Thanks to the new attitude of the Russian government towards religion, established during the years of perestroika, as well as a radical change in policy in matters related to church property, many churches returned to believers have regained the status of spiritual centers. The Nikitskaya Church (Vladimir) also belongs to them. Address: Knyagininskaya st., 8. Its history spans almost two and a half centuries.
The charitable deed of the Vladimir merchant
In the 60s of the 18th century, the pious merchant Semyon Lazarev built the Nikitskaya Church in Vladimir at his own expense. The place for its construction was the territory of the Cosmo-Demianovsky Monastery, abolished by that time, known for the fact that at the end of June 1174 it became the place of the funeral of the innocently murdered Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. Later, a wooden church was erected there in the name of the Great Martyr Nikita, which was extremely dilapidated and required rebuilding. It was here that the generosity of the Vladimir merchant came in handy.
The dates of the beginning and completion of the construction of the temple raise doubts among historians, but,most likely, they were 1762-1765. Information has also been preserved that initially it had two thrones - in the name of Cosmas and Demyan and in honor of John the Baptist. Both of them were solemnly consecrated by Bishop Pavel of Murom.
Result of architectural error
Russian merchants from time immemorial have shown generosity in charitable deeds, thanks to which many churches in Vladimir, a traditional trading city, shone with their beauty. St. Nicholas Church was not forgotten either. In the middle of the 19th century, a prominent merchant, P. V. Kozlov, who was engaged in the export of grain and, in addition, founded the first soap factory in the city, took care of its reconstruction.
Two-story side limits were added to the Nikitskaya Church (Vladimir) at his expense. However, as time has shown, they were poorly designed and due to the lack of windows in the lower tier they always remained dark and damp.
Following construction work
Subsequently, this architectural error had to be corrected. To fulfill this very expensive task, it should be noted, funds were found thanks to a voluntary donor - the eminent city merchant N. L. Filosofov, who left a noticeable mark on the history of the Nikitskaya Church (Vladimir).
Not limiting himself to the scope of work outlined earlier, he bought a vast land plot with his own money, on which he built a school for children from low-income families and a parable house. In addition, around the entire complex of buildings, the pious merchant erected a stone fence with forgeddecorative gates. His grave, arranged near the church wall, has survived to this day.
The end of the 19th century in the life of the Nikitskaya Church
In the second half of the 19th century, among the parishioners of the church was the outstanding Russian historian N. A. Artleben, who became the founder of a new science at that time - architectural restoration. Thanks to his activities, many churches in Vladimir were returned to their original appearance, distorted by subsequent restructuring. It was he who was entrusted with overseeing the reconstruction of the Nikitskaya Church, which was carried out at the expense of the merchant Filosofov.
The last time renovation and improvement of the Nikitskaya Church built in Vladimir was carried out in 1898 and was also carried out at the expense of a voluntary donor. This time it turned out to be a merchant of the 1st guild, D. P. Goncharov. Thanks to his generosity, the iconostasis was re-gilded in the church and a new, richly decorated kliros was built.
Under the yoke of ungodly power
In the future, it was supposed to rebuild the bell tower, but the implementation of plans was prevented by Russia's entry into the First World War, as well as the tragic events associated with the coming to power of the new atheistic Bolshevik government.
In the first post-revolutionary years, the Nikitskaya Church (Vladimir) was repeatedly tried to be closed, but each time they refused this action, fearing popular unrest. Only in 1938, when the bloody wheel of Stalinist repressions swept across the country, were the authorities able to carry out their plan, having previously arrested members of theclergy on charges of anti-Soviet activities. The last priest of the Nikitskaya Church was Archpriest Father Alexy (Vladychin), who was shot in December 1937.
The revival of the temple
Fortunately, the church building itself was not destroyed and did not undergo major re-planning during the years of Soviet power. It was used for economic purposes, since 1970 it housed a restoration and art workshop.
Among other churches, the Nikitsky Church - the last of the closed by the Bolsheviks - was returned to believers later than the rest. This event happened only in 2015, when divine services resumed in many churches. Today it is again one of the leading spiritual centers of the city.
Thanks to the donations of numerous parishioners, as well as the generosity of sponsors from among local entrepreneurs, it was possible to carry out the necessary restoration and restoration work and give the church its former splendor. Within its walls, all divine services prescribed by the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church are performed. In addition, there are catechesis courses open to all who wish to receive holy Baptism, as well as a Sunday School.
