Church of Our Savior Not Made by Hands in Serpukhov
Encyclopedia
Church of Our Savior Not Made by Hands in Serpukhov is a small church in the town of Serpukhov
, Moscow Oblast
, Russia
.
The church was constructed between 1893 and 1896 to a Russian Revival
ist design and was funded by Serpukhov
's merchant
Vasily Fyodorovich Astapov. The structure graces Zanarie, a town district located on the right bank of the Nara River
. The architect was Roman Klein
, also responsible for the building of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts.
The altars in the side-chapels were dedicated to the Znamenie
icon of the Theotokos
and to the Three Fathers of the Church (John Chrysostom
, Basil the Great, and Gregory Nazianzus). The bell-tower with main gates standing separately (its upper deck was destroyed during the soviet time) makes the entrance to the cemetery; there are low houses of the parish clergy near it. Iconostasis
was made of zinc and overgilded; its icons represented events of the Holy Week
.
During the Soviet time the church was closed and lost its hipped roof
and cupola
s. It was used as a fish storehouse with a smoking-shed. Over 50 garages are built at the distance of five to six meters around the church. The interior still features tarnished vestiges of the original academic frescoes.
Archpriest Nikolay Bogolepov, who was the minister in this church, was arrested in 1925. Another priest, Nikolay Ischenko, was executed on 23 February 1931 in Moscow
. Priest Panteleimon Alekseevich Saveliev (he had served in Kashira
before his arresr) was executed at the Butovski range near Moscow
on 21 November 1937.
In the late 1990s, the church reverted to the Russian Orthodox Church
.
Serpukhov
Serpukhov is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, which is situated at the confluence of the Oka and the Nara Rivers. It is located south from Moscow on the Moscow—Simferopol highway. The Moscow—Tula railway passes through the town. Population: -History:...
, Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast , or Podmoskovye , is a federal subject of Russia . Its area, at , is relatively small compared to other federal subjects, but it is one of the most densely populated regions in the country and, with the 2010 population of 7,092,941, is the second most populous federal subject...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
The church was constructed between 1893 and 1896 to a Russian Revival
Russian Revival
The Russian Revival style is the generic term for a number of different movements within Russian architecture that arose in second quarter of the 19th century and was an eclectic melding of pre-Peterine Russian architecture and elements of Byzantine architecture.The Russian Revival style arose...
ist design and was funded by Serpukhov
Serpukhov
Serpukhov is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, which is situated at the confluence of the Oka and the Nara Rivers. It is located south from Moscow on the Moscow—Simferopol highway. The Moscow—Tula railway passes through the town. Population: -History:...
's merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
Vasily Fyodorovich Astapov. The structure graces Zanarie, a town district located on the right bank of the Nara River
Nara River
Nara River is a river in the Moscow Oblast and Kaluga Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Oka River. The length of the river is 158 kilometres. The area of its basin is 2030 km². The Nara River freezes up in November-December and stays under the ice until April. The cities of...
. The architect was Roman Klein
Roman Klein
Roman Ivanovich Klein , born Robert Julius Klein, was a Russian architect and educator, best known for his Neoclassical Pushkin Museum in Moscow. Klein, an eclectic, was one of the most prolific architects of his period, second only to Fyodor Schechtel...
, also responsible for the building of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts.
The altars in the side-chapels were dedicated to the Znamenie
Our Lady of the Sign
The Icon of Our Lady of the Sign is the term for a particular type of icon of the Theotokos , facing the viewer directly, depicted either full length or half, with her hands raised in the orans position, and with the image of the Child Jesus depicted within a round aureole upon her breast.The icon...
icon of the Theotokos
Theotokos
Theotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...
and to the Three Fathers of the Church (John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom , Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his ascetic...
, Basil the Great, and Gregory Nazianzus). The bell-tower with main gates standing separately (its upper deck was destroyed during the soviet time) makes the entrance to the cemetery; there are low houses of the parish clergy near it. Iconostasis
Iconostasis
In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church...
was made of zinc and overgilded; its icons represented events of the Holy Week
Holy Week
Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...
.
During the Soviet time the church was closed and lost its hipped roof
Tented roof
A tented roof is a type of roof widely used in 16th and 17th century Russian architecture for churches. It is like a polygonal spire but differs in purpose in that it is typically used to roof the main internal space of a church, rather than an auxiliary structure...
and cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
s. It was used as a fish storehouse with a smoking-shed. Over 50 garages are built at the distance of five to six meters around the church. The interior still features tarnished vestiges of the original academic frescoes.
Archpriest Nikolay Bogolepov, who was the minister in this church, was arrested in 1925. Another priest, Nikolay Ischenko, was executed on 23 February 1931 in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Priest Panteleimon Alekseevich Saveliev (he had served in Kashira
Kashira
Kashira is a town and the administrative center of Kashirsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Oka River south of Moscow. Population:...
before his arresr) was executed at the Butovski range near Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
on 21 November 1937.
In the late 1990s, the church reverted to the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
.