190 years ago, on April 17, 1818 (April 29, according to the new style), at 11 am, a son was born in the family of Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich and Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna. He was born and already by this he largely influenced the further course of Russian history. Emperor Alexander I, who had no sons, having learned from the appearance of an heir with his younger brother, decided to transfer the throne to Nicholas, and not to his brother Konstantin, who followed Alexander in seniority. This became one of the reasons for the interregnum at the end of 1825 and the reason for the Decembrist uprising.
“If the art of ruling consists in the ability to correctly determine the urgent needs of the era, to open a free outlet for viable and fruitful aspirations lurking in society, to pacify mutually hostile parties from the height of impartiality by the power of reasonable agreements, then it cannot be denied that Emperor Alexander Nikolayevich correctly understood the essence of his vocation in the memorable years of 1855-1861 of his reign.”
Professor Kiesewetter
Lavrov N.A. Emperor Alexander II the Liberator. 1868
(Artillery Museum, St. Petersburg)
Since 1826, Alexander's mentor was the famous Russian poet Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky. For six months, Zhukovsky developed a program for the education and upbringing of Alexander. The program did not allow concessions and indulgence. Emperor Nicholas regretted that he had not received the education necessary for the monarch, and decided that he would raise his son worthy of the throne. He entrusted the selection of teachers to the court poet, who once wrote heartfelt poems addressed to the mother of the newborn Alexander. There were lines like this:
May he meet an age full of honor!
Yes, there will be a glorious participant!
Yes, on a high line will not forget
The holiest of titles: human...
The purpose of education and training of the heir Zhukovsky proclaimed "education for virtue." Here is the routine of the usual school day "royally". You have to get up at six in the morning. After finishing the morning toilet, go to the palace chapel for a short prayer and only then - for breakfast. Then - textbooks and notebooks in hand: at seven in the morning the teachers are waiting in the classroom. Until noon - lessons. Languages - German, English, French, Polish and Russian; geography, statistics, ethnography, logic, the law of God, philosophy, mathematics, natural science, chemistry, physics, mineralogy, geology, national and general history... and even a course on the history of the French Revolution of 1789, banned in Russia. And, in addition, drawing, music, gymnastics, fencing, swimming, horseback riding, dancing, manual work, reading-declamation. In the afternoon - a two-hour walk, at two o'clock in the afternoon lunch. After lunch, rest, go for a walk, but at five in the evening - classes again, at seven - an hour, tasted for games and gymnastics. At eight - dinner, then - almost free time, in which nevertheless it is supposed to keep a diary; write down the main events of the day and your condition. At ten o'clock - sleep!
Alexander Nikolaevich Tsarevich in the uniform of a cadet. Engraving. 1838
Alexander Nikolaevich Tsarevich with mentor V.A. Zhukovsky. Engraving. 1850s
April 22, 1834 St. George's Hall and big church The Winter Palace were decorated in honor of Alexander Nikolaevich. The day of his coming of age is celebrated. From the Diamond Room they brought a "power" - a golden ball, showered with diamonds and the rarest precious stones, a scepter surmounted by the Orlov diamond (purchased in Europe for huge money, long before that it adorned the statue of Buddha in India), and on a red pillow - a golden crown. The solemn part ended with the singing of the imperial anthem "God Save the Tsar!" shortly before. On that day, an amazing precious mineral was mined in the Urals. In the sun, it was bluish-greenish, and under artificial lighting it became crimson-red. They called it alexandrite.
In 1841, Alexander married Princess Maximilian Wilhelmina Augusta Sophia Maria of Hesse-Darmstadt, in Orthodoxy Maria Alexandrovna (1824-1880). Children were born from this marriage: Nikolai, Alexander (future All-Russian Emperor Alexander III), Vladimir, Alexei, Sergey, Pavel, Alexandra, Maria. Alexander II ascended the throne on February 19, 1855, in an extremely difficult period for Russia, when the exhausting Crimean War was nearing its climax, during which economically backward Russia was drawn into an unequal military confrontation with England and France.
Kruger F. Portrait led. book. Alexander Nikolaevich, around 1840.
(State Hermitage, St. Petersburg)
Coronation celebrations were held in Moscow from 14 to 26 August 1856. For their holding, the Big and Small crowns, a scepter, orb, porphyry, crown signs of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, the State seal, a sword and a banner were delivered to the old capital.
For the first time in the history of the state, the ceremonial entry into Moscow was carried out not by a solemnly slow motorcade consisting of carriages, but quite modestly - by rail. On August 17, 1856, Alexander Nikolayevich, with his family and a brilliant retinue, drove along Tverskaya Street to the sound of numerous Moscow bells and the roar of artillery salute. At the chapel of the Iberian Mother of God, the tsar and the entire retinue got off their horses (the empress with the children got out of the carriage) and venerated the miraculous icon, after which they walked to the territory of the Kremlin.
Botman E.I. Portrait of Alexander II. 1856
Makarov I.K. Portrait of Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Alexander II. 1866
(State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg)
Timm V.F. The Most Holy Chrismation of Emperor Alexander II
during his coronation in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin on August 26, 1856
At the coronation, something happened that is commonly called a bad omen by the people. The old man M.D. Gorchakov suddenly lost consciousness and fell, dropping the pillow with the symbol. The spherical “power”, clanging, rolled on the stone floor. Everyone gasped, and only the monarch calmly said, referring to Gorchakov: “It doesn’t matter that he fell off. The main thing is that he stood firmly on the battlefields.
Alexander well understood that the crushing defeat of Russia in the last Crimean War, the fall of Sevastopol and the subsequent complete political isolation of Russia in Europe were a direct consequence of the disastrous domestic policy his father. Radical and immediate change was required. Already in 1856, Alexander II signed the Treaty of Paris with Turkey, and in 1861 he took one of the most significant domestic political steps in the history of the country - he abolished serfdom. While still the heir, Alexander Nikolaevich came to the conclusion that fundamental reforms of the existing system were necessary. Soon after the coronation, the new tsar, in his speech addressed to the nobles of the Moscow province, clearly said that serfdom could not be tolerated any longer. A secret committee was set up to develop a peasant reform, which in 1858 became the Main Committee.
Alexander II calls on the Moscow nobles to proceed with the liberation of the peasantry. 1857.
Engraving. Early 1880s
Emperor Alexander II, photo, mid-1860s
Lavrov N.A. Portrait of Emperor Alexander II in the cape of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment of His Majesty. 1860
(From the collection of the Regimental Museum until 1918, Tsarskoye Selo)
February 19, 1861, the day of accession to the throne, the "Regulations" on the liberation of the peasants were delivered to the Winter Palace. The manifesto about this act was compiled by the Metropolitan of Moscow Filaret (Drozdov). After an ardent prayer, the Sovereign signed both documents, and 23 million people received freedom. Then, judicial, zemstvo and military reforms follow one after another. Alexander approved the "Rules" about the Old Believers. Old Believer rumors, loyal to secular power, it was allowed to freely conduct worship, open schools, hold public positions, and travel abroad. In essence, the “schism” was legalized and the persecution of the Old Believers that took place under Emperor Nicholas I ceased. During the reign of Alexander II, the Caucasian War (1817-1864) was completed, a significant part of Turkestan was annexed (1865-1881), borders with China were established along the Amur and Ussuri rivers (1858-1860).
