Moscow is rich in Orthodox churches and monasteries. From ancient times, the raspberry tinkle of their bells floated above it. Pilgrims came from all over immense Russia to bow to the relics of the holy saints and pour their sorrows before the miraculous icons. And the Lord sent a great many such icons to the White Stone. Temples were built and consecrated in their honor. One of them is the temple "Life-giving Spring" in Tsaritsyno. Our story is about him.
Holy spring
But first of all, a few words about the Life-Giving Source itself, in whose honor the icon was written and the temple was consecrated. Tradition says that in the 5th century near Constantinople there was a grove dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos. There was a miraculous source in the grove. The Blessed Virgin herself indicated to people the place where to find him, and ordered the pious people to come to him and by faith receive healing from diseases. Among the healed were ordinary people and emperors. In gratitude for the miracles revealed, they first enclosed the source in a stone circle, and later erected a stone church next to it. To all who addressed her with faith and prayer, the Virgin sent healing.
First wooden church
The site where the temple of the Icon of the Mother of God "Life-giving Source" in Tsaritsyn is now located, received its name only in 1775, under Catherine II, and before that there was the estate Black Dirt. In 1680, Prince A.S. Golitsyn became its owner. He and his family rebuilt a dilapidated manor and built a wooden church. But the time of streltsy revolts came, and all the supporters of Princess Sophia, including the Golitsyn clan, fell into disgrace. The estate was taken away, and it passed to the treasury.
Stone Temple "Life-giving Spring" in Tsaritsyno
In 1713, Tsar Peter I presented it to the outstanding statesman D.K. Kantemir, who built a new stone church on the site of a wooden church. Over time, it was repeatedly rebuilt by the heirs and for many years served as their tribal tomb. The next owner of the estate was Empress Catherine II, who bought it from the Kantemirov family. She instructed the architect Bazhenov to rebuild the entire ensemble of buildings and replaced the inconsistent name Black Mud with Tsaritsyno. From now on, one of her summer residences was located here.
Throughout its history, the temple "Life-giving Spring" in Tsaritsyn was repeatedly rebuilt and renovated. Sometimes this was done at the expense of wealthy donors, sometimes to gather ordinary parishioners. A sad fate befell him in 1939. The atheistic authorities came up with a suitable excuse and closed the temple. The historical monument, a masterpiece of architecture found a different application. At first, it housed a transformer box, then a printing house and, finally, a woodworking workshop. As a result of vibration from the operation of his equipment, significant damage was inflicted on the walls of the building and their paintings.
Return of the temple building to parishioners
In 1990, the temple "Life-giving Spring" in Tsaritsyno was again returned to believers. Under the direction of the rector, Archpriest George Breev, his restoration began. To give the temple its original appearance, they used documents preserved among the inventory of the Tsaritsyno estate and the memories of old parishioners.
Currently, the parish life of the temple includes a variety of aspects. Besides the fact that daily services are held here, a rich church library is at the service of believers. Both students of the Orthodox school and all come to visit it. On the basis of the Sunday school, a support group was organized for people in prison, as well as support for their Orthodox communities. The Temple of the "Life-Giving Spring" in Tsaritsyno is widely known for organizing pilgrimage trips and charity consultations conducted by lawyers and psychologists.