Epiphany Cathedral, Kazan: history, photo, time of work and schedule of services, address and telephone number. The bell-tower of the Epiphany Cathedral, Kazan

Ancient Kazan, which concealed for Russia a constant threat of Tatar raids and for several centuries was a symbol of slavery for Orthodox people, after the victorious campaign of Ivan the Terrible in 1552 became part of the Russian state. Since then, not only commercial shops of Moscow and Novgorod merchants appeared on its streets, but also Orthodox churches that deafened the capital of the defeated Khanate by ringing their bells.

Wooden temple at the Proof gate

Today, one of the most famous Orthodox shrines of the Volga region is the Epiphany Cathedral (Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan) located here. It is generally accepted that Orthodox traditions began to take shape in the city from the second half of the 16th century, but the first wooden church appeared here a century later. It was erected on the site, where once there were so-called Breakthrough gates.

This title is due to the fact that during the assault, undertaken by the army of Ivan the Terrible in 1552, it was in this place that an explosion in the powder charge formed a breach in the city wall through which the archers who besieged Kazan penetrated into it. Later on this place were built gates, officially called the Nagay, but in the people they were called in their own way - Breakthrough. The same name was given to the street, which takes its origin here, which today is called Baumanskaya.

The construction of the temple complex - the pride of citizens

In the first half of the 18th century, when there were no city walls or gates, a wooden church built in their place and consecrated in honor of the Epiphany of the Lord, was still called "the church at the Breakthrough gate". This went on until 1731, when the wooden church that had become dilapidated by that time (and according to other sources) was demolished and the construction of a new stone cathedral began in its place. The cathedral was erected on the donations of two pious merchants from Kazan - I. Mihlyaev and S. Chernov.

The construction of the temple lasted exactly a quarter of a century and was completed in 1756. The new construction was closely adjacent to the church of St. Andrew, which was built in 1701, adjacent to its northern wall. Being heated, it was used for winter worship. Throughout the XVIII century, this architectural complex was formed, which included, in addition to the building of the Epiphany Cathedral and St. Andrew's Church, a two-tiered bell tower with a tent-like completion, and a house for the clergy standing on the west side. The cathedral also belonged in those years and another house that did not survive to our days, which once stood on the site of the present monument to Shalyapin.

It is known that in the pre-revolutionary period the Epiphany Cathedral (Kazan) was one of the most visited in the city. His parishioners were representatives of all social groups. During the services under his arches, it was possible to see local aristocrats, and successful entrepreneurs who had risen in the wake of the newly born Russian capitalism, and ordinary citizens who at all times constituted the basis of society. In 1873, the future coryphaeus of the Russian and world scenes of Fedor Ivanovich Chaliapin was baptized here. When he grew up, he began his musical activity as a chorister in the cathedral choir.

In the years leading up to the revolution, among the priests of the cathedral were many figures of Russian science and culture, which left a notable mark in the history of the country. Among them, E.A. Malov is an outstanding Russian ethnographer and linguist, the author of a two-volume work on the formation of Christianity in Kazan, which became one of the initiators of the publication of the Koran with a parallel Russian translation. Here also served as a prominent theologian, Archpriest Michael (Zefirov), who gained fame as one of the leading professors of the Kazan Imperial University, and many others.

Testament of a pious banker

And in past times, and today, the landmark that glorified the Epiphany Cathedral (Kazan) is its famous bell tower. The history of its creation was preserved in the old archival documents. It is known that in 1892 one of the richest and most respected inhabitants of Kazan, her honorary citizen, merchant of the first guild Ivan Semenovich Krivonosov, died. As deputy director of the city public bank, he made a fortune in his life and in his will indicated that he leaves thirty-five thousand rubles as a donation to the Epiphany Cathedral, which for many years was the headman. The document also indicated that this amount (huge for those times) should be spent on the construction of the cathedral bell tower.

Good initiatives in Russia have always been lacking, sometimes not enough money for their implementation. But since in this case the issue of financing was solved, the contest for the best design of the future bell tower was announced without delay. The local newspaper Volzhsky Vestnik invited everyone to take part in it, saying that the commission would accept works done in the Old Russian style, indicating the minimum preset height of the belfry - 32 sazhens (about 69 meters).

The Nameless Architect

No matter how ridiculous this may sound, the name of the architect who won the contest and became the author of the universally recognized masterpiece of temple architecture, built only a hundred years ago, is still unknown. The fact is that the drawing of the bell tower, on which his name was given, was lost. It is believed that the most likely winners are two architects - Heinrich Rush and Mikhail Mikhailov. Supporters of each of these points of view have enough convincing arguments.

It is known, for example, that G. Rush won a prize of 150 rubles, as the winner of the competition, but the head of the work was M. Mikhailov, which contradicts the tradition - who won, he also builds. Moreover, in the Kazan archives there are documents on the lawsuit between these architects who challenged the authorship of the project. But one way or another, the winning work was appreciated by contemporaries and was presented as one of the exhibits held in 1896 in Nizhny Novgorod, the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition.

Construction of the famous bell tower

The solemn laying of the future belfry was completed in November 1893, but after the foundation ditch was dug, the work for an unknown reason was suspended and resumed only two years later. The erection of this unique structure took relatively little time. In 1897, the last scaffolding was removed, and the bell tower of the Epiphany Cathedral (Kazan) appeared before the inhabitants of the city in all its splendor.

