In the ancient cities of our country today, many ancient buildings and religious buildings are being restored. Not so long ago, the faithful of the Tula region returned the ancient church of Alexander Nevsky. Tula is a fairly large city with many churches and cathedrals. Today we will talk about one of its most beautiful temples.
The construction of the temple of Alexander Nevsky
Evfimy Kharitonovich Kuchin - Tula merchant of the third guild, who lived in the XIX century. He became famous as one of the largest fur traders in the city and an assistant to the city headman in the Duma. Euthymius Kuchin died at the age of 80. In his spiritual testament, he ordered to build a church and consecrate it in the name of Alexander Nevsky.
Euthymius Kuchin personally indicated the place on which the temple should be built. The remote outskirts of the city have long needed their own church. People here lived simple and not rich, and sometimes it was difficult for them to get to the temples located at a distance. The news of the will of the deceased merchant greatly pleased the public. Everyone was looking forward to when the temple of Alexander Nevsky was built. Tula in the XIX century was already a fairly rich city thanks to the developed industry.
When it turned out that 20,000 rubles left by Kuchin were not enough, a collection of voluntary donations was opened. Soon the necessary amount was collected. The design of the temple was developed by the architect Bashkirov, and personally approved by Emperor Alexander II. June 12, 1881 the church of Alexander Nevsky was laid. On July 7, 1886, the church was consecrated and began to receive parishioners.
The first temple in the Russian-Byzantine style in Tula
This temple is a unique structure for the city in terms of architecture. The church is made in the Russian-Byzantine style. The temple is crowned with one large chapter; there were also four decorative small chapters. The belfry was located above the porch, it was distinguished by a flat roof - an atypical solution for Orthodox churches.
The interior of the temple was also designed in an original way. Only the ceiling was painted with holy images, the walls were painted with oil paint. The carved oak iconostases looked expressive. Many parishioners immediately fell in love with the church of Alexander Nevsky. Tula is a city whose rich residents at any time with pleasure were engaged in charity. Very soon after the opening of the temple was surrounded by a beautiful fence, near it was laid out a church garden. The work was carried out at the expense of patrons. A little later, an almshouse and a parish school with a library were also opened with donations from influential citizens.
The history of the temple during the USSR
In the 1920s, the church was closed and transferred to the renovation community. After some time, the temple building was transferred to a labor school. And the last owner became a bakery. In 1991, the church was recognized as a monument of history and architecture.
However, even then she was in a deplorable state. Decorative chapters were lost, the main one was beheaded, the internal walls were tiled, and instead of iconostases, stoves were installed.
The facades of the building also needed restoration. Thanks to the active work of public organizations in 2003, the church of Alexander Nevsky was returned to believers. Tula has long been waiting for this moment. Very soon, restoration work began.
Shrine Rebirth
The restoration of the temple required significant material investments. For this reason, the church was restored longer than it was originally built. In 2005, a cross was erected over the temple. Gradually, the facades were plastered and painted in historical colors. Then, work was carried out to restore the frescoes and the interior of the church.
If you wish, you can see with your own eyes the restored temple of Alexander Nevsky (Tula). Address of the sights and Orthodox shrines: st. Sophia Perovskaya, building 5. Today the church is operational, services are held in it.