Russia has always been famous for its beautiful temples and churches. Unfortunately, it was not possible to preserve all historical values to this day in decent condition. The reason for this is war, anti-religious movements and other factors. As a result, in almost every region of Russia you can find different destroyed churches. Their revival began not so long ago, which was greatly facilitated by the movement "Common cause". Temples in the northern part of our vast country attracted special attention of these caring people.
What is a “common cause”?
The essence of the project is the return and increase of ancient shrines. The indifferent members of this community paid special attention to the destroyed shrines of the north of Russia, but of course, other regions were not forgotten. The temples of the North, the revival of which began with the efforts of one grandfather from the village of Vorzogory, are now difficult to recognize.
The initiative group, created from people of various professions, blocks the roof, erects supports, repairs floors, belfries and other parts of buildings. Legality is a parameter that is also controlled by the participants in the Common Business project. They without fail discuss the revival of wooden temples of the North with the administration of a particular region. The following are seven temples that have fallen under restoration.
Temple of the ascension
The date of construction of this historically valuable object is considered to be the eighteenth century. There is a temple in the village of Bereznik. According to historical reports, it was built in due time using funds allocated from the treasury. According to the plan, the building was erected in a rectangular shape, with a roof delivered from Kletsk, and a belfry located right under the narthex. In its original form, the temple lasted less than a hundred years. In the thirties of the last century, his activities were suspended, which led to complete devastation. The revival movement of the wooden temples of the North breathed life into the building only in 2012. Thanks to the initiative group, work was carried out to strengthen and replace the roofing material. The bell tower was also reconstructed. On it were replaced coatings of a plank type and a new roofing material was lined. In addition to external changes, the restoration affected the interior of the temple.
Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
The construction of this temple ended in 1636. In the old days, the church was a real outlet for residents of local villages. The ringing bell ringing gave peace and pacification. The Bolsheviks at one time decided to demolish the domes of the church. Only one villager agreed to take on this matter. When he had to destroy a couple of the remaining domes, his house broke out with a burning flame. Desiring to save his home, the man threw everything and ran into the house. So from there he could not get out. Nobody touched the temple anymore, but they did not try to return it to its former beauty. And only in 2012, the participants in the project “Common cause” began work. The revival of the temples of the North on the Arkhangelsk land started successfully. Now in the church of St. Nicholas five domes flaunt, a new ceiling, as well as the newly constructed throne and altar.
Sretensko-Mikhailovsky Church
In this case, it is not just about the temple, but about the heritage of all wooden architecture, as a direction in art. Sretensko-Mikhailovsky Church was built by simple peasants from the village of Krasnaya Lyaga in 1655. Its feature was an unusual eight-sided shape with a three-sided gallery. At the end of the eighteenth century there was a multi-level restoration. Work was done to reduce the level of flooring, the outer skin was also changed in an eclectic style. For over a hundred years the church has not been repaired, like many temples in the North. The revival began in 2012. According to the results of the work performed, the building received new floorboards and other external and internal improvements.
Temple of the Life-Giving Trinity
The church was first built long before the eighteenth century. In 1874, the original building, which included two amazing churches and one sonorous bell tower, was almost completely damaged by the fire. On the site of the former tee, it was decided to erect a wooden temple. During the construction, belonging to the pseudo-Russian style was observed. In the thirties of the nineteenth century, this temple was finally closed. His revival was begun only in 2013. Thanks to the formed movement of activists, a thorough cleaning of the interior was carried out here, the roofing was partially repaired and all the holes that caused leaks were fixed. But the most important thing is that life was again breathed into the temple: a prayer service very important for religious buildings was held here.
Temple of the ascension
In Piyal in 1654 an incredibly joyful event took place. An amazingly beautiful church made of selected wood was erected here. The builders used tes as its sheathing, the roof was erected on a tent-like type, and in its form the structure resembles a cross. In 1982, on the initiative and thanks to sponsorship, the construction of the temple was supplemented by a wonderful refectory and important limits. Divine services were held until the mid-nineteenth century. Then silence fell in its walls. She received a new sound in 2011. The initiative group not only cleaned and partially restored the object of religious value, but also contributed to the holding of the Divine Liturgy within its walls.
