One of the sights of the ancient Russian city of Tula is a temple erected on Oboronnaya Street and once consecrated in honor of the twelve apostles - the closest disciples of Jesus Christ. Since the day of its construction, it has never been closed, always remaining an important spiritual center of the region. Our story will be about its history and today.
Relocation of the village church
The predecessor of the Temple of the Twelve Apostles currently existing in Tula, whose address is now listed in all city guidebooks, was, as often happened, a small wooden church built in 1898. It owes its appearance to Bishop Pitirim, who was concerned that most of the Tula churches are concentrated in the city center near the Kremlin, while residents of the outskirts are deprived of the opportunity to regularly attend services.
An obstacle in solving the problem was the lack of funds, and then the venerable archpastor ordered to transfer from the nearby village of Nikolsky to Konyushennaya Square (at that time the outskirts of the city) a small wooden church, the need for which the villagersdisappeared due to the completion of the construction of a new stone temple. And so they did. The rural shrine was dismantled, all the logs were carefully numbered and, having been delivered to Tula, they were assembled in a new place.
The generosity of the Tula rich
However, the newfound wooden temple, due to its small size, was not able to accommodate everyone, and the problem remained open. Since the spiritual needs of ordinary Tula residents significantly exceeded their material capabilities, they had to resort to the help of the servants of the "golden calf" - various kinds of rich people, who, by the way, were not averse to donating to a good cause.
The largest donation for the construction of the Temple of the Twelve Apostles in Tula was received from State Councilor V. A. Nikitsky, who did not spare 10.5 thousand rubles for the eternal remembrance of his deceased wife. Representatives of the merchant class, D. Ya. Vanykin and N. E. Sanaev, also forked out considerably, contributing about 8,000 rubles to the construction fund.
From serfs to millionaires
A special merit in financing the construction belongs to the rich Tula confectioner Vasily Ermolaevich Serikov, who became famous throughout the country for his famous Tula gingerbread. This outstanding person, who became one of the brightest representatives of Russian capital, was born into a family of serfs in Aleksinsky district, managed, as they say, “from scratch” to establish at first a modest trade in confectionery products of his own production, and then gradually turn it into a powerfulmulti-million dollar commercial enterprise.
Vasily Ermolaevich was not only the most generous donor for the construction of the Church of the Twelve Apostles in Tula, but after the completion of the work he became its headman and trustee of the parish school that operated in those years. He was buried within the church fence near the southern wall of the building.
A shrine set in stone
The new stone church was founded in July 1903 next to its wooden predecessor, which was again dismantled and transported for installation in the village of Tovarkovo, where it was destined to burn down "in the fire of the revolution." A chapel still stands at its western entrance door, built on the site where its altar once stood.
The Church of the Twelve Apostles erected in Tula, with its external appearance, fully corresponds to the Russian architectural style, which was very common at that time. The main volume of the building is a cube topped with five large domes. They are made in the Pskov style, the so-called onion style.
The festive and elegant look of the five-domed temple is given by numerous elements of decorative decoration - window frames, kokoshniks and balusters (small columns), painted in white. The bell tower is made in the form of a tent directed upwards, often found in temple buildings of the Russian Middle Ages, but in the 17th century it was forbidden by the decree of Patriarch Nikon as inconsistent with church canons.
As in the old days, so today insideThe temple has three altars. The main one is consecrated in honor of the Twelve Apostles of Christ, the northern one is dedicated to St. Nicholas, and the southern one is dedicated to the Great Martyr Catherine. A special attraction is the wooden carved altar richly decorated with gilding. Not inferior to him with its artistic merits and the floor, lined with multi-colored metlakh tiles.
Establishment of a parochial school and an almshouse
As mentioned above, in the pre-revolutionary years, a parochial school was opened at the temple, where boys and girls jointly learned the basics of literacy, which was an innovative and very bold form of education at that time. In addition, thanks to the efforts of the clergy and the most active parishioners, an almshouse operated there, in which the elderly and the poor were kept. Both of these institutions were located in separate buildings built for them, which have survived to this day. They are located on Pyotr Alekseev Street and are clearly visible at the entrance to the church fence.
On the Way of the Cross
With the Bolsheviks coming to power, a period of persecution began both against the Russian Orthodox Church and followers of other religious denominations. In these difficult times, hundreds of churches and monasteries were closed, and representatives of the clergy and the most active members of parishes were subjected to repression.
