All cultural and educational events necessarily include the study of monuments of ancient architecture. This is important for the assimilation of native culture and instilling spiritual values. But church-temple complexes are completely unique buildings. They can be considered as an architectural heritage, a feat of Russian masters, as a history of the clergy and, of course, as a sacred monastery. Today we will talk about the Church of the Deposition in Leonov and on Donskoy. Their stories are somewhat similar, but in any case, they both appeared to honor the memory of a great event.
History
Its existence dates back to the first century. The famous Cathedral of the Deposition in Leonov from the first half of the XVII century. The first notes about it date back to an even earlier period, 1635, then there was a wooden church on this site. The construction of the stone church, which has been preserved and is still operating today, occurred during the reign of Prince Khovansky.
This was his gesture of remorse for his addiction to alcohol and violation of church rules. After the death of the prince, the Cathedral of the Deposition of the Church in Leonov was closed and did not work for a long time (from 1800 to 1859). This happened due to the fact that the new prince was disturbed by the ringing of bells. Before the opening, it was restored at the expense of the manufacturer Molchanov. He survived the Soviet era relatively calmly, only 12 years (from 1930 to 1942) was closed, the rest of the time he acted. Since 1859, the temple has not undergone reconstruction and reconstruction, so it has survived to our times.
Architectural style
The Church of the Deposition in Leonov was built in the Baroque style, which at that time gained great popularity. The simple geometric forms of the wooden temple were replaced by elaborate, polygonal facades and lush interior decoration. Even today, the temple looks very beautiful and interesting. The entrance to the shrine is a white stone arch with trellised sashes. Inside is a cozy little square, which is especially beautiful in the fall. On the inner walls of the temple you can see the murals of the Position of the Robe of Our Lady in Vlacherna. The whole territory is surrounded by green trees, so it is not easy to photograph the Church of the Deposition of the Deposition in Leonov. Photos are good, that is, fully demonstrating the beauty of the church, only in late autumn, when the foliage flew around. In winter, snow-white walls merge with the background, which somewhat spoils the impression.
Revered relics and shrines
For believers, it is precisely the icons that are the subject of veneration and worship. There are several old canvases that cause special admiration. They are the ones who glorify the Leon Church of the Deposition of the Robe. In the main aisle of the temple, to the right of the Altar there is a revered temple icon of the Position of the Robe of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a particle of the Robe of the Mother of God. On the right is the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh, St. Dmitry of Rostov, the icon of the Mother of God of Kazan.
To the left of the Altar there is the Revered Icon of the Mother of God of Smolensk, which dates from the 16th century. In total, the temple has more than 50 icons. Hundreds of believers come here daily to offer their prayers to the Lord.
Shrines
The Church of the Deposition of the Virgin in Leonovo has special value. This is a reliquary, in which particles of many saints are located. This is the main pride of the church and the subject of worship of believers. It is located in the right corner of the central aisle, all parishioners have the opportunity to venerate the relics. Legends circulate about their miraculous power, but you can see for yourself that this is true.
Church of the Deposition on Donskoy
His story is very similar to the one that his brother lived. The fate of the temples in Russia often overlap. In 1625, the Persian shah handed over to the Russian Tsar and Patriarch Filaret one of the four parts of the robes of Christ. According to legend, it was in this garment that Christ went to the place of execution. It was transferred to the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral, but a wooden church was built at the site of the great meeting. Construction was completed in 1690. But already in 1713 a project for the construction of a stone church appeared, and on the site of the old building, the Church of the Deposition of the Don was erected. The construction was supervised by Moscow architect Y. Bukhvostov.
What is unique about this temple?
It is more difficult to say how it resembles others. His very birth was already a miracle. In those days, stone architecture was banned, since this material was required for the construction (or rather, reconstruction) of St. Petersburg. Nevertheless, in 1716, on the Don Street in Moscow, a magnificent temple appeared, made in the style of Moscow Baroque. It is distinguished from all other contemporaries by five chapters, a proportional four, completed by the attic. The central cross is crowned with a crown; there is no exact version of this idea. This temple has not been closed since its opening. To this day there are services.
Reconstruction and reconstruction
For the first time, they decided to supplement the Church of the Deposition of the Shabolovka in 1880. The side chapel of the Apostle Jacob Alfeev was added to it from the refectory , which was consecrated in 1889. The project was compiled and supervised by the Moscow architect A. S. Kaminsky. Under his leadership, a fence with gates was created and a northern aisle was added.
The first reconstruction was required in 1923. A strong storm knocked down two church chapters, but the temple still has not stopped its work. They were instantly restored, completely restoring the original idea of the architect. For more than 300 years, a service has been held here without a break, it did not stop even in the Soviet period, except that the services were more closed, and the church was not crowded. The Church of the Deposition in Moscow has one more peculiarity. After the Persian Shah solemnly handed over the Robe, a new holiday appeared in the church calendar in honor of the "Position of the Robe of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Moscow." This holiday is celebrated only by the Russian Orthodox Church. As for this temple, it is the main thing in triumph.
The core values of the temple
In addition to the particle of the Robe of the Lord, which is the main shrine of the temple, a very valuable icon is kept here. We are talking about the icon of the Mother of God of Ilyinsk-Chernigov. She was presented as a gift to the temple by brothers from the Chernigov monastery. This is a unique image that dates back to 1696. Next to the face of the Virgin, it depicts a double-headed eagle on one side, and a poetic dedication to Peter I on the other. These lines speak of the victory over the Turks and the capture of Azov. There are no analogues of such an image of the Mother of God, as on this canvas, anywhere else in the world.
In addition, it is here that believers can pray near the unique shrine, the Alanoy icon "The Position of the Lord's Robe in Moscow" with a silver cross and a particle of the Robe. Those who need help and healing should turn to the image-folded with a particle of the relics of the Apostle James Alpheev, as well as many other saints. This image is considered very strong, and if you come with a pure heart, you will definitely get the necessary help. Young children are often brought here to heal or protect from disease.
Another holy icon, which must be noted separately, is the icon of the Mother of God “Recovery of the lost”. In this special world, which is clearly felt when you step over the threshold of the temple, time slows down, vanity leaves and there comes an understanding why we are going our way on earth. Perhaps it is for this reason that it is worth coming to such ancient temples, there is such a prayed, soothing atmosphere that every visitor will leave, feeling some changes in himself.
Two amazing temples, but the essence is one - praise the Lord that he transferred to the Russian land a part of the robes of Christ in which he went to Calvary. This is the greatest shrine of the Christian world. Today, hundreds of believers gather in the walls of the cloisters, as hundreds of years ago they fellowship with the Lord.