Despite the fact that this beautiful Siberian city is not a large tourist center, many tour operators claim that there is something to see. In Irkutsk, which is famous for its unique architecture, the old layout has been preserved to this day. It includes more than 600 historical buildings. Only in this city is a monument to tourists. And sixty kilometers from it is Lake Baikal, which attracts many tourists.
What to see in Irkutsk in the first place?
If you intend to visit this city in the near future, we recommend that you visit the following attractions:
- Icebreaker Museum.
- Triumphal gate.
- Epiphany Cathedral.
- Kazan Temple.
- Holy Cross Church.
- The estate of Sukachev.
- Volkonsky House.
- House of merchants Shastins.
- The estate of the Trubetskoys.
- Irkutsk Museum of the Decembrists.
- The street of Karl Marx.
- Lower embankment of the Angara.
- Complex "Taltsy".
Temples of Irkutsk are especially popular with guests interested in religious architecture. The city has 26 temples, cathedrals, churches. Most of them are perfectly preserved, some are being reconstructed and restored. In this article we will talk in detail about one of the main attractions of Irkutsk. This is a historical, cultural and architectural monument - Holy Cross Church.
Shortly after the foundation of the city, a cross was erected at the foot of the Cross Mountain, which determined the place of the future church. By the middle of the XVIII century, Irkutsk reached its peak of development and began to challenge the title of the capital of Siberia at Tobolsk. An architectural school arose, which developed the directions of the Siberian Baroque. His striking example was one of the most beautiful churches in Siberia built in the city. The religious building located in the center of Irkutsk is included in the list of unique cathedrals of Russia.
At first it was a small wooden church. But in the middle of the 18th century, a stone church of the Exaltation of the Cross was built in its place of extraordinary beauty, combining Russian, Buddhist and Ukrainian elements.
Church history
For a long time the history of the temple remained poorly understood. Many of the researchers' work was devoted to the architecture of the Holy Cross Church in Irkutsk, which incorporated baroque elements in combination with East Asian motifs. But about the people who served here at different times, little was known. For a long time it was not mentioned that in 1812 the manifesto declaring war was read in this church, in 1861 - a decree on the abolition of serfdom, in 1945 there was a thanksgiving prayer in honor of the victory over Nazi Germany.
The construction of the Holy Cross Exaltation Church in Irkutsk began in the distant 1747 and was completed thirteen years later. The main feature of the architecture of the temple, of course, is the decorated walls - so vividly oriental motifs, perhaps, are not expressed in any Orthodox church in our country.
Initially, the temple was to be consecrated in honor of the Holy Trinity, like its wooden predecessor. However, the popular name "Krestovsky" is so rooted that they decided to name the church - "Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord." The first of the chapels of the temple was called Trinity. Now there are five of them in the temple.
Severe Siberian frosts made their adjustments to the construction of the church. It became clear that one could not do without a squat winter aisle, which could be drowned and conduct services in the winter. The new chapel was consecrated in the name of St. Innocent of Irkutsk, who at that time was revered in the city, and his All-Russian glorification took place in the first half of the 19th century. Vladyka Innokenty became the first ruling bishop of Nerchinsky and Irkutsk.
Bell tower construction
Together with the winter temple, the construction of the bell tower was underway, which at the beginning had not as massive a completion as it is today. Outwardly, the bell tower is a bit like the Romanian Orthodox churches, although, most likely, this similarity is accidental. It is the bell tower that is best seen from the foot of the Cross Mountain. She became the dominant of a unique temple complex. The bell ringing of the Holy Cross Exaltation Church in Irkutsk was carried for many kilometers along the banks of the Angara due to the location of the bell tower.
Temple in the 19th century
In the second half of the 19th century, the church underwent recent changes in appearance. In 1860, a spacious porch was added to the entrance with a porch and two carved stairs. They led to the summer and winter parts of the church. And at the very end of the 19th century, the completion of the bell tower was rebuilt, which has since become more massive.
Temple in the 20th century
Of all the city's religious buildings of the Holy Cross Exaltation Church in Irkutsk, the happiest share fell. Quite briefly, it closed in Soviet times, and the interior of the temple remained virtually untouched. And after the resumption of worship (1943), it became the main religious building of the city.
The Civil War somewhat delayed the offensive of the new authorities on the Holy Cross Church of Irkutsk. However, this was only a temporary lull. The persecution of the temple began in the 20s of the last century. Knowing the artistic value of the building, the new authorities did not dare to destroy it and opened an anti-religious museum in it.
Thanks to this use, the Holy Cross Exaltation Church in Irkutsk not only survived, but also saved priceless exhibits: utensils and icons were brought here from the blown up Kazan Cathedral. In addition, it was possible to save the iconostases and images of the XVIII century, which all this time remained in their former places. The museum worked for ten years. After the end of the frenzied anti-religious campaign in the country (1943), the temple was decided to return to the Russian Orthodox Church.
The church was opened one of the first in the city and region. Fifteen thousand people came to the first Christmas service (1944). The territory of the church was completely filled with believers. They stood up to the Lutheran cemetery, where today a sculpture of Babr is installed. Then the clergy opened the windows and served in two parts of the church at the same time. Since it was the only active temple in the city, it received the status of the Cathedral. The temple was recognized as an architectural monument in 1948.
