Kazan Church in Zelenogorsk was erected in the 19th century. She has an unusual and interesting story. In addition to this temple, others belonging to various faiths are also located in the city. About churches in Zelenogorsk, their history, architecture and interesting facts will be discussed in this article.
Construction history
Kazan Church in Zelenogorsk is an architectural monument. Its history begins in 1880, when the merchant A.I. Durdin (an honorary resident of St. Petersburg) built a small wooden church on the land owned by him. The tent-shaped church was erected in the so-called northern style according to the project of the then-famous architect F.S. Kharlamov. The church had an area of more than 60 m 2 and reached a height of about 20 meters.
Consecration of the church
In early August 1880, the temple was consecrated in honor of the Kazan Icon of Our Lady. Services in the church were held only in the warm season, since it was summer.
Gradually, the number of pilgrims in the church increased and the need arose for its expansion. In 1894, the area of the temple was almost doubled. The author of the project was the architect J. F. Bruni. It was he who adorned the building with a beautiful bell tower, which had an old-Moscow style.
Four years later, the church was rebuilt, after which it was able to work in the winter, as well as receive more than a thousand parishioners.
Temple in the 20th century
The Kazan Church in Zelenogorsk in early December 1907 was destroyed by fire. During the discussion of the restoration of the temple, a question arose that grew into a dispute about the place of construction. It was proposed to build a church 500 meters from its old place. After much debate, it was decided to build a temple in a new place.
The new stone church in Zelenogorsk was laid in 1910. Two years later, the construction of the building was completed. The author of the project for the new church was the diocesan architect N. N. Nikonov.
The crosses of the temple were lined with red copper, and then decorated with gold of the highest standard. The church leaders were covered with aluminum powder, and they turned silver. The height of the new temple (along with the cross) was 49 meters. At the end of October 1913 the bells were raised. Their total weight was 14 tons.
Consecration and Interior
The interior of the church in Zelenogorsk was distinguished by luxury and beauty. The carved iconostasis was made of precious wood and decorated with gold leaf. At the end of October 1914, one of the small chapels in the name of Sergius of Radonezh was consecrated, and a year or two later - a small chapel in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Later, the iconostasis was made of marble and had three rows of icons, which were created by the talented Petersburg painter V. Bobrov.
It is an interesting fact that because of the chapel of St. Sergius of Radonezh, this church is called by mistake, however, its throne was consecrated in the name of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Also, this temple is confused with the church in Zelenogorsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), where the throne was consecrated in the name of Sergius of Radonezh. So one side chapel of the Kazan temple confused not only the names of the church, but even the cities.
An altar and a throne made of marble were installed in the Kazan Church; in addition to this, the church was presented with rich utensils, as well as church books. For the temple choir made a rich music library. In mid-July 1915, the main church chapel in the name of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God was consecrated.
Church address: Zelenogorsk, Leningrad Region, Primorskoye Shosse, 547. Divine services are held according to the schedule - from 10.30 to 19.00. In the great Orthodox holidays, the schedule is somewhat adjusted.
Temple architecture
Kazan Church in Zelenograd belongs to the category of many-headed temples. It has the Moscow-Yaroslavl style of temple architecture of the 16th century. The only deviation from this style is that inside the church does not have a bright painting, it is plastered, and then painted with white and blue paint. Externally, the temple resembles St. Basil's Cathedral, located in the capital of our country. This is not surprising, because they were built in the same architectural style.
Later they decided to paint the temple, but the First World War interfered. According to the initial project, the church was supposed to accommodate 800 parishioners, but in reality more than one and a half thousand people are accommodated here. The church is a real monument of history and architecture of federal significance and is under state protection.
Lutheran Temple
The Lutheran Church in Zelenogorsk was erected in 1908 according to the project of architect I. Stenbek. It has the standard architecture inherent in classic German Lutheran temples. She has a rectangular plan and a superstructure on the right side, exceeding the height of the main building. The church bell tower is located in it.
In the middle of the 20th century, the bell tower was destroyed, and after a few years the church was completely closed. Half a century later, the Lutheran church in Zelenogorsk was decided to be restored. However, the necessary funding was not available for a long period. In 2002, according to the project of A.V. Vasiliev and with the participation of engineer Grishina E.M., the church was restored, and the bell tower was recreated according to old drawings.
Friendship and cooperation
An interesting fact: the Kazan Church in 2008, when the Lutheran church was re-consecrated, donated funds for the purchase of utensils and furniture for the church (Lutheran church). Currently, the clergy of the two churches are closely cooperating and inviting each other to church holidays. This is a great example of how representatives of various faiths not only coexist peacefully, but also are friends.
The Lutheran Church is located at: Zelenogorsk, pr. Lenin, 13a. Church services are held on schedule, on Saturday - from 12.00 to 20.00, on Sunday - from 12.00 to 16.00.
Once in this beautiful city, you should definitely visit these churches. They will amaze you with the beauty and diversity of their architecture. These temples are completely different from each other, both outside and inside. However, each of them is beautiful in its own way. The contrast between the magnificent Orthodox decoration of the Kazan Church and the asceticism of the Lutheran church is very noticeable.
Having visited these amazing places with a rich history, you will definitely want to come here again to enjoy the beauty of the temple architecture.