Cathedral of St. Nicholas the White. Serpukhov. Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker ("St. Nicholas the White"). As promised, the churchyard

Saint Stephen the Is-po-ved-nik, ar-hi-bishop of Su-rozh, was a native of Cap-pa-do-Kia, studied in Con- stand-ti-but-on-le. Having cut his hair in mo-na-hi, he retired to the desert, where he spent 30 years in action. Pat-ri-arch Herman, according to a special revelation, lived in the episcopal city of Su-ro-zha (now the city of Su-ro-zha) Duck in Crimea). Under Iko-no-bor-ts Leo III Is-av-r (716-741) endured torment and imprisonment in the same place in Kon-stan-ti -but-from-where-he-came-from-after-the-death of his-per-ra-to-ra. Already in his old age, he returned again to his flock in Su-rozh, where he died.

There is evidence that in the beginning of the 9th century, during the journey to the Crimea, under the influence of miracles The Russian prince Bravlin received Baptism from the saint.

See also: in the book of St. Di-mit-ria of Ro-stov.

Prayers

Troparion to Saint Stephen the Confessor, Archbishop of Sourozh

As the saint became a fellow dweller with the bodiless,/ Hieromartyr Stephen,/ took the Cross as a weapon,/ and stood firmly against the icon-reproacher and the Doukhobors,/ who do not worship the Most Pure Image of Christ our God, / and you cut off all heresies of the evil ones. / For this reason you received torment crown,/ you delivered your city Surozh from all hostility./ And now we pray to you, saints,/ that you deliver us from all evil temptations, and troubles,// and eternal torment.

Translation: As a saint, you served together with the incorporeal (angels), Hieromartyr Stephen, for having taken the Cross as a weapon, and standing firmly against the iconoclast and the Doukhobors, who do not worship the Most Pure Image of Christ our God, you cut off all evil ones. Therefore, he received the crown of martyrdom, having delivered your city Surozh from all evil. And now we pray to you, holy one, deliver us from all evil and troubles and eternal torment.

Kontakion to Saint Stephen the Confessor, Archbishop of Sourozh

By the power of the Most High, having strengthened yourself with holiness,/ you have dethroned the iconoclastic vacillation of the Tsar./ Today, before Surozh and to us faithful,/ glory and wealth, your holy relics,/ who are given from above They wear the rank of angels, / they glorify you with songs and singing, // the great saint Stephen.

Translation: By the power of the Most High, saint, strengthened, you overthrew the royal iconoclastic heresy. Today Surozh and we, the believers, are entrusted with glory and wealth - your saints, brought as a gift by the angelic ranks, glorifying you with prayer chants, the great Saint Stephen.

Prayer to Saint Stephen the Confessor, Archbishop of Sourozh

Oh, sacred head, our strong man of prayer and intercessor, Holy Hierarch Father Stephen, hear us, calling you with faith and love. Remember us at the Throne of the Almighty and do not stop praying for us. Ask through your intercession from our most merciful Savior: peace to His Church, zeal and strength for the shepherds of God, peace and salvation to our Orthodox country. Beg the Heavenly Father to give everyone the gift that everyone needs: true faith, firm hope, endless love, strengthening of our cities, reconciliation of the world, deliverance from hunger and destruction , preservation from the invasion of foreigners, good growth in faith for the young, comfort and strengthening for the old and weak, for the sick healing, mercy and intercession for the orphans and widows, help for the needy. Do not disgrace us in our hope, make haste, as a loving father, that we may bear the good yoke of Christ in complacency and patience, and guide us all in peace and repentance. Be the heir of God's success, where you are now with the Angels and all the saints , I will praise God in the Trinity, glorifying the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Canons and Akathists

Akathist to confessor Stefan, Archbishop of Sourozh

Kontakion 1

Chosen miracle worker and wonderful confessor of Christ, prayer book for our souls, Saint Stephen, you, as if you have boldness in the Lord, free those who call us from all troubles and misfortunes:

Ikos 1

Interlocutor of angels and mentor of men now, as God’s servant, standing with the highest powers, Saint Stephen, pray for all of us, Christ our God, for this reason we gratefully call to you with tenderness:
Rejoice, having become like an angel in purity and holiness.
Rejoice, having achieved dispassion through fasting and vigil.
Rejoice, immutable affirmation of the faithful.
Rejoice, faithful guardian of the apostolic traditions.
Rejoice, unshakable pillar of Orthodoxy.
Rejoice, solid defense of the Church of Christ.
Rejoice, good worker of the Lord's heirloom.
Rejoice, Stephen, confessor of Christ and miracle worker.

Kontakion 2

Having passed through the storm of worldly life and the heavy passions of the waves, you found a quiet refuge and settled in the desert, you worked tirelessly for Christ, with much patience, mortifying the lusts of the flesh for God’s sake and singing to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

You have enlightened the infidel people of Sourozh with the faith of Christ, dedicated from above and illuminated by the Holy Spirit, for this reason we cry out to you:
Rejoice, zealot of the apostolic works.
Rejoice, wise teacher of true theology.
Rejoice, your friend desired salvation.
Rejoice, you who have called these into the courtyard of Christ’s Church.
Rejoice, for you walked irrevocably along the heavenly paths.
Rejoice, for you have ascended to the heights of virtues.
Rejoice, O enlightener of the country of Sourozh.
Rejoice, heavenly patron of Christians in this country.
Rejoice, Stephen, confessor of Christ and miracle worker.

