Epiphany Cathedral, Tomsk: address, photo and reviews. Tomsk Diocese

The Epiphany Cathedral (Tomsk) is made in the style of the Siberian baroque. It is one of the most ancient temples of the city - erected in the XVIII century. It is located in the historical part and cultural center of the city - "Sands".

For the region, the temple has historical significance: it was in him in 1804 that a decision was made on the formation of the Tomsk province.

The first church of wood

The forerunner of the modern structure was a small church built in 1633. It was called Christocrescent, a two-table church made of wood. One of the thrones is erected in honor of the Epiphany, the second is dedicated to Mikhail Malein, the patron of one of the Russian tsars.

The temple was often exposed to fire, however, every time parishioners restored it. A hundred years after the construction, the third chapel appeared in the church - in the name of the Epiphany.

In 1741, in the presence of Johann Gmelin, a famous Russian traveler, the church burned to nothing. After it, a four-table church was built.

After another 30 years, fires broke out in the city again - merchant shops near the cathedral were blazing. Thus, this building was lost. For a year they built a cathedral made of wood, named after the Archangel Michael.

On the last day of 1776 it was decided to replace the aged stone walls with a stone building.

Masonry

A stone cathedral consisting of two floors was laid 50 meters from the place where the log cabin used to be. On the same site, according to custom, a monument of brick was erected. Later, in 1858, he was removed and installed the Iberian chapel.

The Epiphany Cathedral (Tomsk) was erected without the use of state investments, only thanks to donations. For this reason, it was built very long and unevenly.

The ground floor was consecrated in 1784. The upper one was equipped for more than 40 years, it was completely ready only by 1817.

Thanks to the investments of the merchant from Yelabuga, the first floor was given a chapel, which was consecrated by Bishop Tomsky.

In 1892, the Tomsk diocese established parish trusteeship. After 6 years, the church school was opened from one class. In 1911 eighty-seven people were trained there, in three years - 84. There was not only a Sunday school - at the Epiphany Cathedral (Tomsk) there was also a library. In 1911, there were about 400 books. In 1914, according to some sources, there were about 850 of them. The temple cared for the male gymnasium.

Temple in the years of councils

April 1921 was marked by the nationalization of the church, which was given to the parish community without specifying terms and gratuitously. However, just two years later the property of the church was confiscated, and the abbot was imprisoned for hiding valuable things.

Later the Epiphany Cathedral (Tomsk) fell under the administration of the Tomsk Diocesan Renovation Department.

By 1924, Archbishop Dmitry appeared in the city. As a result of his arrival, it was decided to return the cathedral to the start of the canonical hierarchy.

Until 1930, the church continued to work, however, in January of that year there were arranged courses "Sibzheldorstroy."

In wartime the Epiphany Cathedral (Tomsk) was given to the shops of the Krasny Bogatyr enterprise, evacuated from the capital.

After the war and until 1994, the premises for the production of rubber shoes were located in the premises of the cathedral.

During the time when foreign organizations were located in the building, its interior was badly damaged: the church lost the bells, the crosses were torn off, the dome was lost. The belfry and the temple part were destroyed by a cavity, additional buildings were added to the side walls, the facade removed the decor and modernized the windows.

Back to life

In May 1993 the Epiphany Cathedral (Tomsk) was again given to the church for eternal use without any payment.

Four years later the church was placed on the state. Accounting as an identified monument of culture and history.

From that moment, the dismantling of the factory premises and the liberation of the walls from the suffocating embraces of the outbuildings began. Not one year was required in order to completely clean the building of debris. The administration of Tomsk was involved in the financing. The governor said that since the government destroyed and destroyed religious objects, it will return them to believers. Private and municipal organizations took part in the restoration. Financing again, as well as at the time of the initial building of the temple, was conducted unevenly, so the construction progressed very slowly, never, however, without finally stopping.

Architectural solutions

The building, covered with plaster, refers to the style of the Siberian baroque, the scheme of its arrangement is traditional. Isolated in the structure of the bell tower and the temple, they are connected by a refectory.

From the inside the space of the cathedral is divided into two floors. The lower tier has a closed vaulted overlap, while at the top the vault is eight-lobed. The refectory is separated from the main square of the church by a hole, which is decorated with a vault of cylindrical shape. It is connected with the bell tower.

The upper tier of the four-storey building is a single premise, the floor in which is two-level.

In the porch there is a large baptismal font, which can accommodate even an adult.

The interior is decorated with rod-shaped vaults. They are decorated with stucco rosettes.

Shrine of the Cathedral

The Tomsk Diocese is pleased to present the following sacred objects in the temple:

• A piece of the holy relics of the Pantleimon Healer. It was delivered from Moscow in 2001 by the Bishop of Tomsk.
• Crucifixion, with a star on it. It contains a piece of the cross on which the most significant crucifixion took place 2000 years ago.
• Staff of St. Theodosius. He was brought to the city by His Eminence Agapit. The staff was kept in the city museum of local lore for almost 80 years. In 2002, this shrine returned to its proper place.
• Particles of the relics of several apostles.
• A copy of the icon of Rublev's hand is the image of the Life-Giving Trinity.

Contacts

Those who are going to visit the Epiphany Cathedral (Tomsk), the address is simply necessary. The church is located on Lenin Square. The number of the house is 7. To avoid getting lost or finding out the opening hours, you should call in advance the Epiphany Cathedral (Tomsk). Phone of the temple - +7 (3822) 512605.

Divine services in the cathedral, which is in our days the Cathedral, are held daily.

Virtual Tour

Not so long ago, Archbishop of Asinovsky and Tomsk Rostislav blessed the creation of 3D excursions around the temple. Six types are illuminated in it: a courtyard, a four-storey house, a refectory, an altar, a porch, a bell tower. Thanks to modern technology, a full impression of presence is created. The quality of shooting allows you to consider the smallest details of the interior.

The project has more than 80 descriptions, including the decoration of the church, the sacraments of Orthodoxy, the mission of the particular church, its functionality, a report on the main Orthodox holidays. Moving inside the cathedral is possible with the mouse or the functional arrows on the keyboard.

The creators have developed a quest that can interest the young participants of the excursion - it is necessary to go through five levels, receiving various awards.