All-Russian revival of destroyed temples
Despite the fact that the bulk of the work in the field of restoration of religious buildings falls on the northern part of the state, other regions also do not remain forgotten. The revival of temples in Russia is taking place not only among wooden structures. Also, the golden hands of restorers touched the following churches and temples:
- The Cathedral of Christ the Savior is the holiest place in Moscow. The reason for its construction was the news of the victory in the war of 1812.
- Theodore Church - St. Petersburg spiritual value. On the floorboards of this magical building the foot of the Romanov family stepped.
- Novodevichy Convent - the temple building is located in Moscow.
- Temple of the Renaissance (Bryansk) - preaches spiritual life through the gospel.
- The Church of St. John the Baptist is a Nizhny Novgorod place of spirituality and grace.
The rebirth of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior
At one time, precisely according to the design idea of Ton, this Temple was created. The rebirth of the temple had to be carried out after the then power in 1931 ruthlessly blew it up and simply wiped it off the face of the earth. After 60 years, not only the head of Moscow has changed, but also the attitude towards religion. So in the shortest possible time, as if by magic in its former place a new temple has grown. So much effort was given to the revival of the temple that in the end it turned out to be a truly proud and luxurious architectural structure. The year 2000 was very important for this holy place. It was during this period that the temple underwent the Greatest Consecration, which was conducted by His Holiness the Patriarch. The most laborious moment in the process of rebuilding the temple was the creation of its interior decoration. The main work was carried out through the forces of the Academy of Artists. Another undoubted advantage of this religious creation is its unusually charming acoustics. Its perfect sound was created by two-layer brickwork with maintaining an air gap between them. All sculptures in the temple are recreated by real professionals: members of the Russian Academy. It is worth noting that a number of creations of Russian sculptors are absolutely copyrighted.
Stages of restoration of the temple of Theodore Mother of God
The place on which the church was built was initially difficult. It was here that in the old days there was a man’s monastery. The construction of a new temple was planned for 1907. According to the plan, the finished building was to be erected in 1913. The deadlines seemed shortest, especially when you consider the fact that the first brick was able to be laid only in 1911. The cross was raised on time, but it was only four years later that it was possible to completely finish all the construction projects. The temple did not last long. Already in 1932 it was finally closed. The temple building was converted into a dairy and even the domes were demolished. The cathedral fell into the hands of the St. Petersburg diocese only at the beginning of the two thousandth. From that moment on, the revival began in kilometer steps. The temple was completely replaced by ceilings, paved with warm flooring, erected the former Royal stairs and installed a beautiful altar made of marble.
How the Novodevichy Convent was revived
In ancient times, when Smolensk was annexed to Russia, the construction of the Novodevichy Church began. Until the Time of Troubles, the temple was the venue for religious processions with the participation of rulers. But with the onset of this difficult period, ruin came to the monastery. For the first time, Princess Sophia thought about the restoration of this religious center. It was during her reign that the church was transformed and expanded. The Red Army again led the temple to decline. As a result, by the twenty-second year, the building was converted into the museum of the very Sophia. He existed for less than a year, turning into a museum repository. Monks first served in the Novodevichy Convent only in 1995. As for the full restoration with restoration, it was taken up only in 2004. It was in this year that the monastery was listed as a UNESCO heritage site. The revival of the temple is still ongoing. The planned completion date for the reconstruction is set for the end of 2018.
History of the Church of St. John the Baptist
January 1939 became fatal for the temple. A huge number of party members arranged a real pogrom within the walls of the church. After the ruin, religious services were no longer held here. The believer's foot has not stepped here for more than seventy years. But there were people in Russia who remembered their values. Thanks to their attentiveness, colossal restoration work was carried out in the walls of the temple. Thanks to sponsorship, the failed foundation was strengthened here, the domes were completely recreated and the wall was reinforced. The interior was also decorated with snow-white stucco and original paintings. Looking at the current state of the temple, it is difficult to imagine that recently it looked inappropriately.
Of particular importance is the fact that the temples described are not the only examples of reborn temples. There are more than a hundred such examples throughout Russia. The memory of their origins is the key to a successful future.