The Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Uzkoy is an Orthodox church located in the South-West of Moscow. It was built at the end of the 17th century in the style of Moscow ("Naryshkinsky") baroque. The temple located in the Uzkoye estate in Moscow, its features and the history of its creation will be described in this article.
Church history
Narrow, or Uskoye, is a wasteland in which in the middle of the 17th century M. Stershnev, who was the brother of Tsarina E. Stershneva (wife of Tsar M.F. Romanov, the first of this dynasty), built a manor. Later, the estate was bought by a relative of M. Streshnev - boyar Tikhon Nikitich. The latter decided to build in the Narrow Temple of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
Painstaking preparations for the first phase of construction began. Boyarin planned not only to erect a temple, but also to amaze everyone with its beauty and high cost of internal and external decoration. Lists were ordered from various icons, including the image of the Kazan Mother of God. By 1692, the construction of the church with five chapters and an unusual four-petal plan was completed. All chapters had the same height, but in one of them a bell tower was built. The temple had the so-called Naryshkin baroque in architecture, which at that time was quite popular.
Temple in the 18-19 centuries
In the 18th century, the domes of the church were rebuilt, giving them a more elongated shape. It should be noted that it is not known who was the author of the temple project. However, there is a version that it was O. Startsev, but there is no documentary evidence of this. The temple of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is a unique monument of Russian church architecture. The fact that it has survived to this day in this form is a real miracle, despite some alterations.
After the 1917 revolution, the estate and the temple were transferred to the USSR Academy of Sciences. Currently, the estate is used as a sanatorium. In 1930, the church was closed, and its premises were used as a repository for documents and especially valuable books, while no reconstruction was carried out inside the building. Among the stored books there were really rare tomes written by Soviet scientists, as well as trophy libraries brought from different parts of Nazi Germany.
Church in our time
In 1990, the Kazan Church was transferred to the ROC. Two years later, all the books of the temple were taken out, and the church itself was consecrated. Gradually, the restoration of the interior and the building itself began. In the process of carrying out construction work on the reconstruction, some distortions were made that violate the legislation on the protection of architectural monuments.
Back in 1970, the heads of the church underwent a significant change. After reconstruction, they changed their shape from oblong to bulbous. In the 90s of the 20th century, the white stone porch, which belonged to the construction of the 18th century, was completely destroyed. In 1998, the new porch was completed, and fragments of the old were partially used in the design of the front gardens and flower beds located behind the church building.
Description
The Church of the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God in Narrow is generally built in the shape of a cross. As mentioned earlier, the church has five domes. Four of them are oriented strictly in parts of the world and painted black with a gold border below. The central fifth dome has a bell tower inside and is covered with gold leaf.
The Kazan Church has a lot of windows, which helps the light to better penetrate the temple, illuminating the interior. The facade is painted white, and the windows of the first tier of the building are painted in turquoise.
An interesting fact is that the dome drum facing the West is used as a sound resonator when bells ring. This is an unusual technique in Russian temple architecture. There is a legend that it was from this bell tower that Napoleon Bonaparte watched his retreating army, which was pursued by Russian soldiers during the war of 1812. Outwardly, the temple looks very solemn and moderately pompous. The rigor of forms and lines is striking in its accuracy and beauty.
Interior decoration
The temple of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God in Uzkoy has decoration fascinating with its beauty. Despite the incorrectly performed reconstruction and errors during the restoration, it was possible to keep the internal premises practically intact.
The church has two chapels: the 1st and 2nd gaining the head of John the Baptist and the chapel of St. Nicholas. The main throne of the temple was created in the name of the Kazan Mother of God. Inside the temple, a carved wooden iconostasis made of precious wood, covered with gilding, is installed. The iconostasis contains more than 10 icons depicting saints and archangels. The icon of the Kazan Mother of God crowns him.
The main part of the church is combined with arches in the aisles, which are decorated with decorative stucco and gilded elements. In the very center of the temple is a four-tiered chandelier with a golden color, the lanterns of which are stylized as candles. Thanks to the numerous windows, as well as competent lighting, the interior looks very elegant and beautiful. In addition, the temple has preserved a unique acoustics, which is literally felt by the body when singing.
"Heaven's Gate"
There are various sights in the Uzkoye estate. "Heavenly Gate" is located in close proximity to the Temple of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, referring to its possessions. They are a fairly high and massive arch with a semicircular arch. The date of construction of this gate is unknown, as is the author of the project. It is assumed that they were built in the early 19th century, and the architect could be one of the serfs of the estate owner.
An interesting fact is that the “Heavenly Gate” has a lot in common with the arch, which is located in the ancient Roman city of Tuburbo Mayus (the current territory of Tunisia). It should also be noted that similar structures were found in other cities of the Roman Empire, but the gates mentioned earlier are best preserved.
Great Greenhouse Pavilion
Near the temple of Our Lady of Kazan, belonging to the Moscow diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, there are several greenhouses. In the 19th century, there was a well-developed horticultural economy. Here exotic fruits, vegetables and flowers were grown for that time. In greenhouses oranges, lemons and even bananas grew.
Separate greenhouses existed for various types of flowers, for example, there was a special rose garden where various types of roses were grown. Also engaged in the selection of flowers, trying to improve having varieties.
The image of the Kazan Mother of God
This icon is especially revered by Orthodox Christians. It bears such a name because it was acquired in the city of Kazan in 1579. The icon of the Kazan Mother of God is considered miraculous. Countless lists have been made from this image, which subsequently spread throughout the territory of present-day Russia and the former Soviet republics.
Very often, this face becomes the basis for the construction of a new church, such as the Church of Our Lady of Kazan in Uzky, in the Yasenevo district (Moscow). There are various options for creating lists, depending on the direction of the icon-painting schools.
By the will of fate, the image of the Kazan Mother of God was abroad. For a while she was in the Vatican, where she was transferred to the collector who acquired the icon. However, in 2004, the face of the Kazan Mother of God was solemnly handed over to the representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Amazing aura
The story of the Narrow wasteland is a unique example of how a manor is created out of nothing by human hands, which has many buildings for personal as well as spiritual needs.
People who came here note not only the unusual beauty and tranquility of the entire territory and the temple itself, but also the amazing aura of these places. The Church of the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God in Uzkoy sets up for good and allows you to see everything in a different light. Here they think about the eternal, leaving all worldly troubles beyond the threshold of the temple.
The interior of the church, as it were, returns a man a century ago, and he finds himself in a completely different place. When contemplating the facade of the temple, one feels the age of these walls and at the same time it surprises how competently and refinedly the architectural calculations were made and then realized.
Tourists who visited the Uzkoye estate note the beauty of its buildings, the temple of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, preserved sights, as well as beautiful nature. In summer, the estate is surrounded by green trees and shrubs. This place is definitely worth a visit, once in Moscow, it is unique and you cannot find another such piece of history anywhere.