The Church of St. Nicholas the Hierarch in Khamovniki is one of the most beautiful and visited Orthodox churches in Moscow, a world-famous architectural monument of the 17th century.
History of Khamovnaya Sloboda
The Khamovniki district, now located in the very center of Moscow, belonged to its suburban territories until the beginning of the 16th century and represented vast meadows for grazing horses. In the first quarter of a century, the Novodevichy Convent was founded here, around which several settlements gradually appeared, in which peasants and artisans lived. One of them was Khamovnaya Sloboda. Here weavers lived, resettled in Moscow lands from Tver. Artisans served the royal court, supplying it with linen, mainly for table linen. The manufacture of fabrics for tablecloths was called rude business, from the old Russian word "boor" - linen. By the name of the linen fabric "hamyan" was called a settlement, and subsequently the entire area.
Historical stages of the construction of the temple
The settlement was quite large (initially about 40 yards) and had its own church. The Church of St. Nicholas was wooden, and for the first time it was mentioned in historical documents of 1625. In 1657, the wooden church was replaced by a stone one. After 20 years, the church officially received its full name - "St. Nicholas the Wonderworker at the Metropolitan Stables." In 1679, a new church building began to be built nearby. By this time, significant changes were taking place in the architectural style of construction in Russia.
Strict simple style is replaced by more elegant, pretentious. He was called the “marvelous patterner.” This style is characterized by the use of bright colors, colored tiles, decorative elements. The church is built of brick, decorated with white stone and decorated with red-green tiles.
Temple complex
The Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Khamovniki is a classical temple complex for this style, including a five-domed church, a one-pillar refectory with chapels of the Metropolitan of Moscow Alexy and St. Dmitry the Metropolitan of Moscow (in 1872 re-consecrated in the name of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Sisters of the Sinners”), a tent tent west entrance. The octagonal bell tower is one of the highest in Moscow and the last of those under construction in this style. The consecration of the church was held on June 25, 1682. The rest of the buildings were added later as the parish grew.
Significant events in the history of the temple
During the offensive of Napoleon in Moscow during the Russian campaign of 1812-1813, the temple was badly damaged, its interior was partially destroyed. During restoration work in 1845, a mural appeared inside, and by 1849 the temple was completely restored.
During its existence, the Church of St. Nicholas the Hierarch in Khamovniki was restored three more times (in 1896, 1949 and 1972), but the services never stopped there, and it was always open for parishioners.
The creation of a metal fence dates to the end of the 19th century, and forged gates were installed a little later.
In 1992, the 108-pound bell was returned to the bell tower, the only surviving from the original bell set - the second-largest bell, cast in 1686 by master Mikhail Ladygin. The remaining bells were lost during the persecution of the church of the 30s of the 20th century. The fate of the main 300-pound temple bell is unknown.
In 1922, during the confiscation of church property, more than five pounds of gold and silver jewelry and utensils were removed from the church.
Shrines and sights of the temple
The main shrine, which is located at the Church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki (photo below), is the icon of the Virgin "The Sister of the Sinners". She is in the left aisle named after her.
The icon is an accurate list of the miraculous image of the Old Russian script, which was located in the Nikolaev Odrin Monastery, located in the Oryol province. The author of the list is unknown.
The icon was donated to the church of St. Nicholas the Hierarch in Khamovniki in 1848 by one of the parishioners of the church. According to legend, soon after acquiring the image of the Mother of God, the owner began to notice that during the prayer the appearance of the icon changes, fragrant oil drops appear on the surface. Some patients were healed through prayer and this oil. The owner handed the icon to the church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki, where miracles continued. People flowed into the temple by the river. A number of miraculous healings are attributed to the image. This was especially evident during the rage of cholera in 1848.
In 2008, the Church of St. Nicholas the Hierarch in Khamovniki celebrated 160 years since gaining a miraculous image. March 20 is celebrated the day of the icon of the Mother of God "Sorceress of sinners."
In 2011, Orthodox Christians living in England were able to bow to the list of the Miraculous Icon . The icon was there for several days in worship.
Along with the icon “The Sister of Sinners”, which the Church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki is rightly proud of, the icons in the church have no less fame and an honorable history. In the main iconostasis there is an icon of St. Alexis (Metropolitan of Moscow), painted in 1688 by the tsar's icon painter Ivan Maximov. Other revered shrines are: the Smolensk Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, created in the 17th century, and the icon of the martyr John the Warrior, the 18th century.
In the main aisle of the temple there is also a reliquary with particles of relics belonging to different saints; in the church, the attention of visitors is attracted by the ancient canopy over the shroud - a special canopy, artistically decorated.
The activities of the church of St. Nicholas
A liturgy is held in the church every day at 8 a.m. - a public service with the sacrament of the Eucharist (communion). Evening service starts at 5 p.m. On Sundays, twentieth holidays and on parental Saturdays - at 7 and 10 hours, on Sunday and on the eve of the all-night vigil - evening service at 17 hours. On Tuesdays, before the miraculous image of the Mother of God, the “Sorceress of Sinners”, an akathist singing is performed during the evening worship, on Thursdays - Vespers with an akathist to St. Nicholas.
Not so long ago, an Orthodox secondary school, Sunday school and a children's church choir began to operate at the church. There is a baptistery for adult baptism.
Church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki: how to get there?
As the world famous landmark of Moscow, the temple is visited daily by hundreds of tourists. It is located next to Komsomolsky Prospect, between Lev Tolstoy Street and Timur Frunze Street. You can get there by metro. The nearest station is Kultury Park (circular).