The Church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki is one of the most beautiful and most visited Orthodox churches in Moscow, a world-famous architectural monument of the 17th century.
History of Khamovnaya Sloboda
The Khamovniki district, now located in the very center of Moscow, until the beginning of the 16th century belonged to its suburban areas and was a vast meadow for grazing horses. In the first quarter of the century, the Novodevichy convent was founded here, around which several settlements gradually arose, in which peasants and artisans lived. One of them was Khamovnaya Sloboda. Weavers who moved to the Moscow lands from Tver lived here. Artisans served the royal court, supplying it with linen, mainly for table linen. The manufacture of fabrics for tablecloths was called boorish business, from the old Russian word "ham" - flax. According to the name of the linen fabric, “khamyan” was named the settlement, and later the entire district.
Historical milestonestemple construction
Sloboda was quite large (initially about 40 households) and had its own church. The church of St. Nicholas was wooden, and for the first time it was mentioned in historical documents of 1625. In 1657 the wooden church was replaced by a stone one. After 20 years, the temple officially received its full name - "Nicholas the Wonderworker at the Metropolitan stables." In 1679, a new church building began to be built nearby. By this time, significant changes were taking place in the architectural style of construction in Russia.
Strict simple style is replaced by more elegant, pretentious. It was called "wonderful pattern". This style is characterized by the use of bright colors, colored tiles, decorative elements. The church is built of brick, finished with white stone and decorated with red and green tiles.
Temple complex
The Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Khamovniki is a classic temple complex for this style, including a five-domed church, a one-pillar refectory with aisles of Metropolitan Alexy of Moscow and St. Dmitry Metropolitan of Moscow (in 1872 it was re-consecrated in the name of the icon of the Mother of God "The guarantor of sinners"), a hipped bell tower above the western entrance. The octagonal bell tower is one of the highest in Moscow and the last one built in this style. The church was consecrated on June 25, 1682. Other buildings were added later as the parish grew.
Significant events in the history of the temple
During Napoleon's offensive against Moscow during the Russian campaign of 1812-1813, the temple was badly damaged, its interior was partially destroyed. During the restoration work in 1845, a wall painting appeared inside, and by 1849 the temple was completely restored.
During its existence, the Church of St. Nicholas the Prelate in Khamovniki was restored three more times (in 1896, 1949 and 1972), but services never stopped in it, and it was always open to parishioners.
The creation of a metal fence belongs to the end of the 19th century, and a forged gate was installed a little later.
In 1992, a 108-pood bell was returned to the bell tower, the only one preserved from the original bell set - the second largest bell, cast in 1686 by master Mikhail Ladygin. The rest of the bells were lost during the persecution of the church in the 30s of the 20th century. The fate of the main 300-pood temple bell is unknown.
In 1922, during the confiscation of church valuables, more than five pounds of gold and silver jewelry and utensils were taken out of the temple.
Shrines and sights of the temple
The main shrine, which the church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki has (photo below), is the icon of the Virgin "Guest of sinners". She is in the left aisle, named after her.
The icon is an exact list from the miraculous image of ancient Russian writing, which was located in the Nikolaevsky Odrin Monastery, located in Orlovskayaprovinces. List author unknown.
The icon was donated to the church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki in 1848 by one of the parishioners of the church. According to legend, soon after acquiring the image of the Mother of God, the owner began to notice that during prayer, the appearance of the icon changes, fragrant oil drops appear on the surface. Some sick people were healed thanks to prayer and this oil. The owner gave the icon to the church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki, where miracles continued. The people flowed into the temple like a river. A number of miraculous healings are attributed to the image. This was especially evident during the rampage of cholera in 1848.
In 2008, the Church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki celebrated 160 years since the acquisition of the miraculous image. March 20 is the day of the icon of the Mother of God "The guarantor of sinners".
In 2011, Orthodox Christians living in England were able to bow to the list of the Miraculous Icon. The icon stayed there for several days for worship.
Along with the icon "Guest of Sinners", which the church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki is rightly proud of, the icons in the church have no less fame and an honorable history. In the main iconostasis there is an icon of St. Alexis (Metropolitan of Moscow), painted in 1688 by the royal icon painter Ivan Maksimov. Other revered shrines are: the Smolensk icon of the Most Pure Mother of God, created in the 17th century, and the icon of the martyr John the Warrior, 18th century.
In the main aisle of the temple there is also a reliquary with particles of relics belonging to various saints, in the church the attention of visitors is attractedancient canopy over the shroud - a special canopy, artistically designed.
Activity of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
A liturgy is held daily at 8 o'clock in the morning - a public service with the sacrament of the Eucharist (communion). Evening service starts at 5 pm. On Sundays, Twelve Feasts and Parental Saturdays - at 7 and 10 o'clock, on Sunday and on the eve of the All-Night Vigil - evening service at 17 o'clock. On Tuesdays, before the miraculous image of the Mother of God "The guarantor of sinners" during the evening service, akathist singing is performed, on Thursdays - Vespers with the akathist to St. Nicholas.
Not so long ago, an Orthodox general education gymnasium, a Sunday school and a children's church choir began to operate at the temple. There is a baptistery for adult baptism.
Church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki: how to get there?
As a world famous landmark of Moscow, the temple is visited daily by hundreds of tourists. It is located next to Komsomolsky Prospekt, between Leo Tolstoy Street and Timur Frunze Street. You can get there by metro. The nearest station is "Park Kultury" (ring line).