Kontakion 3

Seeing in the creations of God, like in a mirror, the wisdom and glory of the Creator, you, God-wise, ascended to Him in spirit. Illuminate us with the light of your God-understanding, so that we cry out to God with you: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

Having in your heart the fire of Divine love, for the salvation of human souls, you pastorally labored, O God-wise, against the wiles of the devil and the victorious weapon of the Cross, like you cut through the web of the evil one. Also accept this song from us:
Rejoice, servant of God, good and faithful.
Rejoice, teacher of humility and chastity.
Rejoice, image of meekness and obedience.
Rejoice, teacher of good deeds.
Rejoice, fiery pillar, guide us on the path of salvation.
Rejoice, luminous lamp, enlightening the faithful.
Rejoice, inexhaustible vessel of Christ's grace.
Rejoice, pure friend of the Holy Spirit.
Rejoice, Stephen, confessor of Christ and miracle worker.

Kontakion 4

Saint Herman, standing in prayer, was quickly informed by an Angel about God’s election of you to be the saint of the city of Surozh, but you, Father Stephen, humbly accepted the same message, singing to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Seeing in you the Severity of the saint, like an Angel, bearing a sign of heavenly grace, you rejoiced with unspeakable joy: but you took good care of yourself and the whole flock, in whom the Holy Spirit ordained a bishop, you diligently shepherded the Church of the Lord and God, as if to reward the word: For this sake, let us please you, Father Stephen, calling:
Rejoice, man of God, girded with reverence like a golden belt.
Rejoice, friend of Christ, adorned with holiness, like precious beads.
Rejoice, invincible warrior of Christ.
Rejoice, vigilant guardian of the house of God.
Rejoice, having received the reward of your labors from Christ.
Rejoice, for you have entered into the joy of your Lord.
Rejoice, bright adornment of the Tauride country.
Rejoice, wonderful radiance of heavenly glory.
Rejoice, Stephen, confessor of Christ and miracle worker.

Kontakion 5

For everyone to be saved, although the good Lord has shown you, Saint Father Stephen, the image of a righteous life: whoever is not moved, seeing your immeasurable mercy towards everyone, the same greatness of God’s mercy to us, praising us with a cry: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

The wall was of help and intercession to all the helpless and attacked, Saint Stephen, and an inexhaustible treasure of mercy. For this reason, for God’s wondrousness in His saints, we glorify you:
Rejoice, bishop, prophesied by the Lord Himself.
Rejoice, man of desires, chosen from above to shepherd the flock of Christ.
Rejoice, good will of the shepherd Jesus Christ.
Rejoice, multi-illuminated lamp of the Church.
Rejoice, partaker of the apostles.
Rejoice, co-throne of the great saints.
Rejoice, treasure of purity of heart.
Rejoice, mirror of Christ’s humility.
Rejoice, Stephen, confessor of Christ and miracle worker.

Kontakion 6

Although the Lord, the Lover of Mankind, showed in you, the saint, unspeakable mercy for people, showing You as truly a God-bright light, you led everyone to piety through your deeds and words. With the same radiance of your enlightenment exploits, we zealously magnify you and cry out to Christ who glorified you: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

Seeing yourself placed at the level of bishop, Father Stephen, did not give sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyes, providing your flock with meaningful shepherds and guiding all people to salvation. We, knowing you to be a God-wise shepherd and a builder of the good things of God, call to you:
Rejoice, strong feeder of the Church of Christ.
Rejoice, diligent harvester of the Lord's fields.
Rejoice, strong affirmation of the faithful.
Rejoice, divine reproof of the unfaithful.
Rejoice, faithful builder of the mysteries of the saints.
Rejoice, for you have commanded your shepherds to preach in season and in untimely times.
Rejoice, pure vessel of dispassion.
Rejoice, lover of Christ from childhood.
Rejoice, Stephen, confessor of Christ and miracle worker.

Kontakion 7

Thou hast appeared in our country, a God-bearing star, instructing everyone on the path of salvation: Thou hast quickly preceded those who call upon thee and delivered them from all troubles and misfortunes, and taught the faithful to cry out to the God who saves thee: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

Enlightened by the Divine Spirit, you preached the tradition of Orthodoxy with the boldness of the all-blessed Stephen, and you put your lawless tormentor to shame, sending you unrighteously into prison. We, who are the leaders, cry out to you:
Rejoice, you who suffered and were tormented for Christ.
Rejoice, you who firmly confessed Him.
Rejoice, having taught everyone to venerate honest icons without shame.
Rejoice, representative before the Throne of God for us sinners.
Rejoice, joy of the land of Sourozh.
Rejoice, accuser of the wicked king.
Rejoice, zealot of Orthodoxy.
Rejoice, denouncer of wicked heresies.
Rejoice, Stephen, confessor of Christ and miracle worker.

Kontakion 8

Father of fathers, God-bearing Stephen, I promise to keep your servants from all sin, visible enemies and invisible ones, singing to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

The human tongue, O great miracle worker, cannot praise and glorify your pure and immaculate life, your reverence Stephen; In all your struggles you fought valiantly, you exposed the wicked king, you taught the honor of icons and dogmas to the fathers, you confessed all wisdom, for this sake we please you:
Rejoice, fellow angel.
Rejoice, fertilizer of the apostles.
Rejoice, decoration of monks.
Rejoice, glory to the saints.
Rejoice, praise to the martyrs.
Rejoice, sacred head, having been cleansed from the shrouds by the Spirit.
Rejoice, like a shining star.
Rejoice, thou who hast been brought forth from the midst of much darkness.
Rejoice, Stephen, confessor of Christ and miracle worker.