Reconstruction
In 2015, large-scale repair work began in the church. Builders found in the summer part of the church a place where, according to scientists, at the end of the XVIII century the altar was located. Interestingly, on the building plan of 1804, this object is no longer marked. Consequently, the altar has been hiding in the masonry for centuries. It is planned to restore it, but, unfortunately, not in its original form - it is lost.
Temple architecture
The architecture of the church, which is located in the center of Irkutsk, on Sedova Street, is unique. The cubic volume in height continues with a high tiered drum with a gradually decreasing tier size. Typically, the Ukrainian form of the roof has a peculiarity - its bell-shaped completion is as if cut by an additional tier. This technique is more characteristic of the Siberian Baroque.
The refectory wide part, which in most churches does not have domes, is crowned immediately by two bell-shaped finishes. They are slightly inferior in height to the central drum, but form a triangular composition, unusual for Russian churches. The Innokentievsky chapel, located on the north side, has a similar dome.
Carved jewelry
In front of the temple stands a porch with a porch. One can notice the clear influence of the Neo-Gothic in its central span. All surfaces of the walls, including the porch and aisle, are covered with a variety of exquisite carvings. Such carved facades are characteristic of the Irkutsk baroque, but nowhere else is the carving in such a variety of forms represented.
Many ornaments are distinguished by Buddhist elements that repeat the shape of traditional sanctuaries (stupas). The decor of the temple is characterized by a large number of sharp corners, which are uncharacteristic of Orthodox religious architecture. Unfortunately, no information was preserved about the masters who erected and decorated the church, but researchers suggest that among them were baptized Buryats who brought national motifs to the decoration of the church.
Like many churches in Irkutsk, this long time was completely whitewashed, but today the Holy Cross Exaltation Church has found its original form. Decorative elements are painted in red-brick color, which effectively distinguishes them against the background of snow-white walls. The powerful fence surrounding the temple is decorated in the same style.
Style matching
Each tour of Irkutsk in its route includes a visit to this temple. If you visit it as part of an excursion group, the guide will definitely draw your attention to another feature of the structure - a combination of East Asian and Western styles. Pay attention to the domes, which resemble the domes of East Asian temples, the ornateness typical of Eastern styles along the perimeter of the church, and on the right side of the main entrance you can see a stylized pattern in the form of a circle of samsara.
Interior decoration
To explore the unique interior of the Holy Cross Church, we recommend that you take a tour of Irkutsk. An experienced guide will tell you a lot of interesting things about the history of the temple, about its shrines. First of all, you will find yourself in a bright and airy porch. Then, passing through this room, you will find yourself in the refectory. Its arches rest on two powerful columns that adorn sculptures and carvings.
On both sides of them are the side Troitsky and Uspensky chapels. They differ only in illumination - Troitsky is lighter, since it adjoins the illuminated external wall, and another chapel was built from the side of Uspensky.
Through the arch between the two aisles you can go into the room in front of the central throne. It is isolated from the refectory. Here the walls are painted in rich blue, and along their perimeter there are several beautiful medallions with images of saints. There are choirs in this part of the church. They are located as in old Russian churches, opposite the altar at high altitude, on the western wall.
Winter temple
In the north wall of the refectory, near the Assumption aisle, there is a door leading to the winter temple. This is a very spacious room, although the ceiling is much lower. On the eastern wall is the altar of Innokentyevsky chapel. There are unique huge candlesticks in front of the salt. They managed to be taken out of the Kazan Cathedral, which, as you know, was blown up.
Iconostases
The creators did not skimp on funds to decorate this temple of Irkutsk. Even in the side chapels of the church are tall iconostases. They are perfectly preserved to this day and are the most valuable element in the interior of the Holy Cross Church. A particularly powerful iconostasis is located in the main throne. It consists of four ranks, but the icons of each of them are arranged in two rows, so it looks like an eight-tier.
The upper icons are difficult to see from below, they are clearly visible only from the choirs, where a beautiful spiral staircase leads. The iconostasis is crowned by a carved Golgotha with sculptural images of angels and saints. The iconostasis of the Troitsky chapel is gilded, and in Uspensky it is painted with salad paint. The number of icons and the size of the iconostases are the same.
Floors
Unlike most city churches, where today the floor is tiled with modern tiles, the Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross preserved old wooden floorboards, which can often be seen in rural churches. They give the room a special cosiness.
How does the church work today?
The temple is part of the Irkutsk diocese. In July 1988, Metropolitan Vadim of Irkutsk and Angarsk (Vladimir Anatolyevich Lazebny in the world) was appointed its rector. The temple is open daily. The liturgy is held every day at 9:00, during the holidays two liturgies are celebrated. In winter, the unheated part of the church may be closed, and all services are held in Innokentyevsky side chapel.
How to get there
The temple is located at: city of Irkutsk, st. Sedova, 1. From Kirov Square to the temple you can walk for fifteen minutes on Lenin Street. The church is located on the left side.
If you prefer to use public transport, trams No. 1, 2, 4a, shuttle buses No. 2, 68, 150, buses No. 7K, 16s, 25, 41, which will take you to the Philharmonic stop, will suit you.