Irkutsk, Spassky Church - the rarest monument of the Siberian monumental architecture

In the historical center of Irkutsk on the territory of the lost Kremlin the Church of the Savior of the Savior of Christ rises. The temple appeared about the same time as the city of Irkutsk. The Spassky church exists since 1672.

For the Irkans the Savior on the Angara is not just the main temple, but the image of the city, a symbol of the small homeland of the inhabitants of the Trans-Urals. The church has repeatedly been exposed to fires, destruction, but rose from the ashes. A real gift for the parishioners was the resumption of divine services on the feast of the three hundredth anniversary of the temple (2006).

From the depths of centuries

The First Spasskaya Church (Irkutsk) was built by the boyar son Ivan Maximov and the people of the towns. The diploma for construction was given by the Metropolitan of Tobolsk Cornelius. This temple was burnt during a fire.

In 1706, with the blessing of Metropolitan Tobolsky of Moses, the construction of a new Spassky church began. To work, they invited stone masters from Moscow, Moses Ivanovich Dolgikh. The construction was completed in 1710. At the same time, the upper cold temple of the Holy Savior was consecrated, and in 1713 - the lower warm temple of Nikolai Mirlikiy. In 1758, a bell tower with a fighting clock was attached to the refectory.

In the seventies of the 18th century parishioners in Irkutsk were added, so the church was expanded. In 1777 the building was supplemented by two stone annexes: the Introduction to the Temple of the Blessed Virgin and the Abalatsky Icon of the Mother of God. Under the bell tower, Dmitrievsky chapel was arranged, and on the outside walls (except the east) - a wooden gallery with a porch.

In 1861 the gallery was dismantled. The eastern side of the church (apse) was girded with iron hoops. Such an architectural solution proved to be very successful: the temple survived during the earthquake of 1861-1862, which struck Irkutsk. The Church of the Savior did not collapse as a result of a fire (1879), which was extinguished for two days.

In 1866, Archbishop Parfenius proposed to demolish the temple, and in its place to build a cathedral. But the city council decided to keep the Church of the Savior as a monument to Russian antiquity and the first stone structure in the city .

After the revolution of 1917 the building survived by a miracle. In 1931 the church was closed. At various times there was a workshop for repairing shoes, apartments, organizations.

In the 60s of the XX century the church was reconstructed, but not for the resumption of divine services. After the architect from Moscow Galina Oranskaya visited Irkutsk, the Spassky church was restored and recognized as a monument of republican significance. Twenty-two years later the building of the temple was given to the Regional Museum of Local History.

Divine services in the Church of the Savior were resumed only in 2006, when it was transferred to the Irkutsk diocese.

Architectural appearance and murals of the temple

The Church of the Savior (Irkutsk) is a typical early church in Posad. A two-tiered building with a high, four-footed quadrilateral in the form of a cube is connected with a refectory. The bell tower is crowned with a golden spire. The portals of the upper floor seemed to hang in the air. Previously, there was a porch and gallery-gulbisch, encircling the second tier. The head is crowned with a wrought gilt cross.

Tiers and facades are decorated with ornaments. Elements of the decor vary from the tier to the tier, and in the upper window, the quadrangular folds into a whimsical drawing. Intercepted by shelves, crushed, turned into special strings of the column resemble a necklace. The unique appearance of the building is given by masterfully fashioned reliefs. Thanks to the dense arrangement of windows on the clean smoothness of the wall, the decor becomes full and graceful.

Spassky church in Irkutsk (Russia) - the only temple in the region where the murals of the XIX century, not only inside, but also outside the building, were preserved. Unfortunately, during the restoration, only the exterior decoration was restored, the interior decoration was lost.

The eastern facade is decorated with three compositions. The left figure depicts the sacrament of baptism (presumably the Buryat people), in the center - the entrance of Jesus Christ into the Jordan River, and to the right - the ceremony of the orthodox confession to the saints. There is reason to believe that the first bishop of Irkutsk Innokentiy (Kulchytsky) was honored with high honor.

The southern wall is decorated with the faces of saints. Under the eaves of the Chetverik, Nikolai Mirlikiy is depicted, just below - Mitrofan of Voronezh, and on the apse - Spas.

Shrines

In the temple there are three icons revered by Irkutsk: Nikola the warrior, Saint Righteous Theodore of Tomsk and the Mother of God of Yaroslavl. St. Nicholas was chosen as the temple, as the miraculous icon with a sword and hail in the hands helped the Russian people during the wars.

Righteous Theodore of Tomsk pray for healing. In the icon is mounted a capsule with a part of the relics of the saint. The image was brought to Irkutsk from Tomsk at the request of the temple attendants.

The person of the saint is not exactly established, but some researchers believe that Theodore of Tomsk is King Alexander I the Blessed who defeated Napoleon Bonaparte.

Icon of the Mother of God of Yaroslavl - a record, restored in the early XX century Svetlana Turchaninova. The icon shows the unity of Christ and the church. The symbolizing church of the Theotokos leans towards the Son of God, asks for his mercy for people, and the infant Christ, touching his mother, blesses her and the world. Irkutsk, Spasskaya church is a place where parishioners pray to the Mother of God about the birth of children.

Interesting Facts

The Church of the Savior is the only building on the territory of the Irkutsk Kremlin, which has survived to the present day. In the church there is a large collection of bells, including the Gilev, there is a school of bell ringers.

In 2003, the church suffered from a strong wind: the crown of the dome cross shifted, and the architectural detail had to be removed. The specialists worked for five hours. So, thanks to the work of people, the Spassky Church (Irkutsk) was restored.

In the city of Irkutsk in 2007, near the temple archaeological excavations were conducted. Scientists have discovered the remnants of the Kremlin and ancient burials.

The last reconstruction of the building was carried out in 2010 to the anniversary of the city.

The location of the temple

The Spasskaya Church (Irkutsk, Irkutsk Region, Russia) is located in the historical center of the city at: ul. Sukhe-Bator, 2. The nearest streets are Lenin and Polish. Not far from the church is the Lower Embankment.

Schedule of services

Services in the temple are performed daily. The morning liturgy begins at 8.00 (on Sundays - at 8.30). Divine services in the evening start at 17.00. Baptism is performed on Saturdays from 11.00.