Kontakion 9

You were the enlightener of Surozh and the intercessor of those living in it, who are overwhelmed by existing misfortunes, a quiet refuge, a doctor of spiritual and physical passions, from where all your children continually cry out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 9

The prophets, who have spoken many things, will not be able, according to their heritage, to utter your many blessings, O holy hierarch Father Stephen, your generous right hand is everywhere. We marvel at your generosity and call out to you with tenderness:
Rejoice, bright ray of God's love.
Rejoice, inexhaustible treasure of Spasov’s mercy.
Rejoice, you who love your neighbors more than yourself.
Rejoice, having seen Christ himself in your younger brothers.
Rejoice, nourisher of the orphans and charity.
Rejoice, consolation to those who mourn.
Rejoice, strengthening of the sufferers.
Rejoice, intercessor of the offended.
Rejoice, Stephen, confessor of Christ and miracle worker.

Kontakion 10

Calming the storm of evil misfortunes, you walked the entire narrow and sorrowful path of monastic life, carrying with the yoke of desert asceticism, all-night vigil, prayer, the body of mortification and holy service. And so by the grace of God, ascending from strength to strength and from action to knowledge of God, you settled in the abode of heaven. Where the angels sing to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

Whoever does not bless you, blessed Stephen, hearing your glorious life, for you are alive in soul, but we sing to you:
Rejoice, great servant of God.
Rejoice, for in this temporary life, for the sake of love for the Lord, you strived for the salvation of your soul.
Rejoice, for with his help you left the corruptible, and gained the imperishable.
Rejoice, for by the grace of God you have been worthy to stand at the Throne, Master.
Rejoice, for you have been deemed worthy to be a partaker of eternal glory.
Rejoice, having thus received the grace to intercede for us.
Rejoice, quick helper of those who call upon you.
Rejoice, our protector of the Orthodox kingdom.
Rejoice, Stephen, confessor of Christ and miracle worker.

Kontakion 11

The grace of manifold miracles, having settled in heaven, you received from the Lord, most blessed Stephen, for this sake you grant healing to everyone who flows to you with faith. Wondering at the power of your miracles, we cry out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 11

The Lord glorified the signs of miracles to you, blessed Stephen, for you drive away spirits and heal passions, but enlightens the souls of the faithful who cry out to you:
Rejoice, sweet resting after the labors of the earthly journey in the heavenly settlements.
Rejoice, for you have received death, but have not known corruption.
Rejoice, with Christ, you loved Him.
Rejoice, united with Christ forever.
Rejoice, heir to the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal glory.
Rejoice, unafraid herald of God's judgment to the mighty of this world.
Rejoice, for you have endured sorrow for the truth.
Rejoice, for you have gained the exiles for the sake of righteousness.
Rejoice, Stephen, confessor of Christ and miracle worker.

Kontakion 12

Having recognized the grace from above that has been given to You, we reverently kiss the radiant, all-honorable image of Your face and cry out in gratitude to Christ our God: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

You are all in the highest, but have not abandoned those below, Father Stephen, ever reigning with Christ and sending up prayers for us sinners to him. Moreover, in tenderness we call you:
Rejoice, our refuge in sorrows.
Rejoice, quick helper in these troubles.
Rejoice, our champion against invisible enemies.
Rejoice, visitor to those who lie in infirmity.
Rejoice, for you have followed Christ valiantly.
Rejoice, for you served the sweetest Jesus to the end.
Rejoice, for you enjoy the sight of God.
Rejoice, for thou hast been worthy to see the eternal day of the Kingdom of Christ.
Rejoice, Stephen, confessor of Christ and miracle worker.

Kontakion 13

Oh, great and glorious wonderworker, Saint Father Stephen, accept this praiseworthy song from us unworthy in tenderness, brought to You, and by your warm intercession at the Throne of the King of Glory, ask us for confirmation in faith and good deeds, in this life, deliverance from all troubles and misfortunes, in In our death, the good hope of salvation, so that in eternal joy we may be worthy to sing to the wondrous God in our Saints: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

(This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1 and kontakion 1)

Prayer

Oh, sacred head, our strong prayer book and intercessor, our holy father Stephen, hear us calling you with faith and love. Remember us at the Throne of the Almighty and do not stop praying for us. Through your intercession, ask our Most Merciful Savior for the peace of the Church, his shepherd, God’s zeal and power, peace and salvation for our Orthodox country. Beg our Heavenly Father to give everyone the gift that everyone needs: true faith, firm hope, unstinting love, strengthening of our cities, peace, deliverance from famine and destruction, preservation from foreign invasion, good growth in faith for the young, comfort and strengthening for the old and weak, healing to the sick, mercy and intercession to the orphans and widows, help to the needy. Do not disgrace us in our hope, make haste, like a loving father, for us to bear the good yoke of Christ in complacency and patience, and guide us all in peace and repentance to unashamedly finish our lives and be heirs of the Kingdom of God, where you now reside with the Angels and all the Saints , I will take out praising God, glorified in the Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sugdeyskaya (Sourozh diocese) is an ancient medieval diocese of Crimea of ​​the Orthodox Church of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The department was located in the regional city of Sugdeya (Soldaya, Surozh) - present-day Sudak. Formed at the beginning of the 8th century (late 7th), the episcopal appanage lasted for 8 centuries, until the end of the 16th century.

