Many beautiful historical monuments of architecture today are ruins. Among them is the abandoned church in Yaropolets, Moscow Region. Once it was a large shrine, amazing the imagination of the parishioners with its rich decoration and refined architecture. Today the temple looks at the surrounding open spaces with broken windows, and its doors are boarded up. But, despite the emergency condition, this landmark deserves attention.
Spiritual center of Yaropolets: former greatness
At the end of the eighteenth century, the estate of Count Chernyshev was located in the village of Yaropolets (modern Volokolamsky district of the Moscow Region). In 1780, according to the order of the owner of the land, the construction of the church was started opposite the front entrance gates to the manor house. The development of the project was led personally by Count Chernov. In 1797 the construction was completed, the temple was consecrated in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. This church is interesting from the point of view of architecture. The temple has two symmetrical baroque domes, which is untypical for our country. In terms of the temple is rectangular, to its ends attached two apses - one of them is an altar, and the second - a burial vault. The facade and interior interiors are richly decorated with columns and stucco moldings. The abandoned temple in Yaropolets was originally conceived as a church-burial vault, here the eternal marshal Z. G. Chernyshev found peace.
The Uneasy Destiny of the Shrine
The temple was rebuilt several times, in 1839-1871. A bell tower was built. For an unknown reason, Chernyshev's estate after the revolution of 1917 was not turned into a museum. The house of the Lord and neighboring buildings were gradually plundered, and so did the church. The abandoned temple in Yaropolets suffered greatly during the Great Patriotic War. A shell hit the building, but it survived. After the war the temple was returned to the faithful and remained active until 1966. In the 1970s, the church was reconstructed. After repairing the roof and replacing several columns, the work ceased. To date, the temple is in desolation and continues to collapse.
Abandoned temple in Yaropolets: how to get there and can you get on a tour?
A brilliant sign on the facade of the ancient temple reminds that the object is protected by the state. Unfortunately, this inscription does not give any historical protection to the historical shrine. Organized excursions to the sights do not drive. But if you want to look at an unusual church, everyone can.
Let's say your goal is an abandoned temple in Yaropolets. How to get to this landmark? On a private car you can drive in less than an hour and a half. Take the 63 km of the Moscow Ring Road to Novorizhskoe Highway. Continue along the M-9 highway to Volokolamsk. Then follow the signs for Yaropolets. It is more convenient to drive through the center of Volokolamsk and go along Lenin Street, then drive through Kashino and on the fork after it turn to Yaropolets. By public transport you can get by bus, the next on the route Moscow - Yaropolets from the metro station "Tushinskaya".
The future of the ancient temple
The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is recognized as a historical landmark of the Moscow region and is protected at the federal level. Although there is virtually no protection: anyone can enter the dilapidated church today. Every year the building is increasingly destroyed. Despite the fact that the temple is boarded up and fenced, no signs of the beginning of reconstruction work have been observed. It remains only to hope that the abandoned temple in Yaropolets will be seen by the government or some private investor. And the restoration will begin before this unique object disappears from the face of the earth.