The "Life-giving Spring" temple in Tsaritsyn and its history

Orthodox churches and monasteries are rich in Moscow. From ancient times, the crimson ringing of their bells floated above her. From all over the immense Russia there were pilgrims to worship the relics of holy saints and pour out their sorrows before the miraculous icons. And the Lord sent such icons to the White-stone set. In their honor the temples were built and consecrated. One of them is the temple "The Life-giving Spring" in Tsaritsyn. About him is our story.

Holy spring

But first of all, a few words about the Life-giving Source, in whose honor the icon and the temple are consecrated. Tradition says that in the 5th century near Constantinople there was a grove dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos. In the grove was a miraculous spring. The Most Blessed Virgin herself showed people where to find him, and commanded the pious people to come to him and by faith receive healing from illnesses. Among the healed, there were ordinary people and emperors. In gratitude for the revealed miracles, the source was initially enclosed in a stone circle, and later a stone church was erected next to it. To all who addressed her with faith and prayer, the Mother of God sent healing.

The first wooden church

The site where the temple of the icon of the Mother of God "The Life-giving Spring" is now in Tsaritsyn, got its name only in 1775, under Catherine II, and before there was the Black Mud. In 1680, Prince AS Golitsyn became its master. He and his family rebuilt the dilapidated manor and erected a wooden church. But the time of the Streltsi riots came, and all supporters of Princess Sophia fell into disgrace, including the Golitsyn family. The farm was taken away, and it went to the treasury.

Stone temple "Life-giving Spring" in Tsaritsyn

In 1713, Tsar Peter I gave it to the outstanding statesman DK Kantemir, who built a new stone church on the site of the wooden church. Over time, it was repeatedly rebuilt by heirs and for many years served as their ancestral burial vault. The next owner of the estate was Empress Catherine II, who bought it from the Kantemir family. She instructed the architect Bazhenov to rebuild the whole ensemble of buildings and replaced the cacophonous name Black Mud on Tsaritsyno. From now on, it housed one of her summer residences.

Throughout its history, the "Life-giving Spring" temple in Tsaritsyn has been repeatedly reconstructed and renovated. Sometimes this was done at the expense of rich donors, sometimes at the expense of simple parishioners. A sad fate befell him in 1939. The God-fighting authorities came up with a suitable excuse and closed the temple. A historical monument, a masterpiece of architecture, found a different application. Initially, it housed a transformer box, then a printing house and, finally, a woodworking shop. As a result of vibration from the work of his equipment, significant damage was inflicted on the walls of the building, and their murals.

Return of the temple building to the parishioners

In 1990, the "Life-giving Spring" temple in Tsaritsyn was again returned to believers. Under the guidance of the abbot, Archpriest George Breev, his recovery began. To give the church an original look, they used documents preserved among the inventory of the Tsaritsyno estate and memories of old parishioners.

Currently, the parish life of the temple includes a wide variety of aspects. In addition to the fact that daily worship services are held here, a rich church library is at the service of believers. Attend it as students of the Orthodox school, and all comers. On the basis of the Sunday school, a support group for people in prison was organized, as well as support for their Orthodox communities. The temple of the "Animal Source" in Tsaritsyno is widely known for the organization of pilgrim trips and charitable consultations, which are conducted by lawyers and psychologists.