The cathedral, built in the 19th century, underwent significant changes during the Soviet era. Now it is functioning. The majestic Smolensk Church in Orel with golden domes is visible from different parts of the city. Its history allows you to touch the events of bygone years.
History of occurrence
It all started at the end of the 17th century. Everyone knows about the rebellion of the archers, arranged during the reign of Peter I. Further history developed rapidly: the king exiled the rebels to Orel. The Streltsy Sloboda arose, the freethinkers continued to further equip their way of life. The only thing that bothered them was the lack of a temple. But the settlement was far from the city center, and visiting local churches was not very convenient because of the distance.
It took a century before the descendants of the archers received permission to build their own temple. It was during the reign of Catherine II, famous for the unspoken bans on the construction of new churches. The then bishopTikhon filed a petition in which he asked permission from the empress to build a temple, justifying this by the need to resist the schismatics who had become more active near the Streltsy settlement. Catherine II agreed to the construction of the Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, and the work began to boil.
The land was allocated from the very center of the settlement, it was enough to build a church and a bell tower, and a beautiful garden was laid out here. The first building was built in the 70s of the XVIII century, services began in 1777. The consecration of the foundation stone of the second Smolensk church in Orel (the main one) took place in 1857. Construction was completed only by the end of the 19th century, and the bell tower was erected in 1908.
XX century
You got acquainted with the pre-revolutionary history of the Smolensk Church in Orel. It's time to tell about what happened to him during the years of Soviet power.
In 1938 the church was closed. And when the Great Patriotic War began, it was used as a bomb shelter. After the end of the battles, the temple turned into a bakery. This was the case until 1995.
In April 1994, the Orel administration ordered the mutilated church to be handed over to believers. A year passed, divine services resumed in it, and in 1998 the right altar was consecrated in honor of the Savior Not Made by Hands. The left aisle was consecrated in the name of the martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica.
By 2015, the Smolensk Church in Orel was completely restored. The finishing work inside the church was completed, a new iconostasis was installed, and the domes were ennobled. To date, the temple is active, services are held daily.
Rector
Speaking of the church, one cannot remain silent about its rector. Archpriest Nikolai Shumskikh has been appointed by him since 2013. The priest is 46 years old, married and has six children.
Father Nikolay has a higher seminary education, he studied from 1993 to 1997. During his service he received a number of awards:
- In 2013, a medal was received in honor of the 900th anniversary of the feat of Hieromartyr Kuksha.
- A year later, Father Nikolai was awarded the patriarchal badge in honor of the 700th anniversary of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
- In 2015 he received a medal on the 1000th anniversary of the presentation of St. Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles.
- The last award the priest was awarded in 2016, this is the medal of the I degree of Reverend Kuksha.
Clergy
In addition to the father rector, several priests serve in the Smolensk Eagle Church:
- Priest Seraphim (Yurashevich). Born in 1965, studied at the Minsk and Moscow Theological Seminaries. Married in 2002. Received numerous awards for his service.
- Priest Oleg (Anokhin). A rather young priest, he is 39 years old. Former policeman, served in the Ministry of Internal Affairs from 2000 to 2006. In 2007, he decided to enter the Belgorod Theological Seminary. Has two awards, is married, has a son.
- Priest Vladislav (Kosenko). Born in 1974, married at the age of 19, has three children. From his youth he went to God, in 1991 he was a chorister in the Holy Ascension Church in the city of Krasnodar. In 2016 he graduated from the Moscowtheological seminary, studied in absentia. Has several awards.
Service Schedule
Services are conducted daily in the Smolensk Church in Orel. Their schedule has been the same over the years:
- On weekdays the Divine Liturgy starts at 8:00 am.
- On holidays and Sundays there are two liturgies. Early start at 7 am, late start at 9.30.
- Evening service starts at 17:00 daily.
Address
Smolensk Church in Orel is located at: Normandia-Neman Street, 27. The church is open daily, anyone can come during the temple's opening hours. If you want to come to the liturgy or worship, it is better to specify the time of the service in advance.
Temple shrines
The main shrine of the Smolensk Church in Orel is the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its name is not difficult to guess - this is the Mother of God "Smolensk". According to legend, the icon was painted during the life of the Virgin Mary by the Evangelist Luke.
In the church there are icons of the Great Martyr Dmitry of Thessalonica and Martyr Tatyana with particles of their relics. Another images especially revered by the parishioners are the Most Holy Theotokos "The Tsaritsa" and St. Seraphim of Sarov.
In the Smolensk church, you can venerate the reliquary, in which there are particles of God's saints. And to see the clothes of the Monk Mercury of the Kiev Caves, the relics of the saint were dressed in it.
Conclusion
If you are a believer, then, once in Orel,be sure to visit the Smolensk Cathedral. Touch the ancient Orthodox shrine, admire its majestic architecture. The church is the place where worries and worries recede, they are replaced by peace and a sense of security.
Remember about dress code: a headdress for women, ideally a skirt or dress. Men are in church with their heads bare, in trousers and a closed shirt or sweater. It is unacceptable to expose the shoulders, chest and legs.
