Dubrovitsy village, Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary: description, history and interesting facts

Among the variety of Russian temple buildings, which sometimes are masterpieces of architecture, there is one that has no analogues. This is the church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary, located in the village of Dubrovitsy. To see this, one look at its outlines, so uncharacteristic of the Russian Orthodox tradition, is enough. Touching its history, one can not help feeling the secret hidden in it.

The heir to the throne educator

In those distant years, when in place of the present Znamenskaya church there was an unremarkable wooden church in the name of Elijah the prophet, Dubrovitsy's estate, located not far from Podolsk, belonged to the family of princes Golitsyns. The eldest of them, Boris Alekseevich, was the tutor and mentor of the future sovereign of Peter the Great. Over time, when his pet, drowning all the mutinies and riots in the blood, took over the Russian throne, the prince, as the closest person to him, went into great strength.

But sometimes the wrath and mercy of the powerful are sometimes changeable. Found at the court of the envious, whispered to the slander slander against his old teacher, and quickly to reprisal Peter in 1689 sent him into exile in a family estate - the same Dubrovitsy. It was bitter for the old man Golitsyn to receive gratitude with such a coin for all the zeal shown to them in the educational field. It was comforting that I had not lost my head-it was customary for Peter Alekseevich.

Intercession of the Queen of Heaven

However, the Emperor was ardent, but he was quick-witted. A year later he changed his anger to mercy and again allowed Boris Alekseevich to appear before the royal eyes. To console the old man, he was praised by the boyar dignity. Being an Orthodox person and deeply believing, Prince Golitsyn judged that such a happy change in fate could occur only by the intercession of the Queen of Heaven. Filled with gratitude, he wished to erect in his possessions, among which was Dubrovitsy Manor, the Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary - a monument to the happy deliverance from opals.

A masterpiece of an unknown genius

The construction of the prince began in 1690, having previously ordered to dismantle the former wooden church of the Prophet Elijah, built in 1662, and move it to the neighboring village of Lemeshevo. This follows from the documents that have come down to us, but further riddles begin. The fact is that absolutely nothing is known about the architect who created the project of this architectural miracle.

In Peter's time, many outstanding foreigners worked in Russia and immortalized their names, creating a unique style, known to us as the Petrine Baroque, but none of them has to do with the masterpiece erected in the Dubrovitsy manor. The Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in every detail of which the hand of genius is embodied, is deprived of authorship. It is absolutely out of the question that one of the outstanding foreign masters who were in those years in Russia, performed work of this level, and she did not decorate his creative biography.

The hypothesis of a certain Russian genius does not hold up to criticism. Without detracting from the merits of domestic masters, it should nevertheless be abandoned.

This becomes obvious at the first glance at what is the construction in the Dubrovitsy manor. The Church of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos, as experts say, is the product of Italian creative thought, embodied in the Baroque style. In Russia they built quite differently. In all likelihood, domestic masters also made a hand in creating it, but only by implementing someone's ingenious plan.

Celebrations for the consecration of the church

But, one way or another, and the church was erected. For its construction, a local white stone was used, often found in the Podolsk region. Its advantages are easy handling and at the same time strength, which allows to work out fine details of decorative carving. The works were completed in 1699, but the church was consecrated five years later.

The reason for this delay is that Prince Golitsyn wished to invite Peter I to the celebrations in Dubrovitsy. The Church of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos was built in memory of their reconciliation, and his desire was fully understandable. But, since in those years the Tsar seldom visited Moscow, Boris Alekseevich had to wait five years for an opportunity.

He introduced himself in 1704, and on 11 February in the presence of Peter I, as well as his son Tsarevich Alexei, the new church was consecrated. Since the tsar loved to celebrate everything in a wide and grand manner, the celebrations lasted a whole week, and all the local people from small to large took part in them at his will (more precisely, the order).

The temple, which appeared to the eyes of the assembled guests, was really beautiful. In his foundation, he represented a cross with equal ends. Around the whole circumference, he circled the porch, raised by a high foundation and richly decorated with carvings. The imagination and abundance of sculptural ornaments, executed on biblical subjects, was struck. But the main highlight was made of metal and a gilded crown crowning the church and replacing a traditional dome.

Church not touched by the enemy

In the years of the Napoleonic invasion, the French occupied Podolsk. The Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Dubrovitsy was also in the hands of the enemies, but at the same time avoided ruin. This is hard to believe, but the conquerors who betrayed the Orthodox shrines alien to them, not only did not dare to destroy it, but did not even touch the inside of the utensils and did not damage the rich salaries of the icons.

The Times of Persecution of the Church

Relatively quiet and prosperous for the church the next century, until the 20th century struck, and the power in the country was not captured by the same people that Leo Tolstoy so hastily called a God-bearer. The wave of anti-religious campaign, started immediately after the establishment of the new government and supported by official propaganda, reached the village of Dubrovitsy. The Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose history had already counted more than two centuries, was at the center of tragic events.

Very soon all the clergymen, considering them an alien element, along with their families and small children, were evicted from homes that had been transferred to a local state farm, and the church itself was closed. Her last abbot - Archpriest Father Michael (Poretsky) - was sent into exile, from which he never returned.

Under the power of vandals

The new masters of life, unlike the French conquerors, did not become moved by the baroque baroque foreign to them. Destroying the old world to the ground, they did not spare the church bell tower, which also represented exceptional artistic value. It simply blew up as useless. It remains only to thank God, who did not allow the destruction of the whole temple and protected him from the hands of domestic vandals.

In desolation the church remained until the end of the fifties, until the territory of the Dubrovitsy manor was transferred to the All-Union Institute of Livestock. It is necessary to pay tribute to the learned men who were pleased about the increase in the weight gain and the increase in the milk yield - they did not try to convert the church they had got to a cowshed. Moreover, they even began to restore it, which lasted for forty years and if not improved its appearance, then, at least, did not allow the building to fall apart.

Church returned to people

But everything in the world, including human troubles, comes to an end. In 1989, the faithful of the city of Podolsk, emboldened during the perestroika years, demanded the return of the Znamenskaya church to them. Since by that time the forces of local party and Soviet bodies were melting in front of their eyes, then, hardened in their atheistic perseverance, they could not persist for long. A year later the church was returned to the Moscow Patriarchate and divine services were resumed.

In our day, restored and adopted the very image that won her fame, she again accepts thousands of believers in her walls. Go to it and those who have not yet found their "path to the temple," still wants to see, created more than three centuries ago in the Dubrovitsy manor, the Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin.

How to get to it?

A convenient route by public transport indicates a church-owned Internet site. It is recommended to follow the electric train from the Kursk railway station to the Podolsk station, and then by bus or shuttle № 65 to the village. Dubrovitsy. The Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin is there the main attraction. In addition to it, it will also be interesting to inspect the building itself.

Those who have personal transport, it is recommended to go along the Warsaw highway and, bypassing Podolsk, follow further to the index: "Dubrovitsy Manor, the Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin." The map attached to the article will allow you to easily reach the right place.