In 1556, the pious inhabitants of Vologda had great joy: through their city the way from Moscow to Vyatka ran one of the most revered icons in Russia - the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, popularly known as Velikoretsky, as the place of its acquisition in 1383 was the bank of the Velikaya River. The history of one of the most famous Vologda churches today is connected with this shrine.
Icon visiting Vologda
A miraculous image was delivered to the capital a year earlier at the behest of Ivan the Terrible for updating and writing a copy from it. The way back to the shrine ran through a number of cities, including Vologda, where she was given a solemn meeting, after which the local icon painter created her list. The copy, like the original, was not slow to become famous for miracles.
The townspeople have commemorated the memory of such a significant event by the construction of a church in honor of St. Nicholas. In 1869, it was re-consecrated and, after renaming, gained fame as the Temple of Alexander Nevsky in Vologda. The reason that prompted the preference of the Russian saint to the Miracle Wonderworker will be discussed below.
Church on the limestone mountain
It is known that until the end of the XVIII century the church, which was the forerunner of the temple of Prince Alexander Nevsky now existing in Vologda , was wooden and once even changed its location. This happened in 1612, when, according to archival records, it was disassembled and transferred from the Old Bargaining - the area near the Ilyinsky Monastery - to the territory of the Kremlin. The new “place of registration” of the Vologda shrine was called “Lime”, and later - “Limestone Mountain”. Researchers believe that it owes such an unusual name to the reserves of this material that were stored there during the construction of the Kremlin towers and walls.
In historical documents drawn up earlier than the end of the XVIII century, there are very few references to the church of Alexander Nevsky located in Vologda. There is only a description dating back to 1627, which indicates that, in its architectural features, it belonged to the so-called Kola wooden temples. Their distinguishing feature was the high height, which created the illusion of the monumentality of the structure with a relatively small internal volume of the room. That is, the calculation of their creators was reduced solely to creating an external effect.
Another surviving document speaks of a terrible fire that completely destroyed the wooden predecessor of the future church of Alexander Nevsky. Vologda, like other Russian cities of that era, often became a victim of fire disasters, one of which befell it in 1698 and caused the death of St. Nicholas Church, and with it many other buildings.
Changeable fate of the temple
What prevented the rapid restoration of the temple is unknown. It is likely that the reason was the most common - lack of funds. But by 1782 they were found, and the building, burned down almost a century ago, was already rebuilt in stone. After the next two decades, the main throne was re-consecrated, this time in honor of the Miraculous Image of the Lord. Accordingly, the name of the temple itself has changed. Its interior was heated, divine services held all year round gathered a large number of parishioners, which ensured the flow of funds to the church cash desk.
However, this picture changed in the 20s of the 19th century, after the area in which the temple was located was given over to administrative buildings. Many of its residents left, the number of parishioners decreased, and at the same time, cash receipts fell significantly. In 1826, the situation became so complicated that, by order of the diocesan leadership, the Alexander Nevsky Church in Vologda (it was then called the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands) was declared impassable and assigned to the city cathedral. There, his few parishioners began to feed themselves.
Temple in honor of the patron saint of Alexander II
The beginning of a new page in the history of the temple was the events associated with the attempt on the life of Emperor Alexander II, committed on April 4, 1866 by the terrorist-Narodovoltsy Dmitry Karakozov. After waiting for the emperor to leave the gates of the Summer Garden, he shot him with a pistol, but missed. The failure that befell the attacker was publicly declared by God's grace, which granted the monarch deliverance from death.
The clergy performed thanksgiving prayers, and officials at all levels climbed out of their skin, competing in expressing loyal feelings. It was then that it was decided to devote the church on Limestone Mountain to the heavenly patron of the saved emperor - the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky. The temple in Vologda once again changed its name and, since the reason was purely political, it acquired a special status.
In the shadow of a double-headed eagle
The city authorities immediately found funds for its repair and reconstruction, which were then made with due care. The decoration and layout of the interior has changed a lot, and the old tent-bell tower has been demolished and a new one has been erected in its place - spike-like, on the model of which the one that adorns the building of the church today was created.
In 1910, the church of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky (Vologda) was transferred to the military department. This happened due to the fact that the infantry regiment of the same name was transferred to the city, which later distinguished itself in the battles of the First World War. From that time until the Bolsheviks came to power, he was the only Vologda regimental church.
Under the yoke of Soviet power
The tragic events that swept the country in 1917 and became the beginning of the persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church did not pass by Vologda. The church of Alexander Nevsky during the first seven years was under continuous pressure from the authorities, and then was completely closed.
The property located in it was partially nationalized, and the rest was simply plundered. For many years, the building itself passed from balance to balance of various state organizations. There was a time when a factory dormitory was located in it, then a warehouse, a ski base and even a city film distribution department. With the outbreak of war, he was transferred to one of the military units that equipped the barracks in it.
As a result of such misuse of the temple building, he suffered significant damage. In particular, the bell tower was completely destroyed and the dome cross, which was of great artistic value, was destroyed. Unrecognizable, the appearance of all its internal premises has changed.
Shrine revival
Some insight from the authorities came only in 1978. Then the disfigured and desecrated temple was recognized as an architectural monument and put under state protection by the order of the city executive committee. A year later, it was restored and given over to the museum of local lore. The complete transfer of the cult construction of the Russian Orthodox Church became possible only in 1997, when, in the wake of perestroika, the government’s policy regarding religion was radically changed.
The current state and schedule of services of the church of Alexander Nevsky in Vologda
Today the Vologda Church of St. Alexander Nevsky, located at: st. Sergei Orlov, d. 10, occupies a worthy place among other spiritual centers of the city. Under the direction of his rector, Archpriest Father George (Zaretsky), members of the clergy are conducting extensive work with parishioners aimed at feeding and catechizing them. Children, for whom a Sunday school and a number of circles are open in it, are also not disregarded. It should be noted and numerous charity events, regularly held in conjunction with representatives of other churches of Vologda.
Schedule of services held in the church of St. Alexander Nevsky: on weekdays, the Divine Liturgy is held at 7:00, and evening services begin at 17:00. On Sundays and public holidays, the temple opens its doors at 8:00 for morning services and at 17:00 for evening ones. Attending the divine services held in the church, parishioners have the opportunity to bow to its main shrines, including the famous Vologda Icon of the Mother of God, the image of St. Nicholas with his life, as well as particles of the relics of St. Blessed Matrona of Moscow.