The troubles that hit most of the churches of the Tula diocese did not bypass the Church of the Twelve Apostles. Despite the fact that during all the decades of the communist regime it never closed, manyrepresentatives of its clergy were repressed. So, in March 1926, on a false charge of anti-Soviet activities, the authorities arrested the rector of the church, Archpriest Father Peter (Pavlushkov).
After keeping him in prison for three years, he was released, but after a short time he was again sent to jail, incriminating links with a counter-revolutionary organization allegedly uncovered in the city. Despite the obvious absurdity of the accusation, the priest was sentenced by the court to capital punishment and shot along with other victims of the Bolshevik terror. After Khrushchev exposed Stalin's personality cult, he was rehabilitated, and in the 1990s he was glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church as a holy martyr.
Fidelity to the commandments of Patriarch Tikhon
It should be noted that the Church of the Twelve Apostles (Tula) never passed into the jurisdiction of the Renovationists or, as they were also called, the “Living Church” - representatives of the current in the Russian Orthodox Church, who advocated the modernization of worship and cooperation with the communists. It is known that his clergy and parishioners, united in a strong religious community, always remained faithful to the commandments of Patriarch Tikhon, who sharply criticized this innovation, which was unacceptable from the point of view of the church canon, and called on all believers in Russia to boycott his preachers.
Under enemy fire
The temple on Oboronnaya Street (as its location is called today) was not closed even during the Great Patriotic War. According to the memoirs of its rector Father Michael (Poniatsky), especiallythe period was difficult when the Germans came close to the city, and its heroic defense was carried out by units of the Soviet Army. Located on the outskirts, the temple was in the zone of the most active hostilities, subjected to constant bombing and artillery shelling.
Several shells broke through the walls and exploded inside the building, causing significant damage. However, even in such an environment, the parishioners, and these were mostly women and the elderly, continued to pray in the snow-covered church, where chants were sometimes drowned out by the roar of cannonade.
At the same time, donations were collected for the needs of the front, and, despite the fact that the parishioners themselves were in dire need, they contributed a very significant amount for those times - 3.5 thousand rubles. After the defeat of the fascist hordes, the rector of the temple, Father Mikhail (Poniatsky), was awarded the medal "For the Defense of Moscow", which was evidence of the recognition of his many merits.
Honorary Citizen
In 1969, another very worthy pastor, Archpriest Father Rostislav (Lozinsky), became rector of the Twelve Apostles Church in Tula. Combining his main activity with scientific research, he defended his dissertation in 1979 and was awarded the title of Doctor of Theology. In addition, he owns a number of works on the history of Tula churches, the most famous of which came out of print under the title "Pages of the Past".
In the late 80s, on the initiative of Father Rostislav, a public organization was created in Tula to protect againstdemolition of a number of ancient necropolises located on the territories of modern city cemeteries. Through the labors of the venerable shepherd, a chapel was erected on the site of the first wooden church, which was discussed at the beginning of the article. For his activities, he was awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen of Tula".
Today in the life of the temple
Today, the temple on Oboronnaya Street is one of the leading spiritual centers in the city of Tula. The organization of religious life in it is led by the current rector, Archpriest Father Lev (Makhno), who became a worthy successor to his glorious predecessors. As in past years, the clergy led by him, together with members of the parish community, devote much time and energy to social and charitable activities. The church has a Sunday school, catechesis courses, as well as a number of children's circles. Assistance to poor citizens was also organized.
The most revered relics kept within the walls of the temple are the miraculous image of the Tikhvin Mother of God, as well as the icons of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the holy Apostle Jacob Alfeev. It should be noted that during the period of the communist regime, many shrines were kept here, transported from other Tula churches that were closed or destroyed during atheist campaigns.
To help tourists
It is not difficult to find out what sights of Tula can be seen in 1 day and what is the hallmark of this ancient Russian city on the websites of numerous travel companies, but you can get the most complete picture only by visiting it personally. For everyone who wants to make this trip and see the temple, which was discussed in our article, we inform you of its address: Tula, st. Defense, 92.
The mode of worship held in it generally corresponds to the schedules established in most Orthodox churches. On weekdays, they begin at 8:30 with a confession and subsequent liturgy, and then resume at 17:00. On Sundays and holidays at 11:00 an additional prayer service is performed.
Now about how to get to Tula and the final destination of the trip - the temple we are interested in. Residents and guests of the capital can use electric trains departing from the Kursk railway station and following to the Moscow railway station in the city of Tula. Further, fixed-route taxis No. 50, 52, 59 are at their service; buses of routes No. 13 and 13A, as well as trams No. 12 and 13. It will be convenient for owners of their own transport to follow the Moscow-Tula highway, which is 198 km long.
