The Orthodox faith has long been reinforced not only by reviving souls from Christian teachings, but also by the construction of significant temples and churches, whose architecture is surprising, pleasing and admiring to this day.
On the territory of Russia there are a lot of objects of cultural Orthodox heritage, one of which is the Temple of the Mother of God “Milaya”, the address of which is located in St. Petersburg, Bolshoy Prospect, Vasilyevsky Island, 100.
Christian value of the building
The Church of the Dear Mother of God is active today and carries the most significant historical monuments that are important for every believer and the country as a whole. The temple was erected in memory of the coronation of the imperial couple: Alexander III and Maria Fedorovna.
In the building itself was stored the miraculous healing icon of the Mother of God ("Merciful", its other name, "It is worthy," brought from Athos).
History of creation
The Temple of the Mother of God "Milaya" was erected in the pre-revolutionary period for ten years (1889-1898).
After completion of construction work, the main altar of the church was consecrated by the Holy Father of Kronstadt John and the Orthodox Bishop Benjamin of Yamburg. Also, Metropolitan Anthony gave his blessing to faithful service to the people, who in 1900 bothered to consecrate the chapel in memory of the saints of Radonezh and Chernigov.
In the church itself there was a charitable fraternity, which organized a shelter and a school for orphans. The church was visited by many residents of St. Petersburg, the sermons of Father Gapon were especially famous, which gathered more than three thousand people.
The Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Milaya" performed its vital function in developing and strengthening the faith of the parishioners for only thirty-four years, having managed to bless thousands of Orthodox Christians for good deeds during this time.
Architectural features of the ancient structure
The design of the Temple of the Icon of the Milk Lady was created by architect V. A. Kosyakov and engineer D. K. Prussak. The stone church was erected in order to provide the Christian parish with fifteen thousand inhabitants of Galernaya harbor.
The temple is crowned with five domes, its appearance is very similar to the Cathedral of Constantinople in St. Sophia . The church rises forty-two meters above ground level. A chapel is built at the level of small domes.
The Byzantine architectural style is emphasized by the presence of towers decorated with neat windows around the circumference, which provides bright lighting inside the building.
Inside the walls were decorated with colorful paintings, gold iconostases, valuable historical icons. The construction and arrangement of the church was financed by people rich at that time, the very first altar was MF Kirin, the skipper of the port, so the decoration and decoration of the church was very rich and beautiful.
Of course, difficulties arose during the construction of the stone temple, but all efforts were not in vain. Due to its strength, a beautiful building remains attractive to this day.
On the basis of the project of this church, churches were built in Novosibirsk, Sochi and Moscow.
Closing reasons
Despite the good and good deeds that were supported by the church parish, history made its own adjustments. Understanding of the Christian faith was subjected to destruction and persecution; new trends in the way of life led to a new understanding of hereditary values, which turned out to be incorrect, as practice has shown. But, nevertheless, the Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God “Merciful” for many years could not fulfill its direct function.
During the revolution, the building of the temple stood, but its beautiful interior was barbarously destroyed. The parish was unnecessary for those who followed in the footsteps of the revolutionary future, breaking all Christian laws.
The new government gave preference to more pressing issues, as was then thought, and in 1932 gave the Temple a gracious icon at the disposal of the scuba diving unit at Galernaya Harbor. The buildings, in essence, were hidden by a pressure chamber, which was equipped in the church. It was here that many rescue divers took place.
The most beautiful holy Temple of Our Lady of the Mother of God “Loved” did not lose its external essence, but the internal re-equipment made adjustments to the understanding of the value that this religious building carried, which warmed the soul of more than one believing person.
Interesting Facts
The Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God “Milaya” is directly connected with the name of the current President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin. His father served in the submarine squad, the training base for which was located in this church.
The return of the church to Christians
Having passed many tests of history, the most beautiful cathedral, which for many years hid a military complex behind its walls, retained its uniqueness and attractiveness. But inwardly, his condition fell into complete decline, since the contents of the building were not financed by any state structures.
Recognizing the true purpose of the cultural heritage site of the Russian Federation, only in 1990 attempts were made to return the Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God “Milaya” to believing parishioners. A request was submitted for transfer to the Ministry of Defense and the Government of the country.
The case got off the ground thanks to caring activists only in 2008. It was then that a chapel was opened on the territory of the temple. In 2009, the bell tower was renovated, and with the first ringing, after many years from the moment of closing, the temple was filled with faith in full restoration.
2012 is considered the year of the victory of the Christian faith in souls, since it was then that the church parish officially returned the Milaya Cathedral under its leadership. St. Petersburg acquired yet another active Orthodox object, which will serve not as a military training complex, but as a center for the spiritual development of the Russian armed forces and law enforcement agencies.
Modern restoration of Christian heritage
After many years of misuse, the temple came into disrepair, which requires immediate restoration. Back in 1999, a conclusion was made about the need for reconstruction. In this matter, the mayor of the city, Anatoly Sobchak, asked a lot.
To date, the restoration of the temple is carried out at the expense of the accumulated funds of the parishioners, a program has been developed to attract donations from private sponsors, and federal budget funds have been raised for the project “Culture of Russia”.
So there is a hope that the Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God “Milaya” will be fully restored over the next few years and will delight future generations with its beauty and peace.