Irkutsk, Epiphany Cathedral: history, address, description and photo

Russia is famous for its architectural monuments, one of them is the Temple of the Appearance of the Lord (Irkutsk). The Cathedral of the Epiphany in this city is located within its historical center and is considered an authentic decoration of this place. It is completely different from the classical Orthodox church, because it has an unusual appearance. This structure has survived in its time a lot of earthquakes and fires, so many times it was reconstructed.

History of occurrence

So, in which year was this cathedral built? It turns out that the history of this temple begins almost from the very foundation of the city, as it was built by the inhabitants of Irkutsk in 1693. Originally the building was wooden, and it was called the Peter and Paul Church. In the eighteenth century, it was going to be expanded, but did not have time to do it, since the temple was completely burnt during the fire that occurred in August 1716.

After some time, the townspeople decided to restore the Epiphany Cathedral and erect a new building of brick to avoid fires in the future. For the construction of the temple was taken, located in the city of Verkhoturye. But just at this time the royal decree, forbidding any stone buildings, acted, so the construction of the church had to be postponed temporarily.

In 1718, brick buildings were again allowed, so in the same year the construction of a new church of the Apparition of the Lord (Irkutsk) began. The Cathedral of the Epiphany this time was erected for five years to donations of local residents and visitors to the city.

In 1729, a bell tower appeared in the church, and in 1755 a large stone fence was built around the building. Five years later, three more side-chapels were added. For Irkutsk, then still a small jail, it was a truly grandiose architectural structure, which required enormous costs and creative efforts of many masters.

Further construction

In this form, the Epiphany Cathedral stood until 1804, until a major earthquake struck. As a result of this disaster, the church lost its cross and the fifth dome.

Ten years after this event, new large ditches for the second bell tower were excavated. The bell itself, whose weight was about twelve tons, was poured in 1797 and was called Bolshoy. In 1815 it was installed on a new church building, built in the style of classicism and completely covered with iron.

Reconstruction

At the end of December 1862, the city of Irkutsk once again shook with a strong earthquake. The temple as a result of these events is also badly damaged. In this structure, almost all the arches were destroyed, the walls were covered with numerous cracks, and in many places the arches broke, the windows fell out of the windows, and moved from their place of the column. Therefore, it was decided by the townspeople that the Orthodox church in Irkutsk needs to be restored.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, next to the building of the cathedral, a bishop's house was built. In his rooms were the bishop's chambers, as well as various administrative premises and a spiritual consistory. Over time, there was still a library room, where there was a large collection of Orthodox books and an extension in which the school was located.

Thus, for two centuries the whole spiritual life of the city was concentrated in this cathedral church of the Appearance of the Lord (Irkutsk). The Cathedral of the Epiphany lost this status only in 1893, when the Kazan temple structure was erected, to which the existing diocese department was transferred.

The second birth of the building

In the first half of the twentieth century, the temple experienced its hard times. This church in Irkutsk was closed to worship and parishioners, and its building housed a bakery. At this time, the cathedral was changed not once to match the production premises of the workshop. All of its architecture of the past years has been completely destroyed. In the cathedral building, the hostel of the shop's employees was also housed, which led to the complete decay of the structure.

In 1961, it was decided that the Church of the Apparition of the Lord (Irkutsk) should be demolished. The Cathedral of the Epiphany, to the great joy of the citizens, was able to avoid this tragic fate thanks to the capital's architect and engineer G. Oransky, who came here specially to sign papers on his complete liquidation. The woman liked the structure so much that she, instead of demolishing it, gave the order for its reconstruction. Thus, the bakery was evicted from the building, capital repair of all its premises began.

It lasted for eighteen years and ended only in 1986. Then, after the completion of the restoration work, the temple was handed over to the regional museum of regional importance, which opened its exposition there. Public lectures devoted to Russian culture and its revival were read in its premises for several years, and various concert events were often held.

A new stage of history

In 1993, the temple was again transferred to its rightful owner - the diocese - and consecrated by the bishop for the feast of the Great Easter. This day marked the beginning of a new period in the spiritual life of the city. Ten years later the city of Irkutsk and its inhabitants saw a new look of the cathedral with a beautifully painted facade, over which the icon painters worked. In addition, all the arches of its refectory were renovated, the total area of which is 300 square meters.

At the heart of the paintings are various scenes of the appearance of the Lord, as well as the birth of Christ. Also on the paintings you can see all sorts of prophets, new martyrs, saints and other Orthodox heroes. The modern appearance of this temple is very different from its original appearance and looks great from anywhere in the city.

Description

At the present time, the church is decorated with real works of art, where a lot of saints and wonderworkers are depicted. In addition, the temple is beautifully decorated with a variety of unique samples of ceramic tiles, and its walls are originally painted with all sorts of popular prints. The decoration of the facades includes elegant trim frames, which still adorn the magnificent, hard-to-profiled cornices.

In the architecture of the temple structure, various variations of the Old Russian style and baroque can be traced, which are mainly found in the northern part of Russia. The basis of the composition is a combination of two verticals - a tiered temple and a tented bell tower playing the leading role in the overall silhouette of the structure. The amazing beauty of the cathedral impresses all the guests of the city, so it was chosen the place where the annual opening of the festival dedicated to Russian culture and spirituality takes place.

Feedback and impression of the parishioners

People, when they get inside this building, feel the special atmosphere of the picturesque Orthodox church. Local residents and tourists who visit excursions in Irkutsk consider this cathedral the most beautiful and bright building of the city. Especially its appearance changed after the last restoration, when new and magnificent details of the facades were opened.

The Church of the Appearance of the Lord, according to many townspeople, is somewhat reminiscent of a fairy-tale gingerbread house. She is beautiful not only from the outside, but also inside. Inside the temple there are wonderful icons. The area adjacent to the cathedral is also a delight for many tourists. On every centimeter of the area in summer there is an interesting flowering plant, and in winter, along the perimeter, excellent ice sculptures rise. In addition, a lot of benches and several fountains are installed in the park area.

The beautiful painting of the walls and the golden domes of this building make one pay attention to the temple from afar. Local residents and tourists like to visit this church not only because of its beauty, but also thanks to a convenient transportation interchange, as it is in the heart of the city.

Helpful information

The Epiphany Temple is located at the following address: Irkutsk, Nizhnyaya Naberezhnaya, and its legal coordinates are Sukhbaatar street, house 1a.

Worship in his building is held every day. At 08:30 in the morning the Divine Liturgy is held, and at 17:00 - evening service.

Interesting Facts

It turns out that this temple is considered to be the oldest stone building not only in its hometown, but also in the territory of Eastern Siberia and the Far East. This church has been repeatedly damaged due to various natural disasters, including storms, earthquakes and fires. Only once this building managed to avoid the flames, which in 1879 severely damaged the Spassky temple, but stopped at the gates of this building.

This cathedral, having passed the years of its desolation, is truly reborn and at the present time attracts to itself the majestic and holy beauty of the minds and souls of people. This Russian church has a very solemn and peaceful appearance, thanks to which all parishioners after her visit acquire a certain calmness and pleasant ease. This building can be considered a worthy monument of architecture and a real decoration of the city of Irkutsk.