The Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow is the central Russian Cathedral of the Orthodox Church. The current building is a complete likeness of an old temple built in the 19th century. The Cathedral of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow is a kind of memorial tombstone for the army of the Russian people who gave their lives in a brutal war with the French. This bloody battle lasted from 1812 to 1814. The names of soldiers buried during the Patriotic War, as well as those who fought during the Foreign campaigns of 1797-1806, are carved on the walls of the building.
Recreation idea
The idea of creating the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow appeared after the Russian-French war in gratitude to the Almighty, in honor of the liberation of the Russian people from Napoleon's army.
The construction of monuments - temples comes from the ancient tradition of temples - vows, which were built by ministers as a token of gratitude for the victorious completion and in eternal memory of those who died in unequal battles.
In 1814, a general competition for the right to build was announced in advance. The famous winnerurban planner A. L. Vitberg. In 1817, the official laying of the foundation stone for the construction of the main building took place. At first, they wanted to build a room on Sparrow Hills. After 9 years, due to the complex soil features, construction had to be suspended, and then completely completed, as financial irregularities were discovered during construction.
Resumption of construction
In 1832, according to the intention of Emperor Nicholas I, the main building in Moscow began to be rebuilt. The imperious ruler appointed a new designer. They became the unknown Konstantin Ton. The fertile land near the Moscow Kremlin was chosen as the place for laying. Nicholas I issued a decree to demolish the Church of All Saints and the maiden Alekseevsky monastery, which stood in those ancient times on the site of the construction of the temple.
In 1839, the construction of the main building began. Public donations were collected throughout the country. A large share of the money was taken from the state treasury. Finally, in 1883, the church was consecrated. A few veterans of the Patriotic War with Napoleon took part in the celebration.
In the late 30s, during the reign of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, the cathedral was destroyed for religious reasons. A huge construction of the Palace of Soviets was planned, but the Second World War of 1941-1945 prevented the construction. After the victory, the relevance of such development has lost its original significance. In 1960, the Moskva pool was built on this site.
Newconstruction planning began in the 1990s. Donations collected by the people quickly depreciated due to the unstable economic situation in the country. Despite the crisis situation, the builders continued to build a structure similar to the original one. In 2000, the newly formed Cathedral of Christ the Savior was solemnly consecrated.
Modern temple
The current Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow is an exact copy of the temple, built according to the sketch of the architect Konstantin Ton in the 19th century. According to the plan of the designer, the first erection of the cathedral in those ancient times was supposed to combine the Byzantine folk traditions and Russian architectural culture.
The first information about the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow dates back to 1839, when the first construction of the temple began. But the old building did not survive.
Modern building with a height of 103 meters is located near the Moscow River. The hall accommodates up to 10 thousand people. The temple is now a symbol of Russian history.
Composition of the new temple
The current Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow includes:
- The Cathedral of Christ the Savior is the main building of the upper church. Contains three thrones: the most important in the middle in the name of the Nativity of Christ. There are two neighbors: the right one - Nicholas the Wonderworker, the left throne in the name of Alexander Nevsky. At the end of the summer of 2000, this building was consecrated.
- Lower Church - Church of the Transfiguration, built in honor ofAlekseevsky maiden monastery, which was located here earlier. Contains three altars: the main one in honor of the Transfiguration. Two thrones on the edges: the left one in the name of Alexy - the man of God and the right one - in honor of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. The church was lit in the early summer of 1996.
- Stylobate part. Here is the main museum of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Next, the living room of the Church Cathedrals was built, then the hall of the Supreme Church Council, the reception room for the meal, service and technical chambers.
The service is held every day in the Lower Church of the Transfiguration Church. From 5 pm - all-night service, at 8 am - liturgy. On Sundays and major feasts, divine services are held from 5 pm - Vespers, at 10 am Liturgy in the Upper part of the temple. Divine services are read by the Patriarch of Moscow.
Cathedral
The church itself bears the title of a cathedral. This status of the cathedral in Orthodoxy has a special meaning and is assigned once and for all. It is given to the main temple of the city. A cathedral is a temple where a bishop serves and there is an episcopal chair.
In the old days, only big cities had cathedrals. The chief archbishop could choose any temple for himself and make it a cathedral. In such a cathedral, the main festive services are held.
So in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, services are held on such holidays as Christmas, Epiphany, Holy Easter, Holy Trinity, Transfiguration of the Lord and other Orthodoxcelebrations. The church also hosts funerals for people who are significant for modern Russian culture and history.
How to get there
Cathedral of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, located at the address: house number 17, Volkhonka street, Moscow, Russia. It occupies one of the first tourist places of public visit. Every day, millions of tourists want to visit this place. Any indigenous person knows how to get to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.
The main thing is which part of the city tourists want to get from. Of course, you can get there by car using the taxi service, but it will be too expensive. The easiest and cheapest way to get to the temple is to use the subway.
The metro station you need to get to is known as "Kropotkinskaya" on the Sokolniki line of the Moscow Metro. When leaving the underground entrance, a beautiful view of the temple building opens up. Bypassing the Kropotkinskaya station, walking along Gogolevsky Boulevard, you can slowly get to the entrance to the temple.
Another way
The church is included in a short tour of the capital. A photo of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow can be seen on tickets purchased at the city's box office, and on many other ceramic souvenirs. You can choose an excursion route, then it will not be difficult to get to this place. Tourists are transported on a special bus. An interesting excursion includes: a visit to the Upperand the Lower Temples, the main museum of the temple, observation platforms, refectory rooms. The most interesting part of the tour is the elevator ride to the very top. Here, on the observation deck, which is forty meters high, there is an opportunity to see the capital from a bird's eye view, to see the city from the most unusual sides.
But, coming to the capital of our country, many travelers like to take a walk along the busy streets of Moscow. You can start walking from the walls of the Moscow Kremlin from the Alexander Garden. Having reached here by metro to the Borovitskaya station of the Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya line, then, following along Volkhovka Street, it is easy to reach the gate of the Upper building of the temple.
Status of the main temple
In modern times, the Cathedral has the status of the main Temple of the Orthodox Church in Russia. In 2004, a decision was made to donate the temple to the free use of the Russian Orthodox Church. His Holiness the Patriarch is the rector of the cathedral. The Patriarch of All Russia holds the most important Orthodox services there, including festive ones. The main decisions in church life are made by the Patriarch in the Moscow Cathedral.
