Surely, many residents of Moscow and the Moscow region have heard about where the Temple of the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God is located in Chertanovo. This building adorns the area with dignity and also serves as a wonderful landmark, especially for Orthodox believers.
History of the Church of the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God
In 1997, not far from Chertanovsky Pond, the Moscow hierarchy decided to build a church. Small in size, the wooden church required more space, since the number of parishioners did not fit. In this regard, it was decided to increase the size of the church. In 2001, construction began on a brick building, which had a completely different architectural style.
During the twelve-year construction of the temple, the design and drawings were repeatedly changed for one reason or another. Ultimately, the erected church appeared in all its glory before those who came to the illumination. The cathedral of five chapters and three chapels gracefully towered over the city landscape.
There are legends associated with the construction of the temple that go back to 1917. After the abdication of the throne by the last representative of the Romanov family, one Orthodox believer saw in a dream the image of the Mother of God, who ordered to make a red one out of a large black icon.
Having understood God’s sign, she hurried to the Ascension Cathedral, where she told the ministers everything. After a long search, they found in one of the basements of the Cathedral a large icon, black with soot, and after washing it, they saw the Mother of God in a red robe, holding a scepter in her hands, with the baby Jesus sitting on her lap. It is the “Sovereign” icon that is the greatest value of the temple.
Russia could be called the Mother of God country. The mercy of the Queen of Heaven Herself on our earth made it possible that about five hundred names of Her holy icons were revealed in Russia. But no matter how many icons we have and no matter how different their names are, which come mainly from the names of the places where they were revealed, they are all images of the same One Mother of God. And it is not by chance, but deeply natural, that the first community in the name of the icon of the Mother of God, called “Sovereign”, appeared in the Holy Land of Tauris, with the blessing of the Lord of Simferopol and Crimean Lazarus, precisely in the Sevastopol deanery, in the deanery of the legendary city, which became a symbol of national glory and military valor.
The sovereign icon of the Mother of God appeared on March 2/15, 1917 in the village of Kolomenskoye near Moscow. On April 13, the peasant woman Evdokia Adrianova, living in the village of Pererva, Borovitsky district, Zhiroshkinsky volost, heard a voice in her dream: “There is a large black icon in the village of Kolomenskoye, you need to take it, make it red, let them pray.” The second time, on April 26, Evdokia saw a white church in a dream, and inside she recognized the Queen of Heaven, in the form of a majestic woman sitting in the temple. Adrianova did not see the face of the Mother of God, but she guessed in her heart who it was. Having fasted and been honored to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, Evdokia went to Kolomenskoye. On March 2/15, 1917, she found the church she had seen in her dream. The rector of the temple, Father Nikolai Likhachev, began searching for the icon together with Evdokia. Not finding anything similar in the temple of Fr. Nikolai offered to inspect the basement. There they chose a large icon, covered with centuries-old dust. They washed it, and on the board there clearly appeared an image of the Mother of God sitting on a throne. The Christ Child on Her knees extended his hand to bless. The Lady held a scepter in one hand, an orb in the other, there was a crown on Her head, a red porphyry robe on Her shoulders was lined with green with an unusually stern face, the Mother of God had a regal appearance. Adrianova recognized this icon as something she had seen in a dream. At her request, the priest immediately served a prayer service with an akathist in front of the icon. The rumor about the newly found image quickly spread, and pilgrims flocked to the Queen of Heaven not only from Kolomenskoye but also from Moscow and other places. The icon arrived at the Martha and Mary Convent, where it was greeted with special triumph by the Grand Duchess, the future holy martyr Elizabeth and other sisters. According to some information, it was established that the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God until 1812 belonged to the Ascension Convent in Moscow. In the year of Napoleon's invasion, it was hidden in the village of Kolomenskoye and, probably, forgotten there for 105 years, until it revealed itself at the time appointed by the Lord God. The holiday in honor of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, called “Sovereign”, is celebrated on March 2/15. Near Sevastopol, in the village of Andreevka, a temple and community in the name of the “Sovereign” Icon of the Mother of God was registered in 1998. Since then, its rector has been Priest Alexey Bondarenko. Father Alexey and the parishioners of the young community not only turned the premises of a former store, given over to the temple, into a real Church of God with a dome and a small plot of land, but also organized parish life. In the summer, Orthodox children's camps were held several times, pilgrimage trips to the holy historical and patriotic places of Sevastopol and Crimea were held, and exhibitions of children's Orthodox drawings and photographs were held together with the republican fund "Art in the Name of Christ". Author of the article G.K. Kogonashvili.
