In 2001, the public of Moscow and Orthodox activists decided to create a large and spacious church in Yasenevo, one of the districts of the capital. The reasons for this decision were as follows: the need to meet the ever-increasing need of Muscovites for religious centers that meet their spiritual needs, and the request of family members of fallen military personnel and law enforcement officials to erect a memorial church to all those who gave their lives in armed conflicts of recent years.
Laying a new temple
To implement this project, the city administration has allocated an area adjacent to Aivazovsky Street. The paperwork and pre-project approvals took about five years. At the same time, funds were collected to carry out the work. Anyone who wanted to could contribute the amount available to him for the so-called nominal brick. In this case, the donor received an appropriate certificate, and his nameindicated on one of the bricks used during the laying of the walls. In addition, the names of benefactors were included in a special memorial list.
The day of September 28, 2008, when the Intercession Church in Yasenevo was solemnly laid, became a real holiday for many zealots of the faith. In honor of this significant event, a solemn prayer service was performed, accompanied by a procession, the participants of which were not only the future parishioners of the temple, but also numerous guests from all over Orthodox Moscow.
Ancient and solemn ritual
The first Divine Liturgy in the church still under construction took place on Easter night, April 19, 2009. By this time, the builders had only time to pour the monolithic slab of the foundation of the future structure, as well as the concrete walls and upper floors of the basement floor. However, temporary discomfort did not spoil the holiday, and the good news of the Resurrection of Christ still filled the hearts of believers with joy.
At the end of June, the Patriarch, who was still under construction in Yasenevo, visited the Church of the Intercession, who performed the ceremony of founding the temple. This was accompanied by prayer singing, as well as the reading of the Gospel and special prayers that are customary to offer at the start of construction. According to the ancient custom, a letter, packed in a special capsule, was enclosed in the base of the altar wall, in which the Patriarch certified with his personal signature the fact of this sacred rite. Construction and finishing work continued until 2015. At the end of December, the consecration of the Intercession Church was completed inYasenevo.
Architectural features of the temple
The Intercession Church in Yasenevo is made in the traditions of Byzantine temple architecture of the 12th century. In accordance with its canons, the entire interior of the building is decorated. This was especially evident in the design of the walls, which reproduce the most striking examples of Byzantine mosaics.
According to its arrangement, the Church of the Intercession in Yasenevo is five-domed, four-pillared. Belfries are placed in two of its chapters. The main entrance is located on the western side, but there are entrance porches on three sides. The total height of the building is thirty-six meters, and its basement part, built into the relief, is four and a half. It houses a baptismal church. It was in this room that the first liturgy was celebrated on the memorable Paschal night of 2009. On the north side of the temple are the Sunday School, bookstore, and conference rooms.
Jerusalem shrines in Yasenevsky temple
The lower baptismal church deserves special attention. Made, like the entire temple complex, in the Byzantine style, it is equipped with a marble baptistery located in the center, which corresponds to its intended purpose. The rest of the space of the church is an architectural composition called the "Icon of the Holy Land"
It consists in the fact that in the basement of the temple on a relatively small area there are imitations of the five main shrines of the Christian world: the Holy Sepulcher, the Anointing Stone, the Tomb of the Mother of God, Golgotha and the Star of Bethlehem. In this projectthere is a great spiritual and educational potential. I must say that the Church of the Intercession in Yasenevo is not the first place where such an idea has found its embodiment. At one time, Patriarch Nikon had already implemented it in the New Jerusalem Monastery. However, not every Muscovite is able to make a pilgrimage to it.
A miracle manifested through prayers
The new temple became a reality thanks to the prayers of parishioners and the help of voluntary donors, reviving the pre-revolutionary tradition of church patronage. It was at their expense that the Intercession Church in Yasenevo was built. Miracles, which are holy icons, are performed only where people turn to the Lord with all the depth of faith. The creation of this new parish was just such a begged-for miracle.
For all residents of Moscow and guests of the city, the Intercession Church in Yasenevo opens its doors daily. Every Muscovite can easily tell you how to get to it, because it is located in one of the most densely populated areas. To do this, it is enough to get up from the metro station at Yasenevo station, drive three stops by bus number 264 to Aivazovsky street, 7/9.
The schedule of services at the Church of the Intercession in Yasenevo is somewhat different from the schedule of services in other churches. Here, on weekdays, matins and liturgy begin at 7:30, and vespers at 18:00. On Sundays and holidays, the early liturgy is served at 6:40, the late at 8:40, the evening service begins at 17:00.
