Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo, the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The temple in Pokrovsky-Streshnevo is one of the current cultural sites. On its basis, many different activities are held, aimed at leisure activities in the capital of our country. The city attracts visitors to the temple as a unique monument of architecture and culture, its visit includes almost all excursion programs in Moscow. In addition, it is the center of spiritual life, a place where believers meet and worship services are held.

History of the temple

On the site of the estate, where today is the church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin in Pokrovsky-Streshnevo, in the past there was a wasteland of the Fir-trees, which was first mentioned in the documents relating to 1585. In those days, the place belonged to Elizar Blagovo - a well-known person. The name of its wasteland, in all probability, received from the dense spruce forests that prevailed in this area.

The first church in Pokrovsky-Streshnevo was built in the beginning of the XVII century on the initiative of the deacon MF Danilov. This church was first mentioned in 1629. According to some scholars, the church was built in 1620, when MF Danilov purchased these lands from the relatives of boyar AF Palitsyn. There is a version that the temple in Pokrovsky-Streshnevo was built several decades earlier, and in 1629 only a refectory was added to it.

With this version, the owners of the manor, who owned it much later, also agreed. However, the exact date of the construction of the temple is still unknown. In the period from the beginning of the XVIII to the end of the XIX century the church in Pokrovsky-Streshnev repeatedly rebuilt and almost lost its original architecture.

Studies that were carried out during the restoration work in the thirties of the last century, allowed to restore its alleged appearance in the XVII century.

Features of the temple

Unlike many religious buildings of that time, the Intercession Church in Pokrovsky-Streshnev does not have an altar ledge on the eastern facade. The four-folded vault closed with a "hill" of kokoshniks, which were crowned with one chapter. Broad blades divided evenly its facades into three strands; The doorway was arranged in the center of the northern facade.

Another feature of the church - a small narrow ventilation windows, which were located on the eastern facade, adjacent to the light windows. One of these lancet windows remained today on the eastern facade of the temple between two light windows, which were later expanded.

Archaeologists discovered during the excavations under the floor of the temple the foundations of two brick pillars, which are constructively unjustified for such a volume. This allowed the researchers to assume that the initial larger project during the construction for unknown reasons was changed. The walls of the temple were plastered much later, so the original color of the red brick contrasted with the white architectural details.

The most interesting is the ancient part, which dates back to the early 18th century. Here and today you can see the elements inherent in Peter's time. While preserving the composition that developed in Russian architecture at the end of the 17th century, detailed development of architectural and decorative forms continued, which clearly underlines the dependence on Western European influence.

Restructuring of the temple

PI Streshnev - owner of the estate - in 1750, began the reconstruction of the Church of the Intercession in Pokrovsky-Streshnevo, during which the building acquired baroque features. However, the planned configuration of the building at that time remained the same. Ten years later, a bell tower (three-tiered) was added to the church. After that, the church almost did not change the appearance until the end of the XIX century.

Temple in the XIX century

At the time of the French invasion, the last was captured Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo. The temple was desecrated - there was a stables in it. After the victory over the invaders (1812), he was re-consecrated. A little later rebuilt the bell tower, more precisely its upper tier.

Ten years later (1822) the church was rebuilt in the Empire style. Eclectic elements appeared in the architectural appearance of the building in 1896.

Streshnevs - owners of the estate

In the second half of the XIX century, the parish significantly increased. At that time Princess EF Shakhovskaya-Glebova-Streshneva owned the estate. She did not plan to expand the ancient temple, so she attempted to consolidate part of the parishioners to another parish. However, she did not manage to do this.

It should be noted that Streshnevs owned the estate for two and a half centuries. This was an unmarried until 1626 genus. But then Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, Russian tsar, married Mikhail Streshnev. In this marriage, ten children were born, including Alexei Mikhailovich, the future Russian tsar. Since then, the genus has taken a prominent place in the court hierarchy.

E. P. Streshneva - one of the owners of the estate - married F. I. Glebov. In 1803 she managed to achieve for her family the right to wear a double surname: Streshnevy-Glebov. Thus, the village received another name - Pokrovskoe-Glebovo.

