The Moscow Church of Elijah the Prophet in Cherkizovo was built in 1690. There used to be a wooden church on this site in 1370, which burned down.
Foundation of the temple
The history of the church is connected with the history of the village itself - Cherkizovo. It is known that it was built in the XIV century. The village was named after its owner, Tsarevich Serkiz, who after baptism became Ivan Serkizov. He was a native of the Golden Horde. However, Serkizov did not own his village for long, as he soon sold it to his fellow tribesman, Ilya Ozakov. The story says that he was a very pious man. Out of respect for his heavenly patron, Elijah the Prophet, he ordered the construction of a temple. This is how the Eliinskaya Church in Cherkizovo was built.
It was located on the banks of the Sosenka River, in a very picturesque place. The Sosenka River is a right tributary of the Khapilovka, its source is in the Golyanov area. Its length is 9 kilometers. Nowadays, the main part of the channel is enclosed in a pipe. Only thanks to the Cherkizovsky pond, on the bank of which the church stands, do people remember where the river once flowed on the surface. Now it flows in the sewer alongeast bank of the reservoir.
Wooden church. Stone Temple
The stone church in Cherkizovo was built on the site of a wooden church, when the country dwelling of Metropolitan Alexy was still here. Until 1764, the village was the property of the Moscow metropolitans, after a while the church became a parish.
In 1883, aisles and a refectory were added to it, in 1899, a hipped bell tower with three tiers. Iconostases of the 19th century were involved in the decoration, the fence of a small cemetery - also of that time. On it is the grave of Ivan Yakovlevich Koreysha - a famous Moscow seer, a local holy fool and saint (years of life: 1783-1861). At that time, the temple was not closed, it had a Sunday school for all the villagers.
Cherkizovsky Metropolitan and Patriarchal Dacha
Metropolitan Alexy, a minister of Moscow and all Russia, really liked the village, namely: its picturesque location, surrounding open spaces, proximity to Moscow. In 1360, he decided to acquire the village not only for himself, but also for his successors in rank. Since that moment, Cherkizovo has become one of the main estates of the Moscow Chudov Monastery, an abbey with a large and spacious courtyard, as well as a well-developed monastery economy.
For Metropolitan Alexy, the church of Elijah the Prophet became a place of rest and solitude. In it, he could calmly look back at his life path, restore his strength, which would be useful to him in the future, or simply seepeople close to him. When the Metropolitan of All Russia died, Cherkizovo remained for a long time the summer bedchamber of the Moscow metropolitans.
When the Patriarchate was restored, the Moscow Metropolitan, Saint of Kolomna and Wonderworker Tikhon became the Patriarch of All Russia. He began to call the dacha the Patriarch.
Throughout the history of its existence, the courtyard of the temple was rebuilt many times. The saint and Metropolitan Innokenty is connected with its history, on whose orders another reconstruction was made in the middle of the 19th century.
Temple in Soviet times
In Soviet times, most of the churches in Moscow were completely destroyed, but Ilyinsky Church survived. During the Great Patriotic War, all the believers of the temple were able to collect one million rubles for the construction of aircraft and sent them to Stalin. He sent a thank-you note in response. Why aircraft? The fact is that the Prophet Elijah is the protector of aviation.
In the middle of the 20th century, icons from all neighboring churches were brought to the church of Elijah the Prophet in Cherkizovo, which were supposed to be destroyed. At that time, the rector of the church was Archpriest Pavel Ivanovich Tsvetkov.
Ilyinsky churches of Moscow
Prophet Elijah is considered one of the most respected saints of the Old Testament. Three temples in Moscow are dedicated to him: the temple of the Prophet Elijah on the Vorontsovo field, the temple of Elijah the Prophet in Cherkizovo and the temple of the Prophet Elijah in Obydensky Lane. In any of them there are many holy relics, various objects that are revered by Christians, as well as icons.
Worships take place here:
- everyday liturgy - daily from 9:00 to 17:00;
- on great holidays and on Sunday - from 7:00 to 10:00, from 17:00 - evening service.
A Sunday school is open at the temple.
A few words about the Cherkizovsky cemetery
In the same way as the church of Elijah the Prophet in Cherkizovo, the cemetery has its own ancient history. It is the oldest burial place. It got its name from the village near which it was formed. There is a cemetery near the church. Or rather, it surrounds her. The cemetery is a very ancient historical necropolis. It was not ruined in Soviet times. Since 1998, they began to maintain an archive, which indicates the registration of all burials, even related ones. On the territory there is a place for the rental of agricultural equipment for the care of the graves. Cherkizovsky cemetery is open daily from 9:00 to 19:00 (May to September) and from 9:00 to 17:00 (October to April). Funeral rites are performed from 9:00 to 17:00 daily.