There is a pilgrimage service at our temple
Pilgrimage service website
Architecture and interior decoration of the temple
The author who created the project for the Temple of the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God in Chertanovo was I. N. Voskresensky. The building itself is two-story. Each floor divides the temple into the so-called Lower Temple and Upper Temple.
After the temple was fully equipped, it was decided that the Upper Temple stele would be the place where only one, but the most important pearl of this place would be located - the “Sovereign” icon. The lower floor of the temple, also known as the Lower Temple, is dedicated to the holy passion-bearers - Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra and their son, Tsarevich Alexy, as well as the princesses Tatiana, Olga, Anastasia and Maria.
History of the temple
The name of the territorial area comes from the name of the village of Chertanovo, which was located here earlier and only in 1960 became part of the city. This area was located on the banks of the Chertanovka River, the waters of which are now diverted to the Moscow River. Over time, this began to be the name of the street on which the functioning wooden church of the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God in Chertanovo is located.
This building was built in 1997 on the initiative of the Orthodox community of the region. Since the population of the capital is not small, the number of parishioners also grew. Soon the question of expansion arose and a general decision was made to begin construction of a stone temple. In 2002, construction began on a large two-tier building with five tents.
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The upper church was named in honor of the “Sovereign” icon of Our Lady, and the lower one in honor of the passion-bearers:
- Queen Alexandra,
- Tsar Nicholas,
- Tsarevich Alexy,
- Princess Olga,
- Princess Tatiana,
- Princess Maria,
- Princess Anastasia.
What shrines are located in the Church of the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God
In addition to the main icon, there are other, no less important and significant exhibits of Orthodox history. The temple houses the relics of the Great Martyr Anastasia the Pattern Maker within its walls. Many people come to the Ark with a piece of her relics to ask for health and well-being.
Right there, in the church, you can kneel before a fragment of the relics of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle.
Shrines
There is also an additional throne in honor of the righteous John of Kronstadt. In addition to its beauty, this temple is also famous for some of the shrines that are located here:
- icon with part of the relics of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called,
- ark with parts of the relics of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia the Pattern Maker.
In addition, here are posted:
- icon of Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna with a particle of relics,
- icon of the Elders of Optina with particles of relics,
- a piece of the coffin of Matrona of Moscow.
Work on this building was completed and commissioning was carried out in 2013. The author of the project was such a famous architect as I.N. Voskresensky.
Schedule of services
The laity can come to the service on any day of the week. The morning Divine Liturgy begins at 9 a.m., the evening service begins at 5 p.m. and includes the rite of confession.
On days when great holidays come, the morning Divine Liturgy takes place at an earlier hour, starting at 7:00. On weekends, the Sacrament of Baptism takes place in the church.
The service in the church is conducted by Abbot Mitrofan, Archpriests Sergei Minaev and Viktor Gusev, priests: Sergei Isachenko, Vladimir Ustinov, Mikhail Plotnikov, and Deacon Nikolai Ignatov.
Church of the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God in Chertanovo, Moscow
The main shrine is the “Sovereign” icon of the Most Pure Mother of God; in addition, the relics of St. Andrew the First-Called and the Venerable Great Martyr Anastasia are kept here.
History of construction
The Chertanovo area is located in the south of the capital; it entered the city limits in 1960. The area received its name from a small village located here since the 18th century. The construction of the “Sovereign” Cathedral in Chertanovo was preceded by an amazing story.
- In the early 90s, at the site where the brick church stands today, a resident of the area repeatedly observed a bright glow. The sign prompted the righteous woman to organize an Orthodox community, which was able to persuade the city authorities to allocate a place for the construction of a religious building.
- Construction of the wooden cathedral of the “Sovereign” Icon of the Mother of God began in 1997, and in the same year it was solemnly consecrated. It soon became clear that the newly built church-chapel could not accommodate all the believers who wanted to participate in the services.
- In 2001, the first stone of a brick two-tier church was laid, construction was completed in 2013. Throughout the entire period of work, the drawings were changed several times. At the end, an elegant five-domed cathedral, consisting of three chapels, appeared before the clergy and community.
- The architecture of religious buildings combines well fragments of different heights, slender tents with low and oversized roofs, as well as straight lines with curved outlines. The harmonious church seats 1,500 parishioners and is considered the most spacious religious building in Moscow.