Sverchkov N.E. Wheelchair ride (Alexander II with children)
(Yaroslavl Art Museum, Yaroslavl)
Kustodiev B.M. Reading the manifesto (Liberation of the peasants). 1907
For the publication of I.N. Knebel "Russian history in pictures"
Thanks to Russia's victory in the war with Turkey (1877-1878) in order to assist fellow Slavic peoples in their liberation from Turkish yoke Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia gained independence and began their sovereign existence. The victory was won largely thanks to the will of Alexander II, who, during the most difficult period of the war, insisted on continuing the siege of Plevna, which contributed to its victorious end. In Bulgaria, Alexander II was revered as the Liberator. Sofia Cathedral is a temple-monument of St. blgv. led. book. Alexander Nevsky (heavenly patron of Alexander II).
The people greet the Tsar-Liberator on Palace Square, February 19, 1861, lithograph Rozhansky B.
The popularity of Alexander II reaches highest point. In 1862-1866, at the insistence of the emperor, a transformation of state control took place. In April 1863, the Imperial Decree "On the Limitation of Corporal Punishment" was issued. People called him the Liberator. It seemed that his reign would be calm and liberal. But in January 1863, another Polish uprising broke out. The flame of the uprising spreads to Lithuania, part of Belarus and the Right-Bank Ukraine. In 1864, the uprising was crushed, Alexander was forced to carry out a number of progressive reforms in Poland, but the authority of the king had already been undermined.
Svrchkov N.E. Portrait of Emperor Alexander II
(Museum-Estate "Ostankino", Moscow)
Alexander II has long lived under the tormenting sign of a prediction given as if even at his birth by the holy fool Fyodor. The incomprehensible, enigmatic words of Blessed Fyodor have been passed from mouth to mouth among the people for several decades now: "The newborn will be mighty, glorious and strong, but he will die in red boots." The first prophecy came true, as for the words about “red boots”, their meaning was still understood literally. Who could have imagined that the tsar's legs would be torn off by a bomb explosion, and he, covered with blood, would die in terrible agony a few hours after the diabolical assassination attempt.
Makovsky K.E. Portrait of Emperor Alexander II. 1860s
(Nizhny Novgorod Art Museum, Nizhny Novgorod)
Sons of Alexander II and photo of Alexander II's wife Maria Alexandrovna, 1856
Emperor Alexander II with his wife on the day of the 25th anniversary of marriage, 1866
Emperor Alexander II with his second wife, Catherine Dolgoruky and children
The first assassination attempt on Alexander II was made on April 4, 1866, during his walk in the Summer Garden. The shooter was 26-year-old terrorist Dmitry Karakozov. Shot almost point blank. But, fortunately, the peasant Osip Komissarov, who happened to be nearby, took the killer's hand away. Russia praised God with songs, who prevented the death of the Russian emperor. In June of the following year, 1867, the Russian emperor, at the invitation of Napoleon III, was in Paris, on June 6, when Alexander, in the same carriage with the French emperor, was driving through the Bois de Boulogne, the Pole A. Berezovsky shot the tsar with a pistol. But he missed. Seriously frightened, Alexander turned to the famous Parisian soothsayer. He did not hear anything comforting. Eight assassination attempts will be made on him, and the last one will be fatal. I must say, the people have already told a legend about how once, in his youth, Alexander Nikolaevich met with the famous ghost of the Anichkov Palace - the “White Lady”, who, in a conversation with him, predicted that the tsar would survive three assassination attempts. But eight?! Meanwhile, two of the assassination attempts predicted by the Parisian prophetess had already taken place by that time. The third will take place on April 2, 1869. The terrorist A. Solovyov will shoot at the tsar right on the Palace Square. Will miss. November 18, 1879 terrorists will blow up the canvas railway, along which the imperial train was supposed to follow, but he managed to pass earlier, before the explosion.
On February 5, 1880, the famous explosion in the Winter Palace, carried out by Stepan Khalturin, will take place. Several guard soldiers will be killed, but the king, by a lucky chance, will not suffer.
Dining room of the Winter Palace after the assassination attempt on Emperor Alexander II. Photo 1879
In the summer of the same year, the terrorists Zhelyabov and Teterka laid dynamite under the Stone Bridge across the Ekaterininsky Canal in the alignment of Gorokhovaya Street, but fate again turned out to be favorable to Alexander II. He will choose a different route. This will be the sixth assassination attempt on the king. New attempts were expected with constant unrelenting fear.
A couple of weeks before the last, fatal attempt on his life, Alexander drew attention to a strange circumstance. In front of the windows of his bedroom every morning several dead pigeons are lying around. Subsequently, it turned out that a kite of unprecedented size settled on the roof of the Winter Palace. The kite was barely able to be lured into a trap. The dead pigeons didn't reappear. But an unpleasant aftertaste remained. According to many, this was a bad omen.
Finally, on March 1, 1881, the last, ending martyrdom assassination attempt on the tsar-liberator. If we count the bombs thrown by the Narodnaya Volya Rysakov and Grinevitsky with an interval of several minutes as two assassination attempts, then the Parisian witch managed to predict the serial number of the latter. No one could understand how this whole state, huge and powerful, could not save one person.
Chapel erected on the site of the mortal wound of Alexander II. Designed by architect L.N. Benois
He died just on the day when he decided to set in motion the constitutional project of M. T. Loris-Melikov, telling his sons Alexander (the future emperor) and Vladimir: “I do not hide from myself that we are following the path of the constitution.” The great reforms remained unfinished.
At the beginning of 1881, the city duma created a commission to perpetuate the memory of Alexander II. Similar commissions were set up throughout the country. The scale of mourning events is evidenced by the materials of the report of the Technical Committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for 1888: monuments to Alexander II were erected in the Moscow Kremlin, in Kazan, Samara, Astrakhan, Pskov, Ufa, Chisinau, Tobolsk and St. Petersburg. Busts of Alexander II were erected in Vysheye Volochek, in the villages of the Vyatka, Orenburg, and Tomsk provinces.
Makovsky K. E. Portrait of Alexander II. 1881
After the assassination of Alexander II, the artist Konstantin Makovsky painted a portrait: the tsar and, next to him, a shaggy dog. The state in the form of a helpless dog did not look so powerful. It was said that another artist, Vasily Vereshchagin, saw the portrait and offered to name it: "The Dog Who Didn't Save the Tsar." The people were sure that the tsar was killed by the nobles "in revenge for the liberation of the peasants."
Makovsky K.E. Portrait of Alexander II on his deathbed. 1881
(State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow)
On the site of the assassination of the emperor in 1883, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ (“The Savior on Blood”) was erected - an outstanding architectural monument, one of the main shrines of St. Petersburg. According to the estimate, the state allocated 3 million 600 thousand silver rubles for the construction of the memorial temple. It was huge money for those times. However, the actual cost of construction exceeded the estimate by 1 million rubles. This million rubles for the construction of the memorial temple was contributed by the royal family.
The most famous Russian artists and architects took part in the construction and decoration of the temple with mosaics, frescoes and icons: Afanasiev, Bondarenko, Bruni, Bunin, Vasnetsov, Dmitriev-Orenburgsky, Zhuravlev, Nesterov, Parland, Ryabushkin and others. On three sides of the temple, on the outer walls, luxurious granite slabs are inserted at the height of human growth, on which inscriptions about the major events of the reign of the Tsar Liberator are engraved.
