In the historical center of Irkutsk, on the territory of the lost Kremlin, stands the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands. The temple appeared at about the same time as the city of Irkutsk. The Church of the Savior has existed since 1672
For the people of Irkutsk, Spas on the Angara is not just the main temple, but the image of the city, a symbol of the small homeland of the inhabitants of the Trans-Urals. The church was repeatedly subjected to fires, destruction, but rose from the ashes. A real gift for the parishioners was the resumption of services on the feast of the church's tercentenary (2006).
From time immemorial
The First Church of the Savior (Irkutsk) was erected by the boyar's son Ivan Maksimov and townspeople. Metropolitan Kornily of Tobolsk issued a certificate for the construction. This temple burned down in a fire.
In 1706, with the blessing of Metropolitan Moses of Tobolsk, the construction of a new Church of the Savior began. Moisei Ivanovich Dolgikh, a stone craftsman from Moscow, was invited to work. Construction was completed in 1710. At the same time, the upper cold church of the Savior Not Made by Hands was consecrated, and in 1713 the lower warm church of St. Nicholas of Myra. In 1758, a bell tower with a fighting clock was added to the refectory.
In the 70s of the 18th century, parishioners in Irkutsk increased, so the church was expanded. In 1777, the building was supplemented with two stone outbuildings: the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Abalatskaya Icon of the Mother of God. Dmitrievsky chapel was arranged under the bell tower, and along the outer walls (except for the eastern one) - a wooden gallery with a porch.
In 1861 the gallery was dismantled. The eastern side of the church (apse) was surrounded by iron hoops. Such an architectural solution turned out to be very successful: the temple withstood the earthquake of 1861-1862 that hit Irkutsk. The Church of the Savior did not collapse as a result of a fire (1879), which was extinguished for two days.
In 1866, Archbishop Parthenius proposed to demolish the church and build a cathedral in its place. But the city council decided to keep the Church of the Savior as a monument of Russian antiquity and the first stone building in the city.
After the 1917 revolution, the building miraculously survived. In 1931 the temple was closed. At various times, it housed a shoe repair shop, apartments, organizations.
In the 60s of the XX century, the church was reconstructed, but not for the resumption of worship. After the architect from Moscow, Galina Oranskaya, visited Irkutsk, the Church of the Savior was restored and recognized as a monument of republican significance. Twenty-two years later, the temple building was given to the Regional Museum of Local Lore.
Services in the Church of the Savior resumed only in 2006, when ithanded over to the Irkutsk diocese.
Architectural appearance and murals of the temple
The Church of the Savior (Irkutsk) is a typical early town church. A two-tiered building with a tall pillarless quadrangle in the shape of a cube is associated with a refectory. The bell tower is crowned with a golden spire. The portals of the upper floor seemed to hang in the air. Previously, there was a porch and an open-air gallery encircling the second tier. The head is crowned with a forged gilded cross.
Tiers and facades are decorated with ornaments. Decor elements change from tier to tier, and in the upper window the quadrangles are folded into a whimsical pattern. Intercepted by shelves, crushed, turned into special threads, the columns resemble a necklace. Masterfully sculpted reliefs also give the building a unique look. Thanks to the dense arrangement of windows on the clean surface of the wall, the decor becomes rich and elegant.
The Church of the Savior in Irkutsk (Russia) is the only temple in the region where murals of the 19th century have been preserved, not only inside, but also outside the building. Unfortunately, during the restoration, only the exterior design was restored, the interior decoration was lost.
The eastern façade is decorated with three compositions. The left figure depicts the sacrament of baptism (presumably of the Buryat people), in the center is the entry of Jesus Christ into the Jordan River, and on the right is the ceremony of canonization of an Orthodox Christian. There is reason to believe that the first Bishop of Irkutsk Innokenty (Kulchitsky) was awarded the high honor.
The southern wall is decorated with faces of saints. Underthe cornice of the quadrangle depicts Nicholas of Myra, a little lower - Mitrofan of Voronezh, and on the apse - the Savior.
Shrines
In the temple there are three icons revered by the people of Irkutsk: Nikola the Warrior, the Holy Righteous Theodore of Tomsk and the Mother of God of Yaroslavl. St. Nicholas was chosen as the image of the temple, since the miraculous icon with a sword and hail in her hands helped the Russian people during the wars.
Righteous Theodore of Tomsk is prayed for healing. The icon contains a capsule with a particle of the saint's relics. The image was brought to Irkutsk from Tomsk at the request of the church servants.
The identity of the saint has not been precisely established, but some researchers believe that Theodore of Tomsk is Tsar Alexander I the Blessed, who defeated Napoleon Bonaparte.
The Icon of the Mother of God of Yaroslavl - a record restored at the beginning of the 20th century by Svetlana Turchaninova. The icon shows the unity of Christ and the Church. The Mother of God, symbolizing the church, bows to the Son of God, asks him for mercy for people, and the infant Christ, touching his face to his mother, blesses her and the world. Irkutsk, Church of the Savior - a place where parishioners pray to the Mother of God for the birth of children.
Interesting facts
The Church of the Savior is the only building on the territory of the Irkutsk Kremlin that has survived to this day. The church has a large collection of bells, including those from Gilev, and a bell-ringing school.
In 2003, the church was damaged by strong winds: the crown of the domed cross was displaced, and the architectural detail had to be removed. Specialistsworked for five hours. So, thanks to the work of people, the Church of the Savior (Irkutsk) was restored.
In the city of Irkutsk in 2007, not far from the temple, archaeological excavations were carried out. Scientists have discovered the remains of the Kremlin and ancient burials.
The last reconstruction of the building was carried out in 2010 for the anniversary of the city.
Temple location
Savior Church (Irkutsk, Irkutsk region, Russia) is located in the historical center of the city at the address: st. Sukhe-Bator, 2. The nearest streets are Lenin and Polskikh. Not far from the church is the Lower Embankment.
Service Schedule
Services in the temple are performed daily. The morning liturgy begins at 8.00 (on Sundays - at 8.30). Evening services begin at 5:00 pm. Baptism is performed on Saturdays from 11.00.
