In Russia, many settlements with strange names. And among them are two Goose - Iron and Crystal. What are the names for urban-type settlements, who invented them? Everything is very simple. The first part of the name - Goose - was given to the cities by no means a poultry, but a river. It flows through both settlements. In one of them, the production of crystal was established, and in the second, an iron foundry was built. So, combining the names of the river and the enterprises, we got two oikonyms. And today on the map of Mother Russia there are two settlements with colorful names: Gus-Khrustalny in the Vladimir region and his “iron” neighbor in Ryazan. And before the industrial explosion, the villages were called differently. In this article we will talk about the former village of Vercutz (now Gus-Zhelezny). The Trinity Cathedral in it is the most outstanding and iconic attraction. Why is he so famous that he is even mentioned on Wikipedia? Read about it below.
Original church
The main temple is inextricably linked with the history of Vercutz (now Goose-Iron). The Trinity Cathedral was built by the brothers Andrei and Ivan Batashev, the very ones who built the iron foundry. Was there a church in the village before them? Probably. But not a trace remained of her. However, as from the first cathedral. Having settled in Vercutz in the year one thousand seven hundred and fifty-eighth, the brothers-breeders first built their estate. They conceived the estate on a noble scale. They ordered to flood three small rivers with a stone dam, and thus a huge lake spilled out before the estate, on which ships sailing once went. Their ancestor Ivashka Batashev, a simple Tula blacksmith who made a huge fortune in military supplies under Peter the Great, received hereditary nobility. So the brothers-breeders, along with rich ore lands bought serfs. And so that God would not be angry, they decided to set up a church dedicated to John the Baptist. It was, unlike the manor, wooden, and burned to the ground in one thousand eight hundred and two.
Goose-Iron: Trinity Cathedral, construction
By that time, Ivan Batashov had already left the city, having taken up the Vyksa plant, near Murom. Remaining the sovereign master in Gus-Zhelezny, Andrey immediately decided to erect something grandiose on the site of the burnt church. The very scale of the future temple was disproportionate to the small town, which was Goose-Iron. According to the plan of the remaining unknown architect, Trinity Cathedral was to accommodate one thousand two hundred worshipers. The huge temple was being built at a record pace. Already in the eight hundred and twenty-fifth year, when the customer Andrei Batashov died, the building was erected to the dome. But even then the lower floor was consecrated, and divine services were held in several thrones. After the death of the customer, the work was interrupted. The Trinity Cathedral stood without a chapter for twenty-two years. A stop in construction is connected with years of litigation for the inheritance. Andrei Batashov consistently had three wives. The landlord simply bought his second wife, Matryona, as a serf. Children from this marriage were suing for inheritance. Then, when the millions of Andrei Batashov were distributed by court, the work resumed.
Trinity Cathedral: description
The size of the temple is truly amazing. The height of the dome reaches fifty meters. At the other end of the cruciform construction, a bell tower adjoins the temple. She ascends seventy meters. The church can be seen from afar, from the Kasimovsky tract itself. Among the flat terrain and forests of the Ryazan region, the temple looks epic. But not only the size of the interesting cathedral, which took the place of the first and most interesting in the city with the colorful name of Goose-Iron sights. Despite the fact that the church was consecrated in the year one thousand eight hundred sixty-eighth according to the Orthodox rank, the construction is very reminiscent of a Catholic church. This mystery remains unresolved, because we do not even know the name of the chief architect, to whom Batashov ordered the development of a church plan. The ambiguities gave rise to a huge number of speculation. Allegedly, the breeder was a freemason, and maybe professed Catholicism. But perhaps the truth is simpler and lies on the surface. The newly-minted landowner sought to be known as “progressive,” and therefore ordered the building in the then-neo-Gothic style. True, in the vast Ryazan region, he merged in a bizarre eclecticism with classicism and baroque.
Appearance
Despite its status as a homestead church, the Church of the Trinity Life-Giving in Goose-Iron is colossal. It is built of brick, but the lining is made of white stone. The Vladimir State Archive keeps a record that the author of the building was a “famous architect”. And although his name remains unknown, looking at his creation, you unwittingly agree with this statement. This church does not know analogues in Russia. It is a bit like the Resurrection Cathedral in Pochaev (Ukraine), erected by the architect Delamot (second half of the eighteenth century). Pseudo-Gothic was manifested in the Trinity Church with lancet openings, double columns, violets, pediments, zakomaras of octagon faces. But still in the form of the cathedral there is no aspiration upward with a sharp dome. It has a baroque appearance with complex round ledges, niches and edges with beveled corners. The completed and clear-shaped dome unites the church with the masterpieces of the era of classicism.
Active temple
After the October Revolution of 1917, Trinity Cathedral suffered the sad fate of many churches. His values were requisitioned, and the building itself for a long time (from the thirty-second year) was used for household needs. Now the temple is again handed over to believers. It is owned by the Ryazan Metropolis. When the Diocese of Kasimov and Sasov was formed in 2011 by the decision of the Synod, the Trinity Cathedral in Gus-Zhelezny was transferred to her subordination.
Thrones
The temple was built for a long time, in total from 1802 to 1868. But the first services began to take place during the life of the customer - Andrei Batashov. In the lower tier already in the year eighteen twenty-five, the thrones were completed and accordingly consecrated: the miracle worker and St. Nicholas, the chief apostles Peter and Paul and the Nativity of Christ. The layout of the temple has two floors. And when the cathedral was completely completed, the throne of the Life-Giving Trinity became the main one. From him, and received the name of the temple. Everyone who was in the cathedral before the revolution claimed that its interior decoration was amazing. Icons of the Trinity Cathedral gathered many pilgrims in the church. Particularly revered was the image of Mary of Bogolyubskaya. This icon, donated by the monks of the eponymous monastery, helped the city cope with the epidemic of one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five. Pilgrims went to bow to another shrine - the altar silver cross with the relics of John the Merciful.
Other sights of the city
Although the diocese of Kasimov also owns the temple, a simple tourist can also see it. Now services are held in the lower tier (the upper one is in disrepair, reconstruction of wooden fasteners is ongoing). Access to the cathedral is free, but photographing the interiors is prohibited. Do not forget that the temple was conceived as a church on the estate. She is now part of the Batashov Industrial Estate complex. The iron foundry is no longer operational, and the children's sanatorium is located on the estate. But then you can see the Batashov family necropolis, a historical fence, a forge and five dormitories for workers. But the most impressive is the stone dam, which has held back three rivers for so many years. It is from the side of the artificial lake that the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity looks especially Gothic.
How to get there
Gus-Zhelezny, the sights of which can be seen in a couple of hours, is located 270 kilometers southeast of Moscow. You can get to the city by car via P105 - Yegoryevskoye Shosse, which connects the capital with the regional center, the city of Kasimov. Regular buses depart from the Central Bus Station with an interval of two hours. They make a stop at Goose-Iron. The fare is six hundred and fifteen rubles one way. But the bus gets to its destination in five hours. Therefore, you should think about an overnight stay, and in an urban-type settlement it will be difficult to find it. In Kasimov, eighteen kilometers from Goose-Iron, there are hotels.