Through the western, massive, with silver chased gates, the worshiper enters the temple and sees a canopy in front of him at the place where the mortally wounded king fell. In the complete original preserved: part of the cast-iron lattice of the Catherine Canal, panel slabs and part of the cobblestone pavement with traces of the sovereign's blood. This place is surrounded by a lattice with four columns, covered on top with a tent topped with a cross.
Monument to Alexander II in the Kremlin
The monument was founded in 1893, consecrated and opened in 1898 in the presence of the imperial family and representatives of all classes of Russia. The composition of the monument is unusual: a tent canopy over the figure of the emperor, crowned with a double-headed eagle (the motif of the completion of the Kremlin towers), is surrounded on three sides by an arched gallery, the vaults of which were decorated with images of the rulers of Russia from St. Vladimir to Nicholas I. The entrances to the galleries are also marked with tents, the left one is crowned with the coat of arms of Moscow, the right one is crowned with the family coat of arms of the Romanov family. On the sides of the gallery there were descents to the Kremlin garden, from which a beautiful view of Moscow opened. The three-hipped composition of the monument organically fit into the existing ensemble of the Kremlin, the richness and elegance of decoration aroused the admiration of contemporaries. The monument was created by the sculptor A.M. Opekushin and the architects P.V. Zhukovsky and N.V. Sultanov. The monument has not survived to this day. The figure of the Tsar-Liberator was thrown off the pedestal in 1918, the canopy and gallery were finally dismantled in 1928.
In June 2005, a monument to Alexander II was solemnly opened in Moscow. The author of the monument is Alexander Rukavishnikov. The monument is set on a granite platform on the western side of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. On the pedestal of the monument there is an inscription “Emperor Alexander II. He abolished serfdom in 1861 and freed millions of peasants from centuries of slavery. He carried out military and judicial reforms. He introduced a system of local self-government, city dumas and zemstvo councils. He completed the long-term Caucasian war. He freed the Slavic peoples from the Ottoman yoke. He died on March 1 (13), 1881 as a result of a terrorist act.
Beautiful temple of St. Alexander Nevsky, built in neo-Russian style at the foot of Mount Darsan in Yalta.
In Crimea, before the revolution, there were three temples in honor of the holy prince-warrior. The very first one appeared in Feodosia in the century before last, for this a special decree of Emperor Alexander I was issued, then in Simferopol The long and difficult history of the cathedral in honor of Alexander Nevsky and only at the beginning of the last century in Yalta.
Saint Alexander Nevsky was the patron saint of the Russian emperors Alexander I, Alexander II and Alexander III. patron saint in Christian religion considered a saint, protecting individual person, temple, locality, people, country, representatives of certain professions. Among the glorious cohort of Russian saints, a worthy place is occupied by the Russian prince Alexander Nevsky, who is also heavenly patron Russian army. It is noteworthy that the orders of Alexander Nevsky existed both in tsarist Russia and in the times of the USSR, as well as in modern Russia.
On March 1, 1881, the Russian Emperor Alexander II (1818-1881) was assassinated. Temples and chapels in honor of Saint Alexander Nevsky, the heavenly patron of Emperor Alexander II, began to be built throughout the Russian Empire. It was believed that heavenly patrons protect the interests of the wards even after their death. Yalta did not stand aside from this process, already in July 1881 a chapel in honor of St. Alexander Nevsky appeared on the embankment Chapel under the spray of sea storms.
Most of the money for the construction of the chapel was allocated by Baron Andrei Lvovich Nil-Wrangel von Gubenshtal, who was the Yalta mayor from 1879 to 1888.
Time passed and the public of Yalta decided that the chapel in honor of the deceased emperor was not enough and it was necessary to build a temple. The committee for the construction of the temple met exactly 9 years after the death of Alexander II, on March 1, 1890. They found a place near the Livadia bridge, but the Yalta city government considered that the temple would not bring money to the treasury, and it was better to use the advantageous location near the bridge for commercial purposes. Baron Wrangel was no longer the mayor and could not influence the decision. Then he offered a plot of land that belonged to him free of charge at the opposite end of the city, where, as a result, the cathedral was built. On the next anniversary of the death of the emperor, the first stone was laid in the foundation of the temple, at the laying of which Empress Maria Alexandrovna was present. Emperor Alexander III did not object to the construction of a cathedral in memory of his father, but he refused to come to the memorial service and the stone-laying ceremony.
If Emperor Alexander II had not been killed by the Narodnaya Volya, then perhaps the next emperor of the Russian Empire would have been George the First, and not Alexander III. There were difficult times and relationships between people in the imperial family.
Initially, the heir to the throne was the eldest son of Emperor Alexander II, Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich (1843 - 1865). After Alexander II became emperor in 1855, Nikolai Alexandrovich began to prepare for the upcoming ascension to the throne. In 1861 and 1863 he made numerous trips to Russia, then in 1864 went to Europe, where he met the Danish princess Maria Sophia Friederike Dagmar and proposed to her. The engagement and betrothal took place. But he was not destined to become emperor - in April 1865, the crown prince died in Nice. So Russia did not receive Emperor Nicholas II earlier and in a different guise. The heir to the throne was Alexander Alexandrovich (the future Emperor Alexander III), who married the bride of his late brother a year and a half after his death and who became the Russian Empress Maria Feodorovna.
The wife of Emperor Alexander II, Empress Maria Alexandrovna (1824-1880), mother of Tsarevich Nicholas and Alexander, died of tuberculosis on the night of May 22, 1880. Usually crowned widowers and widows, after the death of their spouses, wore mourning for them for a year and did not marry. But Alexander II did not care about secular rules and on July 6, 1880, he married his longtime mistress (since 1866) Princess Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dolgorukova (1847-1922). The emperor and princess already had four illegitimate children, the eldest was George (1872-1913). On December 5, 1880, Princess Dolgorukova was granted the title of Most Serene Princess Yuryevskaya, which correlated with one of the family names of the Romanov boyars. All children were retroactively legitimized and received the surname Yuryevsky. But nevertheless, despite the decrees of the emperor, Catherine was the wife of the emperor, but not the empress according to the laws of the Russian Empire. Her children were not members of the imperial family and had no right to the throne.
When the future emperor Alexander II married Maria Alexandrovna, his mother, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, was categorically against marriage, because. the Danish princess was illegitimate, was the illegitimate daughter of the Grand Duchess of Hesse, Wilhelmina of Baden, and her chamberlain, Baron von Senarklein de Grancy. Her husband, Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse, recognized Mary as his child in order to avoid a scandal in a noble family. This story resurfaced after the new marriage of the emperor. At the same time, Alexander II did not hide that he wanted to make George the Grand Duke. After all, Georgy was a Rurikovich, and Alexander Alexandrovich, through his mother, was only a descendant of some outbred Swiss. Rumors spread throughout the empire that the emperor had given instructions to study the materials of the circumstances of the ascension to the imperial throne of Catherine the Great, who was not of noble birth.
But before Alexander II had time to make Catherine the Empress, and even to transform the monarchy into a constitutional one, the Narodnaya Volya people killed him. Unlucky contenders for the Russian imperial throne, if their name is Princess Ekaterina Dolgorukova. A century and a half earlier, on November 30, 1729, the Russian Emperor Peter II became engaged to Princess Ekaterina Alekseevna Dolgorukova (1712-1747). The wedding was scheduled for January 19, 1730, but on this day Emperor Peter II died.
