If Yekaterinburg is called simply the capital of the Urals, then Verkhoturye is the spiritual capital. The sights of this city are mainly churches and monasteries. Pilgrims from all over Russia strive here. The city is located in the Sverdlovsk region on the Tura River.
A bit of history
A settlement arose in the distant 1597. True, it is known that earlier on the same section of the Babinovsky road there existed a Vogul city called Neromkar, but by that time it had long been abandoned. For over a hundred and fifty years in Verkhoturye was the main fortress on the way to Siberia. 1600 was marked by a customs office. Now here, duties were collected from all goods. This contributed to the rapid development of the city and the construction of beautiful stone buildings.
In 1763, customs were canceled, which, as you might guess, far from having the best effect on the development of the city. However, by this time Verkhoturye could boast of the most beautiful buildings. Sights, which today attract many tourists, existed already in the 18th century. Let's talk about them in more detail.
Kremlin
The construction of the stone Verkhotursky Kremlin began in 1699 according to the decree of Peter I. It is interesting that it is the smallest among all the Kremlin in Russia, and it was built last but one, when compared with other fortresses.
As the Kremlin was originally the administrative center of the city, so now the registry office, the city council and other organizations are located on its territory. But the main attraction here is Trinity Cathedral. It was with him that the construction of the Kremlin was started, and after that - the walls and loopholes for the Streltsy peepers were laid. We will tell about the temple a little below. Another interesting fact is worth noting. The fact is that under Peter I it was forbidden to build stone buildings for public institutions. But Verkhoturye can be called an exception city, along with St. Petersburg and Tobolsk.
Holy Trinity Church
Already in 1598 the first church (wooden) was built in the name of the Life-Giving Trinity. Well, the first stone of the cathedral was laid in 1703. The decree was issued by Peter I, and Metropolitan Filofei of Siberia and Tobolsk gave a blessing on the construction. Work continued until 1709. In the Sverdlovsk region it is the oldest stone church.
The cathedral was built in the style of Moscow baroque. It is airy, bright, with five-tiered lighting. An unusual architectural solution makes it unique. The temple is the “octagon on the four”, which is crowned with a five-domed head, which includes four additional chapters located on the cardinal points, and one central.
The main chapel was consecrated in 1709, on April 16. Soviet power, Holy Trinity Cathedral, like many others, closed. Divine services have not been performed here since 1932, the buildings were gradually being destroyed. Everything returned to normal in 1998. This year, the first service was held here again. No other temples of Verkhoturye perform the sacraments of wedding and baptism, since they are all monastic, and here they are held. There are especially revered shrines in the cathedral: the icon “The Inexhaustible Chalice”, the images of the Blessed Virgin of Kazan (18th century) and the Resurrection of Christ (Nevyansk letter). The temple is recognized by UNESCO as one of the most outstanding architectural monuments of the world.
St. Nicholas Monastery
In Verkhoturye, the sights of which we describe, is the largest Orthodox monastery in the Middle Urals - St. Nicholas. It was founded in 1604 by the hieromonk of Poshekhonye. However, the monastery became known only after 100 years. September 12, 1704 the relics of St. Simeon were transferred here from Merkushino. After this, the territory of the monastery was surrounded by stone walls, and beautiful temples were built of stone.
St. Nicholas Cathedral in Verkhoturye was closed with the advent of the Communists. A children's colony was located here. The relics of Simeon Verkhotursky were sent to the museum, and only in the 90s of the XX century they were returned to Orthodox Christians. Today they are in the Holy Cross Cathedral of the monastery.
Unfortunately, the Nicholas Church, the main church in the monastery, has not survived to this day, but now there are 3 more active churches on its territory: Holy Cross Cathedral, Simeon-Anninsky and Preobrazhenskaya Gate Churches.
Holy Cross Cathedral
Verkhoturye is rightfully famous throughout Russia. Here is the third largest temple in the country - it is able to accommodate about 4 thousand people. He yields only to St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which is located in Moscow. Its foundation dates back to 1905-1913. The opening of the cathedral was timed to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. They were expecting Nicholas II in Verkhoturye during this period, but he could not come.