The request to the Moscow spiritual consistory about the expansion of the church was filed in 1894 by the parishioners of Pokrovsky-Streshnev. The temple was rebuilt: dismantled the old refectory, built two new chapels - the apostles Peter and Paul and Nicholas the Wonderworker. Funds for these works were allocated by the well-to-do merchant PP Botkin, a respected man in the city, a member of the "Petr Botkin and Sons" association, engaged in tea trade. In 1905, the church walls and ceiling were painted.

The post-revolutionary period

In the twenties of the last century in the estate was equipped with a museum. But less than ten years, as the museum, and the temple was closed, the bell tower was partially destroyed. A little later the building was transferred to the Ministry of Aviation. In 1931 Mosoblispolkom decided to close the Intercession Church in Pokrovsky-Streshnev. Father Peter - rector of the church, was arrested, and his further fate is unknown.

After the war with fascist Germany (1941-1945), the temple in Pokrovsk-Streshnev was given to the fuel laboratory, which belongs to the Research Institute of Civil Aviation. From this moment until the end of the eighties of the last century, the external appearance of the temple has changed significantly: the head of the temple and the original interior decoration were lost, the upper tier of the bell tower was dismantled, a bit later specialists discovered on the facades weathering of the brickwork surface, the elements of the facade decor changed noticeably.

Return of the temple to the ROC

The Russian government passed its decision in 1992 to the temple of the Russian Orthodox Church. At that time, a large-scale campaign was launched to collect donations for the restoration of the Intercession Church in Pokrovsky-Streshnevo. In December 1993, the temple was consecrated full rank.

Many people, as well as physical and spiritual forces, invested in the revival of their city church parishioners. Only in the winter of 1994 the roof was completely replaced and a cross and a dome were installed. Already at Christmas 1995, for the lonely elderly people, a performance was organized at the church with performances by children's groups, as well as gifts.

I remember the parishioners and the feast of the Holy Epiphany, which took place in the church in 1995. After the Liturgy the parishioners followed the procession to the Jordan, and Father Gennady (Trokhin) consecrated a source in the park.

Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo, the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary: restoration

Restoration work began in the temple in the late eighties under the patronage of the company Rosrestavratsia. The restoration project was developed by the well-known Russian architect SA Kiselev. During the works, key architectural fragments of the building, most of the decor elements, were restored.

The present iconostasis (two-tiered) in the church is decorated with icons that were painted in the Art Enterprise of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofrin, in the style of colored lithographs imitating ancient Russian painting. The iconostasis was installed in 1996. Interiors were painted anew from 1988 to 2000.

Works on the restoration and restoration of the ancient church do not stop now. In May 2006, the Belarusian specialists, led by SI Byshnev, completed the work on the last of the three magnificent mosaic murals on the facade of the church.

In 2015 the contractor organization OOO Promproekt for the funds allocated from the budget of Moscow strengthened the waterproofing of the foundations, the white stone base was restored, their historical colors were restored, the marble floors were restored, windows and doors from oak were restored.

The temple in Pokrovsky-Streshnev changed its appearance many times. But despite this, it is an invaluable historical and architectural monument, a model of the patrimonial temple, dating back to the beginning of the XVII century. The Church of the Intercession in Pokrovsky-Streshnev is today under the protection of the state as a most valuable monument of architecture. He entered the cultural and educational complex "Pokrovskoe-Glebovo-Streshnevo."

In the fall of 2011, Patriarch Kirill awarded the ancient temple with the honorary status of a patriarchal farmstead. In the church are kept shrines:

• Icons of the Intercession of the Virgin and Miracle-worker Nicholas;
• Robe of the Intercession of the Virgin;
• Relics.

Address and mode of operation

The temple is located at: Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo, Volokolamskoe Highway 52, to 1 (near the metro station "Schukinskaya"). The temple is open daily from 8.00 to 20.00. On Sunday morning service starts at 7.00.