Zander

The diocese, like the city itself and the entire region, received their name from the tribe that inhabited these lands - the Sugds. The Sugds go back to the Zikhs - the direct ancestors of the Circassians, Circassians and Abkhazians. They moved to the Tauride Peninsula from Sindika in Taman. Thus, the so-called “Zikhian Diozets” was formed - an ecclesiastical administrative region, a kind of large metropolis, which included the dioceses of the Caucasus, the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea and Taman.

The creation of the diocese is known from the Sugdean Synaxarion, which describes the life of St. Stephen of Sourozh. Saint Stephen was made archbishop of Sugdea by the decision of Patriarch Hermogenes. It is indicated that before this appointment only one predecessor held the archbishop's position. One way or another, by the middle of the 8th century the Sugdei archdiocese already existed with the rights of autocephaly. Thus, the Sourozh diocese received a new status. The first episcopal seals date back to the century being described.

Saint Stephen of Sourozh (Sugdea) participated in the last Ecumenical Council - the Seventh, which took place in Constantinople - the capital of the Byzantine Empire in 787, regarding the heresy of “iconoclasm” and Orthodox icon veneration. His signature is under the oros of the Cathedral.

The Sourozh diocese is mentioned in the notifications of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. So, in the 10th century, under Patriarch Nicholas the Mystic and Emperor Leo the Wise, it was in 47th place after the Bosporan autocephalous archdiocese.

The cathedral church was the Basilica of Hagia Sophia - the Wisdom of God.

Much more data has been preserved about the Sugdean diocese than the Bosporus, for example, or Fulla. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the Genoese, who later took possession of Sugdea, took many of the records to Italy, and there they were preserved. The same thing happened with the Greek city in Balaklava Bay near the Chembalo fortress.

Diocese of Sourozh, hierarch

The records of those centuries brought to us the names of the following six archbishops of the 10th-12th centuries: Constantine (signed the conciliar act in 997), Arseny (signed the patriarchal act in 1026), Euthymius, Peter, Clement and Zechariah.

In the middle of the 12th century, the diocese of the city of Full, which had already lost its high position, was annexed to the Sugdei diocese, located in a more important administrative center. The archbishop began to be called “Sugdei and Fulla.”

And in the same century, one very interesting event happened: the city was captured by the Tatars. But instead of reprisals, many of the conquerors were baptized into the Orthodox faith.

At the end of the 13th – beginning of the 14th century, the Sugdo-Fula archdiocese rose to the rank of metropolis. The diocese was rich and “abundant.”

At the end of the 14th century, Sugdea fell under the rule of Genoese colonists, and this led to the decline of the city, since another, no less famous city, Kefa (or Kafa, present-day Feodosia), grew and settled nearby.

In 1475, the entire Crimean peninsula was captured by the Ottoman Turks. During the defense of the Genoese fortress, there was an almost complete extermination of the inhabitants of the city and its surroundings. This led the bloodless diocese to complete decline.

In fact, the last metropolitans were here only at the end of the 15th century. For another century, bishops were sent from Constantinople for the exar administration of parishes, but not as governors. By the end of the 16th century, the parishes of the diocese were divided between the Kafa and Gothic departments due to its complete savagery, due to ruin and repression from the new masters. The diocese ceases to exist in 1578.

St. Nicholas Cathedral of Serpukhov ranks first among the architectural monuments of late classicism in the city of Serpukhov, both in terms of artistic merit and in its urban planning significance (it serves as the main high-rise dominant for an entire area of ​​old, historically developed buildings).

The history of the construction of St. Nicholas Cathedral in the city of Serpukhov

St. Nicholas Church on Kaluzhskaya Street has a long and complex construction history. It was originally made of wood. He appears as such in documents of the 16th - early 17th centuries. (in particular, in the inventories of the city of Serpukhov in 1552 and 1620). “Only the church in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in 1649 was already made of stone, which is why they began to call it St. Nicholas the White... It was the first stone church in the city and in the suburb, a second similar church was built in the village in honor of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, then the third stone church was the Trinity Church cathedral in 1696,” we read in the History of Serpukhov by P. Simson.

It has been suggested that architects from Yaroslavl took part in the construction of the first stone church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the predecessor of the current one. It is based on the closeness of the compositional structure of the building, which can be understood from the surviving ancient drawing, with the characteristic features of Yaroslavl religious buildings of the 17th century.

In 1713, a decree was issued on the construction of a stone church in honor of St. Nicholas. The initiator of the construction was the clerk of the Zemskaya Izba of the city of Serpukhov, Mikhail Popov. Already in March 1721, Mikhail Popov writes: “...and now, according to my promise, I built a stone church instead of that dilapidated church and made the top of that church according to the order.” The temple was consecrated that same year.

Architectural feature

The temple was then a quadrangle crowned with one dome with an altar extension, which had symmetrically located hipped roofs above the altar and deacon. The building was made of hewn blocks of local limestone. This is where the generally accepted local name of the temple comes from - Nikola Bely. In this form the monument existed until the 30s. XIX centuries

In 1831, a project for rebuilding the church building was drawn up. Design drawings with facades and sections signed by Architect Tamansky and Architect Shestakov have been preserved. Since the initials of both architects are absent in the signatures on the drawing sheets, the question arises of identifying these individuals with certain “stone craftsmen” who are known to historians of Russian architecture.

In the collected M.V. Dyakonov’s materials for the dictionary of architects of the 18th-19th centuries who worked in Moscow and the Moscow region contain data on three Tamanskys and six Shestakovs. However, upon closer acquaintance with the biographies of all of them, it is possible to find out that in 1831 only two of them could put their signatures under the design drawings preserved in the archive.