The cathedral was built in the Russian-Byzantine style. Its main temple was consecrated in 1913, September 11, the left aisle - May 27 of the following year, and the right - September 10, the 16th year of the XX century. The unique faience iconostases (three) located in the church were destroyed during the Soviet period, and restored by the end of the 20th century - in 1998.
Simeono-Anninsky Gate Church
The temple was built in 1856 in the Asian style. Initially, it was a two-story building with beveled corners and a through passage in the form of an arch. The light quadrangle also had beveled corners, and above it was the bulbous glaucus. The decoration was complemented by forms close to the architecture of classicism, and inside the temple was decorated with a two-tier iconostasis. Services were held here quite rarely, because a small room could accommodate very few parishioners. The same fact served as the reason that in 1904 the church was abolished, and the building began to be used as a sacristy.
As already mentioned, in the 90s of the XX century, the restoration of temples in Verkhoturye was begun. A photo of their modern appearance shows their greatness and unearthly beauty. Simeon-Anninsky church was one of the first in a line of buildings to be restored. Already on October 18, she, renewed, was consecrated. At first, services were held here regularly, but later, when other churches were restored, more, the liturgy began to be performed only on Mondays.
Transfiguration Church
Between the Orthodox Museum and Holy Cross Cathedral is the Transfiguration Church. The day it was laid down is 08/28/1821. Fully construction work was completed only in 1829, although it was planned that they would take no more than four years. The following decades, the temple was improved.
Since 1868, the body of the Archbishop of Verkhotursky and Perm, His Eminence Neophytos, has been resting here. The following year, a grid and a plaque with information about the date of his death were arranged over his grave. The cell icons of the archbishop were inserted into a small icon case located in a recess in the wall in 1877.
Under communists, the church served as a gym for colony workers. The temples of Verkhoturye have been restored since 1990. Work in the main aisle of the Transfiguration Church ended in 1992. On August 8, he was consecrated. The relics of the righteous Simeon were transferred here on September 25. The refectory of the church was finished in 1994, and after 4 years the bell tower was restored. The relics of Simeon Verkhotursky in 2006 were transferred to the Holy Cross Exaltation Cathedral.
Pokrovsky monastery
Pokrovsky Convent (Verkhoturye) was founded in 1621. This is the oldest monastery for women in the Trans-Urals. It is located below the St. Nicholas Monastery along the course of the Tour. Initially, it was well-provided - built, expanded thanks to support from the state treasury. Eight churches were built on the territory of the monastery in the 17-18 centuries. Buildings made of wood were damaged more than once by fires, until in the mid-18th century they were rebuilt from stone.
In 64, the 18th century, the monastery was abolished, and restored after more than 100 years. During the Soviet era, there was an orphanage on its territory. The Church of the Intercession, now operational, was converted into a bathhouse in the 25th year. It was consecrated again in 1996. Here are the relics of Blessed Cosmas.
The main shrine of the monastery is the “Tenderness” icon. This is a list with the miraculous Seraphim-Diveevo icon. The image of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, located on the wall of the Intercession Church, was repeatedly painted over during the communist rule, but each time it appeared again.
Museum of Local Lore
Verkhoturye has an interesting history. The sights of the city are not only temples and monasteries, but also the Museum of Local Lore. In 1913, a wooden House for honored guests was erected at the Kalachik pond. As already mentioned, during this period they awaited the arrival of Nicholas II. For him and his family, a tower was built. What is noteworthy, not a single nail was used for its construction.
Unfortunately, the building was badly damaged in a fire in 2010. Museum exhibits were transferred to the storage for a while.
Conclusion
Come to the stunningly beautiful city - Verkhoturye. The sights described in the article are not all that can surprise and delight guests. At Aktayskaya Zaimka there is a life-giving spring. Water from it is considered truly miraculous. You can take a bath here at any time.