On the junction of two rivers (Orlik and Oka), where the Oryol fortress once stood, now stands the majestic Epiphany Cathedral of the city of Orel. This ancient monument, which survived many difficult periods of life together with Russia, has more than three centuries of its history, but, as in previous years, is one of the main spiritual centers of the region.
The wooden church - the forerunner of the cathedral
Began its history, as it often happened in previous centuries, with a small wooden church built in 1646 and consecrated in honor of the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ. And her name was appropriate - Bogoyavlenskaya. There is no information about how she looked and how big she was. She was destined to serve God and people for no more than half a century.
It was a hard time. During the Time of Troubles, the city of Oryol was completely burned by Polish and Lithuanian invaders, after which it was abandoned for almost thirty years. Only in 1636 did Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich issue a decree on its restoration, and life returned to the old ashes, however, due to constant Tatar raids, she wore a paramilitarycharacter.
Building a stone cathedral
The new stone Epiphany Cathedral (Oryol) was built at the beginning of the 18th century, and, as it should be assumed, no later than 1714. This can be concluded on the basis of a decree issued that year by Peter I, which forbade the construction of stone buildings throughout Russia. A new capital of the state was being built - St. Petersburg, and all stonemasons were obliged to work on the banks of the Neva. This restriction was in effect for sixty years, and, of course, the Oryol architects would not have dared to break it.
In the future, the temple was repeatedly rebuilt, but according to the surviving drawings and drawings, we can conclude that it was an outstanding example of Moscow or, as they say, Naryshkin baroque. This style, widespread in the architecture of the 17th and early 18th centuries, got its name from the boyar family of the Naryshkins, on whose estates buildings were erected in this new manner for Russia at that time.
The Cathedral of the Epiphany (Oryol) undoubtedly became an adornment of the city, and when the main cathedral Nativity Cathedral fell into disrepair, which happened in the sixties of the 18th century, all solemn hierarchal services began to be held in it. Many eyewitness accounts have survived to this day, telling about the splendor with which they were performed.
Subsequent reconstruction of the cathedral
Years passed, and new trends invaded the quiet provincial life of Orel. They also touched architecture. To replace the obsoletebaroque with its lavish decor came strict and finished outlines of classicism. Since there were many eminent merchants among the parishioners of the cathedral - pious people and with means, then in 1837 it was decided to make a major restructuring of the building, following the capital's models in everything. The fathers of the city and God wished to glorify and not to drop themselves.
The plan was carried out in the best possible way. The temple building itself was significantly expanded and decorated with classical porticos and massive apses - altar ledges that adjoined the main volume and changed its artistic appearance. In combination with the baroque domes and bell tower that remained in their original form, the Epiphany Cathedral (Oryol) embodied in its appearance the continuity of two architectural styles.
The "Leaning Tower of Pisa" on the banks of Orlik
Once again, construction work was resumed at the beginning of the 20th century. The fact is that the cathedral bell tower in the thirties of the previous century began to gradually lean to the side. But since this process was very slow, and its restructuring required significant funds, the city fathers were in no hurry to take proper measures, relying mainly on the mercy of God.
However, by 1900, the slope became so threatening that a commission was created, which included both representatives of the technical services and persons of the clergy. After a thorough examination of the bell tower, despite the assurances of the parishioners that “it stood and will stand for another hundred years”, it was decided to dismantle it.
However, this time they did not rush. Eight years passed before the construction of a new one began on the site of the old bell tower, the project of which was made in the neo-Russian or, as it is also called, pseudo-Russian style, which included a combination of the traditions of ancient Russian and Byzantine architecture.
Hard times
The Epiphany Cathedral (Oryol) survived the first two decades following the October Revolution with fewer losses than other city churches. He was not included in the list of seventeen of his brothers who were subject to immediate closure, and even during the campaign to seize church property, he was not completely robbed.
His troubles began shortly before the war, when in 1939 the new bell tower was ordered to be dismantled. The vaunted combination of Old Russian style with Byzantine traditions did not save her. And this time it stood absolutely evenly, the new government just needed bricks, so they dismantled an architectural monument. The same fate befell the church fence.
War and later years
Throughout the war, the temple remained active, under its arches prayers were offered for victory over the enemy and for all those who shed blood on the battlefields. In 1945, a security plaque appeared on its wall. She reported that the city department of architecture, miraculously, finally appreciated the uniqueness of the building and put it under state protection.
However, this security guarantee was enoughonly for twenty years. In the 1960s, the notorious Khrushchev campaign to combat religious remnants was launched in the country, during which the Epiphany Cathedral was not only closed, but also rebuilt for the needs of the puppet theater located within its walls. The domes with crosses were demolished, and the inner vaults were covered with a flat ceiling. All wall paintings made by masters of the 19th century were plastered as they did not correspond to the ideological orientation of the cultural institution that was located in it.
Long road of rebirth
Today, the Epiphany Cathedral in Orel, whose address is Epiphany Square 1, revived to life, reopened its doors to its parishioners. But this was preceded by a long and difficult path, the beginning of which was laid back in 1994, immediately after it was transferred to the ownership of the church. Suffice it to say that the restoration of the shrine after many decades of desecration took almost twenty years.
Only after its main altar was consecrated in 1996, among other city churches, the Epiphany Cathedral (Oryol) resumed regular services. Baptism of children and adults, weddings, funerals and other rites began to be performed again, as once in ancient times. All this took place against the backdrop of ongoing restoration work. In 2000, a group of artists completed the restoration of the interior painting of the cathedral, restoring its original appearance to the walls.
Belfry returned from oblivion
One of the main stages of the work was the restoration of the destroyedpre-war period of the cathedral bell tower. In 2008, on the site where its foundation towered above the ground, construction began, completed in an unusually short time. The very next year, the main bells were raised on it, and in 2013 the rite of consecration of their complete set took place.
On May 24, 2014, numerous crowds of believers and people who were not indifferent to what was happening flocked to the square where the Epiphany Cathedral in Orel is located. It was a truly significant day. A dome and a cross crowning it were installed on the bell tower of the cathedral, after which the long-awaited blessing floated over the city. The last time it was heard in Orel in 1919, when after the departure of the White Guard units from the city, Lenin's decree on the prohibition of bell ringing came into force.
Cathedral parish life today
Shortly before this momentous event, Archpriest Alexander (Prischepa), the dean of the Oryol churches, was appointed rector of the cathedral. Under his pastoral leadership, the life of the community reached a new level. A Sunday school and a choir studio were opened, a chapel above the well was built, in which water flows down the cross from an artesian well located here, which undoubtedly adorns the Cathedral of the Epiphany.
The working hours of the temple as a whole correspond to the schedule of all other Orthodox churches. On weekdays morning services begin at 8:00 am and evening services at 5:00 pm. On Sundays and holidays, two liturgies are served: early at 7:00 and late at 9:00. We inform everyone who is going to visit for the first timeCathedral of the Epiphany (Eagle) - telephone for information: +7(4862) 54-31-59.
