John the Baptist The Baptist, saint, forerunner of Jesus Christ. He adhered to asceticism, lived in the desert and preached sacred ablutions, which later became known as the rite of baptism. The icons of John the Baptist have a special difference - in his left hand the saint holds a flourishing cross.
Beheading
As a result of the machinations of the Jewish queen Herodias and her daughter Salome, John the Baptist was executed in prison, his head was cut off. Since then, in Russia there has been a feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist, which falls on August 29. In memory of the great fasting John, a strict fast is observed on this day.
The popularity of the parishes of John the Baptist especially increased during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, and from the middle of the 16th century churches dedicated to the Holy Baptist of God began to be erected throughout Russia.
Location
The most famous churches and cathedrals of John the Baptist are located in large Russian cities. The following is a list of active temples:
- Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Moscow, on Presnya.
- Temple in Kolomenskoye.
- Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist in Kaluga.
- Church of the Holy Baptist in Brateevo.
- Church of the Forerunner in Kerch.
- Church of the Baptist in Nizhny Novgorod.
- Church of John the Baptist in Kirov.
In addition to the temples listed, there are many more churches in Russia dedicated to the Holy Baptist.
Church in Moscow
The Church of John the Baptist on Presnya was built between 1714 and 1734. In 1804 there was a fire, the fire destroyed the wooden bell tower. The damage to the church was tangible, and the Orthodox diocese of Moscow decided to rebuild the stone bell tower. It was supposed to build a three-tier structure 25 meters high with a head and a cross. At the same time, the project provided for the entrance to the church through a double Palladian arch located between the rusticated pylons. The architectural value of the building has increased dramatically, in Moscow then there was not a single bell tower of this type, except for the huge four-tier belfry of the Kudrinskaya Church of the Intercession of the Virgin.
Guarantee of a patron of arts
The architects paid great attention to the arrangement of the refectory of the temple. A well-known Moscow architect, Fedor Mikhailovich Shestakov, joined the project. The refectory and accompanying outbuildings were to be completed by the autumn of 1828. In order to meet the deadlines, a noble parishioner of the church, a state councilor, Ushakov Nikolai Vasilyevich, vouched for the construction.
During the years of Soviet power, the Church of John the Baptist on Presnya did not receive any funds from the stateand existed solely on donations from parishioners. It was a difficult period for both the church and the clergy, who remained faithful to the architectural masterpiece.
Recovery
When the post-Soviet period began, the Church of John the Baptist on Presnya was refurbished, and in the 1990s Father Superior Nikolai initiated restoration work. The roof was completely replaced, all the slopes were covered with sheet copper. They gilded the cross on the bell tower, rebuilt the belfry. Icons were installed in special niches at the entrance to the church. The bells sounded again, the new big bell, brought from afar, rang especially beautifully.
A 13 acres plot of land was returned to the church by a special decree of the Government of Moscow. Thus, the Church of John the Baptist on Presnya was completely revived. Grateful parishioners are going to cultivate the land to get an environmentally friendly harvest.
Church in Kolomenskoye
The Church of St. John the Baptist, which is actually located in the village of Dyakovo, was built in the second half of the 16th century. It is located near the main attraction of Kolomenskoye - the Church of the Ascension, built in 1534. According to its architecture, the Church of the Holy Baptist belongs to the pillar-like sacral buildings. Historians suggest that the laying of the church was timed to coincide with the wedding of Ivan the Terrible (in 1547). Although some experts tend to believe that the construction of the temple is associated with the birth of Tsarevich Ivan, who was born in 1554.
BIn any case, the church of John the Baptist in Kolomenskoye was built, and for some time prayers were actually served in it for the he alth of Tsarevich Ivan. Later, the church received parishioners from all over the area, Muscovites and residents of nearby villages.
Unity of styles
The temple is a central octahedron 35 meters high with four tower-shaped aisles adjoining it (each 17 meters high). All five buildings are interconnected by a covered gallery. On the western facade, the gallery is two-tiered, bearing a belfry, which in its architecture echoes the bell tower of the Spiritual Church in Sergiev Posad. The outer contours of the peripheral pillars reflect the style of Pskov church architecture.
Update
The Church of John the Baptist in Kolomenskoye was radically renovated in 1964, the reconstruction was carried out in order to restore the original appearance. First of all, fragments of icon-painting scenes on the vault of the dome of the main pillar were cleared and finalized. During the restoration work, unique details of the painting were discovered, the significance of which scientists could not explain. Research is still ongoing, but no concrete results yet.
Vyatka Church
There is a magnificent city of Kirov. The Church of John the Baptist occupies one of the first places in the list of attractions in it. The church was built in 1711-1723, and this was done bypassing the decree of Peter I, who strictly forbade any stone buildings in Russia, with the exception of St. Petersburg.
The architecture of the temple repeats the canons of sacred architecture, which the builders strictly followed. The lower part was an octagon, this shape was more in line with wooden churches, and was practically not used in stone buildings. And indeed, at first the church was built of wooden logs, a frame was erected on an earthen rampart near the city gates. This happened in 1711. Then the parish was organized. The Church of St. John the Baptist was consecrated and became the most popular place for believers.