Fyodor Mikhailovich Shestakov (born in 1787 and died in 1836; academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts, who designed many religious buildings for Moscow, Kolomna, Dmitrov, etc.). And Ivan Trofimovich Tamansky (born in 1775, died in 1850; student of M.F. Kazakov; worked mainly in Moscow, but was often sent on business to various places in the Moscow province).

In 1835, construction began on the now existing Church of St. Nicholas with the chapels of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow and St. Kirill of Beloezersky.

Erected in 1835-1857. The Church of St. Nicholas Bely is an excellent example of the Moscow Empire style. It is built of brick and plastered, and has white stone details in its external decor. A powerful quadrangle with one apse and two side porches-porticos carries a large domed rotunda. The four-pillar refectory and multi-tiered bell tower adjacent to the main volume from the west underwent some changes during their construction compared to the project.

The temple after the 1917 revolution

After the revolution of 1917, liturgical life in the Church of St. Nicholas the Bely was not interrupted immediately. The fact that Saint Tikhon visited the temple on June 2, 1924 is noteworthy. It was he, the All-Russian Patriarch, who awarded the temple the status of a Cathedral, after which the importance of St. Nicholas the Bely in the city increased. In 1928, during the church schism, the department of the Bishop of Serpukhov, Manuel (Lemeshevsky), who fought against him, was located in St. Nicholas Cathedral. It is also known that after the closure of the Vladychny Convent, the image of the Mother of God “Inexhaustible Chalice”, revered in the city, was located in the Church of St. Nicholas the Bely. However, it too suffered the same fate as many churches in Serpukhov; in 1929 it was closed. According to the stories of old-timers, the icons of the cathedral were demolished on the river. Nara and burned on its ice.

Hostility towards the church, blasphemously cultivated in people by the new government, made itself felt here too: the bell tower, which had risen majestically over the city since the mid-19th century, was partially destroyed, the image of St. Nicholas on the outer wall of the church was constantly subject to desecration. But as residents of the houses adjacent to the temple who observed this desecration say, every time the next morning the image of the holy miracle worker was renewed, revealing God’s power and as if predicting new life for the desecrated cathedral.

In a sense, the cathedral turned out to be happier than other churches. For some time it housed a city pasta factory, which may have saved it from final destruction. During the war, laundries were set up here. Recently, before the opening, the temple premises were used by the civil defense headquarters for chemical purposes. warehouse, which was placed in the cathedral at the insistence of the chairman of the city Executive Committee S. N. Kudryakov with the main goal - to avoid the demolition of the temple, and there were such proposals!

Revival of the temple

On the eve of the 1000th anniversary of the baptism of Rus', the Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Bely, as the brightest architectural monument, was talked about again. Among the plans for using the temple, the possibility of turning it into a concert hall was considered. But by the grace of God in 1995 it was returned to the believers as a courtyard of the Vysotsky Monastery, and since 1998 - a parish church. In 1995, during the stay of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' in Serpukhov, the city administration presented the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church with the keys to the temple. In 1999, bells were purchased with funds from benefactors, the city administration and citizens. The bell, weighing 1380 kg, has four icon-stamps: the Savior, the Mother of God, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the image of the heavenly patron of the Administrator of the Moscow Diocese, His Eminence Juvenalius, Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna - St. Juvenalius, Patriarch of Jerusalem. A 300-pound gospel message sounds in the restored bell tower.

Since 2002, the company “Stromalyans”, a member of the SU-155 Group of Companies, began to restore the Cathedral. In 2003, a native of the city of Serpukhov, benefactor Mikhail Balakin, donated a bell weighing 5 tons to the temple, cast especially for the Serpukhov Cathedral by Yaroslavl craftsmen.

In recent years, in addition to the main altar, in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Bely, four more chapels have been restored and equipped: in the name of St. Alexy of Moscow, St. Kirill of Beloezersk, the new martyrs and confessors of Serpukhov and the icon of the Mother of God “Help to Childbirth.” Much has been done to improve the temple grounds. At night, St. Nicholas the Bely Cathedral seems to be bathed in light flowing along the walls and windows, and like a lit candle it shines throughout the city.

Internal structure of the temple

The interior painting of the cathedral is worthy of special attention. The dome arch depicts the entire earthly history, starting from the eternal council of the Holy Trinity on the creation of the world, the Old Testament patriarchs and prophets, teachers of the Church, to Russian saints and martyrs. Sunlight illuminates the temple, passing between the images of the holy apostles, reminiscent of the true Sun - Jesus Christ. Among the icons of the Savior and His Most Pure Mother, there are a host of Russian saints: saints and noble princes, warriors and monks and, of course, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in a hagiographic depiction of his miracles. Temple painting is the bible in colors. The eternal book leading to salvation is revealed to believers in the Serpukhov Cathedral.

The majestic royal doors of the main altar are crowned with an arched canopy, on which are located the icons of Holy Week: Palm Resurrection, the betrayal of Judas, the unjust trial of the worldly ruler, the crucifixion, burial and, finally, the Holy Resurrection.

In memory of the six new martyrs - residents of Serpukhov, one of the chapels was consecrated in the cathedral. But not only painting and architecture were revived in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas Bely: full-fledged parish life was also restored here. Today the cathedral has a public library and two Sunday schools: for children and for adults. The clergy of the cathedral takes care of the Serpukhov Military Institute, a pre-trial detention center and an orphanage and boarding school, pedagogical and humanitarian colleges...

