinsky district of Moscow. The lower aisle was used as a warehouse for storing potatoes. With the beginning of the war of 1941-1945. the temple was completely turned into a warehouse. A slow but sure revival began in the 1970s. At first, the iconostasis was restored, the facade and roof were repaired. In the 80s of the twentieth century, concerts of ancient music were still held in the church building. In the spring of 1991, the main throne of the temple was consecrated again. For five years after this event, all three upper chapels were restored and consecrated.
At present, the church has again become a four-altered church: the lower chapel, used as a baptismal church, was consecrated in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The rector of the church is Metropolitan Sergius of Southeast Asia and Singapore, (Nikolai Nikolaevich Chashin).
Shrines
The main shrines of the temple are considered the icon of the Old Testament Trinity dating from the middle of the seventeenth century, as well as the Chernigov, Georgian and Fedorov icons of the Mother of God. In addition, fragments of the relics of the saints are preserved in the church.
About the activity of the parish
Today, community life is concentrated around the following activities:
- Sunday school for children (education starts at the age of 5).
- Sunday school for adults.
- Youth centre.
- Children's press center and television studio.
- A social service providing support to the disabled, as well as to the poor and orphans of the Moscow Region.
About worship
Today you can attend the daily services in the church in Ostankino according to the schedule:
- prayers take place at 8:00, then the Liturgy is held;
- 16:45 - the beginning of the evening worship, in accordance with the church calendar.
On holidays and Sundays, the Liturgy is served twice:
- the beginning of the early Divine Liturgy is at 6:30, then the time for the blessed prayer comes;
- they serve the late Liturgy - from 9:40, then they hold a memorial service;
- in addition, on a Sundays at 17:00 akathists are read.
Address and how to get?
The Trinity Church of the Life-Giving is located at: st. 1st Ostankinskaya, d. 7, p. 2.
It is most convenient to get here by metro - nearby are the Telecentre, VDNH, and Akademika Koroleva Street. It is necessary to drive a short distance from the VDNH station by tram No. 17, 11, trolleybus No. 73.13 or bus No. 76, 24, 803. Experts recommend motorists to use GHS coordinates: 55.8241, 37.61365.