The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in Veshnyak: history and modernity

Among the religious buildings of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Eastern Administrative District of the capital, a temple is built, built in the best traditions of "tent" architecture. Merry gilded in the summer sky its domes, crowned with crosses, and with pleasure passers-by are admiring the blue domes of the chapels, on which the stars sparkle, so similar to the real ones.

General information

The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Veshnyaki - it is about him that will be discussed in this article. He belongs to the institutions of the Transfiguration deanery and is located in the department of the city diocese of Moscow. The church is large enough, it has several thrones. Since its name is the temple of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (in Veshnyaki), the main one in the lower building is consecrated in honor of this very event, which is important for every believer. The chapel belongs to him - in honor of Sergius of Radonezh. This saint is extremely loved and deeply esteemed in Russia from antiquity to the present day. The upper church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in Veshnyak has a throne consecrated in honor of the "voiceless Sunday" - the holiday preceding the opening of the Jerusalem church of the Holy Sepulcher. It is celebrated on September 26 (or 13th in the old style). Its southern limit is dedicated to St. Nicholas, the northern one to Ilya the prophet, the central one to the martyr Tatiana. The church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Veshnyaki is also famous for its cemetery, on one of the avenues of which there is a special monument: an ancient wooden cross erected in memory of all the soldiers who have folded their heads for faith, the tsar, the people and the Fatherland.

Historical places

In the Middle Ages, Veshnyak called the semi-populated area on the eastern outskirts of Moscow. Once there was a dense tract. In the 15th century, a settlement is being built here, where the Sheremetev Princes fighters live, collecting honey of wild bees and slowly domesticating these useful insects. It is with the owners of the estate that the history of the church begins. The first building of it belongs to the 17th century (1644-1646). It was done on the orders of Prince Fedor Ivanovich, who gave the corresponding vow. He tried that the choir of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, created during the parish, eclipsed the district and "glorified the angels" glorified the Lord and His mercy. Later, the prince took off his high authority, which he occupied in the Russian government, and went into monasticism, giving up his worldly life.

Reorganization

The building was rebuilt several times, landscaped, brought under changing canons of beauty of church styles. Originally the foundation of the temple was the traditional Russian architecture podklet (a kind of first non-residential floor, adapted for household needs). Around it there was an open gallery on three sides, and the roof was crowned with multifaceted pyramids - tents (hence the tent style). In this form, the parish of the Church of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos existed for almost a decade. Then the owners of Veshnyakov together with the clergymen of the church decided to expand it by building symmetrical, tent-crowned chapels. This required the highest permission of the Patriarch of Moscow himself. Nikon, who held this post in 1655, did not give permission, but ordered the building to be rebuilt with domes, removing all tents. Already at the end of the 17th century a bell tower was built for the church, crowned with a spire. Up to the 20th century, restoration and reorganization were carried out several times. And the cemetery has grown enormously, becoming the resting place not only of Veshnyakovites, but also of the inhabitants of the majority of neighboring villages. And the village itself over time has become a major suburb.

The property of the temple

The photos of the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotoken shown in the article show how magnificent and beautiful he looks now. But we do not know how splendid its decoration was from the inside, while the church operated until its closure in the Soviet period (from 1922). The walls of the temple were painted by the great Ivan Petrovich Argunov, serf artist of the princes Sheremetevs. He, by the way, wrote famous icons for the home church (Tsarskoe Selo) of Catherine I, who ruled after Peter. His most famous works are Portrait of Catherine II and Portrait of a Peasant Woman in a Russian National Costume. As for the inner walls of the temple, then, according to contemporaries, scenes from Holy Scripture, biblical subjects, icons created by Argunov, showed the extraordinary talent of the painter and instilled true Christian feelings. Unfortunately, there is not much left of them. Also, the Bolsheviks practically ruined the collection of church values: precious vessels and bowls adorned with gems - donations of eminent parishioners; Many icons disappeared in expensive salaries, a tabernacle, an ancient priceless gospel and other objects of worship. However, this is no wonder, because the building was taken to the repair shops. And only after the Great Patriotic War the parish again accepted its parishioners. During the restoration and search works the temple was restored, some icons were found, the bell tower was repaired.

The House of God today

At present, the Veshnyakov church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is one of the objects of the cultural heritage of the Russian Federation. There is a Sunday school for children and adults at the church. A religious magazine "Holy Spring" is published, preaching and enlightening. Every day there are divine services, solemn Liturgies and other church services.