In the small town of Magdala, which is located near Jerusalem, there lived a woman. She was lonely: no parents, no husband, no children. Her name was Mary Magdalene. I worked at the fish market. Men took advantage of her loneliness and dementia, indulging in love pleasures with her. The locals did not like Maria, they threw stones and rotten vegetables at her. There was no one to protect her, she herself was unable to do this. The girl's life changed when Jesus came to the city with his apostles.
Mary is a follower of Christ
The teacher cast out seven demons from her, Magdalene's thoughts became bright, and she followed him, falling in love with all her soul. The New Testament says that Jesus also loved Mary, their love was high, spiritual. Mary Magdalene became the first and only disciple of Christ, she carried his teachings to people after his death and resurrection.
Mary attended her teacher's execution, holding his hand as Jesus bled to death on the cross. She washed his body and smeared her feet with essential oil. Mary could survive his death only by deeply believing that Christ would rise again. She was the first to come on the appointed day to his tomb and, noticing that the tomb was empty, burst into tears. Hearingquestion: "Why are you crying?" - Mary replied that her beloved was buried, but where, she did not know. Seeing through her tears that she was talking to Jesus, she rejoiced and carried the good news to the apostles, the people and the ruler.
Gethsemane Nunnery
One of the places where the Church of St. Mary Magdalene rises is Gethsemane. This Russian Orthodox shrine is the convent of the Bethany Community of Christ's Resurrection. Alexander III himself, the Russian emperor, took part in its construction. The Church of Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem was built in the eighteenth century in honor of the memory of Alexander's mother, Maria Alexandrovna. She was German, but became the Russian empress and converted to Orthodoxy. The heavenly patroness of the queen was Mary Magdalene, so the church was consecrated with this name.
Main Church of Mary Magdalene
Mary was a follower of Jesus Christ and was his disciple. Therefore, the main church of Mary Magdalene is located in Jerusalem, although it was built in honor of the Russian queen. One of the largest canvases depicts Mary, who came to Tiberius with a sermon. The legends say that it was impossible to get to the emperor without gifts. Magdalene was a beggar, so she brought Tiberius only a chicken egg. She said that Jesus was resurrected. To which the ruler laughed, saying that it was impossible to return from the dead, as it was impossible for a white egg to turn red. At the same moment, the egg in the king's hands turned bright red.colors.
Building a temple
Alexander chose this place for the temple not without reason. The land where the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Gethsemane, or the Garden of Gethsemane now stands, is holy. Archimadrid Antonin Kapustin advised to buy it. David Grimm - Russian architect, designed the church. Jerusalem stones were used for construction, and metal and wood were brought from Russia. Icons and paintings of all the buildings of the temple were made by Russian masters and artists. All expenses were covered by the royal family. The Church of Mary Magdalene was consecrated in 1888. The nunnery appeared here much later. It was founded by Orthodox Englishwomen Maria and Martha in 1934, the first to find peace and tranquility here.
The last refuge of the Empress
Elizaveta Fedorovna, entering the church for the first time, was struck by its beauty so that she bequeathed to bury herself here on this earth. So they did, but not immediately. Elizabeth, along with other royal persons, was taken by the Bolsheviks to Alapaevsk, where she was destined to die, being thrown into a mine. It happened in 1918. Only two years later, in 1921, the holy relics of the Empress were transferred to the Church of Mary Magdalene.
Sights of the monastery and its land
The Church of Mary Magdalene attracts the eye from afar with its white walls and golden domes. The monastery is located at the foot ofMount of Olives and surrounded by the Garden of Gethsemane. Nearby is the tomb of the Mother of God. You can enter the territory of the temple through a large golden gate located south of the mountain. Going inside, you will see a staircase. This ladder leads to the Gethsemane Grotto, where the apostles James, Peter and John fell asleep during the prayer of Christ. It was at this place that Jesus uttered the well-known words: "Watch and pray so that you do not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, the flesh is weak." The building of the Church of Mary is very beautiful and richly decorated, but at the same time conquers with its simplicity. Peace of mind, sublimity and harmony hovers around. Cleanliness is maintained here. The garden is well maintained and contains many trees and flowers. Inside, everything is quite simple and modest, without too much gloss. Above the altar is an image of Magdalene holding an egg brought to the ruler Tiberius. From this story, when the emperor dropped the reddened egg from his hands with the words "Truly risen!", And the tradition of painting eggs for Easter began.
Where else is the Church of Mary Magdalene?
All over the world, Christians built churches in honor of St. Mary Magdalene. Huge temples and small chapels were built. People who need the help of the Holy One are ready to pray for hours to her face. There is the Church of Mary Magdalene in Paris, this is really a wonderful place, thousands of pilgrims annually strive to visit there, along with the Jerusalem temple. Especially many Magdalen churches are located in Russia: Perm, Moscow, Saratov, Kazan, St. Petersburg.
TempleMary Magdalene in St. Petersburg
Where is the Church of Mary Magdalene in St. Petersburg? Near Pavlovsk park. The main pilgrimage of the townspeople takes place here.
The Church of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene in the cultural capital of our country was erected many times in the same place. This building is the first building in the city made of stone. In 1871, a hospital was located on this site, so it was decided to build a church here. The architect Quarenghi began construction in the presence of Prince Pavel Petrovich, the son of the founder of St. Petersburg, Peter. The church was completed and consecrated by Metropolitan Petrov Gabriel. The icons were painted by the Roman painter Kades, and the Russian artist Fyodor Danilov was engaged in wall painting. Empress Maria Fedorovna herself was concerned that the interior decoration should be distinguished by splendor and simplicity.
Outside, the church remained strict and impregnable. Soldiers who died in the hospital after fighting with the French troops were buried nearby, a crypt for foreign ambassadors and ministers was located under the temple itself.
After the revolution, the hospital became a shoe factory, and the temple was closed in 1931. Church decoration and icons were stolen, relics, formerly sacred, were defiled, and much was burned. The greatest damage to the internal paintings of the church was caused by the toy factory, which was located in the building of the temple after the Great Patriotic War. Chemical fluids, the vibration of sewing machines used in production, put an end to the original beauty, which has survived almost two centuries. Subsequently, the room, which was once the most beautifulchurch, was empty for a long time. The community achieved its return to itself only in 1995. At that time, there was practically nothing left of the building: the floor was completely absent, the walls were dotted with through cracks. Since there was a terrible financial situation in Russia in the nineties, there was no question of financing for the restoration of the temple. Until 1998, the Church of Mary Magdalene continued to collapse. All the wooden partitions have finally rotted away, and inside, fashionable graffiti appeared in places of murals.
Only by the year 2000, the building itself was completely restored, services resumed. There were also parts of ancient frescoes and paintings on the walls, by now they have been practically restored. The relics and icons belonging to her, which were in all countries of the world with collectors and museums, began to return to the Church of Mary Magdalene. Now the church has a gilded cross and new domes of the main belfry.
