Rybinsk, Transfiguration Cathedral: history, description, architectural features, address

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

You can visit the unique historical temple by visiting the city of Rybinsk. The Transfiguration Cathedral is located on the central Cathedral Square, in its very heart. Nearby is the Volga bridge. This is a real visiting card of the city. When it was just being built, the first wooden church was erected on this site.

Early history

One of the shrines of Russian Orthodoxy, located in a city called Rybinsk, is the Transfiguration Cathedral. Its history is interesting for many facts. The first temple, built on the site of the Transfiguration Cathedral, was founded in 1654. It was a stone structure dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Lord. It was built on the site of two wooden churches of the early 17th century - Preobrazhenskaya and Peter and Paul.

The temple was installed on four pillars and a high basement. The building was surrounded on three sides by a gallery with small cubic aisles decorated with tents. Subsequently, theyreplaced with onion heads. In one of the corners of the gallery, a bell tower with eight sides was installed. Later, this bell tower was rebuilt into the aisle of the prophet Elijah.

In 1779, by decree of the Yaroslavl spiritual diocese, the temple was given the status of a cathedral.

The First Cathedral Church

The population in the city increased rapidly. The city cathedral could no longer receive such a number of people, and its dilapidation made itself felt. It was decided to build a new cathedral church building. At that time, a five-tiered bell tower had already been installed in the center of Rybinsk, to which it was necessary to tie a new cathedral.

There were only two options for resolving this issue. But both of them involved the destruction of old buildings. The first option involved the construction of a new cathedral on the east side of the bell tower, on the site of the old temple. According to the second option, the new cathedral was to take the place of the Red Gostiny Dvor on the western side of the bell tower.

For more than 20 years, the issue of building a new cathedral has been decided. The merchant elite of Rybinsk wanted to keep the old one. But another part of the city's residents, especially the trading stratum, was against the destruction of the Gostiny Dvor.

And only in 1838 the issue of construction was resolved. They chose the first option and on July 14 the last liturgy was served in the old cathedral. The construction site was consecrated on September 8, 1838.

Construction of the second cathedral church

It didn't take long for everything to settle down in a city like Rybinsk. Spaso-PreobrazhenskyThe cathedral was also built in several stages. Many factors influenced this. The construction of the cathedral was financed by local merchants. More than 195 thousand rubles were spent. The construction of the new cathedral church was completed in 1845. In 1851, the interior decoration was completed. The cathedral and the previously built bell tower were connected by a refectory. Now it was a single architectural ensemble. The cathedral was solemnly consecrated in the middle of the summer of 1851.

At that time the Transfiguration Cathedral (Rybinsk) was a cold summer temple. Near it was the warm cathedral church Nikolsky, built back in 1720. It was dismantled in 1930.

New history of the Transfiguration Cathedral

Several parishes were founded at the Transfiguration Cathedral, in particular, a guardianship for the poor and a church school.

1909 was a significant year for the Transfiguration Cathedral. He was given the status of a cathedral. In 1942, the cathedral lost its status, but in 2010 it was restored again.

In 1929 the cathedral was closed, the bell tower was dismantled. This was due to the bridge project. For its construction, the cathedral had to be completely destroyed. Work has already begun, but they were stopped by the war. A hostel was set up in the cathedral. Before that, they were going to make a theater, a warehouse, a circus and a train station there.

Rebirth

The road bridge project was nevertheless implemented in 1963. The building of the cathedral was not only preserved, but its historical appearance was also restored. During the restoration, alldestruction. But the cathedral did not fulfill its intended purpose. Until 1999, its building belonged to the Rybinsk branch of the State Archives of the Yaroslavl Region.

The first services in the cathedral began after the transfer of the Russian Orthodox bell tower and gallery - refectory. The main building was transferred to the Rostov and Yaroslavl diocese in 1999. Entrepreneur Tyryshkin V. I. helped to carry out a comprehensive restoration. The cathedral again opened its doors to believers.

Today, thousands of people can visit the holy monastery - the Transfiguration Cathedral (Rybinsk) every day. The schedule of services is simple and short. They are held every day. The cathedral is open for visits from Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 18.00, on Saturday - from 7.30 to 19.00, on Sunday - from 6.30 to 18.00. Address of the cathedral: Rybinsk, st. Cross, 23.

Building architecture

Buildings of unusual architecture are located in a city like Rybinsk. Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral also belongs to them. Firstly, the bell tower, other temple extensions and the cathedral itself are a single architectural complex. Secondly, the building has not lost its historical architectural significance, despite the fact that some details have been completely changed.

What the cathedral looks like today

The Transfiguration Cathedral is a five-domed temple with a central dome. A majestic spherical dome rises above its central part, which is held by spring arches thrown over heptagonal pillars. At the corners of the main space are locatedsmall light domes. The barrel vaults rise above the refectory and other parts of the cathedral. The outlines of the cathedral are a cross enclosed in a square. The side naves are harmoniously arranged around the central room, at the end of which there are six-columned frontal porticos and wide staircases and an altar. On the western side, the central nave is connected to the gallery - the refectory, which on the other side is connected to the bell tower. At the same time, about 4 thousand people can be in the cathedral.

The decorations of the temple belong to the era of late classicism and have quite expressive details. The real decoration of the temple are the windows. They are arched at the bottom and round at the top. On the porticoes are pilasters and columns of the Corinthian order. On the light drums there are Corinthian semi-columns. Initially, the cathedral was decorated with frescoes, which, unfortunately, have not been preserved. The iconostasis has also changed.

What the bell tower looks like

The height of the bell tower is 94 m. This is one of the tallest bell towers in all of Russia. Its architecture has its own characteristics. The corner abutments inside have round chambers. You can enter the ringing tier by two stairs located in the western chambers. The bell tower, unlike the cathedral itself, is made in the Baroque style. Pilasters, Ionic columns, rustication - all these elements decorate the pillars of the bell tower. The clock is in the top tier. The roof is octagonal, with a gilded spire and a cross. It seems that the bell tower just flies up. This impression is created by 52columns.

One of the main attractions for anyone visiting the city of Rybinsk is the Transfiguration Cathedral. Its abbots made every effort to make this place not only a delight for the eyes, but also a home for the soul. One of the first priests who arrived at the Transfiguration Cathedral (Rybinsk) was Pavel Petrov Novsky. Since the opening of the cathedral, 11 rectors have already changed, the last of which, Vasily Nikandrovich Denisov, serves for the benefit of people to this day.

The schedule of services in the Transfiguration Cathedral in Rybinsk is the same as in other Orthodox churches. Morning services and liturgies are held daily. Solemn services are held on the days of memory of saints and holidays.