The Temple of Maxim the Confessor (Krasnoturyinsk). History and modern life

In the North Urals there is a marvelous beauty temple of Maxim the Confessor (Krasnoturyinsk). This five-headed, beautiful building is often compared with a heavenly ship, its golden domes rising skyward. It is consecrated in honor of the theologian and philosopher, who lived in the VI-VII centuries first in Byzantium, and then in Colchis. The voices of church bells with their sonorous and powerful singing convoke parishioners for service. Like many churches in our country, he knew the years of prosperity, learned the hard times and, finally, the period of rebirth. But first things first.

Wooden cemetery church

Even in the XVIII century there were in these parts of the mining mines, founded by the merchant Maxim Pokhodoshin. Over time, his son, wishing to perpetuate the memory of his father, built a wooden church in the local cemetery, which in 1787 was consecrated in honor of the Monk Maximus the Confessor, the father's heavenly patron. From the cemetery church gradually evolved into a parish and served God and people until in 1829 was destroyed by fire.

As a result of such misfortune, the locals found themselves practically without spiritual nourishment. In 1842, the chief of the mines MI. Protasov wrote to the highest authorities about his extreme preoccupation with the moral condition of the local inhabitants. This is not surprising - a significant percentage of them were former convicts, after years of imprisonment, settled in the surrounding villages. Protasov saw the way out of the situation that was created in the construction of a large stone church in the place of a burnt church, the visit of which would have a beneficial effect on former convicts.

The beginning of the construction of the stone church

Two years later, at the end of all bureaucratic delays, the Maxim the Confessor's temple was finally laid. Krasnoturinsk is still a small city, and at that time it was just a center of settlements formed by two mining plants - Goroblagodatsky and Bogoslovsky.

Its distance from the capital was one of the reasons that slowed the pace of construction. Only personal intervention of the president of the Petersburg Academy of Arts, the Duke of Leuchtenberg, gave impetus to the work.

The main contractor was identified. He became the merchant of the third guild S. Yakovlev. But directly supervised the work of the serf muzhik Nikandr Trukhin. Having no education and relying only on experience, ingenuity and common sense, this folk nouveau erected a temple that, in the years of godlessness, could not be destroyed even by explosives - such a solid masonry turned out to be so solid. They worked conscientiously, they knew that they were trying for God. Nahalturish - in the next world to answer. The temple of St. Maximus the Confessor was built in Byzantine style according to the design of architect A. Delusto.

Work of Moscow masters

And in the capital in the meantime, they created an iconostasis for the future cathedral. The artist A. Maximov and the architect G. Ponomarev together with the carver I. Vladimirov started to make it. The works were carried out according to the previously approved project, nevertheless the performers had a wide scope for creativity. Finally completed in 1851, the iconostasis and other icons arrived in the Urals. The following year the temple of Maxim the Confessor in Krasnoturinsk was solemnly consecrated.

Icons for the temple were painted by the St. Petersburg artist A. Maximov. It is completely unfair for the inhabitants of the city to believe that their authorship belongs to Italian masters. This error is due to the fact that Maksimov, being a pupil of the famous K. Briullov, lived and worked with his teacher in Italy for thirteen years. His own hand belongs to the altarpiece of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Closure of the temple in the Soviet era

For many years the temple was the focus of the religious life of the Turin mines. His enlightenment and educational work continued until 1934. By the decision of the local village council, Maxim the Confessor's church (Krasnoturyinsk) was closed.

After long and unsuccessful attempts to blow up the building, it was decided to transfer it to the economic authorities for use at their discretion. Initially, there was a warehouse of the NKVD, and over time it was rebuilt and opened a cinema.

Restoring the Temple

Only in 1995, by the decision of the City Duma, Maxim the Confessor's church (Krasnoturyinsk) was returned to the parishioners. Despite the inconvenience associated with the reconstruction and restoration work, divine services immediately began there. Choir singers, created by the forces of the parishioners, thanks to the high professionalism of their leader - mother Tatyana, immediately began to attract attention to the coherence and beauty of the sound.

More than a century and a half has passed since the foundation stone of the temple was laid. In them, entire epochs from the life of the country were contained. Since that time, everything around has changed beyond recognition. But, according to the words of the Apostle Paul, God at all times is the same as His holy temples, having survived the hard times, they still bring their domes to the sky. And just as many years ago, the worshiper calls his temple with his bell-ringing temple of Maxim the Confessor (Krasnoturyinsk).