Akhtyrsky Cathedral (Eagle). Akhtyrsky Cathedral

In 1773, the place of the dilapidated wooden Nikitskaya church was laid Akhtyrsky Cathedral. The eagle was not a border fortress by that time. Originally it was a churchyard church, but after 13 years, when the churchyard was moved to another place, it became a parish church. Now it is the Akhtyrsky cathedral with a majestic four-tiered bell tower, which belongs to the Orlovsko-Livenskaya diocese.

Tradition

The emergence of this temple is hidden in the depths of centuries. According to legend, at the beginning of the 16th century the Pyatnitskaya church was in its place. Thanks to it, the area adjacent to the church was called Pyatnitskaya Sloboda.

As was the case at that time, there was a pogost nearby, as well as a small square where local residents and peasants from their neighboring villages sold their goods. But at the beginning of the 17th century, with the onset of the Time of Troubles, the Eagle fortress, like Pyatnitskaya Sloboda, was burned to the ground, and places where life had been boiling up before, came to total desolation.

Documentary confirmation

Over time, the fortress was restored. Then the Pyatnitskaya Cossack settlement also revived. In 1678 in the book of the census of the households of the towns a record was found, where the Nikitsky church is mentioned, erected on the place of the former, burnt.

On Pyatnitsky churchyard, in addition to the church, there was another building, near which a special service was held. The fact is that it stored the corpses of the drowned, frozen and starved to death of beggars throughout the winter. They stayed there until the spring. After Easter, on the 7th week on Thursday, people from all districts converged in this house. Here the priests performed funerals on the bodies, after which the burial was carried out for all those who died in the common grave.

History of the construction of the Akhtyrsk temple

But time did not stand still. By the beginning of the 18th century, the boundaries of the Russian state were already far to the south, so the Eagle from the border fortress gradually turned into a more comfortable large settlement. By the end of the century the Nikitsky temple had decayed badly, and it was decided to disassemble it. The city could not remain without a temple for a long time, so there was a need for a new building. Its construction was preceded by the following circumstances.

In 1773, a merchant from Orel, who traded horses, Konstantin Semyonovich Pastukhov was on business in the city of Akhtyrka (Kharkov province). There he went to a local temple and prayed, he was healed of a disease that he suffered for a long time. This was due to the miraculous Akhtyrskaya Icon of the Mother of God. By that time, its miraculous power was already known throughout Russia. And in Akhtyrka specially in her honor was erected a majestic cathedral made of stone.

Returning to his native city, the merchant Pastukhov immediately went to the diocesan leadership. He asked for the blessing to build a church on Pyatnitsky Pogost in honor of the Akhtyrskaya Icon of the Mother of God. Permission he received. In the same year, the future Akhtyrsky Cathedral in Orel was laid. After 2 years, in 1775, the construction of the temple was completed, and it was consecrated.

Improvement

The eagle grew more and more, and the church with the adjacent graveyard was already on the territory of the city itself. The cemetery was closed, and the church received parish status. In 13 years after the start of construction, it no longer accommodated all comers. That is why the cathedral was expanded. In addition, it built a new side-chapel of the Holy Great Martyr Nikita.

The following construction works in the Akhtyrsky Cathedral began in 1803. In it was built and consecrated another chapel - the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, as well as raised vaults of the central altar.

After 20 years, a rather tall bell tower was built, consisting of four tiers. Initially, it was located some distance from the cathedral. But in 1870 the refectory decided to lengthen and connect it with the bell tower. The project of this construction was carried out by the architect I.P. Lutokhin. In the same form, the Akhtyrsky Cathedral (Eagle) appears before us. After 5 years, the church was surrounded by a fence, but before the war it was dismantled.

In the temple there were 2 priests, as many psalmists and a deacon. In this parish there were 275 households, and this is more than 1 thousand people. In the autumn of 1897, thanks to the church elder M. M. Borzenkov, the church parish school began to function at the church. It should be noted that the training in it was absolutely free. The lessons for children were conducted by the priest V. Leonov.

Post-Revolutionary and Military Periods

After 1917, the Akhtyrsky Cathedral, like most churches in those turbulent times, was subjected to the so-called seizure of values. All icons were confiscated, and most importantly, a large cross cast from silver, which was an ancient shrine of the temple. This relic was more than 500 years old.

By the decision of the Provincial Committee in the city of Orel in just 2 years, 17 churches and 2 monasteries were closed. But the Akhtyrsky temple was lucky. It was closed only in February 1938 by a decision taken at a meeting of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. For 4 years it was used as a granary.

In March 1942, when the city was occupied by the Nazi invaders, the temple was opened and since then the service in it has not ceased. The following year, on August 5, during the liberation of this settlement, the first bell tower of the church became the first building on which the red flag was planted. In 1962, the Akhtyrsky Cathedral (Orel), received the status of a cathedral. In 2008 the department was moved to the Smolensk temple.

Now the Akhtyrsky Cathedral (Eagle), a photo of which is presented in this article, belongs to the Orlovsko-Livenskaya diocese. In 2009 he was returned to the status of the cathedral.

Restoration

Since 1986, the temple has been carrying out a large restoration work to restore the interior: the main iconostasis 14 meters high was decorated with beautiful carvings and gilding, the ceiling and walls were covered with paintings on biblical subjects by artist F. Gladkov, the floor was laid with marble slabs. In addition, they also made repairs to the facade of the building, as well as restored the brickwork of all four-drum drums. They returned the original shape to the spire of the bell tower and domes, and also covered them with sheet copper, after which they also gilded.

Shrines of the temple

The most revered icon in the Akhtyrsk cathedral of the Eagle is the miraculous icon of the Mother of God. It is a list from the prototype, which is famous for its numerous healings. In addition to it, there are icons containing the relics of St. Confessor Georgi Kosov and the Great Martyr Nikita.

For some time in this cathedral were the relics of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk. The fact is that in 1919 they were withdrawn from the monastery of the same name and given to the Yelets local history museum. In the 30s, the relics were transported to the Oryol antireligious museum, where they were kept until 1941. During the occupation of the city they were placed in the Epiphany Church.

In the 1960s, the persecution of the Church was resumed and the relics, at the request of the then director of the Museum of Local Lore, were returned back where they had lain in the storerooms for 28 years. When the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus was celebrated, this shrine was finally returned to the Church. She was placed in Akhtyrsk Cathedral of the Eagle.

In 1991, in connection with the opening of the Zadonsky monastery, the relics of the saint were returned to their places. The Akhtyrsky temple was left with the brush of St. Tikhon. This relic is also venerated by parishioners as one and the most important shrines. A special ark was made for her, where she is kept. In addition, an icon of St Tikhon of Zadonsk was created in full growth by the artist AI Neverov. Later, a beautiful carved kiot was made for her.

Schedule of services and address

Akhtyrsky Cathedral (Eagle), opens every day from 7:30 to 19:30, and on Sundays and public holidays - from 6:30 to 20:00. Daily services: on weekdays - at 8:00 and 17:00, on holidays and on Sundays - at 7:00 and 9:00.

During the evening service, the Akathists read here: on Tuesday - the Great Martyr Nikita or before the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, on Wednesday - Tikhon Zadonsky, and on Sunday - before the Akhtyr Icon of the Mother of God.

In the temple you can order any church services: the Sacrament of Wedding and Epiphany, prayer services, requiems and burials, Mass and akathis, as well as the forty-hour and remembrance. Akhtyrsky Cathedral (Eagle), address: st. 5 August, 18.