Not far from Moscow, on the banks of the Klyazma, there is an ancient Russian city, which in the old days was called Bogorodsky - so Empress Catherine II commanded in 1781, and long before that there was a pit settlement Rogozhskaya, from where dashing coachmen drove their triples with government mail. And only in the thirties of the last century, the then rulers gave him a name in honor of his Bolshevik comrade-in-arms - Noginsk. The Cathedral of the Epiphany, the center of the religious life of the city, shared with him all his troubles and joys. Our story is about him.
Sloboda of government coachmen
The first information about the village, which was destined to become the cradle of the future city, dates back to the end of the 14th century. It was called in those years Rogozha. This gave reason to modern researchers to assume that its inhabitants were engaged in the production of matting - a trade that was very common in that era. However, some historians see in the name only a derivative of the word Rogoz - the name of the river flowing nearby. The issue is controversial, and due to the lack of documentary information, it is hardly resolvable.
Morespecific information refers to the beginning of the 16th century, when Rogozhi received the status of a yamskaya settlement, that is, a village whose inhabitants were obliged to perform the sovereign's service - to carry government mail in winter and summer along endless Russian highways. Thus, the Cathedral of the Epiphany (Noginsk) did not appear in those parts by chance - the villagers were engaged in important state affairs, and without God's help, what would happen?
Building a new church and the favor of the Empress
Before its construction began in 1755, there was a temple in those places in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. It was built on a piece of land donated to the church by the pious Moscow prince Vasily III, the father of the future Tsar Ivan the Terrible. By the middle of the 18th century, the temple had fallen into disrepair, and a new one, the Epiphany Cathedral (Noginsk), was erected in its place with the donations of Christ-loving parishioners. In memory of Nicholas the Wonderworker, one of its limits was consecrated.
Rogozhsky coachmen regularly served Russia, for which Empress Catherine II noted their work. By her personal decree, she ordered to rename the former village of Rogozhi into the city of Bogorodsk and make it the administrative center of the county. Since then, life on the banks of the Klyazma has changed beyond recognition. Officials came in large numbers, the center of the newly appeared city was built up with government buildings, and a certain solidity appeared in the posture of the townspeople from the consciousness of their own involvement in state affairs.
Reconstruction of the Cathedral
So the city of Bogorodsk appeared on the map of the Russian Empire -future Noginsk. The Cathedral of the Epiphany by that time had noticeably improved its status. Being located in the provincial center, he regularly became a place of hierarchical service, which attracted the attention of the capital's Synod to him. This resulted in extensive reconstruction work, which began in 1822 and continued for two years.
At the end of the work in 1824, a spacious refectory rebuilt with the boundaries of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was consecrated. In addition, a bell tower, a stone chapel and a guard room appeared.
In the middle of the century, donations from the owners of a large textile enterprise, industrialist A. Elagin and his sons, who opened in the city, became a significant financial support to the temple. A we althy entrepreneur, the manufacturer Shibaev, also played a significant role in this. Thanks to their contributions, the cathedral was expanded, decorated with rich paintings and surrounded by a decorative fence. To accommodate the Bogorodsk spiritual board, a special two-story building was erected, made in the best architectural traditions of that time.
Enterprises grew and the future Noginsk expanded
The Epiphany Cathedral in the middle of the 19th century, during the period of the most active growth of the city's industry, was not only reconstructed, but also completely rebuilt. The population of Bogorodsk during these years increased significantly due to hired workers who came to its enterprises from other provinces. The temple could no longer accommodate everyone. In 1853 bywith the blessing of the ruling bishop, Metropolitan Innokenty, its building was dismantled and the construction of a more spacious and capacious cathedral began.
Construction lasted until 1876, and on September 5, the new temple was solemnly consecrated. However, this work on its improvement was not completed. Already at the beginning of the 20th century, it was once again reconstructed according to the project of the architect N. Strukov. The whole of Bogorodsk (Noginsk) gathered for the celebrations on the occasion of its opening. Epiphany Cathedral stood in all its splendor.
The ordeals that befell the temple in the 20th century
In the thirties, the city of Bogorodsk was renamed Noginsk. The Epiphany Cathedral, like most of the country's churches, was closed, and many of its ministers became victims of repression. Industrial enterprises were placed in its premises, but, fortunately, the building itself was not destroyed. Only in 1989, the Cathedral of the Epiphany (Noginsk), the photo of which is presented in the article, was returned to the church, and services were resumed after restoration work.
Restored shrine
Today, Noginsk occupies a worthy place among the numerous religious centers of the country. The Cathedral of the Epiphany, the center of his spiritual life, has gained its former greatness over the years that have passed under the sign of the revival of Russian Orthodoxy. Many well-known Moscow masters were involved in the work on its restoration.
It is especially gratifying that among the variety of icons presented in it there are many old ones, miraculously preserved frompre-revolutionary times and decorating today the Epiphany Cathedral (Noginsk). The schedule of divine services, as well as the list of services performed by the priests, testify to the fact that the spiritual life within its walls has returned to its former course, established over the centuries.
