The Chapel of Blessed Xenia at the Smolensk Cemetery

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

The Chapel of Blessed Xenia is located in St. Petersburg, it still functions today. It is located at the Smolensk cemetery, which is located in the area of Vasilyevsky Island.

Exterior and interior design

The chapel is built of stone and painted pale green. All sides of the facade are decorated with several pointed arched windows. They have spacers in the form of columns. The windows are decorated with stained glass images. Front and back, the cornice is decorated with a kokoshnik, made in the form of a semicircle, with mosaic icons of Jesus (on the inside) and Blessed Xenia (on the outside). The chapel is crowned with a brown scaly tent, decorated with a gilded dome in the form of an onion, on which there is a cross. As for the interior decoration, the eye immediately falls on the iconostasis, made of marble, on which you can see the mosaic image of the crucified Jesus. The Chapel of St. Xenia the Blessed is striking in its beauty. I want to admire this splendor forever.

History of the creation of the chapel, opening hours

Not far from the Smolensk Church, on the grave of Blessed Xenia, who took part in the construction of the stonechurch and died at the dawn of the 19th century, in 1900 a chapel was erected according to the project of the architect A. A. Vseslavin. They consecrated it after a couple of years. A little later, the Smolensk cemetery became the burial place of the founder of the chapel and church of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica, located in Kolomyagi, A. A. Vseslavin. Few know about it. This man is buried near the northern facade of the Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God. Built in the neo-Russian style, decorated with a low scaly tent, the chapel is one of the most interesting architectural monuments of the necropolis. She really deserves attention.

Moreover, many believe that the most interesting sight of St. Petersburg is the chapel of Xenia the Blessed. Opening hours should be known to every person who wants to visit it. On weekdays, its doors are open from 10 am to 4 pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.

Amazing beauty

But back to Blessed Xenia. At the head of her tomb, made of marble, was an iconostasis made of the same material and a mosaic image of Jesus on the cross. Beside him, an inextinguishable fire shone with a lamp. A large number of images in icon cases hung on the walls. They included a couple of silver icons, which were presented by Prince Masalsky, who went to the Russian-Turkish war in 1877-1878. He also made a vow.

He was not hurt at all in the war. Many people remember him when they come to the Smolensk cemetery. Chapel of Xenia the Blessedchanged thanks to his efforts. She was gorgeous, but she's even more beautiful with the silver outfits.

Closing the chapel, pilgrimages to it and the loss of church utensils

In 1940, both the Smolensk church and the chapel were abolished, and at the end of the summer the city authorities decided: it must be destroyed within thirty days. Fortunately, the savage decision was soon canceled. In addition, no one and nothing could abolish popular recognition. A plywood wall was placed near the chapel, on which people wrote requests addressed to Blessed Xenia. The believers hoped that the intercessor would pray for them. At that time, silver icons donated by Prince Masalsky, an embroidery with a portrait of the blessed one and a magnificent stained glass image with the image of Jesus disappeared somewhere.

Candlesticks, chandeliers, and chasubles were sent for remelting. And firewood was made from the rest of the icons. In the chapel during the war there was a warehouse for containers for fuel and lubricants. But Blessed Xenia was not forgotten, people remembered her.

Terrible times

Times of blockade… Bypassing all obstacles, to the sound of bombardment in the frost penetrating to the bones from all parts of Leningrad, believers were drawn to the revered shrine. They asked for intercession, prayed and wept, and many, having knelt near the wall, could no longer rise to their feet. The Chapel of Blessed Xenia has seen many deaths. It was a tragic period in her history.

Restoration of the building, canonization of Xenia of Petersburg

Already after the war, from the end of the winter of 1947 until 1960, believers could freely come to the chapel. However, after some time, the authorities decided to open a workshop for sewing and repairing shoes on a sacred place. Only in 1983 the building returned to the bosom of the Smolensk Church. It looked very bad: crumbling plaster, walls darkened with soot, a broken floor, the absence of an onion-shaped cupola. Many people decided to participate in the restoration of the chapel, at that time they already understood that Xenia would soon be canonized. This was very much wanted by Metropolitan Alexy, who supervised the work and worked selflessly. After the restoration, the chapel was once again consecrated on August 10, 1987. And already in June of the following year, Metropolitan Alexy II of Novgorod and Leningrad publicly announced that Blessed Xenia was now considered a saint. This joyful news was heard by 10,000 people. The Chapel of Blessed Xenia after that began to gather even more people. Pilgrimages began to be regularly made here.

Another reconstruction of the building

In the middle of autumn 2002 there was a significant date: 100 years since the consecration of the stone chapel on the grave of Xenia of Petersburg. Long before this event, the building was again subjected to reconstruction: the building, which survived the difficult historical events that took place in the 20th century, was decided to return to its former appearance. The craftsmen carried out hard work aimed at replacing the hipped roof, which, as before, following the model of ancient Russian architecture, is decorated with a gilded roof.bow topped with a cross. It looks very nice. The floors have also been replaced. On February 6, 2002, the renovated Chapel of Blessed Xenia opened its doors to all believers.