The Church of All Saints in Kulishki and other sights of Moscow

Muscovites are very lucky. When the soul asks for something bright and kind, a resident of every microdistrict can go to a small church or a majestic cathedral, defend the service or one-on-one talk with God, to warm the candles to the health of living icons and as a sign of the memory of the deceased.

Notorious "waders"

In the Russian language there are many words and expressions that are used not in a direct, but in a figurative sense. They are well understood only by those who have a given native language, who are familiar with the history of their native country "from Romulus to our days." This includes the famous Makarov's calves, and the cancer that whistles on the mountain, and the "waders", which are not known anywhere near the devil himself. And somehow all this belongs to the Church of All Saints on Kulishki. Let's try to understand!

"Kulizhkami" once (this is noted in his dictionary Dahl) called distant from settlements of people forest clearings, swamps with small islets. Then, around the 13th and 14th centuries, the word became synonymous with the "edge of the earth", the distant boundaries of any terrain. Moscow at that time already existed, but it was still a small town, entirely of wooden buildings consisting of. At the behest of Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy in honor of the soldiers who died in 1380 during the Battle of Kulikovo, the first All Saints' Church was built in Kulishki (then a small church not far from the city - now it is the historical center of the capital).

History in Detail

The wooden church, as usual, was not preserved: it burnt in one of the Moscow fires, which at that time were not rare. The second life of the church was given much later, in the first half of the 17th century. Since that time, the same temple of All Saints on Kulishki, which exists to this day, was rebuilt. In the 19 th century it was restored for the first time, the second renovation was already in the post-perestroika period of the 20th century.

Since the beginning of the establishment of power, the Bolsheviks have closed the parish, and the premises, including basements, have been used for investigative and torture rooms. Immediately, executions were carried out. Then, as the architecture of the temple was of great historical value, the church was given to the Historical Museum.

During the next restoration under the fresh foundation found the remains of the structure of the 14th century. At the moment, the Church of All Saints on Kulishki is Orthodox, belongs to the Moscow Diocese of Pokrovsky Deanery, stands on the Slavyanskaya Square, near the China-city.

To holy places

"Kulichki," as experts in Moscow's life and history will tell you, is a very unusual place. First of all, the number of "prayer places" - churches, cathedrals, parishes. For example, passing by, you can not not go to the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin on Kulishki. It is also called the "Christmas Church on Strelka". This is an Orthodox spiritual institution that belongs to the Pokrovsky Deanery of the Diocese of the capital. Those wishing to visit this temple on Kulishki in Moscow should go to the Taganka district (Central Administrative District). The main feature of the church: the services here are held in the Church Slavonic language and Ossetian dialect. One of the limits is dedicated to John the Theologian, the second - to Dmitry Solunsky.

Faces of the Mother of God

The Church of the Blessed Virgin on Kulishki, like many places of true faith, has a unique destiny. The first mention of it is found in the documents of the 16th century. It was then, in 1547, there stood a wooden church in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin. It was located at the fork in two important routes: towards the Yauza river, then to the future Kolomna road and further to the principality of Ryazan. The second route led to the settlement of Vorontsovo. Therefore, it was said that the church stands "on the arrow."

Its building in ancient times served as a place for collecting Rusichi for the Kulikovo battle. As a consequence, many historians associate this church with the Church of All Saints, then by that same temple on Kulishki, about which it was written above. In the 17th century a brick building was built here. The fire of Moscow in 1812 inflicted irreparable damage on the church, the Soviet authorities completed the ruin. And only in 1996, on the petition and blessing of Patriarch Alexy, the church was transferred to the religious use of the Moscow Ossetian community. Now he is at the Alansky farmstead.

Temple of the Three Saints

And, at last, one more sacred place - a temple of Three Prelates on Kulishki. This is an Orthodox church, it is located in one of the ancient districts of Moscow - Basmanny, in Khitrovsky Lane. The main lower throne of the monastery is dedicated to the Universal Teachers, the chapels belong to Saint Frol and Lavra, and the upper church was built in honor of the Most Holy Trinity. Now it is the Solyan region of Moscow, along with the adjacent alleys, right up to the boulevard and embankment of the Yauza River.

Living History

The temple was built in the 15th century by the order of Prince Vasily 1. It adjoined the princely summer palace with luxurious orchards and adjoining stables. A small church rose on the horse yard, because Frol and Laurus had long been revered as patrons of horses and domestic animals. Then the home temple of the Metropolitan, built in the name of the Three Ecumenical Prelates - John Chrysostom, Gregory the Theologian, Basil the Great - was attached to it.

Then, from the 17th to the 19th century, the building was rebuilt, landscaped, restored to the funds of parishioners and voluntary donors, patrons of art. During the Soviet era, the temple was ruined, unique icons and other objects of worship were destroyed. Restoration of the church began in the late 90's, and is now. At the temple there are Orthodox courses of regents (leaders of church choirs), Orthodox and Sunday schools, an icon painting workshop.