In the cathedral there is a miraculous image of the Mother of God “Helping Childbirth”, before which prayers are performed with an akathist compiled by the rector of the cathedral, Archpriest Vladimir Andreev, as well as locally revered images of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Great Martyr Panteleimon, the Martyr Bonifatius, the new martyrs and confessors of Serpukhov.

The image of the Mother of God “Seeking the Lost” is especially loved and revered in the city. In 2002, the tradition was restored from July 23 to August 23 to perform religious processions in all monasteries and churches of the city with this image of the Mother of God.

On July 12, 2005, Metropolitan Yuvenaly visited Serpukhov, where the solemn consecration of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Bely took place.

The revival of the cathedral by the efforts of the entire city is a significant sign of our general spiritual revival. The bell tower again rises above the city, and the bells awaken our sleeping souls, moving them towards mercy, repentance and renewal of our lives.

The ancient city of Serpukhov, the first mention of which is in the spiritual charter of Ivan Kalita in 1339, is famous for its history. Located 99 kilometers south of the capital and arose as a fortress on the Oka borders, Serpukhov for a long time remained a reliable outpost of the Moscow principality.
The people of Serpukhov deeply reverence their fellow countrymen - the Venerable Athanasius the Elder, the first abbot of the Vysotsky Monastery and Varlaam, the builder of the Vladychny Monastery. The history of the city is also associated with the names of glorious warrior brothers: Grand Duke Dimitri Donskoy and Serpukhov Prince Vladimir Andreevich. Prince Vladimir brought Serpukhov a special honor: he and his squad took part in the Battle of Kulikovo, and, commanding an ambush regiment, ensured the successful outcome of the battle. For this feat of arms, the prince was awarded the nickname Brave. Prince Vladimir buried the bodies of his dead countrymen in the basement of the Conception Cathedral of the Serpukhov Vysotsky Monastery.

