Until 1917, there were more than fifty churches and temples in Saratov . This is probably why the city was chosen as a showcase in the fight against religion in the thirties of the XX century. Most of the Saratov temples at that time were destroyed and looted. Only at the end of the last century did the restoration of some places of worship begin, which, fortunately, continues today. Of course, in order to restore all the temples of Saratov, it will take a lot of time, effort and money. But today, believing cities can visit seventeen temples and churches. We will not be able to “visit” all of them, but we will be pleased to introduce some of the temples of Saratov that have gained a new life.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
The Holy Trinity Cathedral is one of the oldest religious buildings in the city. It was built in 1675, but after the completion of construction it was haunted by fires. True, after each of them the temple was quickly restored.
The cathedral was built in the Moscow Baroque style and is a ship-type building - semicircular, with an altar apse. In 1920, the monastery was closed and practically abandoned, like many temples of Saratov. The re-birth of the shrine took place in the summer of 2003, when a new bishop, Longina, was appointed to the Saratov diocese. He drew attention to the deplorable state of many parish churches, which for decades had not only not been restored, but even basic cosmetic repairs were not carried out in them.
Large-scale restoration of the Holy Trinity Cathedral began in 2004. Today it is completed. Magnificent gilded domes sparkle in the sun, and the bell ringing of the cathedral is heard in almost all corners of the city. Here are stored many valuable icons that were brought from the churches of the Saratov region or brought as a gift to the townspeople from their personal collections.
Temple of Cyril and Methodius
Not all temples in Saratov have such a long history as the Cathedral. Nevertheless, the temple of Cyril and Methodius has already turned more than a century. Its history began from the moment when a local university decided to open a department of Orthodox theology. It was at the same time that the university home church was laid. In Soviet times, it was closed and restored only in 2004. The temple is located on the campus of the Saratov University named after N. G. Chernyshevsky. It is made in the Byzantine style and has a delicate and sophisticated decor.
The first chapel at the university in the name of the miracle worker Nicholas was built at SSU in 1909. At that time, the university bore the name of Emperor Nicholas II. In 1918, the chapel was destroyed. In 2000, SSU employees created an initiative group to restore the house church at the oldest university in the city. In 2004, under the creation of the temple, the university was allocated a room in the VI building of SSU. It held services until 2011. But almost simultaneously with the receipt of the premises, it was decided to build a separate church and a spiritual and educational center. In 2011, a new temple was consecrated.
Temple of Seraphim of Sarov
Some temples of Saratov have a very short history. For example, the church of Seraphim of Sarov was founded in 1901 with funds donated by local residents. In Soviet times, the building was transferred to a hostel. In 2001, the reconstruction of the temple began, which is still not completed today, but services are held here on church holidays.
Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Saratov)
Previously, this cathedral, located at the intersection of M. Gorky and Bolshaya Gornaya streets, was called Novopokrovsky. His story began in 1859. At the expense of the merchant Voronov, a wooden three-altar church was built. The main throne is lit in honor of the Protection of the Holy Virgin.
The church, cold in winter, very soon became cramped for parishioners, and twenty years later, the construction of a new stone cathedral began with donations from bourgeois and merchants. The author of the project was A. M. Salko. It is noteworthy that the townspeople participated in the construction of the temple not only with their feasible contributions, they brought construction materials, gave icons. The construction of the walls of the building was completed in 1882, and the interior finishing work continued for another two years. In January 1885, solemn consecration took place in the Intercession Church of Saratov. In 1893, a Sunday school started working in it, and in a nearby two-story building there was a parish school, in which, in addition to the Law of God, Russian history and geography were taught.
After 1917, all property of the temple, including a farm and a farm of twelve houses, was seized. In 1929 the church was closed. The building was transferred to the hostel of the Institute of Economics, and a kindergarten was equipped in the bell tower. The domes of the temple were dismantled in 1931, and the bell tower was blown up. In 1970, the looted and pretty dilapidated building was transferred to art workshops that were located there until 1992, when the church was returned to the diocese. Today the Church of the Virgin (Saratov) has been completely restored, and the bell tower sixty-six meters high has returned to its rightful historical place.
Church of St. George the Victorious (Saratov)
Perhaps the most striking of the buildings built in the post-Soviet time in the city is the Church of St. George the Victorious. Saratov expected his discovery for seventeen years. Its laying took place in June 1994 in the Sunny Village, which grew in Soviet times, but did not have a temple. A year earlier, the place for him was chosen by Patriarch Alexy II, during a visit to the city.
Due to lack of funds, construction was frozen. It was resumed only at the end of 2004. Three years later (2007), the dome crowned the building, and in the summer of 2011, the main outdoor work was completed. The consecration of the one-throne stone church was performed by Metropolitan Volsky and Saratov Longin.
Church of the Nativity
This stone church with a stone bell tower was built in 1886 on the initiative of the wife of the engine driver of the train depot M.T. Makarinova at her personal expense, as well as donations from the merchant Chukalin and contributions from railway workers. The church was one-story and with one throne - in honor of the Nativity of Christ. In 1935, it was closed one of the last in the city. At the closing of the temple, a watchman was killed. The church itself was looted, and for some time it was simply closed. In the late thirties of the last century, the premises were transferred to the library. Later, she was transferred to another room, and a regional clinic was placed in the building of the former church.
In the summer of 1992, a severe fire broke out in the church building. In 1993, believers in the city collected more than a thousand signatures under a request to return the ROC building. However, the process of finding out who is the owner of the rights to this structure, stretched for many years. Only in mid-October 1999 the church and boiler room were returned to their rightful owner - the Saratov diocese. Restoration work has begun. In early January 2000, the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the church. The reconstruction of the building was completed in 2016.