It is known that in Russia since ancient times there was a custom to build temples in gratitude to the Lord for the earthly blessings bestowed upon them. In distant centuries, such builders were princes and boyars, then they were replaced by the noble aristocracy, merchants and representatives of the class of entrepreneurs that appeared in the country and rapidly developed - yesterday's peasants. An example of such construction is the Ivanovo-Assumption Cathedral.
Temple of Ivanovo weavers
In 1834, a temple was founded on the territory of the cemetery belonging to the village of Ivanovo, which is located on the banks of the Uvod River. It was built on the initiative and with the money of local peasants Nikolai Stepanovich Shodchin and his fellow villager Kosma Ivanovich Butrimov. They had something to thank God for - they came from Old Believer families, they founded their own manufactories, which in a short time became one of the most famous weaving enterprises in Russia.
The development of the project was entrusted to the provincial architect E. Ya. Petrov, thanks to which Uspenskythe cathedral (Ivanovo) became one of the remarkable examples of temple buildings in the style of late classicism. The generous contributions of the initiators of the construction made it possible to decorate it with rich interior decoration.
Generous philanthropist
A year after the start of work, Nikolai Stepanovich Shodchin died, but his work was continued by his son and heir, Anton Nikolayevich. This man was a bright and extraordinary personality. Having continued and developed his father's work, he managed to amass a multimillion-dollar fortune by constantly donating money to numerous homeless shelters, hospitals and almshouses.
An interesting detail - few people know that the Orthodox St. Nicholas Cathedral on 97th Street in New York was erected with the money of the Ivanovo peasant Anton Nikolayevich Shodchin, who expressed his will in his will and allocated the necessary funds.
Consecration of the temple and giving him a miraculous icon
The Assumption Cathedral in Ivanovo took nine years to build. Its consecration took place in the autumn of 1843. Since there were three chapels in the cathedral, the celebration lasted for three days. The main throne was consecrated on September 19 in honor of the great holiday - the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the rest - in the following days. They were dedicated to the Great Martyr Barbara and the Nativity of John the Baptist.
In the same days, another Ivanovo peasant-manufacturer, V. A. Grachev, donated to the cathedral the icon of St. John the Baptist, which had been kept in his house until then, which became one of its main shrines. This image, widely known in connection withwith numerous miracles revealed through prayers before him, attracted a large number of pilgrims to the cathedral, both local and from other cities of the country.
A family of serfs from Ivanovo
The Assumption Cathedral was not only built with peasant money, but its further splendor was also supported by people from the very bottom of the social ladder - the serf family of the Shchapovs. Its head, Terenty Alekseevich, managed to open his own business and became the founder of the famous Ivanovo dynasty. In 1843, immediately after the consecration of the cathedral, he took care of the improvement of the adjacent territory and its splendor.
For many years, the pious industrialist Terenty Alekseevich was the headman of the cathedral, and after his death, his son Nikolai Terentyevich began to fulfill this position. With material we alth, the Shchapov family regularly carried out the work necessary to maintain the internal and external splendor in the Assumption Cathedral in the city of Ivanovo at their own expense.
It is known that Nikolai Terentyevich personally financed the painting of the temple, for which masters from Moscow were invited, and paid for the installation of new domes of the cathedral, as well as the construction of a stone church fence. At the same time, he and his wife Sofya Mikhailovna paid great attention to raising their own children, of whom they had fifteen people. The fate of each of them was different, but they all grew up as true believers and pious people.
The blasphemy of ungodly power
Unfortunately, in the years that followed the coming to power of the Bolsheviks, the Ivanovo-Uspensky Cathedral itself suffered, as well as the family of peasant entrepreneurs, who for more than half a century sacrificed strength and means for its magnificence. The new government expelled the Shchapov family from their spacious house, and soon the children - all fifteen people - were arrested, and spent the next years in places of detention, never understanding what their fault was. Sofya Mikhailovna died of grief in 1928, having only slightly outlived her husband.
In 1933, Ivanovo-Uspensky Cathedral was closed by order of the City Council. His community was abolished, and those who tried to object were arrested. If this ungodly action could still be explained by the general course of the government of those years, then the blasphemy committed against the cemetery where the cathedral was located causes complete bewilderment. Despite the fact that burials continued there until the last moment and there were many fresh graves visited by the relatives of the deceased, the cemetery was razed to the ground, and a dance floor was set up in its place.
Cathedral divided into cages
The Assumption Cathedral itself (Ivanovo) was converted into a hostel, and for this, the entire interior was partitioned off with plywood walls, dividing it into square meters of living space, allotted by the authorities to the owners of a new life. The domes, bell tower and porticos were demolished as they did not meet the new purpose of the building. At the end of the forties, the workers were settled in other hostels, and inthe deserted and desecrated church was moved in by the Ivgorelectroset enterprise for many years.
Restoration and restoration of the cathedral
A fresh wind of perestroika has swept over Russia for a long time, and the government confirmed its new approach to issues related to religion with concrete deeds, and the Ivanovo electricians stubbornly continued to hold on to their premises. It was not until 2003 that they were forced to release him. By this time, by order of the Holy Synod, a monastery was opened on the territory of the former cemetery, and the temple, thus, ended up in his possession.
But there was still a lot to do. The cathedral was returned to believers in a terrible state. Restoration and restoration work began in 2007 and was carried out not only with funds allocated by the Patriarchate, but also with voluntary donations from citizens - residents of Ivanovo and other Russian cities. When their main part was completed, it was decided to give the temple the status of a city cathedral.
Temple Hours
Today, among the numerous Orthodox churches in Russia, which have again become the property of the church, the Assumption Cathedral (Ivanovo) has taken its place. The schedule of worship, which meets each visitor at the entrance and is posted on his website, basically corresponds to the schedules of services adopted in other churches. On weekdays, morning services begin at 7:00 am and evening services at 4:20 pm. On holidays and weekends, the doors of the cathedral open at 6:30 and at 7:00 the EarlyDivine Liturgy. At 9:00 - Late Divine Liturgy, and evening services begin at 16:20.
Where is the Assumption Cathedral in (Ivanovo)?
In recent years, the interest shown by Russians in everything connected with the history of our Motherland has become obvious. They do not ignore the questions of religion, which for many centuries formed the basis of people's life. Today, among the visitors of the temples, one can see not only believers, but also those who have come to plunge into the living atmosphere of past centuries. All of them are waiting for the Assumption Cathedral (Ivanovo). Address: st. Smirnova, 76.