After completing the construction of the bell tower, bells began to climb on it - at first the old ones, the heaviest of which weighed 217 poods (3472 kg), and then a new one, specially cast for this purpose in Moscow and delivered to Kazan by rail. Its weight was 526 poods (8416 kg). Then, at the top of the belltower, a two-meter cross was made, made of metal and covered with gilding.

From the surviving newspapers of the time it is known that two million bricks went for the construction of the bell tower, the total cost of the work exceeded the amount bequeathed by the merchant I.S. Krivonosovym, having made fifty thousand rubles, ten thousand of which went to the construction of the foundation. It was also reported that the missing funds for construction provided the Kazan diocese.

The beginning of a new century

It is curious that the bell tower of the Epiphany Cathedral (Kazan), having obtained independent architectural value and being one of the highest Orthodox belfries, became more famous than the temple for which it was built. In the room, located in its second tier, a temple was constructed in memory of the merchant Krivonosov. It was consecrated in May 1904.

The newspaper "Volzhsky Vestnik", which was already mentioned in the article, described the incident that happened in June 1901. That day a terrible thunderstorm broke out, and a lightning bolt hit the bell tower directly, making a huge failure in its wall. The ceiling of the third tier and the beams under the main bell immediately caught fire. As after a violent explosion, bricks and fragments of stones filled the floor and the stairs of the second tier, were thrown into the street in a multitude. Only thanks to the lightness and self-sacrificing actions of eyewitnesses who bravely rushed to extinguish the fire, the entire Epiphany Cathedral (Kazan) was not captured by fire.

Pre-revolutionary years

In 1909, it was decided in view of the dilapidation to disassemble the old, old-fashioned two-tiered tent belfry. Since that time, the new bell tower of the Epiphany Cathedral (Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan) remained the only one in the city, and only she summoned numerous parishioners to ring their bells.

The further construction of the cathedral complex was interrupted by the events of 1917. But even this boundary included many buildings. This is primarily the Epiphany Cathedral (Kazan), also a warm church in the name of Andrew the First-Called and a small temple, arranged on the second tier of the bell tower, which became a monument to the donor, whose means it was built. When, after the Bolsheviks came to power, the mass closure of the temples began, the Epiphany Cathedral continued to work. In the period from 1920 to 1935 it was a city cathedral, in which the personal services of the Metropolitan of Kazan performed services.

Temple, given under the warehouse

In the thirties, the Epiphany Cathedral (Kazan), whose history is largely similar to that of most Russian churches, was closed. The St. Andrew's Church adjoining to it was demolished, and in its place, as though wanting to hurt the feelings of believers even more painfully, they built a zoo of the city zoo. Subsequently, he was replaced by a multi-storey residential building.

The very same building of the cathedral until the fifties was used as a storage room, and in the bell tower there were trading benches and workshops. Then it was a sports hall, the roofs were once demolished crowned with crosses, and inside the plastered whole decor, which was of considerable artistic value.

The beginning of the revival of the shrine

Only in the sixties, as a result of the long work of representatives of the urban intelligentsia and museum workers, the bell tower of the cathedral received the status of an architectural monument to be protected, and for the first time in many years was partially restored. She returned the kind that Kazan always so proud.

The Epiphany Cathedral, the photo of which is presented in the article, was returned to the church in 1997. This event was the result of a radical change in government policy towards religion, which is encouraging. But the bell tower still remained under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture. It hosts art exhibitions and an exposition of the Museum of Old Russian art, and in 2001, taking into account the outstanding acoustics of the interior, the Chaliapin Chamber Hall was opened.

Epiphany Cathedral (Kazan): schedule of services, address and time of work

Time put everything in its place. Today, as in previous years, one of the main spiritual centers of this ancient Volga city is the Epiphany Cathedral (Kazan). The schedule of services, posted at the entrance, hardly differs from the schedules of other Orthodox churches. It indicates that the services in it are carried out in full, provided for by the church charter. They are performed daily. On weekdays, the Divine Liturgy begins at 8:00, and on Sundays and holidays at 9:00. Evening services are held from 17:00.

But these hours are not limited to the access of parishioners to the Epiphany Cathedral (Kazan). The time of his work covers the whole day, from early morning to late evening. This is the custom in most Orthodox churches, where people often come just to be surrounded by holy icons, to breathe in the blessed smell of incense, to pray for their daily affairs and to ask for God's blessing.

To all who are interested in the history of temple architecture in Russia and intend to visit the Volga, it will be very useful to visit the Epiphany Cathedral (Kazan), whose address is: Kazan, ul. 78. Here you can not only get acquainted with this outstanding architectural monument, but also pray, and on Saturdays in the chapel at the bell tower, order a moleben to the health of close people or a requiem for the dead.

On Sunday even the regular parishioners, and those who are in the temple for the first time, can get great pleasure from the akathist singing performed here at 17:00. For those who would like to receive more complete information before visiting the Epiphany Cathedral (Kazan), phone: (843) 292 17 58. Each caller will receive an exhaustive answer to any of the questions of interest to him.