In 2004 His Eminence Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna consecrated a memorial cross to the Serpukhovites who died on the Kulikovo Field. At the base of the cross installed on Cathedral Hill there is a capsule with soil brought from the Kulikovo field.
The Church of St. Nicholas Bely in Serpukhov undoubtedly occupies the first place among other parish churches, both in terms of artistic merit and in its urban planning significance - it serves as the main high-rise dominant for the entire area of ​​​​old, historically developed buildings. St. Nicholas Church on Kaluzhskaya Street has a long and complex history.
It was originally made of wood. He appears as such in documents of the 16th - early 17th centuries. Already by the beginning of the 1550s, that section of the road that went from Moscow to Kaluga along the left bank of the Nara River, which passed by this church, was officially called Nikolskaya Street. Here, near the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, there were a number of households, the owners of which were classified as part of the Serpukhov settlement. Many residents of Nikolskaya Street are mentioned in the Sotnaya of 1552, compiled by F.S. Funikov. Among the parishioners of the same temple were the inhabitants of the nearby Klyuchnichya (Podklyuchnichya) settlement with 16 courtyards, located just below, near the very bank of the river. Bunks.
In the second quarter of the 17th century. Instead of the wooden St. Nicholas Church, a stone one was erected. In any case, already existing and operational, it is mentioned in the “Building Book of the City of Serpukhov” in 1649.
This was the first stone church not only in the settlement, but in the whole city. A second similar church was built in the village in honor of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, then in 1696 the third stone church became the Trinity Cathedral. Built from hewn blocks of local limestone, the St. Nicholas Church received a name from the Serpukhovichi people that has stuck with it since then - St. Nicholas Bely.
At this time, the St. Nicholas parish included the courtyards of not only the same townspeople, but also some persons of higher social status - gunners, an area clerk, the Living Room of a hundred merchants, and a landowner of the Serpukhov district.
Probably, architects from Yaroslavl took part in the construction of the first stone church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the predecessor of the current one. This assumption is based on the similarity of the compositional structure of the building, which can be understood from the surviving ancient drawing, with the characteristic features of Yaroslavl religious buildings of the 17th century.
The temple was then a quadrangle crowned with one large dome with an altar-apse extension, which had symmetrically located hipped roofs above the altar and deacon. Smooth pilasters created a three-part division of the facades of the main volume of the building along their entire height. The powerful drum of the head was cut through by slit-like windows, above which ornamental belts were placed. The drums under the faceted tents were also decorated. At the base of the tents there was a row of decorative kokoshniks.
In this form the monument existed until the 30s. XIX centuries In 1833, the Serpukhov ecclesiastical board made a decision to rebuild the church “for dilapidation, which at the same time they violated.” From those times, design drawings with facades and sections signed: “Architect Tamansky” and “Architect Shestakov” have been preserved. Since the initials of both architects are absent in the signatures on the drawing sheets, the question arises of identifying these individuals with certain “stone craftsmen” who are known to historians of Russian architecture.
In the collected M.V. Dyakonov materials for the dictionary of architects of the 18th-19th centuries. who worked in Moscow and the Moscow region, there is information about three Tamanskys and six Shestakovs. Upon closer acquaintance with their biographies, it was possible to find out that in 1831 only two of them could put their signatures under the drawings: Fyodor Mikhailovich Shestakov (1787-1836) - academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts, who designed many religious buildings for Moscow, Kolomna, Dmitrov and other cities; and Ivan Trofimovich Tamansky (1775-1850) – student of M.F. Kazakov, worked mainly in Moscow, but was often sent on business to various places in the Moscow province. The author of the project was F.M. Shestakov, Tamansky acted as an official coordinating the project.
Fyodor Mikhailovich Shestakov was an outstanding master of the era of late classicism. He designed such famous churches as the Church of the Great Ascension at the Nikitsky Gate in Moscow, and the Church of the Archangel Michael in Kolomna. But the closest analogue of the currently existing St. Nicholas Church in Serpukhov is the Great Ascension in Moscow, designed in the same year.
During the reconstruction according to the new project, the refectory of the lower church with the chapel and bell tower was first completely dismantled, and in their place a warm church with two altars was erected, consecrated in 1835.
The construction of the bell tower was completed in 1843, and in 1850 the dilapidated, cold 2-story church was finally dismantled and in its place, in connection with the warm church, a new one was built according to a new plan, which was consecrated in 1854.
The newly built St. Nicholas Cathedral is an excellent example of the Moscow Empire style. It is built of brick and plastered, and has white stone details in its external decor. A powerful quadrangle with one apse and two side porches-porticos carries a large domed rotunda. The four-pillar refectory and multi-tiered bell tower adjacent to the main volume from the west underwent some changes during their construction compared to the project - the design of their completion partially changed.
Along with the main altar in the St. Nicholas Church, two additional altars were built in the side naves of the refectory - St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow and St. Kirill of Beloezersky
After the revolution of 1917, liturgical life in the Church of St. Nicholas the Bely was not interrupted immediately. The fact that Saint Tikhon visited the temple in early June 1924 is noteworthy. It was he, the All-Russian Patriarch, who awarded the temple the status of a Cathedral, after which the importance of St. Nicholas the Bely in the city increased. In 1928, during the church schism, the department of the Bishop of Serpukhov, Manuel (Lemeshevsky), who fought against him, was located in St. Nicholas Cathedral. It is also known that after the closure of the Vladychny Convent, the image of the Mother of God “Inexhaustible Chalice”, revered in the city, was located in the Church of St. Nicholas the Bely. However, it too suffered the same fate as many churches in Serpukhov. In 1929 the cathedral was closed. According to the stories of old-timers, icons from it were demolished to the river. Naru and burned on her ice.
Hostility towards the church, blasphemously cultivated in people by the new government, made itself felt here too: the bell tower, which had risen majestically over the city since the mid-19th century, was partially destroyed, the image of St. Nicholas on the outer wall of the church was constantly subject to desecration. But as residents of the houses adjacent to the temple who observed this desecration say, every time the next morning the image of the holy wonderworker was renewed, revealing God’s power and as if predicting new life for the desecrated cathedral.
In a sense, the cathedral turned out to be happier than other churches. For some time it housed a city pasta factory, which may have saved it from final destruction. During the war, the white stone decor was lost, and laundries were installed in the cathedral itself. Recently, before the opening, the premises of the temple were used by the civil defense headquarters for a chemical warehouse, which was placed in the cathedral at the insistence of the chairman of the city Executive Committee S. N. Kudryakov with the main goal of avoiding the demolition of the temple, and there were such proposals.
On the eve of the 1000th anniversary of the baptism of Rus', the Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Bely, as the brightest architectural monument, was talked about again. Among the plans for using the temple, the possibility of turning it into a concert hall was considered. But by the grace of God in 1995 it was returned to the believers as a courtyard of the Vysotsky Monastery, and since 1998 - a parish church. In 1995, during the stay of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' in Serpukhov, the city administration presented the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church with symbolic keys to the temple.
In 1999, bells were purchased with funds from benefactors, the city administration and citizens. The bell, weighing 1380 kg, has four icon-stamps: the Savior, the Mother of God, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the image of the heavenly patron of the Administrator of the Moscow Diocese, His Eminence Juvenalius, Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna - St. Juvenalius, Patriarch of Jerusalem. A 300-pound gospel message sounds in the restored bell tower.
Since 2002, the SU-155 Group of Companies began to restore the cathedral. In 2003, a native of the city of Serpukhov and philanthropist Mikhail Balakin donated to the temple a bell weighing 5 tons, cast especially for the Serpukhov Cathedral by Yaroslavl craftsmen.
It is noteworthy that a special crane for lifting the bell tower spire and bells was provided on the day of the namesake of His Eminence Juvenal, July 15, 2003. Much has been done to improve the territory of the temple. Flowerbeds were laid out, a fountain was built, the area around the temple was paved with paving stones, the fence was made of cast iron. At night, the cathedral seems to be bathed in light, streaming along the walls and windows, and, like a lit candle, it shines throughout the city.
“In every place are the ashes of our father and brothers.” These words from the akathist about the departed were fully confirmed at St. Nicholas parish. When the temple territory was cleared from Soviet-era buildings (garages, sheds, etc.), numerous remains were discovered. The ancient burials that existed near the walls of the cathedral were destroyed. In 2003, on Dimitrievskaya Parent Saturday, the remains were buried. A memorial cross was erected: “Rest, O Lord, to the souls of Thy servants who have fallen, and Thou Thyself weigh their names.”
In the Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Bely, in addition to the main altar, four more side altars were restored and equipped: in the name of St. Alexy of Moscow, St. Kirill of Beloezersk, the icon of the Mother of God “Help to Childbirth,” and in memory of the new martyrs - residents of Serpukhov.
The interior painting of the cathedral is worthy of special attention. The vault of the dome depicts the entire earthly history, starting from the eternal council of the Holy Trinity on the creation of the world, the Old Testament patriarchs and prophets, teachers of the Church, to Russian saints and martyrs. Sunlight illuminates the temple, passing between the images of the holy apostles, reminiscent of the true Sun - Jesus Christ. Among the icons of the Savior and His Most Pure Mother, there are a host of Russian saints: saints and noble princes, warriors and monks and, of course, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in a hagiographic depiction of his miracles. Temple painting is the Bible in colors. The eternal book leading to salvation is revealed to believers in the Serpukhov Cathedral.

