Where the Volga and the Oka merge into a single stream, the Nativity Stroganov Church shines with the multicolored domes - the pride of Nizhny Novgorod, which has experienced both joys and troubles with its inhabitants, sent down to the Russian land in abundance. More than three centuries have passed since its foundation, but even today it pleases the eye with its festive decoration.
The temple is a witness of two eras
Becoming one of the hallmarks of Nizhny Novgorod, the Nativity Stroganov Church is not only a unique monument of temple architecture, but also a real embodiment of a radical change in the history of Russia. To be convinced of this, it is enough to pay attention to the dates of the beginning and completion of its construction: 1696-1719. They say that they began to build it at the dawn of Peter's reforms, when Moscow was still the capital of the Russian state, and consecrated it already in the St. Petersburg era.
Companion of Peter I
In the 90s of the 17th century, a major Russian industrialist, financier, politician and closest associate of Peter I moved to Nizhny Novgorod from Moscow -Grigory Dmitrievich Stroganov (1659-1715). In Russian history, this man left a mark not only as an outstanding statesman, but also as one of the largest temple builders - this is how in Russia from time immemorial they called those who, from their generosity, adorned the earth with God's churches and cathedrals.
And now, having settled down in a new place, he wished to build a temple in the name of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. He chose an unusually picturesque place for the planned building - on the banks of the Volga, not far from the confluence of the main tributary - the Oka. The authors of the project of the Stroganov Church in Nizhny Novgorod were the outstanding architects, experts in church architecture L. V. Dal and R. Ya. Kilevein.
The first, but not the last misfortune
Its laying, accompanied by a solemn prayer service, took place in May 1696, and after 5 years, the construction was roughly completed. But then a misfortune happened: due to an oversight or for some other reason, a terrible fire broke out in the summer of 1701, destroying the fruits of five years of labor.
Barely erected walls had to be dismantled and rebuilt. All the worries associated with the restoration of the still unfinished, but already burned down church fell on the shoulders of Grigory Dmitrievich's wife, Maria Yakovlevna, since he himself could not survive this blow of fate - he was ill for many years and died in 1715. Thus, the completion of construction, the final decoration of the church, as well as the consecration, performed in 1719 by Metropolitan Pitirim, took place after the death of its founder.
In its final versionThe Stroganov Church, the photo of which is presented in the article, was a two-tiered structure, where in the upper part there was an altar, a prayer hall, a porch and a refectory. Its roof was crowned with five domes oriented to the cardinal points. Initially, they were green, but in the middle of the 19th century they were given a look reminiscent of the domes of the Moscow Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed. The outer and inner walls were richly decorated with white stone carvings made by the best craftsmen of that time.
The Emperor's Wrath
The temple that grew up on the banks of the Volga became perhaps the most elegant architectural monument of that time, and it seemed that despite all the difficulties, Grigory Dmitrievich's desire was fulfilled, but the joy was short-lived. What seemed to be unbelievable happened: in May 1722, Emperor Peter I, having visited Nizhny Novgorod on his way and having defended the liturgy in the Stroganov Church, was suddenly filled with anger and ordered to close it. Everyone was amazed at what they heard, but no one dared to argue with the king.
What was the reason for such a strange act, which the sovereign did not even bother to explain? Historians do not stop arguing about this to this day, but due to the lack of any documentary information, they are forced to be content with the legends that appeared in connection with this extraordinary incident.
Two versions of what happened
According to the most popular of them, during the divine service, the tsar noticed in the iconostasis an image ordered by him for the Peter and Paul Cathedral from the St. Petersburg artist Louis Caravacu and allegedly bought by Stroganov for hisNizhny Novgorod offspring. Inflamed with anger, Peter ordered the closure of the church, which was carried out immediately.
There is another version of what happened, this time belonging not to popular rumor, but to the famous publicist writer and church historian P. I. Melnikov-Pechersky. He argued that the cause of the royal wrath were sectarian whips, who, according to denunciations, held their ungodly meetings in the premises of the newly consecrated church.
Second opening of the temple and new disasters
Whether any of these versions is true, it is difficult to judge, but it is documented that after the ill-fated visit of the tsar to Nizhny Novgorod, the Stroganov Church stood locked until his death in 1725, and only with the accession to the throne of Catherine I reopened its doors. By this time, all members of the Stroganov family had moved to the capital closer to the court and the favors of the new empress. As for the church founded by the late Grigory Dmitrievich, it became an ordinary parish in terms of its status, although it stood out among its brethren with extraordinary beauty and sophistication.
Since its second opening, the Stroganov Church has deservedly gained fame as the most beautiful church building in the city. It was a great honor for her, since there were many outstanding examples of Russian architecture in Nizhny Novgorod. Despite the fact that one of the thrones of the church was consecrated in honor of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos back in 1719, the people called it the Nativity or afternamed after the founder - Stroganovskaya.