When, after the death of his father, Alexander III became emperor, Princess Yuryevskaya felt uncomfortable within the Russian Empire and she left with her children for France, to a villa near Nice.
The attitude of Alexander III to his mother and father was completely different: “If there is something good, good and honest in me, then this I owe only to our dear dear Mom ... Mom constantly took care of us, prepared for confession and fasting; by her example and deeply Christian faith she taught us to love and understand Christian faith as she herself understood. Thanks to Mama, we, all the brothers and Marie, became and remained true Christians and fell in love with both the faith and the church. How many conversations there were of the most diverse, heartfelt; Mom always listened calmly, gave time to express everything and always found something to answer, reassure, scold, approve, and always from a lofty Christian point of view ... We loved and respected Dad very much, but he, by the nature of his occupation and overwhelmed with work, could not deal with us as much as dear, dear Mom. I repeat once again: I owe everything, everything to Mom: both my character and what I have!
On the territory near the cathedral there are several stands with various information. On one of them is a list of those who "made their disinterested contribution to the reconstruction of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral through labor and donations."
But those who contributed money for the construction of the cathedral are not here. In the memory of the descendants, only the names of Major General Bogdan Vasilyevich Khvoshchinsky and the wine merchant I.F. Tokmakov 1000 rubles, and the names of ordinary Yalta residents who donated money have not been preserved.
The first project of the temple, created by Karl Ivanovich Ashliman (1808 - 1893), was not liked by the crowned family. The second project, created by the two chief architects of Yalta, the current Platon Konstantinovich Trebnev (1841 - 1930s) and the future Nikolai Petrovich Krasnov (1864 - 1939), was approved. The temple began to be built and this process dragged on for 11 years. But on the consecration of the temple on December 1, 1902, Emperor Nicholas II arrived with his wife and a large retinue.
The icons for the temple were made in Mstera, Vladimir province.
For the bell tower of the cathedral, 11 bells were cast in Moscow, the main bell weighed 428 pounds. The bells were a gift from the Crimean wine merchant and philanthropist N.D. Stakheeva Dacha of a patron of the arts - the prototype of Kisa Vorobyaninov. Anton Pavlovich Chekhov spoke warmly about the bell ringing of the new cathedral: "Here, in Yalta, there is a new church, big bells are ringing, it's nice to listen, because it looks like Russia"
There are two mosaic icons on the bell tower: St. Zosima of Solovetsky (date of birth unknown - 1478) - one of the founders of the Solovetsky Monastery and St. Archippus, one of the seventy apostles.
On the southeast side of the temple, in a granite icon case with an onion, there is a mosaic icon of St. Alexander Nevsky by the Venetian artist Antonio Salviati.
Inside the cathedral was designed by the architect S.P. Kroshechkin and the artist I. Murashko.
The temple was conceived as the Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky, but, as is often the case in the Crimea, there are two temples in it.
The upper one is in the name of Alexander Nevsky (for 1200 people), the lower one is in the name of St. Artemy (for 700 people), the church honors this saint on October 20, and on this day Emperor Alexander III died. It turned out that the cathedral was built in memory of one emperor, and after construction it turned out to be dedicated to two emperors, father and son. At the consecration of the temple, the emperor, grandson and son were present.
In June 1918, the wife of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, Anna Grigoryevna, was buried in the lower church. She was buried in the cemetery in Alupka, and only many years later her ashes were transferred to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg, where F.M. Dostoevsky. In the same 1918, the inhabitants of Yalta hid from shelling within the walls of the cathedral.
There are several separate buildings on the territory of the cathedral. In one is a church shop.
A three-story building for a parochial school.
It was built in 1903-1908. In addition to the school, there was a large assembly hall for the Alexander Nevsky Brotherhood and a shelter for weak-chested patients. The school was named after Tsarevich Alexei.
Approximately at the same time as the school building, a two-story clergy house was built, reminiscent of an ancient Russian tower.
The temple was closed between 1938 and 1942, the bells were removed and the temple housed a sports club. During the German occupation, services were resumed and continue to this day. But the domes again shone with gold only in 2002.
After the temple was closed, the Teacher's House was located in the school building. The resumption of services in the church did not automatically return the school building; it was returned only in 1995.
When you go to the temple from the embankment, you need to go through a small underground passage under Kirov Street, but this is not scary at all. The temple is worth seeing up close.
Golden domes of the main Orthodox Cathedral Yalta is impossible not to notice when walking along one of the most picturesque streets of the city - Sadovaya. The Cathedral of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky is not only one of the most beautiful churches in the Crimea, it is also a monument national history associated with the names of three Russian emperors.
By the whole world
The construction of the golden-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Yalta is associated with the tragic death of the Russian Emperor Alexander the Liberator, who died at the hands of the People's Will. In honor of the tenth anniversary of the death of Alexander II, the Yalta people's community decided to perpetuate his memory by building a new cathedral. At that time, churches were built throughout Russia in honor of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky, who was the heavenly patron of the Romanov dynasty. This idea was supported by Emperor Alexander III. With his blessing, on March 1, 1890, a construction committee was established, headed by the famous engineer and scientist A.L. Berthier-Delagard. The composition also included thirty respected Yalta residents: among them, Prince V.V. Trubetskoy, Count N.S. Mordvinov, baron chamberlain, engineer A.L. Wrangel, Privy Councilor P.I. Gubonin, Dr. V.N. Dmitriev, famous architects P.K. Terebenev and N.A. Stackenschneider. Funds for the construction were collected from all over the world. Significant sums were donated by noble townspeople B.V. Khvoshchinsky and I.F. Tokmakov, and a plot of land for construction was presented by Baron A. L. Wrangel. The ebb of the bells for the temple, which took place in Moscow, was paid for by the Crimean wine merchant and philanthropist N.D. Stakheev. As a result, the belfry was decorated with 11 bells, one of which weighed 428 pounds, which is more than 6 tons.
The initial project was developed by the architect K. I. Ashliman. However, this option was not approved. The sovereign noted that "there was little Russian element" in it. On the contrary, the project of the well-known architect in the Crimea P. K. Terebenev was to everyone's taste. A two-tier, five-domed building, equipped with a three-tier bell tower, generously decorated with open outdoor galleries and an abundance of colorful Russian patterns in the form of pilasters, porches, hearts and icon cases - this is how the future temple appeared in the latest version. It was decided to build something fabulously beautiful in the old Russian style.
The implementation of the implementation of the plan and the general management of the construction were taken over by the military engineer, the builder of the Yalta pier A.L. Berthier-Delagard. Construction supervision was entrusted to the famous architect N.P. Krasnov.
It took more than 10 years to build. During this time, two floors were built, which included two churches: the lower one in the name of the Holy Great Martyr Artemy, and the upper, main one, in the name of Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky.
The extraordinary beauty of the external appearance of the temple was not inferior to its interior decoration. The best craftsmen were invited to carry out murals and mosaics. In 1901, an all-Russian competition was held, the winner of which was entrusted with the design of the Holy of Holies Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The first place was taken by the architect S.P. Kroshechkin. The iconostasis was made according to the designs of N.P. Krasnov, painting of the dome and walls in the Byzantine style was done by Kiev artist I. Murashko. On the outer side of the temple, in a granite frame-kiot, a mosaic panel with the image of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky was placed. This filigree work was done by the students of the Venetian master Antonio Salviati.
