Temples of Nizhny Novgorod - visiting card of the city

Nizhny Novgorod is a very old city, with a long and diverse history, with a rich spiritual life, which has a significant cultural heritage. Until now, buildings have been preserved in Nizhny Novgorod, the construction dates of which date back to the 16th and 17th centuries; However, it would not be superfluous to clarify that they relate for the most part to the category of "religious buildings". Those that are considered civilians are not "older" than the 17th century; However, and this is a great value.

Nizhny Novgorod is replete with temples, churches and cathedrals. Most of them still work, from some there are only memories and barely discernible remains of walls; In their place are erected new (and in part, and the old ones are being reborn).

The temples of Nizhny Novgorod are the cultural and historical property of the Russian people. Many of them still have artistic value. And in any case, they are interesting to those who remember and keep their roots. The temples of Nizhny Novgorod (photos clearly illustrate this) testify to this until now.

The oldest architectural object

The Pechersky Ascension Monastery remains the oldest in Lower . Its age is almost seven hundred years (up to the jubilee, according to various sources, from 14 to 16 years, which can not be taken into account despite the longevity of the monastery). Unfortunately, at the end of the 16th century the original variant was destroyed by a landslide, and rebuilt slightly away from the original place, so now it is dated by historians beginning of the 17th century. However, even with such clarifications, few churches in Nizhny Novgorod can boast of such a long history.

The second in ancient times can be considered the Annunciation Monastery. We can say that he is the same age as Nizhny Novgorod, at least, his name. His story began in the thirteenth century, but the sight in which the monastery came down to us starts counting towards the end of the seventeenth, and the "additions" already refer to the nineteenth.

Where did you find the last shelter Minin

Not less known is the Michael-Archangel Cathedral. Its foundation dates back to 1227, though untouched before our times, he did not live. Like many other temples of Nizhny Novgorod, in the first variant it was wooden, and such constructions easily burn and are destroyed. The present appearance was given to him only in the seventeenth century; Most of all it is famous for the fact that since 1962 the cathedral preserves the ashes of the brave citizen of the city of Kuzma Minin.

It is these temples of Nizhny Novgorod that give the city a unique atmosphere of antiquity.

Piety of the Lower

This city has always been zealous in church institutions. Suffice it to mention that before the victory of the "Great October" there were two monasteries, 52 different capacities of the church and as many as 4 cathedrals, not counting the house churches (there were more than three dozen of them).

Unfortunately, after all the "fighting" events of the twentieth century - the revolution, civil and domestic war, the disbandment of the Union - "very few" remained. Temples of Nizhny Novgorod retained more than half of the original number, but the same house churches survived only the third part.

Sormovo and its main temple

Now Sormovo became part of Nizhny Novgorod, its zonal component. At the end of the 19th century, it was an ancient, but still a village, near the outskirts of the city. The temple of Alexander Nevsky (Nizhny Novgorod now, the village of Sormovo then) was originally erected in 1882.

An interesting historical fact is that this temple did not have a permanent parish. The worshipers consisted of merchants who had gathered during the fair. Therefore, the peculiarity of the church was the periodicity of its work. So, in particular, the building did not even have a heating system - in winter it was closed.

By the end of the century, the church was too small to accommodate all comers. Sixteen years later, collection of donations began, the purpose of which was the construction of a new church, capable of accepting all parables. It is noteworthy that the money was collected mainly by employees of the Sormovo plant, who contributed a penny from their salaries for construction. For a time the temple of Alexander Nevsky (Nizhny Novgorod) even bore the name Kopeechny - on the one hand seemingly pejorative, on the other hand - proud: after all, even the most needy ones "discounted" it.

The story does not end there.

The time for the completion of construction is 1903. From that moment the Sormovo church (Nizhny Novgorod) was named "Savior-Transfiguration" and became a cathedral. However, this did not become a permanent quality of the building. With the advent of Soviet power, destruction began. First, the belfry was destroyed, then the roof made of metal. Like many other temples of Nizhny Novgorod, this one also suffered greatly. First there was organized a palace of culture for children, then the building was partitioned by temporary piers and arranged a so-called food shop - a warehouse-shop. So for a while the most remarkable Sormovo temple ceased to exist. Nizhny Novgorod existed without him until the year 90 of the last century, when the former cathedral was returned to believers, and they began to restore it bit by bit.

Modern look

Nowadays the Sormovo Savior-Transfiguration Cathedral (formerly known as the Alexander Nevsky Temple, Nizhny Novgorod) is a landmark of modern and historical architecture, executed in the style of a new Byzantine Empire. Most of all, attention is attracted to facades with columns, blue glass and white cornices. The appearance of the former church of Alexander Nevsky (he also the Transfiguration of the Savior's Cathedral) did not leave indifferent cinematographers. His appearance in the 50's was used in the film "Mother" based on Gorky's work, whose name was worn by Nizhny Novgorod for a decade.

New acquisitions: Panteleimon

Life does not stand still, and the churches of Nizhny Novgorod can testify to this. Instead of churches destroyed in the flames of the revolution, civil and World War II, the city builds new temples, remaining a faithful follower of Christianity. It is possible that over time they will make up for the loss that Nizhny has suffered spiritually.

The most outstanding religious buildings are now considered to be two. The first is the temple of Panteleimon the Healer. Nizhny Novgorod habitually shortens the name; The full name sounds like "a church in the name of the holy martyr and healer Panteleimon." In 2001, a temporary, until wooden, temple was consecrated, in the place of which, in time, a stone, permanent one will be erected. The place is not chosen by chance: here you will find an icon and fragments of the relics of the healer Panteleimon, besides, church officials are concerned that all places of worship are in the center of the city, which deprives the parishioners of the outskirts. It is expected that in the summer of 2014 the Panteleimon Healer's temple will open its doors to the worshipers. Nizhny Novgorod, in any case, strives for this. It is assumed that almost a thousand people can be accommodated at the same time in the premises of the new church.

Another future church

The city is not going to stop there. Another temple is planned - "Tenderness". Nizhny Novgorod has planned it in the Molitovka neighborhood, which is located in the Leninsky district of the city. This is also not a place covered by churches. At the same time, it is precisely known that before the 17th coup, somewhere in this place, on the territory of Molitovka, there was a church destroyed by a revolution or civil war.

Now the prayer service has been held here and the letter of the bishop is laid. The temple will be dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God, known as "Tenderness". Initiation is associated with an abundance of difficulties that accompanied the intention to build a holy house. Modern myths say that only the appeal to the Theotokos and the patronage of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov moved the deadly project of God's temple from its place.

Nizhny Novgorod does not just keep a historical heritage, it continues to create history. As it was peculiar to him in the past, today he remains faithful to Christian traditions.