In August 1905, the Russian-Turkish war ended ingloriously for Russia. She showed all the inconsistency of the organization of the Russian army, but at the same time she showed examples of the courage and stamina of her soldiers. To perpetuate the memory of the soldiers and officers of the artillery regiment who fell in those days on the eastern borders of Russia, the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos was erected in Grodno.
Cathedral in Grodno
The Intercession Cathedral, for all its significance as a monument to an important historical event, was not just a manifestation of the emotional outburst of Russians, embraced by a patriotic feeling. The decision of the authorities to lay it was based on a government decree adopted at the end of the 19th century and in 1901, which became law after it was approved by Tsar Nicholas II. It prescribed the construction of garrison and regimental churches on the territories of all military units, in whose staff clergy were included.
Since in those years the territory of present-day Belarus was part of Russia, the city of Grodno also fell under the jurisdiction of Nicholas II. Intercession Cathedral, thus,appeared as a purely statutory garrison attribute, although in subsequent years it was perceived primarily as a monument to servicemen who died in the Russo-Japanese War.
Construction of the temple-museum
The development of the project for the future cathedral was entrusted to the Grodno architect M. M. Prozorov. In his work, the architect took as a basis the features of another garrison church, located in Peterhof, one of the palace suburbs of St. Petersburg. It was a church that earned a well-deserved fame for its artistic merit. I. E. Savelyev supervised the work on the implementation of the project.
Construction and finishing works were completed in 1907, and on November 11 it was solemnly consecrated in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, invisibly stretched over the city of Grodno. Intercession Cathedral has become not only a symbolic monument, but also a real museum. In one of its premises, an exposition was opened related to the exploits of soldiers and officers during the years of the recently ended war. At the same time, an annual religious procession was established in their honor, which took place on Palm Sunday, that is, a week before Easter, the center of the celebration of which has since become the Intercession Cathedral (Grodno). The schedule of worship services on its doors for many years coexisted with the schedule of the museum operating within its walls.
Temple is a school of patriotism
In those years, the clergy of the cathedral, together with the command of the Grodno garrison, did a lot of work to educate patriotism andraising morale among the servicemen who were fed in the temple. Members of the city Church and Archaeological Committee were involved in it, providing the temple with regimental iconostases and a large collection of icons. Soon followed the grand opening of a memorial plaque mounted on the wall of the cathedral with the names of soldiers and officers who gave their lives in the Russo-Japanese War and served earlier in Grodno. Intercession Cathedral became their memorial.
Unique architectural composition
Despite the fact that the architect M. M. Prozorov created the design of the temple on the basis of a finished sample built in Peterhof, as a result of his creative rethinking, the author managed to create a composition with unique features. A major role in this was played by the head of construction work, military engineer I. E. Savelyev.
The Intercession Cathedral (Grodno) is made in a retrospective Russian style, which in many ways distinguishes it from pseudo-Russian temple buildings. The building is based on an elongated basilica, completed on the eastern side by a five-sided apse - a protruding part of the wall behind which the altar is located. In the northwestern part of the façade, there is a ten-meter-high hipped belfry, completed with a dome mounted on a drum. On its sides rise two small tents, also decorated with domes. Their appearance is complemented by semicircular windows with kokoshniks.
The altar part of the temple is built on with a low quadrangle crowned with five domes placed on octagonal bases. Undoubtedly their decorationare false windows framed with decorative kokoshniks. Also noteworthy are the windows located on two levels of the side facades and equipped with picturesque "terem" architraves. The walls between them are decorated with rich decorative trim.
The uniqueness of the interior
The Intercession Cathedral in Grodno, the photo of which is presented in the article, is also remarkable for its interior. Twelve powerful columns with arcades thrown over them divide the interior into three naves (three separate parts). Old Russian text script serves as an ornament for decorating three ceiling plafonds, and the walls are covered with paintings representing scenes from the Old and New Testaments.
The attraction of the cathedral, no doubt, are also its main and side iconostases. They are made of dark-toned wood, richly decorated with carvings and gilding. The altar rooms are decorated in the same way. Above the entrance to the cathedral there are choirs, decorated in the Russian style and organically fit into the interior.
Shrines of the Intercession Cathedral
However, despite all the artistic merits, the main content of any temple is its shrines - miraculous icons and the relics of God's saints stored in it. There are also in the Intercession Cathedral. These are, first of all, the especially revered images of the Kazan Mother of God, the Mother of God Hodegetria and the Descent of the Holy Spirit, as well as the relics of the great martyr Gabriel Zabludsky. The flow of pilgrims and parishioners never dries up to them.
The collection of shrines of the temple was significantly replenished during the period of perestroika, after restoration work was carried out in the cathedral. It includes icons painted in honor of numerous new martyrs and confessors of Russia, who glorified the Lord during the years of repression. Many of them were residents of Belarus.
The cathedral that survived the communist hard times
It should be noted that throughout the decades of communist rule, when thousands of churches were abolished and sometimes destroyed, one of the few that did not stop its activity was the Intercession Cathedral in Grodno. The schedule of services has never disappeared from its doors. The credit for this belongs mainly to the members of his parish, who found the courage to stand up for their temple.
In the 20th century, the Intercession Cathedral experienced many events that somewhat reduced its role as a memorial church. These are revolutions, and wars, and the inclusion of part of Belarus into Poland. After in 1921 the faithful lost the Sophia Cathedral, its role was played by the Intercession Cathedral in Grodno.
The hours of his work were filled in those days not only with the services established by the Church Charter, but also with the demands and continuous prayers of thousands of people who came here from all over the country. It remains so to this day. Today, located in the old part of the city, the Intercession Cathedral (Grodno) - address: st. Eliza Ozheshko, 23 - is one of the most visited city churches. The entire territory surrounding it received the status of a monument of history and architecture, protected by the state.
Sculpture of the Blessed Virgin Mary
In 2008, the Grodno artist V. Panteleev took the initiative to install a monumental Orthodox sculpture in the city, in which he received approval from both the civil authorities and the diocesan leadership. A year and a half later, near the Pokrovsky Cathedral, his composition “The Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos” was installed. It has become a worthy decoration of the territory adjacent to the temple.
The height of the figure cast in bronze is three meters, and together with the granite pedestal it is four meters and twenty centimeters. Its solemn consecration was timed to coincide with the celebration of the hundredth anniversary of the formation of the Grodno diocese and took place on the day of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, October 14.
Schedule of services at the Intercession Cathedral in Grodno
As mentioned above, the Grodno Intercession Church received the status of a cathedral during the period of dramatic events that unfolded in the early years of Soviet power and became the result of the anti-church policy of the new regime. Nowadays, its dominating position among other churches existing now in the city was officially secured by the decision of the leadership of the Grodno diocese, formed immediately after the Republic of Belarus gained independence. As a result, the schedule of services in the Intercession Cathedral in Grodno differs somewhat from the schedules of other churches.
On weekdays morning services begin at 8:30 and evening services at 17:00. SundayOn feast days, three services are held in the morning - an early liturgy at 6:30 a.m., then a Sunday school morning service at 8:30 a.m., and a late liturgy at 9:30 a.m. In the evening, the service starts at 17:00. In addition to the indicated hours, the doors of the cathedral are open throughout the day for those who would like to bow to its shrines or simply view this unique monument of temple architecture.