And so, after a long and painstaking work, the miracle church was ready. In December 1902, Emperor Nicholas II himself, along with his retinue, arrived to illuminate it. It was a significant event for the Crimea, which brought together a huge number of people. The rite of illumination was conducted by Archbishop Nikolai, who was assisted by the archpriest cathedral Nazarevsky, Archpriest Ternovsky and Yalta priests Serbinov, Shchukin, Krylov and Shcheglov.
“The construction of the temple was excellent, fundamental, durable and stylish: the Russian style is remarkably well maintained,” such was the opinion of the selection committee and all those present and those who saw the new Yalta shrine for the first time. Empress Maria Feodorovna was unable to attend the ceremony, but she sent a telegram that read: “I rejoice with all my heart at the consecration of the cathedral, at the laying of which I was present in 1891, remembering all those who worked at its foundation and thinking with joy about the prayers that from now on will be offered up for everyone in it.” Later, the newspapers will write: “Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna kissed the holy cross, then the emperor lit the lamp. Then a procession was made around the cathedral and to the lower church for the holy gifts. After the liturgy, all the clergy went to the middle of the temple and proclaimed many years to the House of Romanov, and then eternal memory Emperors Alexander II and Alexander III, Empress Maria Alexandrovna and Grand Duke George Alexandrovich, who died in the Caucasus ... ".
Later, a two-story clergy house was built next to the temple, resembling a Russian tower. Its author was M.I. Kittens. In 1903-1908, another three-story building was built on the church grounds; there was an assembly hall for the Alexander Nevsky Brotherhood. It also housed a parochial school named after Tsarevich Alexei and a shelter for people suffering from lung diseases. The first archpriest of the cathedral was Alexander Yakovlevich Ternovsky, who had previously served in the church of St. John Chrysostom.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral has become a favorite place of the Crimeans. In one of the letters of A.P. Chekhov described the cathedral as follows: "Here, in Yalta, there is a new church, big bells ring, it's nice to listen, because it looks like Russia." Both on holidays and in sorrowful moments, the doors of the church were open to people. Here they were baptized, married, held funeral services.
Troubled times
The temple shared the suffering and sorrows of its parishioners in the hard times of the revolution and civil war. Like an island surrounded by a raging ocean, it has become a refuge and consolation for the afflicted. The cathedral guarded, supported the faith, protected the lives of people. In 1918, during the shelling of Yalta, residents of the city hid within its walls.
During the revolution, the building survived, but not all of the rich decoration. Under shouts: "religion is an opium for the people!", the bells were unceremoniously thrown down and sent to be melted down. In 1938, the cathedral was closed, and a sports club was organized in its building. It is still unknown where the iconostasis is located. Later, its reconstruction was carried out according to photographs from the personal archive of the architect N.P. Krasnov.
Services were resumed in 1942. In the post-war years, an outstanding doctor, philosopher and theologian, now known as St. Luke, confessor, Archbishop of Crimea (V.F. Voyno-Yasenetsky), served in the cathedral, and since the beginning of the 50s, his associate and friend, Mitred Archpriest Mikhail Semenyuk, was the rector.
In 2002, Crimeans celebrated the 100th anniversary of the consecration of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. By this significant date, with the blessing of Metropolitan Lazar of Simferopol and Crimea, with the participation of the city mayor's office, as well as the heads of all health resorts and enterprises of Big Yalta, entrepreneurs and ordinary people, work on the gilding of the domes of the temple was completed and the restoration of the iconostasis painting was carried out. In 2005-2006, with the direct participation of parishioners and city authorities, the facade of the cathedral was restored. Currently in the cathedral, as in the old good times, services are performed. Since 1995, a general education school has been operating at the temple, in which about 100 children study.
SIMFEROPOL, April 13 - RIA Novosti (Crimea). Every year people come to Crimea to see the ancient shrines with their own eyes and pray to sacred places. And there are plenty of those on the peninsula. Dozens of temples, many of which are unique in their own way, keep the memory of old days and famous personalities.
In anticipation of a significant Christian holiday- Easter - RIA Novosti (Crimea) has compiled the TOP-10 Orthodox churches of Crimea, which are visited with pleasure not only by local residents, but also by pilgrims from different countries.
One of the most ancient temples of Crimea
The erected church exceeded 30 meters (together with the cross), the thickness of the walls was a meter, and the interior was striking in its splendor. In the 1920s, the temple was closed, and during the Great Patriotic Wars he was destroyed. Restoration began only in the 1990s.
In 1941-1942, the cathedral housed a hospital. After the Great Patriotic War, an archive was equipped in it. Restoration of the temple began in 1966, but the former appearance was returned only two decades later. Divine services in the temple resumed in 1991.
The cathedral is located in two tiers: at the bottom is the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, at the top - the Church of Prince Vladimir. Four memorial plates with the names of the admirals and the dates of their life are built into the walls of the northern and southern facades. At the same time, their burials, located in the lower church, are united by a common tombstone in the form of a large marble cross.
Annual memorial services are held here for the sailors who died during the years of the first and second defense, the crews of the Kursk submarine and the Varyag cruiser, as well as Soviet soldiers who fell in Afghanistan.
The highest temple of Crimea
On the coast in the village of Malorechenskoye (Alushta region) there is an elegant lighthouse temple. It is considered the highest cathedral in Crimea - its height reaches 65 meters. The temple, created in honor of all those who died on the waters, was built in 2006, and two years later it was solemnly consecrated.
On each of the four sides of the façade of the church, the shape of a large cross is carved into which the image of the saint is inscribed. The height of this panel is 15 meters. In addition, anchors and anchor chains were used in the design of the church, and the interior paintings are dedicated to Nicholas of Myra.
At the same time, a gazebo in the form of the "Flying Dutchman" is equipped above the cliff on the territory of the temple. Tourists like to relax and take pictures here.
In 2009, another unique Crimean object began to work at the cathedral - the Museum of Water Disasters. It consists of 17 small rooms, each of which is dedicated to resonant tragedies that occurred in the seas and oceans.
Venue of Saint Luke
One of the main temples of Simferopol is the Holy Trinity Cathedral. It is located in the city center on the territory of the convent of the same name, and you can recognize it by its blue domes with openwork crosses and a mosaic pattern on the facade.
The history of the temple begins in 1796, when a wooden church for the Greeks was erected on the site of the modern cathedral. He is known for the fact that the relics of the Crimean saint are stored here - who was a doctor of medical sciences, a healer and a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church. The icon is also kept in the temple. Mother of God"Grieving". In 1998, it was miraculously updated, after which procession it was carried across the entire peninsula. Since then, the icon has become an all-Crimean shrine.
It is worth noting that the monastery also has a museum, a bakery, workshops, a Sunday school and a bishop's choir.
Temple in neo-Russian style
It is considered one of the most beautiful temples. Its construction was inextricably linked with the Russian Imperial House and was carried out from 1891 to 1902.
The temple is built in the neo-Russian style, decorated with various decorative elements (pilasters, hearts, portals, etc.). At the same time, white and pink tones and golden domes give the church a festive look. However, despite the elegant decoration, the temple is a monument in honor of Emperor Alexander II, who died at the hands of the People's Will.
At one time, this cathedral also experienced a period of oblivion. So, in 1938 it was closed, and a sports club was organized inside. Divine services in the cathedral resumed in 1942 and have not stopped since then.
Today there is a school at the cathedral, there is a children's choir.
