Any house of God, be it a small village church or a large metropolitan temple, is a place where people come to chat with the Lord, tell about their needs, pray for loved ones, and thank for the mercies of the Most High. And not only God, but also saints, we honor as our personal helpers and intercessors.
Holy protector of warriors
Moscow is rich in places of faith. No wonder it is often called the city of "forty churches." The Temple of Dmitry Solunsky on Blagush belongs to those places of worship, the construction of which was pleasing to God and was impatiently expected by people. The name of the church was given in honor of St. Demetrius, called the Myrrhoness - the patron saint of Christian warriors. Another name for the great martyr is Thessaloniki. The commemoration of his feat in the name of the Christian faith takes place on October 26.
The biography of the saint
The Temple of Dmitry Solunsky on Blagush was built in honor of the historical figure who once lived in the Greek city of Thessaloniki. He was the son of a proconsul, a man not only rich and noble, but also holding a high post in the city government. However, the parents of Demetrius were secret Christians, they also baptized him, brought up in a firm faith, love of God and humility. After the death of his father, Demetrius received the post by inheritance and, using his authority, began to openly express religious views and preach. Many fellow citizens, imbued with his
fiery speeches and honest, virtuous way of life, converted to the Christian faith. It is worth noting that the temple of Dmitry Solunsky on Blagush is the same bastion of kindness and sincere aspirations for God.
Martyrdom
The fate of the first Christians was, on the one hand, the clearest example of high spiritual work, and on the other, an indicator of how thorny and complicated the path of the Christian faith was in the struggle against paganism and other beliefs. The Temple of Dmitry Solunsky on Blagush is one of the monuments to such martyrs. Realizing that his life could end at any moment, because Emperor Maximian brutally persecuted the Gentiles, Dimitri distributed all his property to the townspeople, the poor and the mendicant. And he prayed fervently, with tears, humbly betraying himself into the hands of God. During prayer, the emperor’s guards killed him in prison. And the body was thrown to be eaten by wild animals.
Pattern of holiness
The Church of the Great Martyr Dmitry Solunsky in Moscow is not in vain famous for the miracles of healing and many others. After all, the saint himself was marked by a special gracious seal of the Holy Spirit. His body was not touched by predators, and the Saloon Christian brothers secretly buried. At the same time, with the help of his clothes stained with blood, the followers of the saint healed the afflicted and worked other miracles. And in the 4th century, the first church was built in Thessaloniki in honor of Demetrius, and the relics were put in a special silver civorium. They streamed myrrh, which confirmed the sanctity of the great martyr. And the blessed church of St. Dmitry Solunsky was built in 1908-1911 in the Russian-Byzantine style, which reminded of another hero of Christianity - the warrior Dmitry Donskoy.
The fate of the temple
The church accommodated about 3 thousand people. Services were held in it until 1931 - a sad date for Russia. It can only be considered a miracle that the church of the Holy Great Martyr Dmitry Solunsky was not closed earlier, and his servants were not tortured like other repressed priests. But in the early 30s, the building was almost destroyed, rebuilt as a metal processing plant. Such abuse lasted for more than 6 decades. Only in the early 90s, after the solemn festivities in honor of the Baptism of Russia, the building returned to the Moscow diocese. Of all the capital's churches, it was in the most devastated condition. But the revival of the church was extremely fast, as if the Lord himself helped the workers. Since 2001, there are constantly held services.
Second wind
Every day, many believers come to the temple, or so far only seeking God. And this cannot but rejoice. After all, the spiritual purity of each of us makes the society as a whole more sincere and cleaner. The Sunday school operates at the temple. Classes are held with different age groups: preschoolers, younger students and youth. Their main goal is to help children learn to distinguish between good and evil, to keep consciousness and conscience clean, to remain “children of God,” even as adults. Naturally, the basics of knowledge of the Orthodox faith and culture are given to children. Classes are also held with age-related parishioners. The ministers of the temple perform many useful missionary work, visiting various social and medical institutions (orphanages, boarding schools, motels, hospitals, nursing homes, etc.). Parish priests are frequent guests in prisons too: sinful hearts need God's word even more than righteous ones. Consolation, support, wise counsel, cleansing prayers - all these temple ministers generously share with all who need it.