History of the Holy Trinity Church in Khokhla

For a long time in Russia the Holy Trinity was worshiped . When the light of Orthodoxy shone over the expanses of the Russian land, the first temples that appeared were consecrated in Her honor. This image inspired the creation of masterpieces of outstanding icon painters, the most striking of which was Andrei Rublev. He also strengthened many ascetics of monasticism. This story is dedicated to the history of the Moscow church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity in Khokhla.

The first mention of the temple

The exact date of its construction is unknown, but the documents mentioning it are stored in historical archive files. The earliest of these is the Census Book, dated 1638. It details the names of the clergy of the church and the most important parishioners, but there is no information about whether the stone was a building or a wooden one.

In the next document, known as the Building Book (1657), there is already a mention of the brick church of the Holy Trinity. In it, as in the previous one, there is a list of clergymen and parishioners. At the same time, their names are listed in strict accordance with the social situation, or, as they said in the old days, "according to ranks."

Financial problems and assistance from donors

A later document dated 1673 testifies to the reconstruction of the Holy Trinity Church in Khokhla, the necessity of which arose because of the collapse of the altar and the altar. In his letter, the abbot appeals to the donor who is unknown to us with a request for financial assistance. He describes in detail all the burdensome expenses and complains that he can not repay the debt taken to repay them. According to him, the Emperor personally instructed to show diligence in the construction, and released only a third of the funds.

Significant work on the reconstruction of the Holy Trinity Church in Khokhla was also carried out in 1696. In this case there were no financial difficulties. The expenses were taken by the native wife of the first wife of Peter the Great, Evdokia Lopukhina - Evdokia Chirikov (nee Lopukhina). Such a generous sacrifice was sent to her in remembrance of her own daughter, who died one year before.

In general, the Lord often sent generous donors to this temple. One of them was EI Ukraintsev, who held a very prominent position in the Posolsky Order. His house was located next to the church and connected to it with a covered wooden crossing. Thanks to the contribution of Ukraintsev, at the beginning of the 18th century a church built in the Moscow Baroque style acquired an updated and festive look.

The brick walls of the Holy Trinity Church in Khokhla were decorated with decorative carved ornaments, very much in harmony with the architectural composition typical of the temple architecture of that era. By the way, and the covered gallery, leading to the house of the main donor, was not something new for Moscow of the XVIII century. Similar transitions, made of stone, were built before and were quite traditional.

Fire, destruction and new benefactors

In 1737 the capital was covered by a fire that destroyed a significant part of the buildings. It was severely damaged by fire and the building of the Holy Trinity Church in Khokhla. From the testimonies of eyewitnesses of the disaster it is known that the damage was caused both to the external lining of the walls and to their interior decoration. By a lucky chance, ancient thrones have been preserved. Immediately began the restoration of the church. And in this case, there were numerous voluntary donors.

Among them was Prince MM Golitsyn. After the death of EI Ukraintsev, he became the owner of his house and made a major contribution to the reconstruction of the temple. In the following years, the Holy Trinity Church in Khokhla, the photo of which is given in this article, was the object of the care of many outstanding people who showed themselves to be true patriots and champions of Orthodoxy.

The fate of the temple in the XX century

In the years of general atheistic frenzy, the church shared the fate of most of the churches and monasteries of Russia. In 1922, everything that, according to the authorities, was of value was seized. There was, in fact, his looting. In the thirties, along with other Moscow shrines, the Holy Trinity Church in Khokhla was also closed. Photos of the monastery of those years are also presented on our page.

Only with the onset of the changes caused by perestroika, it was returned to the believers, and its active revival began. Today, at last, the doors of the Holy Trinity Church in Khokhla are widely opened. Address it: Moscow, Khokhlovsky per., 2. Arriving in the capital, do not forget to visit this wonderful monument of antiquity.