In memory of the rescue of the family of Emperor Alexander III
On a sheer cliff 412 meters high in the southern coastal village, since 1892, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ has been rising. The church with black domes was built in memory of the rescue of the royal family on the railroad in 1888. According to history, a train wrecked here, in which Emperor Alexander III and his relatives rode. At the same time, the ceiling of the car began to collapse, but the head of state, who had great physical strength, held it until the whole family got out of the train.
In 1929, the church was looted, during the Great Patriotic War it served as a refuge for the border guards of the Foros frontier post. In peacetime, a restaurant first worked in the temple, then a warehouse was equipped here. The cathedral was returned to the Orthodox Church only in 1990.
In 2004, restoration work was carried out here: the facade was updated, the mosaic floor was repaired, the stained-glass windows were replaced, the heating system was replaced, the internal walls were painted, and the fence was restored.
Today, the Foros temple is not only a place for worship, but also one of the favorite places for tourists. After all, picturesque panoramic views open from the rock on which the church stands.
Cave temple on the outskirts of Bakhchisarai
In the mountains on the outskirts of Bakhchisarai, the Holy Assumption appeared several centuries ago. monastery. Ancient monks built several temples here, including in the rocks. It is they who attract here every year - people go to the monastery to pray in cave temple, as well as admire unusual buildings and beautiful nature.
It is known that during the years of the Crimean and Great Patriotic Wars, there was a hospital on the territory of the monastery, and soldiers and officers who fell in battles were buried in the holy lands. Also here for several years there was a colony for the disabled. In addition, the monastery was devastated and survived years of neglect.
Recently, construction work has been actively carried out on its territory. So, four churches, the rector's house, a bell tower and a staircase have already been restored, a spring has been equipped. In addition, two new temples are being built here.
Near the mosque
The Orthodox one in Evpatoria can be called a unique Crimean temple. During its existence, it was rebuilt several times (the first building was erected in the 18th century), and also destroyed twice - in the years. In Soviet times, the church was either closed or reopened. Today, it is considered the likeness of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople and can simultaneously accommodate up to 2 thousand people.
The temple has a concrete dome with a diameter of 18 meters and three altars: in the name of St. Nicholas of Myra, St. Prince Alexander Nevsky and Apostle James of Zebedee.
The cathedral is located in the historical part of Evpatoria and is included in the tourist route "Little Jerusalem". Next to it is the medieval mosque Juma-Jami. Also not far from the temple are the Egie-Kapai synagogue, the prayer house of the Krymchaks, Karaite kenasses, Armenian church St. Nicholas and other interesting objects.
Picturesque church in honor of St. Catherine
In Feodosia, between the bus station and the railway station, there is a majestic church in the name of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine. Built in the traditions of the 17th century, the cathedral is a picturesque architectural monument. The laying of the future shrine took place in 1892 on his birthday.
The snow-white temple with lancet windows is crowned with bright green domes. The walls of the cathedral stand on a high plinth and are separated by columns at the corners. The plan of the temple is based on the Greek cross.
In 1937 the church was closed and turned into a warehouse. However, four years later it was reopened. In the early 2000s, a major overhaul was carried out here, new facilities were built, including Sunday school, methodical office, library and hotel.
A little about the monuments and temples in honor of Alexander II. The history of the Ryazan temple, founded in honor of the Tsar-Liberator.
130 years ago, Emperor Alexander II (1818-1881) died at the hands of terrorists.
In memory of the murdered Sovereign, monuments were erected in Russia.
Thus, the famous sculptor A.M. Opekushin erected monuments to Alexander II in Moscow (1898), Pskov (1886), Chisinau (1886), Astrakhan (1884), Czestokhov (1899), Vladimir (1913), Buturlinovka (1912), Rybinsk (1914) and other cities of the empire. Each of them was unique; according to estimates, “the Czestochowa monument, created with donations from the Polish population, was very beautiful and elegant.” Alas, after 1917, most of those created by Opekushin were destroyed.
The Bolsheviks barbarously destroyed monuments to the Tsar-Liberator throughout the country. Now that the merits of the Sovereign Emperor Alexander II have been assessed, Russia is trying to revive the destroyed monuments.
Divers could not find at the bottom of the Volkhov in Veliky Novgorod a monument to Emperor Alexander II thrown into the river by the communists. The object, which was mistaken for a monument during hydroacoustic scanning of the bottom in 2004, turned out to be a bizarre pile of logs.
A stone monument to Alexander II was erected on the Trade Side of Novgorod at the end of the 19th century. In May 1920, the participants of the communist subbotnik threw the monument into the Volkhov.
(from here)
The monument to the Sovereign in Moscow has its own history. On May 14, 1893, in the Kremlin, next to the Small Nikolaevsky Palace, where Alexander was born (opposite the Chudov Monastery), a monument to him was opened (the work of A.M. Opekushin, P.V. Zhukovsky and N.V. S Ultanov). The emperor was sculpted standing under a pyramidal canopy in a general's uniform, in purple, with a scepter; a canopy made of dark pink granite with bronze ornaments was crowned with a gilded patterned hipped roof with a double-headed eagle; in the dome of the canopy was placed a chronicle of the life of the king. On three sides, a through gallery adjoined the monument, formed by vaults resting on columns.
In the spring of 1918, the sculptural figure of the king was thrown off the monument. During the demolition of the monument, the bald, bloody little Lenin, seething with anger, threw a rope around the neck of the sculpture ... The monument was completely dismantled in 1928.
But historical justice has triumphed. In June 2005, a monument to Alexander II was solemnly opened in Moscow. The author of the monument is Alexander Rukavishnikov. The monument is set on a granite platform on the western side of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. On the pedestal of the monument is the inscription: "Emperor Alexander II. He abolished serfdom in 1861 and freed millions of peasants from centuries of slavery. He carried out military and judicial reforms. He introduced a system of local self-government, city dumas and zemstvo councils. He completed the long-term Caucasian war. He freed the Slavic peoples from the Ottoman yoke. He died on March 1 (13), 1881 as a result of a terrorist act.
Those monuments that were located abroad were more fortunate.
For example, in Bulgaria Alexander II is known as the Tsar Liberator. His manifesto of April 12 (24), 1877 declaring war on Turkey is studied in the school history course. The Treaty of San Stefano on March 3, 1878 brought freedom to Bulgaria, after five centuries of Ottoman rule that began in 1396.
And to this day in Bulgaria during the liturgy in Orthodox churches, during the Great Entrance of the Liturgy of the Faithful, Alexander II and all Russian soldiers who fell on the battlefield for the liberation of Bulgaria in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878 are commemorated.
Grateful Bulgarian people He erected many monuments to the liberator Tsar and named streets and institutions in his honor throughout the country.
Monument to the Tsar Liberator in Sofia
In the capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland, Helsingfors, on Senate Square, in front of the Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral, on April 17, 1894, a monument to Alexander II, the work of Walter Runeberg, was opened, cast according to the model of the sculptor Takanen. With the monument, the Finns expressed their gratitude for strengthening the foundations of Finnish culture and, in particular, for recognizing the Finnish language as the state language.
Monument to Alexander II on the Senate Square in Helsinki
I remember once a friend showed me pictures he took in Helsinki. And he was very surprised when I explained to him that in one of the pictures he captured the monument to Emperor Alexander II ...
Temples became a kind of monument to the Sovereign Liberator.
