The Alexander Nevsky Church (Chelyabinsk): History and Description

Most Russians know about Chelyabinsk not so much, although the city will soon celebrate its 280th anniversary, and he has something to show to numerous guests. Among the interesting tourist sites is the Alexander Nevsky Church.

Chelyabinsk since its foundation was a multinational city where people of different faiths lived together beautifully. There are Orthodox churches, a synagogue, a Catholic church, a Protestant church and several mosques. They are built in different years and are architectural decorations of the city. However, among them only the Church of the Holy Trinity and the Alexander Nevsky Church (Chelyabinsk) are included in the number of objects of Russia's cultural heritage.

History of construction

In 1881 in Chelyabinsk was equipped with the Alexander Square, on which they decided to build a church. It was supposed to become a kind of monument in honor of the tsar-liberator who perished as a result of the terrorist act.

The construction was organized for money collected by the residents of the city and merchant Kutyrev. The project was based on the project of the famous architect A. Pomerantsev, who is the author of the Russian-Byzantine style. Since the works were started without his participation, at first they laid only a chapel, which was named in honor of the Russian prince and commander Alexander Nevsky. Due to lack of funds, construction was suspended after a while, and buildings were demolished.

Only in 1907 the architect Pomeranian undertook the construction of the Alexander Nevsky church. Deputies of the city and State Duma, and later even the Emperor Nicholas II, also participated in the collection of necessary funds. Total managed to collect 60 thousand rubles. They hardly managed to complete all the work and consecrate the church in honor of St. Alexander Nevsky in 1916.

During the Soviet period

After the October Revolution, the Alexander Nevsky Church (Chelyabinsk) was under the blow of new authorities. They first renamed the square in the Scarlet Field, and then began to conduct active anti-religious propaganda. Despite the fact that the Chelyabinsk diocese recognized the Communists as the only legitimate authority, the Alexander Nevsky Church removed the icons and removed the crosses from the domes. A significant part of church utensils was directed for sale, and funds were used for the needs of the new government.

In 1930, the temple finally closed its doors to the faithful. Later it was converted to a printing house and a little changed the internal layout, and from the 1950s to the 80s there worked a planetarium and various mugs.

Organ Hall

An interesting turn in the fate of the temple occurred in the 1980s, when the building was transferred to the Philharmonic. Thus, the Alexander Nevsky Church (Chelyabinsk) turned into a concert hall. This event was preceded by a large-scale restoration, which was carried out using handwritten documents and drawings made by the hand of Pomerantsev himself, found in the archives of Leningrad. As a result, the building managed to restore its former architectural appearance, as well as recreate the interiors.

In 1987, in the former temple, an organ made by the masters of the German firm Hermann Oile was installed. The tool consisted of 2504 pipes, and also had 37 registers, 3 manuals and a pedal keyboard.

The first listeners in the new organ hall were restorers, builders and architects. The opening was marked by a concert of the Moscow ensemble of soloists "Madrigal", who performed Russian and foreign music.

In the modern period

In 1990, the Alexander Nevsky Church (Chelyabinsk) was taken over by the ROC, but only in 2010 there they began to conduct divine services again. Somewhat later, a belfry was installed on the bell tower.

Description

The old Alexandro-Nevsky church (Chelyabinsk, address: Aloe pole 1, tel .: 264-76-91, code: 351) is made in the Russian-Byzantine style of Pomerantsev. It is a one-story building with a basement. The temple has a longitudinal-axial shape and is built from the traditional red brick for Russia. In the west the refectory is connected to the bell tower, it has a four-columned silhouette with a large altar part and a semicircular apse. The church has a northern and southern side-chapel, the quadrangle is equipped with a powerful light-drum and a dome, as well as a 3-tiered bell tower with a bulbous top.

The Alexander Nevsky Church (Chelyabinsk): baptism

To reach the temple, which has excellent transport accessibility, it is possible on trolleybuses N 12, 13, 23, by bus N15 or by shuttle buses N 1, 8, 9, 13, 17, 20, 28, 30, 40, 44, 53, 55, 58, 67-69, 74, 92, 96, etc. The church is open for visits daily. From Monday to Thursday, from 9:00 to 10:00, there are held prayer services and funeral services.

A special place in the life of the church is the rite of baptism. It marks the birth of a new Orthodox Christian. Long before the rite of baptism, a person, when it comes to an adult, goes through spiritual preparation, talking with the priest. Then it is dipped in the water, cleansing from the pristine sin of ancestors, and it passes from the phase of the fleshly life into the spiritual, which is accompanied by prayer. The baptized is dressed in a baptismal apparel with a cross and anointing is done to him.

The Alexander Nevsky Church (Chelyabinsk), whose photo is the decoration of most of the tourist avenues dedicated to this city, deserves to be seen. Therefore, being in those parts, be sure to visit it and make sure that in the Russian province there are a lot of interesting architectural monuments, in no way inferior to the capital ones.