Muscovites are familiar with the old Pyatnitsky cemetery, dating back to the 18th century. In Moscow today there are seventy-one burial grounds. However, among them there are several who have become part of the history of the capital, so organically they merged with it. And this necropolis, named after the holy Monk Paraskeva Friday, is one of them.
Cemetery at the end of the Droboliteiny lane
If, being in the north of Moscow, not far from Mira Avenue, you bypass the Krestovsky overpass and immediately turn right, you will find yourself in an alley called Drobolyteyny. This name he received already in our years, and was formerly called the Cemetery, as Pyatnitsky cemetery is located at the end of it. In Moscow it is easy to get lost, but this address is not difficult to find. Seeing the beautiful three-tiered bell tower ahead, know that you are on target.
As mentioned above, Pyatnitsky cemetery is one of the oldest in Moscow. In 1771, the capital was shocked by events that went down in history under the name of the Plague Riot. Many Muscovites at that time prematurely ended their earthly journey, and there was no place for their last repose. For this reason, the decree of Catherine II allocated a place for their burial.
Mother Empress took care not only of the bodies, but also of the souls of the deceased, and in her personal decree she ordered to build a church on the churchyard. The document noted that if there is no way to build a stone cathedral due to the scarcity of funds, it is necessary to build at least a temporary one - wooden.
Construction of the first - wooden church
The highest command was executed immediately, and found the New Throne Church of God - a wooden church in the name of St. Paraskeva Friday. It was in honor of this saint that the Pyatnitsky cemetery itself later received the name. In Moscow, among the clergy who left a mark on its history, the rector of the newly built church, Father Fedor (Protopopov), also took his place.
For thirty years, he asked God for Christian repose for the souls of those whom he buried, preparing for the last journey. But the father found time for household affairs. It was his troubles in 1830 on the site of a dilapidated wooden church that the construction of a new, stone one began. At the end of work in 1935, it was consecrated in honor of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity.
God's temples in the cemetery
The author of the project was architect A.G. Grigoriev, known to Muscovites for his other work - the complex at the Vagankovsky cemetery. The church had two side chapels, consecrated in honor of the Monk Paraskeva Friday (which finally assigned its name to the cemetery) and the Monk Sergius of Radonezh. Many other improvements were made by the work of a tireless pastor. They are evidenced by a memorial plaque on one of the walls of the church that has been preserved to this day.
In the old days, there was a tradition of making significant sums for the eternal remembrance of the souls of deceased relatives. The most wealthy people built for this purpose chapels and even entire churches. Here is the Moscow merchant S.S. Zaitsev, wishing eternal bliss to his ever-memorable father, buried here, built a church at his own expense. It was consecrated in honor of St. Simeon of Persia - the heavenly patron saint of his father. Moscow newspapers for July 1917 wrote about stopudovye bells, raised in those days on the bell tower of the church.
However, soon, when a wave of atheistic obscurantism swept the country, God's temple lost not only bells, but even crosses, and the building itself was used for household needs. Although the church suffered many troubles during the period of religious persecution, it has survived to this day, and anyone who visits the Pyatnitsky cemetery in Moscow can see it. You can find out how to get to this temple from the detailed diagram of the plots located at the main entrance.
Tombstone merchant style
The history of the cemetery would be incomplete, if not to note that in the 19th and early 20th centuries it was the burial place of many people of the merchant estate. In those days, it was customary to decorate tombstones with monuments, which were small chapels made of black marble. It has become a kind of "merchant style." Similar grave decorations are found in many here both in the central part of the cemetery, and in its remote areas. However, it should be noted the almost complete absence of magnificent statues here in the form of crying angels or equally expensive flowerpots.
The resting place of many generations
The cemetery has become the burial place of many generations of Russians. Reading the inscriptions on the graves, we will meet the names of our outstanding compatriots who left a noticeable mark in the history of Russia. Among them are prominent military leaders and rank-and-file defenders of the fatherland. Also, for many scientists and artists, the ancient Pyatnitsky cemetery in Moscow became the burial place.
How to get to it? In the absence of personal transport, the easiest way to get on the subway is from Alekseevskaya station. From it you have to walk no more than eight hundred meters (and a little more if you go to the station Riga). Car owners can use the directions shown at the end of the article. In conclusion, I must say that for everyone who is interested in the history of our country, a lot of interesting things is promised by an excursion to the Pyatnitsky cemetery in Moscow. Address: Droboliteyny lane, 5.