For example, in St. Petersburg, on the site of the death of the tsar, the Church of the Savior on Blood was erected with funds collected throughout Russia. The cathedral was built by order of Emperor Alexander III in 1883-1907 according to the joint project of the architect Alfred Parland and Archimandrite Ignatius (Malyshev), and consecrated on August 6, 1907 - the day of the Transfiguration.
A temple was built in Ryazan - in honor of the miraculous salvation of the Sovereign from an assassination attempt. But while the temple was being built, the terrorists still killed Emperor Alexander II. And the Ryazan temple became one of the first temples in memory of the murdered Sovereign.
On August 30, 1879, in the Ryazan suburban Trinity Sloboda, a church was laid in the name of St. Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky. His Grace Vasily, Bishop of Mikhailovsky, Vicar of Ryazan, expressed his thought in the following words:
“With the prayerful invocation of God’s blessing, the foundation of the temple of God was laid among the peasant dwellings ... The construction of the temple being begun in the local area, in addition to the desire to have the most convenient satisfaction of their spiritual needs in it, was undertaken by the pious inhabitants of this area and with the aim of perpetuating in posterity the memory of the manifestation of God’s greatest mercy to the Russian people in the miraculous salvation of the precious life of our beloved Monarch, the most pious Sovereign Emperor Alexander and Nikolaevich at the hands of a vile villain. Therefore, this temple is being built with the highest permission, dedicated to the name of St. Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky. The foundation of this temple is decently laid on the day of the namesake of His Majesty.
And in his speech, the bishop also touched upon the idea that the residents of the suburban settlement of Ryazan, concerned about the future of their children, decided to build this temple in this place without anyone's instructions. “With a sense of common sense, they assume that their children are in danger (how right they were!) - and so they rush to avert this disaster, create God's temple in which their children would learn to fear God and honor the king…”
The temple in Trinity Sloboda was conceived in honor of the miraculous rescue of Emperor Alexander II, which took place on April 2, 1879. The story of the tragedy and miraculous salvation of the sovereign is as follows. Alexander II, as always, took a walk in the morning near the Winter Palace. Suddenly, an unknown person, who unexpectedly appeared, grabbed a revolver and fired several shots at the sovereign. Fortunately, the bullets did not hit the anointed of God - the sovereign remained alive this time, and the attacker was caught. “Why this time?” you ask. Yes, because six attempts were made on the life of the sovereign. The last, committed in 1881, ended his life.
“Before the mind’s eye,” wrote I.S. Aksakov during the days of people’s mourning for Tsar Alexander II, the liberator of the peasants: “the bloody image of the Tsar, kind, meek, complacent, killed in broad daylight, is steadily standing ... On a tight police sleigh they are carrying him, the first man of the Russian land, already half dead, with his head naked, bowing from weakness, they are carrying the liberator of millions of his people and foreign peoples, who gave the whole of Russia a new life, bestowed such a scope of life that she had not yet known ... It becomes shameful and ashamed for a Russian to look at the light of God. It is as if someone committed a public outrage over us, publicly shamed us with the most shameless shame, and we, defiled, stand before the whole world, before that world where everywhere the name of the deceased is honored with reverence ... "
Almost 5 years have passed since the foundation of the temple in Ryazan and 2 years since the last assassination attempt on the emperor and his tragic, terrible death. And on September 8, 1884, His Grace Feoktist (Popov), Bishop of Ryazan and Zaraisky, consecrated “in the Novoaleksandrovskaya (Troitskaya, also) settlement, a temple rebuilt by the inhabitants of the settlement in memory of the deliverance from the danger of life in Boz by the late Sovereign Emperor Alexander II, a stone church in the name of the Most Holy Trinity.”
This celebration was attended by the rector of the Ryazan Trinity Monastery, Archimandrite Vladimir (Dobrolyubov), the Cathedral Archpriest H. Romansky, the rector of the seminary, Archpriest John Smirnov, as well as a large number of archpriests of monasteries and churches in Ryazan. This temple was special, which was emphasized more than once in the speeches of the speakers. The consecration was completed with the solemn words of the priest John Alyakrov. The temple was not yet completely ready, and the main celebrations were envisaged in the future. But this day turned out to be bright.
In a solemn speech, the speaker expressed the hope that the inhabitants of the settlement would soon be able to see the temple completely finished with two more thrones in the name of the Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. “Sincere love for the sovereign will not allow the construction of this sacred monument to be left unfinished,” the speaker said in conclusion.
And on November 23, 1884, on the feast of Christmas Holy Mother of God His Grace Feoktist (Popov) has already consecrated two new limits. On the occasion of such a celebration, the settlement, which was called Trinity, because. Adjacent to the Trinity Monastery, by the Highest command, it became known as Novo-Aleksandrovskaya from March 31, 1883.
"Ryazan Diocesan Gazette" noted that the newly consecrated church in its historical significance was the first church in Russia - a monument to the salvation of the emperor. That is why the celebration turned out to be grandiose for Ryazan.
The consecration took place in the presence of a large number of people, troops and clergy. Orthodox flocked to the temple from all over Ryazan and local villages. According to the testimonies of eyewitnesses who left their unforgettable impressions on the pages of the REV, two excellent choirs accompanied the celebration of the consecration, which was conducted by Vladyka himself. After the liturgy there was a concert and many good and kind words were said to the builders and beautifiers of the temple. Everyone could not accommodate in the temple, although it was very spacious.
At the end of the service, the troops were offered refreshments, which were accompanied by music and the singing of folk hymns. The guests of honor were invited to a festive dinner at the house of the chairman of the committee for the construction of the church, the merchant of the 1st guild, Pavel Alexandrovich Khrushchev, who put a lot of effort into building this church.
The inhabitants of the Alexander Nevsky Sloboda were offered refreshments on the square near the newly consecrated church. The author of the article was not talking about the reckless fun that the reader of these lines might imagine. It was about the high spiritual triumph that was discussed, about genuine patriotism and love for Russia and the sovereign. You can thank the author of the lines - he stopped not only on the outside of the holiday and the high spiritual upsurge of the Russian people. He led us inside the temple, the temple, which, unfortunately, no longer exists.
“At the entrance to the temple, it amazes everyone with its majestic structure, the elegance of the carved wooden iconostasis, the beautiful expressive painting of icons and, most importantly, the completeness and completeness of the idea that the builders and experienced leaders tried to express in it .... Without words, he more eloquently than any words expresses the idea, which can be formulated in the following words: "Fear God, honor the Tsar, and keep the church statutes."
On the left side of the western doors, everyone was struck by the picture of the crucifixion of Christ the Savior, on the right side - the removal from hell of the righteous who were there before the Resurrection. On a high place in the depths of the altar, an image of the Risen Christ was made on the canvas, and on the dome above the throne itself, where the gaze of the worshiper could not penetrate, there was an image of the Lord of Hosts. The temple was arranged in such a way that it immediately embraced the iconostasis of all three limits.
In each limit, the icons were arranged in such a way as to perpetuate the events that occurred with the Tsar-Liberator, Tsar Martyr Alexander II, whom God's Providence more than once kept from the hands of murderers, hoping that the Russian people would not lose their mind to the end. No, this didn't happen. Therefore, in amazement and sadness, the venerable martyr Evdokia looked at the worshipers from the icon in the Alexander Nevsky Limit “struck by the horror of an unheard of atrocity ... The artist’s brush tried to express on her face the most terrible event in a series of calculated atrocities ...”.
