All cultural and educational activities necessarily include the study of monuments of ancient architecture. This is important for the assimilation of native culture and the inculcation of spiritual values. But church and temple complexes are completely unique buildings. They can be regarded as an architectural heritage, a feat of Russian masters, as the history of the clergy and, of course, as a sacred monastery. Today we will talk about the Temple of the Deposition of the Robe in Leonov and on Donskaya. Their stories are somewhat similar, but either way, they both showed up to commemorate the great event.
History
Its existence is not the first century. The Temple of the Deposition of the Robe in Leonov is known from the first half of the 17th century. The first notes about it date back to an even earlier period, in 1635, when there was a wooden church on this site. The construction of the stone temple, which has been preserved and is still operating today, took place during the reign of Prince Khovansky.
This was his gesture of remorse for his drinking and breaking church rules. After the death of the prince, the temple of the Deposition of the Robe in Leonov was closed and did not work for a long time (since1800 to 1859). This happened due to the fact that the new prince was disturbed by the ringing of bells. Before the opening, it was restored at the expense of the manufacturer Molchanov. It survived the Soviet times relatively calmly, only 12 years (from 1930 to 1942) was closed, the rest of the time it operated. Since 1859, the temple has not been reconstructed and rebuilt, so it has come down to our times.
Architectural style
The Temple of the Deposition of the Robe in Leonov was built in the Baroque style, which at that time gained great popularity. The simple geometric forms of the wooden temple were replaced by fanciful, polygonal facades and lush interior decoration. Even today the temple looks very beautiful and interesting. The entrance to the territory of the shrine is a white stone arch with lattice doors. Inside there is a cozy square, which is especially beautiful in autumn. On the inner walls of the temple you can see the paintings of the Position of the Robe of the Mother of God in Blachernae. The whole territory is immersed in the greenery of trees, so it is not easy to photograph the Church of the Deposition of the Robe in Leonov. The photos turn out to be good, that is, they fully demonstrate the beauty of the church, only in late autumn, when the foliage has flown around. In winter, the snow-white walls merge with the background, which somewhat spoils the impression.
Revered relics and shrines
For believers, it is icons that are the subject of veneration and worship. There are several old paintings here that are of particular admiration. It is they who glorify the Leonov Temple of the Deposition of the Robe. In the main aisle of the temple, on the rightOn the altar there is a revered temple icon of the Deposition of the Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos with a particle of the Robe of the Mother of God. On the right is the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh, St. Dmitry of Rostov, the icon of the Mother of God of Kazan.
On the left of the Altar there is the Revered Icon of the Mother of God of Smolensk, which dates back to the 16th century. In total, there are more than 50 icons in the temple. Hundreds of believers come here every day to offer their prayers to the Lord.
Shrines
The Church of the Deposition of the Robe of the Virgin in Leonovo has a special value. This is a reliquary in which particles of many saints are located. This is the main pride of the church and the object of worship of believers. It is located in the right corner of the central chapel, all parishioners have the opportunity to venerate the relics. Their miraculous power is legendary, but you can see for yourself that this is true.
Church of the Deposition of the Robe on the Donskaya
His story is very similar to that of his brother. The fates of temples in Russia often overlap. In 1625, the Shah of Persia handed over to the Russian Tsar and Patriarch Filaret one of the four parts of Christ's robe. According to legend, it was in this robe that Christ walked to the place of execution. It was handed over to the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral, but a wooden church was built on the site of the great meeting. Construction ended in 1690. But already in 1713, a project for the construction of a stone church appeared, and a temple of the Deposition of the Robe on the Donskaya was erected on the site of the old building. Moscow architect Y. Bukhvostov supervised the construction.
Whatthis temple is unique
It's harder to say how he is like the others. His very birth was already a miracle. In those days, stone architecture was banned, since this material was required for the construction (or rather, restructuring) of St. Petersburg. But nevertheless, in 1716, a magnificent temple appeared on Donskaya Street in Moscow, made in the style of the Moscow Baroque. He is distinguished from all other contemporaries by five chapters, a proportional quadrangle, completed by an attic. The central cross is topped with a crown; there is no exact version of this idea. This temple has never been closed since its opening. Services are still going on there to this day.
Rebuilding and reconstruction
The Temple of the Deposition of the Robe on Shabolovka was first decided to be completed in 1880. A chapel of the Apostle Jacob Alfeev was attached to it from the side of the refectory, which was consecrated in 1889. The project was compiled and supervised by the Moscow architect A. S. Kaminsky. Under his leadership, a fence with a gate was created and a northern aisle was added.
The first reconstruction was required in 1923. A strong storm knocked down two church domes, but the temple has not stopped its work even now. They were instantly restored, completely restoring the original idea of the architect. For more than 300 years, worship has been performed here without interruption, it did not stop even in the Soviet period, except that services were held more closed, and the church was not crowded. The Temple of the Deposition of the Robe in Moscow has another feature of its own. After the Shah of Persia solemnly handed over the Robe,a new holiday appeared in the church calendar in honor of the "Deposition of the Robe of our Lord Jesus Christ in Moscow." This holiday is celebrated only by the Russian Orthodox Church. As for this temple, it is the main one in the celebration.
The core values of the temple
In addition to a particle of the Lord's Robe, which is the fundamental shrine of the temple, a very valuable icon is kept here. We are talking about the icon of the Mother of God of Ilinsk-Chernigov. It was presented as a gift to the temple by brothers from the monastery of Chernigov. This is a unique image that dates back to 1696. Next to the face of the Mother of God, it depicts a double-headed eagle on one side, and a poetic dedication to Peter I on the other. These lines speak of the victory over the Turks and the capture of Azov. There are no analogues of such an image of the Mother of God, as on this canvas, anywhere else in the world.
Besides, it is here that believers can pray near a unique shrine, the Alanian icon "The Position of the Robe of the Lord in Moscow" with a silver cross and a particle of the Robe. Those who need help and healing should turn to the image-warehouse with a particle of the relics of the Apostle James Alfeev, as well as many other saints. This image is considered very strong, and if you come with a pure heart, you will definitely get the help you need. Often small children are brought here to heal or protect from diseases.
Another holy icon that needs to be separately noted is the icon of the Mother of God "Searching for the Lost". In this speci althe world that is clearly felt when you step over the threshold of the temple, time slows down, the fuss leaves and there comes an understanding for the sake of which we are walking our path on earth. Perhaps this is why it is worth coming to such ancient temples, here there is such a prayerful, peaceful atmosphere that every visitor will leave feeling some changes in himself.
Two amazing temples, but the essence is one - praise the Lord for the fact that he transferred to the Russian land part of the robe of Christ, in which he went to Golgotha. This is the greatest shrine of the Christian world. Today, hundreds of believers gather within the walls of the cloisters, just as hundreds of years ago they communicate with the Lord.
