The Orthodox Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in the city of Balashikha is a parish of the Moscow diocese. It is located on the territory of the Pekhra-Yakovlevskoye estate, which once belonged to the princes Golitsyn, and is considered the spiritual center of the ancient village.
Pekhra-Yakovlevskoe
Since 1591, the small village of Pekhra-Yakovlevskoye has been owned by the famous Golitsyn family. In 1960, Pyotr Golitsyn began building his own estate in the center of the village. It was supposed to face the former Vladimirsky tract with its central windows, which at that time was a fairly busy road. Therefore, the estate had to be distinguished by its grand appearance and catch the eye of everyone passing by.
The most popular trend in the architecture of that time was classicism. In his style, a new estate was built. Gardens were laid out around it, flowering paths and alleys in the French manner, along which vacationers walked. Many different plants grew in the local greenhouse. Unfortunately, nothing remains of this park complex.
In front of the house was a large open area with statues and a fountain. In general, the ensemble turned out to be so successful that many famous painters often captured it in their paintings. For example, E. Svebakh's landscape "Walk in the Park", which depicts the estate in Pekhra-Yakovlevsky.
The Transfiguration Church is the only building from the manor ensemble that has survived to this day in its best condition.
Church History
The first church of the Transfiguration in Pekhra-Yakovlevsky was built at the end of the 17th century. It was a small wooden church, consecrated in honor of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands. And until 1996, the temple was called Spassky.
The construction of the stone temple began in 1777. Like the manor, it was built in the style of classicism. Brick was used as the material, and white stone was used for decoration.
The building has the shape of a rotunda with a covered gallery and two bell towers, which was a rarity for the Moscow region in those years. The name of the architect who developed the project for the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Balashikha is unknown. There are several versions about this, but none of them has found its documentary evidence.
The interior of the church was also rich, admiring contemporaries. The iconostasis was decorated with oil icons by the Italian painter S. Torelli. The graceful design and unusual architectural design made the temple unique and unlike other buildings of that time.
The temple had two aisles. The first was consecrated in honor of the image of the SaviorNot made by hands, and the second, warm, in honor of the Archangel Michael. Near the temple there was a churchyard and a chapel. A little further away were the houses of the clergy.
By the 19th century, the population of Pekhra-Yakovlevsky had increased. As many as five weaving factories worked in his district. Gradually, the temple from the estate became a parish - believers came here from all over the territory of present-day Balashikha. Despite this, the maintenance and maintenance of its magnificent appearance still lay with the owners of the estate.
Soviet years
The last owners of the estate were the Roop family. General Christopher Roop was a member of the Council of State. His fate after the revolution is unknown. His wife Maria Stepanovna (nee Shestakova) died in 1918 and was buried in the church cemetery. Her grave, like the entire churchyard, was subsequently razed to the ground.
In the post-revolutionary years, services in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Balashikha continued for several more years. In 1922, church valuables were requisitioned.
In 1933 the temple was closed and finally plundered. Everything that could be saved after the 1922 campaign was destroyed. Icons, paintings and documents were burned, and the bells were sent for melting down. From the former rich decoration of the church, only bare walls remained.
First, they tried to set up the production of shoe polish in the temple building, then the premises were converted into a warehouse. In 1951, an attempt was made by believers to return the church, but itwas unsuccessful.
Later, the library of the Agricultural University was opened within the walls of the temple. This saved it from destruction, but the building underwent significant restructuring, which is now impossible to remake without damaging the walls.
Rebirth
In 1990, the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Balashikha was transferred to the Orthodox Church. By mid-1996, all restoration work in the temple was completed. The altar and aisles with iconostasis were recreated, new icons were painted, the walls were decorated with stucco molding, copper domes were raised.
In parallel with the reconstruction, parish life was also revived in the church. An evening school for children and adults has been opened, and the publication of the Orthodox newspaper Transfiguration has been launched. There is a huge church library, which has about 8 thousand volumes of spiritual literature.
In the summer of 1996, the temple was consecrated in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord and is open to parishioners. Every day, the prescribed services and services are performed in it according to the following schedule:
- 8:00 - morning service;
- 17:00 - evening service.
On Sundays, readings of akathists to the Virgin are performed. During the holidays, the schedule of services may change.
Address
Church of the Transfiguration in Balashikha is located at the address: Leonovskoye highway, house 2.
The current phone number can be found on the official website of the administration.
How to get to the Church of the Transfiguration in Balashikha?
You can get to the Church of the Transfiguration withoutproblems with public transport. It won't take long.
From Moscow to the Kursk railway station every 10 minutes there is an electric train Moscow - Balashikha.
From Balashikha station you can take buses No. 336, 338, 396 or fixed-route taxis No. 125, 291. You should get off at the RGAZU stop.
