Chapel of Blessed Xenia at the Smolensk Cemetery

The Chapel of Blessed Xenia is located in St. Petersburg, it is functioning now. It is located in the Smolensk cemetery, which is located in the Vasilievsky Island.

Appearance and interior decoration

The chapel is built of stone and painted with a pale green paint. All sides of the facade are decorated with several pointed arched windows. They have struts in the form of columns. The windows are decorated with stained glass. In front and behind the cornice is decorated with a kokoshnik made in the form of a semicircle, with mosaic icons of Jesus (on the inside) and blessed Xenia (on the outside). The chapel is crowned with a brown scaly tent, decorated with a gilded cupola in the form of a bulb on which there is a cross. As for the interior, the look immediately falls on the iconostasis, made of marble, which shows the mosaic image of the crucified Jesus. The Chapel of St. Xenia Blessed is striking in its beauty. I want to admire this magnificence forever.

History of the chapel, working hours

Not far from the Smolensk temple, on the grave of blessed Xenia, who took part in the construction of the stone church and died at the dawn of the XIX century, in 1900 a chapel was built, designed by architect A. A. Vseslavin. It was consecrated after a couple of years. A little later Smolenskoye cemetery became the burial place of the founder of the chapel and the church of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki, located in Kolomyagi, - A. A. Vseslavin. Few know about this. This man is buried near the northern facade of the Smolensk Icon of Our Lady. The chapel, built in the Neo-Russian style, decorated with a low scaly tent, is one of the most interesting architectural monuments of the necropolis. She really deserves attention. Moreover, many believe that the most interesting sight of St. Petersburg is the chapel of Xenia Blessed. The opening hours should be known to everyone who wishes to visit it. On weekdays, its doors are open from 10 to 16 hours, and on Saturdays and Sundays - from 10 to 17.

Amazing beauty

But back to Blessed Xenia. At the head of her tomb, made of marble, was the iconostasis of the same material and the mosaic image of Jesus on the cross. Near it an unbearable fire shone a lamp. A large number of images in the cottages hung on the walls. They included a couple of silver icons, which Prince Masalsky presented, which was sent in 1877-1878 to the Russian-Turkish war. He also made a vow. He did not suffer at all in the war. Many people remember him when they come to the Smolensk cemetery. The chapel of Xenia Blessed was transformed by his efforts. It was magnificent, but with silver images it became even more beautiful.

Closing of the chapel, pilgrimage to it and loss of church utensils

In 1940, both the Smolensk church and the chapel were abolished, and at the end of the summer the city authorities ruled: it is necessary to destroy it within thirty days. Fortunately, the savage decision was soon canceled. In addition, no one and nothing could abolish popular recognition. Near the chapel was a wall made of plywood, on which people wrote requests addressed to Blessed Xenia. Believers hoped that the intercessor would pray for them. At that time silver icons donated by Prince Masalsky, embroidery with a portrait of the blessed and a magnificent stained-glass image depicting Jesus disappeared somewhere. Candlesticks, a chandelier, and also the vestments were sent for remelting. And the other icons made firewood. In the chapel during the war there was a warehouse of tanks for combustive-lubricating fluids. But Blessed Xenia was not forgotten, people remembered her.

Terrible times

The times of the blockade ... Passing through all obstacles, to the sounds of bombing, believers poured out to the revered shrine to the hollowing frost from all over Leningrad. They asked for intercession, prayed and sobbed, and many, kneeling near the wall, could no longer rise to their feet. The Chapel of Blessed Xenia saw many deaths. It was a tragic period in its history.

Restoration of the building, canonization of Xenia of St. Petersburg

After the war, from the end of the winter of 1947 until 1960, believers could freely come to the chapel. However, after a while, the authorities decided to open a workshop on sewing and repairing shoes in a sacred place. Only in 1983 the building returned to the bosom of the Smolensk temple. It looked very bad: crumbling plaster, walls, darkened by soot, broken floor, lack of a cupola in the shape of a bulb. Many people decided to participate in the restoration of the chapel, at that time they already understood that soon Xenia would be canonized. Metropolitan Alexy was very anxious to do this, who supervised the work and worked selflessly. After the restoration, the chapel was once again consecrated, it happened on August 10, 1987. And already in June of the following year Metropolitan of Novgorod and Leningrad Alexy II publicly announced that Xenia Blessed is now considered a saint. This joyful message was heard by 10,000 people. The Chapel of Blessed Xenia after this began to collect more people. Pilgrimages began to be made here regularly.

The next reconstruction of the building

In the middle of autumn of 2002 there was a significant date: 100 years since the consecration of the chapel made of stone, on the grave of Xenia of Petersburg. Long before this event, the building was again reconstructed: it was decided to restore the former appearance to a building that survived the complex historical events that took place in the 20th century. Masters carried out heavy work aimed at replacing the hipped roof, which, as before, following the pattern of Old Russian architecture, is decorated with gilded onion, crowned with a cross. It looks very beautiful. The floors were also replaced. On February 6, 2002, the renovated Chapel of Blessed Xenia opened its doors to all believing people.