The majestic royal doors of the main altar are crowned with an arched canopy, on which are located the icons of Holy Week: the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, the betrayal of Judas, the unjust judgment of the worldly ruler, the Crucifixion, burial and, finally, the Holy Resurrection.
But not only painting and architecture were revived in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas Bely: full-fledged parish life was also restored here. Today the cathedral has a public library, and there are two Sunday schools: for children and for adults. The clergy of the cathedral takes care of the Serpukhov Military Institute, a pre-trial detention center and an orphanage and boarding school, pedagogical and humanitarian colleges.
In the cathedral there is a miraculous image of the Mother of God “Helping Childbirth”, before which prayers are performed with an akathist compiled by the rector of the cathedral, Archpriest Vladimir Andreev, as well as locally revered images of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Great Martyr Panteleimon, the Martyr Bonifatius, the new martyrs and confessors of Serpukhov.
The image of the Mother of God “Seeking the Lost” is especially loved and revered in the city. In 2002, the tradition was restored from July 23 to August 23 to perform religious processions in all monasteries and churches of the city with this image of the Mother of God.
On July 12, 2005, Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna visited Serpukhov, where the solemn consecration of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas Bely took place. The path to the cathedral, which Vladyka Yuvenaly stepped on, was a continuous flower carpet. At 9 o'clock in the morning the cathedral bell announced to those gathered about the beginning of the Great Consecration of the Cathedral. Ancient Serpukhov, called “Holy City” in the chronicles, will not remember such an event. Five thrones were consecrated at once! The main one is Nikolsky, and four side chapels: in the name of the icon of the Mother of God “Helping Childbirth”, St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, St. Kirill of Beloezersk and the new martyrs and confessors of Serpukhov. Concelebrating with the Metropolitan were Archbishop Gregory of Mozhaisk, Bishop Joseph of Birobidzhan and Kuldur, Bishop Tikhon of Vidnovsky, abbots of monasteries and deans of the Moscow Diocese.
Vladyka Yuvenaly conveyed to those gathered the greetings of the Primate of the Russian Church, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II, and thanked the rector of the cathedral, Archpriest Vladimir Andreev, and the parishioners of the cathedral for their efforts. The Bishop blessed the Head of the city, Pavel Zhdanov, with the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and expressed gratitude for caring for the needs of the Serpukhovite believers and restoring the cathedral.
By this time, all the clergy of the Serpukhov deanery and believers who prayed in their parishes on the day of the Apostles Peter and Paul had gathered. A religious procession took place along Sovetskaya Street with banners and icons brought from the churches and monasteries of Serpukhov. It ended with the official ceremony of naming the main square of the city after the Serpukhov prince Vladimir Andreevich the Brave, hero of the Battle of Kulikovo, associate of St. Prince Dimitry Donskoy. The Metropolitan and the Head of the city, in front of a large gathering of Serpukhovites and guests of the city, removed the veil from the memorial sign topped with a cross “In honor of the celebration of the 625th anniversary of the victory of Russian troops in the Battle of Kulikovo.” In the speech of Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna, addressed to those gathered in the square, words were heard that were joyful for everyone who loves Serpukhov: “The city is unrecognizable, it has been renewed and rejuvenated in recent years.”
A few days later, on July 28 - the day of memory of Prince Vladimir the Brave of Serpukhov, grandiose celebrations dedicated to the 625th anniversary of the victory on the Kulikovo Field continued in Serpukhov. On this day, a Patriarchal service took place in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Bely. Concelebrating with His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II were Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsa and Kolomna, Archbishops Abel of Lublin and Kholm, Gregory of Mozhaisk, Arseny of Istra, Bishops of Birobidzhan and Kuldur Joseph, Ilian (Vostryakov), Vidnovsky Tikhon, and representatives of the clergy. At the end of the solemn service, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy addressed those gathered with the First Hierarchical word and presented church awards (Order of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow, III degree) to the rector of the Serpukhov Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Bely, Archpriest Vladimir Andreev, and the head of the city of Serpukhov, P. V. Zhdanov.
Then a solemn religious procession took place along the central streets of the city to Cathedral Hill, to the Vysotsky Monastery. At the monastery, the Patriarch served a funeral litany in memory of the fallen soldiers and consecrated the banner of the military-patriotic club named after Vladimir the Brave. In the afternoon, Alexy II visited the Vvedensky Vladychny Convent, where he venerated the relics of the founder of the monastery, St. Varlaam, and addressed words of greeting to the nuns of the monastery.
In the evening, His Holiness met with the city public at the Trud stadium. Those who arrived for the meeting, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II and Metropolitan Juvenal, were met by the Governor of the Moscow Region, Boris Gromov. His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II addressed the audience with a special word, noting that it was a great joy for him to visit Serpukhov again. “Your ancient city occupies a special place in the celebration of the victory on the Kulikovo Field - this outstanding event in Russian history,” said His Holiness. The Patriarch noted that Prince Vladimir the Brave of Serpukhov is known not only as a warrior, but also as a man of prayer who built churches and monasteries. “There are many Orthodox shrines in Serpukhov, and this is evidence for us that for centuries people lived by the Orthodox faith, drew strength from it when they went to defend the Fatherland,” Alexy II emphasized, “and today the people are returning to the faith of their fathers, and with faith comes hope and love.”