The name of the church is associated with the event of the appearance of this miraculous image near the settlement of Kolomenskoye.
- On the day when the last Tsar of Russia abdicated the throne (1917), a righteous parishioner in a dream heard a command to make a large black icon red. In another dream, she saw a snow-white church with the Mother of God sitting on the building. The peasant woman, understanding the omen, went to the Ascension Cathedral.
- In the basement of the temple, the brethren found the necessary holy face, which seemed black from a large layer of basement dirt. After washing, the image of the Mother of God with a scepter and orb in her right hands, with a majestic crown on her head, shone on the icon. The robes of the Most Pure Virgin were red, and the infant Christ sat on her knees. Since that time, the face has been kept in the Ascension Cathedral, and a copy is kept in the Chertanovsky Church.
On a note! The “sovereign” icon is the main shrine of the cathedral. Since its discovery, the Holy Face has been the patron of Russian rulers. It heals serious illnesses, helps overcome life's difficulties and financial problems. Before the Heavenly Queen they pray for peace in the state and the absence of wars, and also ask to pacify anger and absurd enmity.
Current activity
In 2021, work is underway to decorate the interior. Work on two iconostases for additional (side) extensions is almost complete. The final part of the decoration is coming to the parish house, where the prosphora, Orthodox schools, assembly hall and office will be located.
- Abbot Mitrofan, together with volunteers, makes various donations for a drug treatment clinic, an orphanage and kindergartens.
- The parish runs a Sunday school, and pilgrims often go on trips to holy places.
- Within the walls of the temple there is a charity canteen where disadvantaged and weak people receive hot food. The tradition has been preserved for 15 years, but initially the tables were outdoors.
Articles about the “Sovereign” icon:
Since 2004, there has been a family choir at the church, which is considered an important component of parish life. He takes part in worship services every week, and also congratulates veterans, orphans and disabled people in the relevant organizations where the community sends donations.
How to get there
The Church of the “Sovereign” Icon is located in the capital, at the address: st. Chertanovskaya, house No. 2 (building 2).
The cathedral opens its gates for the laity every day, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated at 9:00, and at 19:00 an evening service with the rite of confession takes place.
The Sacrament of Baptism is performed on weekends.
To get to the “Derzhavny” temple, you should take trams No. 1 (No. 16) or buses No. 28 (No. 189) from the Chertanovskaya metro station to the Sumskoy proezd stop. The temple is located a hundred meters from the road, to the left of it there is a large pond.
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The construction of the Cathedral of the “Sovereign” Icon was accompanied by a miraculous sign. The Moscow clergy allowed the construction of first a wooden and then a brick church in Chertanovo. Today the parish is active in social activities, helping orphans and the poor; Orthodox services are held here daily.
How to get to the Temple of the Sovereign Icon in Chertanovo
The temple is located at the address: Moscow, Chertanovskaya street building 2, building 2. You can get to the temple by public transport by first taking the metro to Chertanovskaya station, then transfer to tram No. 1 or No. 16, if you need to get there faster, you can change to bus No. 28 or No. 189 and go to the “Sumskoy proezd” stop. You will need to walk about a hundred meters from the road. The beautiful area will be visible even on the way from the bus window.
To visit the Temple of the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God in Chertanovo means to learn better the history of your state, as well as to plunge into the world where the secrets of the Christian pillars are located.
Schedule and address
The Memorial Day of the Church of the Sovereign Mother of God in Chertanovo is considered March 2/15. A Sunday school for adults and children was also opened at the temple. The temple is open daily from 08.00 to 19.00. everyone can visit it at the address: Moscow, Chertanovskaya street 2, building 2. And those who have the skills to use the Internet can go to the website derzhavnaya.ru, where they will find all the information they are interested in, ask a question and receive an answer from “ firsthand."
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For feedback, you can use the phone or email. The website also contains a schedule of services for the Church of the Sovereign Icon in Chertanovo. But often they happen every day like this:
- 09.00 – Divine Liturgy,
- 17.00 – Evening service. During it, confession is held. The baptism ceremony for adults and children is carried out on Saturdays and Sundays.
If you decide to come and have a look, you can do it this way: get to the Chertanovskaya metro station, and then take tram number 1 or 16, or bus numbers 28, 189, 222, 671 to the Sumskoy proezd stop. If you have any questions about the route, ask anyone and they will tell you the way.
The Lord is always with you!