Fires, the first of which happened in the church before the completion of construction, did not leave her in subsequent years. Records of fiery disasters of 1768, 1782 and 1788 have been preserved in the historical archive. Each time after them, the building had to be overhauled, but fortunately, they were carried out quite skillfully and did not distort its original appearance.
A peculiar and unique bell tower
As a result of the work carried out, the Stroganov Church met the beginning of the 20th century in its original appearance. His only violation was the covered walkway connecting the main building with the bell tower, which in itself was a striking landmark of Nizhny Torg, the area where it was located.
In its architectural design, the bell tower was a traditional design for Russian architecture - an octagon (upper part) on a quadrangle (massive base). Its spire, crowned with a golden cross and a flag-shaped weather vane, towered over the cluster of city houses and attracted glances from afar.
Wonder watch
The tower clock placed on the bell tower was of particular interest. In addition to time, they showed the phases of the moon, which caused respectful surprise among the townsfolk. Another interesting feature of them was stone slabs with Slavic letters printed on them, dividing the dial into 17 parts, which corresponded to the ancient Russian time reckoning.
They say that it was this watch that aroused interest intechnique from I. P. Kulibin, who was born in Nizhny Novgorod. Once he happened to repair their mechanism, which disappeared without a trace in the post-revolutionary years, and today has been replaced by a modern device. The clock itself can be seen today in its original place.
Falling Bell Tower
However, the troubles that relentlessly followed the Stroganov Church of Nizhny Novgorod throughout its history did not bypass the bell tower, which was so beloved by everyone. In the early 1950s, it was noticed that it began to slowly deviate from the vertical axis, and over the next 20 years its top shifted to the side by more than a meter. The reason was soon established - it had a detrimental effect on groundwater, not taken into account at the time by the designers.
Without claiming the glory of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and fearing a sudden collapse, the city authorities took all necessary measures to solve the problem. In 1887, the bell tower was almost completely dismantled, and then reassembled, taking into account all the features of the soil. This work, which lasted for almost five years, entailed the need for a major overhaul of the temple building itself, which was very dilapidated by that time, which was conspicuous against the background of the recently erected bell tower. This issue arose especially on the eve of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, which was celebrated in 1913.
The necessary funds were found, and the Stroganov Church met all-Russian celebrations in all its original splendor. According to the testimonycontemporaries, the golden sheen of the renovated iconostasis was adequately set off by the elegance of stone carvings, which served as decoration for the interior and exterior walls, and the festive color of the facade competed with the nobility and sophistication of architectural forms. So, in an atmosphere of universal admiration, the Stroganov Church (Novgorod) met the events of 1917, which made a radical change in its fate.
On the brink of death
Everything that was valuable in the eyes of the Bolsheviks was confiscated in the early years of Soviet power, but the Stroganov Church itself remained active until 1934, after which it was closed and determined for demolition as a "hotbed of religious obscurantism." No arguments based on the artistic and historical value of the building had any effect on the "owners of the new life", and the unique architectural monument was practically doomed.
He owes his salvation to the rector - Nizhny Novgorod priest Father Sergius (Veysov). Having collected a large number of archival documents and photographs, he gave more than a dozen lectures in the offices of top party functionaries and finally achieved what he wanted.
The path to the revival of the shrine
The decision to demolish the Stroganov Church was cancelled. Moreover, inside the building, which was not rebuilt during all the decades of Soviet power, and therefore did not lose its original appearance, first a pharmacy warehouse was placed, and then a branch of the Museum of Religion and Atheism, the director of which was Father Sergius himself. Thanks to such a happy combination of circumstances, a significant part of the intern altemple decorations. Suffice it to say that of the forty-six icons of the ancient iconostasis, only three were irretrievably lost.
The transfer of the Stroganov Church to the ownership of the Russian Orthodox Church became possible only with the advent of perestroika, which introduced fundamental changes in the attitude towards religion, both the government elite and the broad masses of citizens brought up during the years of Soviet power in the spirit of Marxist-Leninist materialism. In 1993, the signing of the relevant documents took place, culminating in the consecration of the newly acquired church.
Stroganov Church in Nizhny Novgorod. Worship Schedule
Today, the unique monument of Russian temple architecture has again regained the status of a major spiritual center, the religious life of which has resumed after many decades overshadowed by the policy of total atheism pursued in the country. At the end of the article, we provide for everyone who wants to visit the Stroganov Church, the schedule of services held in it. On weekdays they start at 8:30 and then continue at 12:00 and 13:00. Evening services are performed at 16:00. On Sundays, they are preceded by confessions beginning at 6:00. In addition, there is another additional service at 15:00.
