Before 1917, there were more than fifty churches and temples in Saratov. This is probably why the city was chosen as a demonstration platform in the fight against religion in the thirties of the XX century. Most of the Saratov churches at that time were destroyed and looted. Only at the end of the last century began the restoration of some places of worship, which, fortunately, continues today. Of course, in order to restore all the temples of Saratov, it will take a lot of time, effort and money. But even today, believers in the city can visit seventeen temples and churches. We won’t be able to “visit” all of them, but we will be happy to introduce you to some of the churches in Saratov that have gained a new life.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
The Holy Trinity Cathedral is one of the oldest places of worship in the city. It was built in 1675, but fires followed after it was completed. True, after each of them the temple was restored rather quickly.
The cathedral was built in the Moscow Baroque style andis a ship-type building - semicircular, with an altar apse. In 1920, the monastery was closed and actually abandoned, like many churches in Saratov. The rebirth of the shrine took place in the summer of 2003, when a new bishop, Longina, was appointed to the Saratov diocese. He drew attention to the deplorable state of many parish churches, which had not only not been restored for decades, but even elementary cosmetic repairs had not been carried out in them.
Large-scale restoration of the Holy Trinity Cathedral began in 2004. Today it is completed. Magnificent gilded domes sparkle in the sun, and the bell ringing of the cathedral is heard in almost all corners of the city. Many valuable icons are stored here, which were brought from the churches of the Saratov region or brought as a gift by the townspeople from their personal collections.
Temple of Cyril and Methodius
Not all churches in Saratov have such a long history as the Cathedral. Nevertheless, the church of Cyril and Methodius is already more than a century old. Its history began from the moment when the local university decided to open a department of Orthodox theology. It was at the same time that the university house church was founded. In Soviet times, it was closed and restored only in 2004. The temple is located on the campus of Saratov University named after N. G. Chernyshevsky. It is made in the Byzantine style and is distinguished by subtle and exquisite decor.
The first chapel at the university in the name of the miracle worker Nicholas was built at SSU in 1909. WhileThe university was named after Emperor Nicholas II. In 1918 the chapel was destroyed. In 2000, SSU employees created an initiative group to restore the house church at the city's oldest university. In 2004, the university was given a room in the 6th building of SSU for the creation of a temple. Divine services were held there until 2011. But almost simultaneously with the receipt of the premises, it was decided to build a separate church and spiritual and educational center. In 2011, the new temple was consecrated.
Temple of Seraphim of Sarov
Some churches in Saratov have a very short history. For example, the Church of Seraphim of Sarov was founded in 1901 with funds donated by local residents. In Soviet times, the building was transferred to a hostel. In 2001, the reconstruction of the temple began, which has not yet been completed today, but services are held here on church holidays.
Church of the Holy Mother of God (Saratov)
Earlier, this cathedral, located at the intersection of M. Gorky and Bolshaya Gornaya streets, was called Novopokrovsky. Its history began in 1859. At the expense of the merchant Voronov, a wooden three- altar church was built. The main throne is lit in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Cold in winter, the temple very soon became cramped for parishioners, and twenty years later, the construction of a new stone cathedral was started with donations from the townspeople and merchants. A. M. Salko became the author of the project. It is noteworthy that the townspeople participated in the construction of the temple not only with theircontributions, they brought building materials, donated icons. The construction of the walls of the building was completed in 1882, and the interior finishing work continued for another two years. In January 1885, a solemn consecration took place in the Intercession Church in Saratov. In 1893, a Sunday school began to work in it, and in a nearby two-story building there was a parish school, in which, in addition to the Law of God, Russian history and geography were taught.
After 1917, all the property of the temple, including a farm and a hamlet of twelve houses, was confiscated. In 1929 the church was closed. The building was given over to the dormitory of the Economic Institute, and a kindergarten was equipped in the bell tower. The domes of the temple were dismantled in 1931, and the bell tower was blown up. In 1970, the looted and rather dilapidated building was transferred to art workshops, which were located there until 1992, when the church was returned to the diocese. Today, the Church of the Virgin (Saratov) has been completely restored, and the sixty-six-meter-high bell tower has returned to its rightful historical place.
Temple of George the Victorious (Saratov)
Perhaps the most striking of those built in the post-Soviet era in the city is the Church of St. George the Victorious. Saratov had been waiting for its opening for seventeen long years. Its laying took place in June 1994 in the Solnechny settlement, which grew in Soviet times, but did not have a temple. A year earlier, the place for him was chosen by Patriarch Alexy II, during a visit to the city.
Because oflack of funds construction was frozen. It was renewed only at the end of 2004. Three years later (2007) the building was crowned with a dome, and in the summer of 2011 the main exterior work was completed. The consecration of the single- altar stone church was performed by Metropolitan of Volsk and Saratov Longin.
Church of the Nativity
This stone temple with a stone bell tower was built in 1886 on the initiative of the wife of the locomotive depot driver M. T. The church was one-story and with one altar - in honor of the Nativity of Christ. In 1935 it was one of the last closed in the city. At the closing of the temple, the watchman was killed. The church itself was looted, and for some time it was simply closed. At the end of the thirties of the last century, the premises were transferred to the library. Later, she was transferred to another room, and the regional clinic was placed in the building of the former temple.
In the summer of 1992, a severe fire broke out in the church building. In 1993, the believers of the city collected more than a thousand signatures under an appeal with a request to return the building to the Russian Orthodox Church. However, the process of finding out who owns the rights to this structure dragged on for many years. Only in mid-October 1999, the church and the boiler room were returned to their rightful owner - the Saratov diocese. Restoration work has begun. At the beginning of January 2000, the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the church. The renovation of the building was completed in 2016.
