Church in Ostankino Life-Giving Trinity: overview, history and interesting facts

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Where endless fields stretched a few hundred years ago, today there is an elegant red stone temple, made in the intricate style of "Russian ornamentation". Today, in the area of the Ostankino television tower, the hectic life of the Russian capital is in full swing. Everyone who happens to be nearby has the opportunity to admire the beautiful domes of the church in Ostankino, crowned with five onion domes. According to reviews, this temple looks unusually beautiful and fits perfectly into the surrounding landscape.

Church of the Holy Trinity in Ostankino: acquaintance

For over three hundred years it has adorned the city. The history of the Church in Ostankino of the Life-Giving Trinity is inseparable from the history of the Russian capital. This Orthodox church is the most important monument of the cult old Russian architecture, one of the culminating points in the development of the “Moscow ornamental” style. The church in Ostankino belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church (Trinitydeanery of the Moscow diocese). It is part of a complex of monuments representing the Ostankino Museum-Estate. The temple was founded by Shchelkalov Vasily Yakovlevich, an influential Duma clerk and statesman under Tsar John IV, in 1558. The date of the first mention is 1584. The church was built between 1677 and 1692

Description

The building of the church in Ostankino is remarkable in that it is one of the buildings of the late seventeenth century, the facades of which are completely covered with decor. The structure belongs to the category of federal objects of cultural heritage.

This authentic, primordially Russian temple has come down to our days practically without any changes since those very days three hundred years ago, when, by order of the then owner of Ostankino, Prince Cherkassky, the first stone of the new building of the church was laid, replacing its wooden predecessor. It is known that the Sheremetev family made a significant contribution to the development of the church in Ostankino. In the nineteenth century, they were the owners of the estate.

Church in Ostankino (Moscow): architecture

According to the definition of art critics, the architectural style of this temple belongs to the Moscow pattern. In the external decoration of the church, attention is drawn to the abundance of decorative elements, as well as the general intricacy and complexity of the composition. The facade of the temple is completely covered with patterned tiles.

In terms of the church, its unconventionality is also no less interesting: the complete absence of a refectory, self-sufficiencychurch aisles, inside separated from the main building by piers and looking like separate buildings. The design of the temple is represented by a pillarless quadruple, typical for its time, installed on a fairly high basement, on the sides of which there are identical side chapels. On three sides of the temple there is a grove. With all this originality, the overall composition of the structure is strictly symmetrical. The church porch is covered with a richly decorated tent, at the sight of which there is an association with the Yaroslavl patterned architecture.

The real highlight of the interior decoration of the church is its nine-tier iconostasis, decorated with carved gilded decor depicting twisted vines of grapes. An unexpected allusion is that its shape resembles an organ, unthinkable in an Orthodox church, but which is an obligatory participant in all Catholic services. Many Muscovites call the architect Pavel Sidorovich Potekhin the architect of the stone church, whose owner was the father-in-law of Prince Cherkassky, Yakov Odoevsky.

About the history of the construction of the temple

The wooden Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Ostankino was built back in 1617, by the end of the seventeenth century it was replaced by a stone one, which became a house church for the owners of the estate, the princes Cherkassky. At the same time, a 9-tiered gilded carved iconostasis was erected. The new stone church had three aisles: the main one - in the name of the Life-Giving Trinity; northern - built in honor of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, and southern -dedicated to Saint Alexander Svirsky. It is known that on the eve of his wedding to the kingdom, the future Emperor Alexander II prayed in this church.

In the twentieth century, like all other Russian churches, the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Ostankino gradually fell into decay. In 1919, the believers were moved from the upper part to the basement, which became the fourth chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas. In 1922, the settings from the iconostasis and all the icons were taken out of the church - over sixty kilograms of silver in total.

In 1930, the building of the temple was transferred to the Anti-Religious Museum of Art and the financial department of the Dzerzhinsky district of Moscow. The lower aisle was used as a warehouse for storing potatoes. With the outbreak of war 1941-1945. the temple was completely turned into a warehouse. The 1970s saw a slow but steady resurgence. First, the iconostasis was restored, the facade and roof were repaired. In the 80s of the twentieth century, concerts of early music were still held in the church building. In the spring of 1991, the main altar of the temple was consecrated again. For five years after this event, all three upper aisles were restored and consecrated.

At present, the church has again become a four- altar one: the lower aisle, used as a baptismal chapel, is consecrated in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The rector of the temple is Metropolitan Sergius of Southeast Asia and Singapore, (Nikolai Nikolaevich Chashin).

Shrines

The main shrines of the temple are the icon of the Old Testament Trinity, dating from the middleseventeenth century, as well as the Chernigov, Georgian and Fedorov icons of the Mother of God. In addition, fragments of the relics of saints are preserved in the church.

About parish activities

Today the life of the community is concentrated around the following activities:

• Children's Sunday School (starts at age 5).
• Adult Sunday School
• Youth Center.
• Children's press center and TV studio.
• Social service providing support to the disabled, as well as the poor and orphans of the Moscow region.

About worship

Today you can attend daily services in the church in Ostankino according to the schedule:

• at 8:00 prayer services are held, then the Liturgy is held;
• 16:45 - the beginning of the evening service, in accordance with the church calendar.

On holidays and Sundays the Liturgy is served twice:

• beginning of early Divine Liturgy - at 6:30, then comes the time for the blessing of water;
• Late Liturgy is served - from 9:40, then a memorial service is held;
• in addition, akathists are read on Sundays at 17:00.

Address and how to get there?

Church of the Life-Giving Trinity is located at: st. 1st Ostankinskaya, 7, building 2.

The most convenient way to get here is by metro - nearby are the stations "Telecentre", "VDNKh", "Ulitsa Akademika Korolev". From VDNKh station you need to drive a short distance bytram No. 17, 11, trolleybus No. 73, 13 or bus No. 76, 24, 803. Experts recommend motorists to use the GHS coordinates: 55.8241, 37.61365.