The throne in the name of Nicholas the Wonderworker symbolized a single church, the implementation of the rules of which helps people become true Christians. The icon of the Transfiguration of the Lord over the Royal Doors, as it were, symbolized that by becoming like God in prayer, we, like Him, will be transformed.
And so, the temple was conceived and executed as a symbol of the unity of God (Trinity limit) - the anointed king of God (limit of Alexander Nevsky) - and the Church, its charters (Nikolaev limit) and reflected the history of Christianity, the Russian state and Russian Orthodox Church. For many years, the temple delighted the parishioners of the settlement with its beauty.
In 1906, the Ryazan Diocesan Gazette noted that the Trinity Church was the best church in Ryazan. This temple evoked many thoughts and feelings. After all, its builders and beautifiers openly declared war on unbelief, which was repeatedly said in the words spoken during the consecration of the temple. The organizers also believed that for many years the Trinity Church “would serve as a sign of the struggle of faith with unbelief and as a measure of the civil and political well-being and power of the people” (think about these words spoken in 1884). The temple was loved. His parishioners did not hesitate to make sacrifices, because they did it to God. Next to the temple there was a cemetery, land worth 2 acres for which benefactors also donated.
A well was dug next to the temple, which provided clean water freedom. A chapel was erected near the well. Another chapel, assigned to the temple, was built in memory of saving the life of Alexander II, and was located near the Ryazan station. In the parish there was a two-class exemplary male and female school, which was maintained at the expense of the Ryazan-Ural Railway Society, a two-class Ministerial School at Art. "Ryazan", Aleksandrovskaya Pedagogical Seminary and Primary Zemstvo School. The inhabitants of Troitskaya Sloboda were pleased with their arrival.
By 1917 the temple had three altars. The main one is in the name of the Life-Giving Trinity, the right one is in the name of the right-believing Prince Alexander Nevsky, the left one is in the name of St. Nicholas of Myra. Utensils he was sufficient. According to the state, it was supposed to have three priests, a deacon and three psalmists, who were not paid salaries.
The church had 3 ½ tithes of land.
In 1923, the Trinity Church was described in documents as follows: "The church is made of stone, with the same bell tower with 11 bells on it, covered with iron, strong, with three thrones and iconostases." “The church has a stone dome with an iron cross above it. There are 18 windows in it. The church is surrounded by a stone fence.” Eleven church bells carried their ringing over the city for a long time. They interfered with someone, and helped many to survive in that terrible period.
S.D. Yakhontov, a Ryazan historian, archivist, recalled after his stay in the Ryazan prison in 1929: “... It was especially hard for me on holidays. Standing in front of the window in the direction of the Trinity Church, when the gospel was heard from there, I grieved at the distance from the temple. They pray there, open their souls in prayer, and thereby alleviate their grief, but I am deprived of this medicine. Loneliness would not be possible if it were not for the religious desire. Temple! Temple! How long have I stood idle, imagining myself in the temple and tears ... tears! The Lord heard me and saw the tears. It saved me from despair. It was my life, invisible to others. Take care of God! ... Whoever does not have a religion has had a bad time. It was a difficult time for the Orthodox. Do not believe that churches were closed without Christian tears. There were many of them, our relatives, who grieved with their souls when the cupolas of the temples vanished...
During this period, many house churches and city monasteries began to close. S.D. Yakhontov wrote: “At the beginning of the revolution, all house churches in Ryazan were destroyed. I will name some of them so that they do not completely disappear from the memory of history: 1 - Under the Eparch.zh. uch., 2. spiritual male. Learned. 3. With archri. Forerunner 4.St. Strategist under Archier. same house 5.Techn. city. College, 6. At the house of Labor, 7. At the prison. 8.Eparh. diocese vicariate, 9. Almshouse of the nobility, 10. gymnasium. pension, 11 Seminaries. 12. Regimental temple.
Icons that were collected by still functioning churches and monasteries began to be removed from institutions and from the streets. The Trinity Church received holy icons from the Ryazan station and from the depot. When Kazansky closed convent in Ryazan and the issue of his property was being resolved, the council of the temple made an interesting postscript in pencil on the letter on the reception of the property of the monastery: “It is desirable to have St. icon of the Kazan Mother of God. The temple, unfortunately, could not accept other icons. A miraculous icon was transferred to the Resurrection Church in Ryazan.
From January 1924, Bishop Gleb (Pokrovsky) arrived in Ryazan. In his archival and investigative file, memories of the Trinity Church remained. They are touching, and involuntarily take us back to those times: “Trinity Church. The clergy reverently performs divine services, with a strict charter, they preach, a wonderful choir, the regent has changed his proud disposition, he is rather a nervous person, he is very conscientious in his duties. Whenever I serve in the Trinity Church, I am touched by the beautiful singing, the temple is kept clean. The head of the church and the council always treat me with respect, it feels like you are in your own family. Would it not be possible for Your Eminence to allow me to celebrate divine services here, and in the cathedral on Twelfth Feasts and local honors? Here I will find a tolerable apartment for myself and some peace. The church council willingly agrees to do whatever is necessary for me. Evening talks are well organized here, and I could always take part.
The rector of the Trinity Church for a long time was Archpriest Nikolai Mikhailovich Urusov. Difficult years of persecution against the Church of Christ fell on his lot. And he experienced this persecution one of the first in our diocese.
The State Archives of the Ryazan Region have preserved a letter written by Archimandrite Ioanniky of the Solotchinsky Monastery, Nikolai Urusov, Archpriest of the Trinity Church in Ryazan, and a priest. of the Solotchi Church by Feodor Orlin to Vladyka John (Smirnov), in which they congratulated Vladyka on the day of the Angel and thanked him for the help rendered to him, the prisoners of the Pokrovsky camp. “With sincere filial love and devotion, we congratulate you on Angel Day and earnestly ask for your Archpastoral blessing and hierarchal prayers for us imprisoned prisoners.” The prisoners also thanked Patriarch Tikhon, who also showed paternal care for them, and reported: “In the Pokrovsky camp, one of the imprisoned clerics is from Petrograd, and the rest are all Ryazan. From Ryazantsev four - in Nizhny Novgorod - priests Mikhail Ozersky, Gavriil Speshnev, John Mostinsky and Andrey Timofeev, and one in the Yauzinsky hospital Nikolai Volynsky. 1919 September 26/October 9"
This letter is priceless, as it reveals some secret about the priesthood, which they wanted to hide from us. There are many holy martyrs, many of them we do not know, but God reveals these mysteries…
Nikolai Mikhailovich Urusov returned to his native temple after the camp. He put a lot of work in this field. In 1926, he was unfairly dismissed from his duties by a decision of members of the community, among whom people who were far from religion began to appear. The indignant parishioners of the Trinity Church could not come to terms with this. They asked to restore justice and return Fr. Nicholas. Many letters were written, and in all of them - a request to return the beloved shepherd. This time, justice has been done. It was already 1928.
In 1935, the temple was handed over to the renovationists, allegedly at the request of the parishioners. Even more outraged parishioners wrote a protest, but this time it was all in vain. The Renovationists settled in a church that did not belong to them. The parishioners forgot the way there, and by the decision of the Ryazgorispolkom of September 16, 1935, it was transferred to the MKZHD club. After many years, it was demolished, as beauty was turned into nothing. On the site where there was once a temple to the Tsar-Liberator, the Palace of Trade Unions was erected, later renamed the MCC - the municipal cultural center.
From here: Sinelnikova T.P.
