When you look at this unearthly beauty, the soul immediately embraces penetrating warmth and divine grace. Such a shelter - the temple of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called on Vuoksa - was created in the village of Vasilyevo, Priozersky district, Leningrad region, to save human souls. To understand what kind of place this is, let's plunge into the history of this region.
Vasilyevo
People settled in the vicinity of Vasiliev since ancient times, since in the Middle Ages trade routes of two states - Sweden and Veliky Novgorod - passed here. Literally three kilometers from the borders of the village itself, there are the ruins of the ancient Tiver settlement, which was once a fortified settlement of the Karelians, until the Novgorodians conquered it at the beginning of the 14th century. All this is located along the lake-river system called Vuoksa. In the Novgorod chronicles, it is referred to as Uzerva, which is translated from Karelian as “new lake.”
In the XII-XIV centuries, this land waspart of the Gorodensky churchyard of the Karelian district. Then Vasilyevo was called Tiuri, and it was the area of a rather large settlement, which is often mentioned in ancient census books under the name of the village of Tivra. After Veliky Novgorod fell, this Karelian Isthmus was annexed to the Muscovite state. During the period of unrest, the period of Swedish campaigns especially intensified, as a result, only 10% of the Orthodox population remained in this area. And when the Peace of Stolbov was concluded (at the beginning of the 17th century), these lands were ceded to Sweden. The time has come for the mass expulsion of the indigenous Orthodox population and the settlement of Lutheran settlers from southern Finland. This area was part of Räisälä, Vyborg Province (Finland) until 1939.
Historic Site
Today's name of the village Vasilyevo appeared much later - in 1948. Tiuri was renamed Vasilievo in 1948 in honor of Second Lieutenant Alexander Makarovich Vasiliev, Hero of the Soviet Union. He was the commander of a reconnaissance platoon of the 54th rifle division and died in one of the battles in 1941.
Since 1990, this village has been part of the Melnikovsky village council. According to the 1997 census, 98 people lived in the village. The church itself is assigned to the Holy Trinity parish of the village. Melnikovo, Priozersky district, Leningrad region.
Water Wonder
Returning to the topic "The Church of St. Andrew the First-Called on Vuoksa" and preliminaryHaving familiarized ourselves with the history of the emergence of this area, we finally come to the most important thing. Right on the rock in the middle of the mirror-like water surface stands, as if descended from the pages of fairy tales, a bewitching and pacifying temple in honor of St. Andrew the First-Called. And it is not at all surprising that it is noted in the Guinness Book of Records due to the fact that it is built on a tiny island. The foundation for it was a monolithic rock.
Temple of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called: Vuoksa River
Since groups of people are engaged in boat trips in this place, it was originally planned to build a resting place for boaters on one of the stone ledges. However, a professor at Herzen University offered to build a temple. This original idea was supported by his friend Andrey Lyamkin, a summer resident who lives not far from this place, who became a sponsor of the construction of this church. The rocky island, which was chosen for development, had an area of 100 square meters. m. This idea was immediately approved by the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga John (Snychev). He blessed the construction of the temple, the designer of which was the architect Andrei Nikolaevich Rotionov (now deceased). The two Andrews were so inspired by the project that they wanted the church to bear the name of their saint, who also patronizes sailors and fishermen, so you can often see the St. Andrew's flag on ships.
The Church of St. Andrew the First-Called on Vuoksa was created in 2000, and in the same year, on September 23, it was consecrated.
God's joy
The church wasnamed after one of the twelve apostles and disciples of Christ - Andrew the First-Called. According to legend, he was here and baptized people in local waters.
The Church of St. Andrew the First-Called on Vuoksa is a small hipped church in the style of wooden architecture, made in the shape of a figure eight. An example of such an interesting architectural solution was the old Church of the Ascension on the Moscow River in Kolomenskoye. Now, pilgrims and guests come not only from Russia, but also from other countries to look at this piece of paradise.
You can visit this church on liturgical days according to the schedule and with the permission of the rector of the temple to perform the sacraments of a wedding or baptism. There are no pompous crowded Christian ceremonies here, as we are used to seeing. This place is specially created for a solitary prayer with God, for reflection and rethinking of one's life in the most relaxed atmosphere surrounded by picturesque nature, where forest, water and birdsong create a real idyll. Soon it is planned to build a bridge here and lay a road to the pier, as well as equip a platform around the church for parishioners and a bath for the sacrament of baptism.
The Church of St. Andrew the First-Called on Vuoksa is unique in its own way, but there are many temples on the water in the world. These are churches in Volgograd, Kalyazino on the Volga, Kondopoga, the Church of the Assumption in Slovenia. But this church on a rocky island is irresistible and attractive in its own way.
Temple of St. Andrew the First-Called on Vuoksa: how to get there?
The place is next tothe village of Vasilyevo in the Priozersky district. You need to get from St. Petersburg along the Priozernoye highway to Losevo, then turn left to Saperny, then you need to go to Melnikovo, and after 8 km turn left off the highway to Vasilyevo. When passing Vasilyevo, you need to pay attention to the fact that immediately after it there will be a sign, and you will need to turn right (there will immediately be a parking lot). Next, you need to walk 200 meters on foot along the trodden path directly to the church. It will take two hours to get there.
The church of St. Andrew the First-Called on Vuoksa, surrounded on all sides by water, attracts with its mystery. The photos of this place are so bewitching and beautiful that you can look at them endlessly. They are so soothing. Pushkin would immediately be inspired by a couple of his magnificent poems.
