2007 was marked for the people of Russia with good news about the increase of the church heritage of the region. This time, the changes affected the Western Administrative District of the Russian Federation.
The city administration of a small town announced a decision to build a new Temple of Sergius of Radonezh in Solntsevo, named after the holy founder of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
About St. Sergius of Radonezh
St. Sergius was a mentor for many saints canonized by the church, he tirelessly taught them and later became the intercessor and abbot of all Russia. The whole Russian Land honored the face of the Saint and elevated him to a model of humility and meekness for the local laity and monks.
Reverend Sergius gave his heart to the blessing of the princes and troops during the Battle of Kulikovo, prayed tirelessly for Demetrius to win the battleDonskoy, was heartbroken during the years of the Tatar yoke in Russia. All the dead who gave their lives for the Holy Land and laid down their heads, he commemorated night and day.
Sergius of Radonezh was a faithful servant of the Church, the Holy Trinity, and low worshiped the image of Divine Love.
On the construction of the Temple
Local authorities decided to build the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Solntsevo in the western part of the microdistrict, on Bogdanov Street.
The decision to implement the project to build an object called the Temple of St. Sergius of Radonezh was made after the appeal of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II to the local authorities. He supported the Orthodox parish in the intention to build the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Solntsevo from the Moscow diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church and gave his blessing for the work.
Yuri Alpatov, Prefect of the Moscow Western Administrative District, and Vladimir Resin, First Deputy Mayor of Moscow in the Government, were entrusted with monitoring the implementation of the order for the construction of the Temple.
The first stage of the forthcoming work was the release of the occupied site and the cleaning of the surrounding area. Previously, this place was an open parking lot, which could accommodate about 70 cars. It was decided to build the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh at the expense of attracted and own funds of church ministers. Initially, the terms and construction plans were not specified.
Temple of Sergius of Radonezh in Solntsevo, object description
As a result of the construction, a building with a total area of 1770 m² was erected, covering an area of approximately 0.54 hectares. As planned, funding came from donations - raised funds from legal entities, individuals and Orthodox parishioners.
The walls of the Temple are designed in the Byzantine style, which prevails in the architecture of many churches and cathedrals. The building itself contains the Upper Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh and two aisles named after Alexander Nevsky and Xenia of St. Petersburg. There is also a lower baptismal church, the name of which was given by the Holy Blessed Prince Vladimir.
The construction of the object was completed in 2011, the total duration of the work is 4 years from the date of signing the relevant documents for permission to build the Temple in Solntsevo. The Temple opens its doors from 10:00 to 20:00, and on liturgical days, the opening hours are set according to the schedule.
Life of the Orthodox parish of the Temple
A fairly large number of clergy serve at the Temple, headed by Archpriest Georgy Studenov. There is a Sunday school, which has three groups - junior, middle and senior. Choral singing and a children's ceramics studio are available to everyone. For parents who want to introduce their child to church life, there is a children's library, and for those who are aimed at learning the Church Slavonic language, classes are held weekly within the walls of the Temple in two groups:
- initial (every Tuesday from 19:00 to 20:00);
- groupYear 2 (every Sunday from 12:00 to 13:00).
Variety of possibilities
For parishioners aged 15 and older, a youth discussion club has been specially created. All those interested and willing can join the group and participate in meetings on Sundays, providing for:
- thematic discussions;
- watching movies and then discussing the plot;
- communication with the clergy, who can ask any question and consult on an exciting situation.
Saturday nights offered:
- study the Holy Scriptures;
- take a course on the basics of spiritual life, get to know the basics of the Orthodox faith;
- conduct joint excursions to shrines and pilgrimage tours;
- take part in the local organization of sports competitions;
- participate in public organizations, in the social and liturgical life of the parish;
- organize parochial local holidays and celebrations;
- be creative;
- participate in meetings with interesting people.
