Despite the fact that the church on the Basil the Great Gorka was subjected to destruction many times, it still survives to this day. It is considered one of the most famous architectural monuments built in the XV-XVI centuries.
Now the place where the temple stands proudly on Gorka (Pskov) is surrounded by picturesque green trees. And in antiquity it was just an island in the middle of a swamp, at the foot of which a small stream called Pupil flowed. Now in its place lies Pushkinskaya Street.
The emergence of the temple
The first construction work on the construction of the church began in 1337. The founder of the temple was a merchant named Christopher Karel Dol, who was of German origin. He was also the ancestor of such later become famous families as Levshins, Yakhontovs and Svechins.
There is a record in the annals of a merchant of German origin saying that Dol arrived in Pskov from his estate of Gdov. Here he adopted the Orthodox faith and was baptized under the name Vasily, and transferred his possessions to the Pskov prince. Then he built a wooden church near the Truperkhovsky Gate. It was named after St. Basil the Great.
In the annals dated 1597, Gorka is already called Vasilyeva. And in an old document under 1415 there is a record stating that in the summer a stone church was erected in honor of St. Basil. Later it will be completed and restored more than once.
In the middle of the XVI century the Basil Church on Gorka was already at the wall of the Middle City. That was the name of the ancient part of the Pskov historical center. Next to the church stood a quadrangular tower with a built-in belfry, where a solid bell hung, convening all the inhabitants of the city in case of any disaster. As the old legend says, in 1581 it was he who informed the people of the impending troops of Stephen Batory.
Further construction
In 1585-1587, the northern aisle of the church of the Apostle John the Theologian was built , in which there was an extension. It was a tomb chapel, but, unfortunately, it did not survive.
In the XVI century, a subchurch was built, which is the lower floor of the building. It was there that more than 10 years ago an ancient children's coffin was discovered, in which were the remains of a small child buried in approximately the 16th-17th centuries. His legs are shod in beautiful leather shoes with bent toes, so it was suggested that the baby belonged to one of the noble families. This find was discovered in 2002 during the repair and restoration work.
Temple Icons
At the beginning of the 16th century a very important event took place in the history of the church. The Basil Church on Gorka acquired its own icon of the Mother of God of Tikhvin, which had an akathist in 24 hallmarks. This means that, in addition to the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the rectangles there were also illustrations for her life. This icon was in the upper tier of the old iconostasis. Now it is stored in the museum-reserve, located on the territory of the city itself (Pskov). The Basil Church on Gorka also had other, very revered shrines, but nothing is known about where they are at present.
Bells
At about the same time that the image of the Mother of God of Tikhvin was painted, that is, in the early 30s of the 16th century, in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the belfry of the temple was decorated with the first bells. They were cast by order of city wardens, governors and other wealthy residents. Like the fate of the icons, the whereabouts of the first ancient bells is still unknown.
Attempt to destroy
If in the XVI century the temple on Gorka flourished, then the centuries following it turned out to be a period of endless deprivation and hard times. They tried to destroy the church, it lost its antique utensils and was finally closed. In 1820, several parishes of Pskov were subject to demolition, due to their desolation and partial destruction. These included the church of St. Basil the Great. But this was not destined to happen. After 9 years, he was allowed to repair.
In the 70s of the XIX century, the church on Church Hill was bought by the abbot of the St. John the Theologian Krypetsky monastery. At the end of the century, the building was renovated and crowned with a dome with a cross.
Post-revolutionary and war periods
In 1921, services in the temple were no longer held, and it was closed. Then he was transferred to the archaeological society of the Pskov province, engaged in the protection of ancient monuments. For a long time, its premises were used as an archive for various documents.
In 1941, when Pskov was captured by Nazi occupiers, the church on Gorka was transferred to the Old Believer community. And in 1944, as a result of the bombing, the roof was badly damaged, the northern aisle and one of the corners of the quadrangle was broken. After 3 years, the church was closed a second time.
New Age
In the late night of August 5, 2002, the church on Gorka was set on fire by several intruders. Firefighter extinguished a fire for 5 hours. Fire was discovered in the ceilings, from where it spread along the beams where the bells are attached. As a result, the roof of the narthex and the southern aisle was destroyed. In addition, the metal dome on the bell tower melted from high temperature and sagged greatly.
It must be said that shortly before the incident, this unique architectural monument was devoid of signaling and disarmed. Gradually, he turned into a gathering place for the homeless and drug addicts.
4 days after the first arson, a second fire occurred - in the same place. This time almost the entire roof of the building was destroyed. And the next night, part of the wall of the temple, where the southern aisle was located, collapsed.
In a very short time, a number of benefactors, with the support of believers and the clergy, did a great job, and already in early December 2003, on the day of the Feast of the Entry into the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the first service for many years of oblivion took place. Thus began the revival of the church.
To date, the temple has two chapels. The first of them is dedicated to Alexei the Man of God, and the second to John the Theologian. The territory of the church, according to established tradition, is the property of the Krypetsk monastery.
Now daily services are held here, and the temple on Gorka is open to the public. Opening hours: 8.00 - 19.00. Rector - Archpriest Andrei Bolshanin.
It is worth expressing great gratitude to residents of different parts of Russia for the fact that they completely free of charge participate in the restoration of already dilapidated or long-abandoned churches. Sacred during the reign of Soviet power, shrines begin to rise from the ashes precisely thanks to caring, disinterested and active people. It is safe to say that such work brings only joy and satisfaction!