Three years later, the priest Luke, together with the church warden Gregory, with the support of the parishioners, decided to build a stone church. The construction took a long time, the refectory and the bell tower were ready only at the end of the 20s of the XVIII century. On a square base rested a pillar of an octagonal tower with a belfry and a small cupola on a dull drum. The shape of the upper part of the temple was borrowed from the Church of Veliky Ustyug.
Then the refectory was remodeled several times, which seemed dark and not spacious enough. The reconstruction made it possible to significantly raise the central nave, due to which it became possible to equip the upper lighting.
During the years of Soviet power, the temple lost its octagonal and upper tiers of the bell chapel, as it was converted into a party archive. Then (beginning in 1961) the planetarium was placed in the church, where the whole city of Kirov flocked to look at the stars. The Church of John the Baptist was returned to believers only in the early 90s of the last century. All rooms had to be refurbished and rebuilt.anew to restore the church to its original appearance.
Church of John the Baptist, Nizhny Novgorod
Ancient Orthodox Church of the Arzamas Diocese. Its history goes back to the 16th century.
The church parish has been known since the 15th century as the wooden Kletsky church of John the Baptist at Nizhneposadsky market.
In 1676, the merchant Dranishnikov Gavriil Stepanovich received the favor of Metropolitan Filaret to build a stone church with his own money. By building, he wanted to confirm his adherence to the Orthodox faith, since his wife, along with her son, cheated on her, became Old Believers and retired to the Kerzhensky sketes. Having received a building permit, the merchant invested in the project and, despite illness and poor he alth, set to work.
In August 1679, Dranishnikov Gabriel died, but the temple was completed through the efforts of his brother Lavrenty. The church was erected on a high brick foundation, the premises inside of which were later used for renting out to the merchant brethren. So the commercial streak of the merchant-builder showed itself this time as well. In the creation of the temple of John the Baptist, the merchant was looking for profit.
However, the church was built. In 1855, the chapel of Alexander Nevsky was added to the temple. Fifteen years later, the bell tower was completely rebuilt. And finally, in 1899, the altar was re-arranged.
Soviet power did not bring anything good to the Church of John the Baptist. In 1937, the rector was shot by order of Beria, the DOSAAF organization was placed in the church.
The Nizhny Novgorod diocese got back its property after the collapse of the USSR, in the 90s of the last century. In 1994, divine services began, and 10 years later, repair work began in the church of John the Baptist. Multimillion-dollar funds were received thanks to patrons, in particular, the Balakhna Pulp and Paper Mill made a good contribution. The repair was carried out fairly quickly, in the spring of 2005 three new crosses for the domes were already consecrated, and in August a dome and a cross were installed on the bell tower. It is characteristic that services in the temple did not stop during the repair work.
Church of St. John in Kaluga
Kaluga Church of John the Baptist was originally made of wood, built of dry pine. He stood until 1735, when a fire broke out in the city. The church burned to the ground along with the outbuildings. The sexton managed to take out the icon, but he himself died in the fire. The ashes were leveled and a stone temple was erected on the site of the burnt church.
Another shock happened in 1956. The city authorities of Kaluga demolished the altar chapel, which overlooked Moskovskaya Street and allegedly interfered with car traffic. The parishioners then compared the actions of the city executive committee with the "beheading", by analogy with the fact that John the Baptist himself was once also beheaded.
In 1995, the temple was finally transferred to the Orthodox diocese of Kaluga. It took three years to restore the masterpiece of church architecture, which is the Church of John the Baptist. Kaluga soon celebrated the beginning of divine services. Sunday school is open at the church today.
Church of John the Baptist in Kerch
The oldest church building in Russia - the cross-domed church of the Baptist of God John - is located on the Crimean peninsula. The time of construction is determined by the VIII-IX centuries of our era. During the restoration of the church, "voicers" were found in the masonry - amphoras that made trumpet sounds when the wind was blowing. The temple is built of white stone interspersed with rows of red bricks. Such masonry was characteristic of the Byzantine architectural style.
From 1974 to 1978 the church was restored. It was necessary to strengthen the central dome, which had suffered from time and seismic vibrations. A rigid metal frame was installed inside, and the artists restored the old painting on ancient plaster. Upon completion of the restoration work, a separate exposition of the Kerch Museum of History was opened in the temple.
More than six hundred years ago, when the Black and Azov Seas were in the power of the Genoese, and the Kerch Strait was named after St. John, the main place of pilgrimage for Orthodox believers was the Church of John the Baptist. Kerch is considered one of the most religious cities in Crimea. Therefore, today the Moscow Patriarchate is investing heavily in the maintenance of the current church.
Brateevo, the location of the temple
In the Moscow municipal district of Brateevo, in the south-east of the capital, there is the Temple of the Beheading of John the Baptist. The parish has been known since the 16th century, and the stone church in Brateevo, John the Baptist, was built in 1892. ATThe church had two thrones, the main one, the Baptist of God, and the side one, the Archangel Michael.
Then for more than half a century the temple existed on donations from parishioners. During World War II, the church was completely destroyed. Then the long post-war period did not allow the construction of a new church to begin, and only in 1996 the temple in Brateevo, John the Baptist, was restored. Currently, services are being held in full.
Parishioners visit the Church of John the Baptist with pleasure. Address in Brateevo: 115563, Moscow, Kashirskoe highway, 61A.
