The Church of Simeon the Stylite is a temple from the early 17th century, miraculously preserved in the center of Moscow. This white stone building against the backdrop of the Arbat high-rises looks quite small, one might say, like a toy. It's hard to believe that in the last century it almost became a victim of the construction boom in the center of the capital.
They began to dismantle the temple, the domes were removed from it and excavators were brought in. But it was not the chief architect of Moscow who saved the temple, but the restorer Leonid Ivanovich Antropov. He jumped into the bucket of an excavator and demanded that the temple be included in the List of State-Protected Monuments. The restorer did not leave the excavator until he saw the signed document placing the building under state protection. So he prevented an act of vandalism. It should be noted that through the efforts of Leonid Antropov, many architectural monuments of Moscow were saved.
The Church of Simeon the Stylite is a unique temple; many historical figures were married there, and famous Russian writers were parishioners. So, here in 1801, Count Nikolai Sheremetyev married the serf actress Praskovya Kovaleva (Zhemchugova).
Story
The Temple of Simeon the Stylite beyond the Yauza River was built in 1600 by order of Boris Godunov. As you know, he ascended the throne on September 1, 1598, the day when Simeon the Stylite is remembered. According to some historians, it was for this reason that the king ordered the construction of a church in his honor. Initially, it was built of wood, but according to the Scribe Book, the Simeon Temple was mentioned as a stone one already at the end of the 17th century.
In 1731, the reconstruction of the church began at the expense of donors, but before that, Holy Father Peter Nikonov turned on behalf of the parishioners to Empress Anna Ioannovna for permission to begin work. After receiving it, according to the records preserved in the church archives, in November of the same year the chapel was consecrated in the name of St. Nicholas. Two years later, the main altar of the Temple of Simeon the Stylite beyond the Yauza River was consecrated.
Velikiy Novgorod.
year 2014.
Church of Simeon the God-Receiver. Postcard con. XIX - early XX centuries
year 2014.
“In the summer of 6975 (1467) there was a pestilence in Pskov and Novigorod and in the Novgorod volost; and erected the church of the tree of Saint Semeon the God-Receiver in the Menagerie, but in a new place, one day...". (Fourth Novgorod Chronicle)
“And in that spring of the month of June of the same summer, the church was built on the stone of Semeon the God-Receiver, and dedicated to the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God, on the 1st day of October, in memory of the holy Apostle Ananias, by the command and diligence of the Archbishop of Veliky Novagorod and Pskov, Bishop Jonah and all of Veliky Novagorod in glory to God and His saints." (Chronicle of Abraham)
Zverin Monastery. View from the Volkhov River. Postcard con. XIX - early XX centuries
The Church of Simeon the God-Receiver was built in 1468 in the Pokrovsky Zverin Monastery, located on the Sophia side of Novgorod, north of the rampart of the Okolny City. The Pokrovsky monastery is named after the main church of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary, Zverin - after the place that existed here in the 11th century. a menagerie, that is, reserved lands for princely hunting. The date of foundation of the monastery is unknown; chronicles first mention it in 1148 in connection with a fire in which the wooden Church of the Intercession was destroyed.
Zverin Monastery. View from the south. Postcard con. XIX - early XX centuries
year 2014.
The most ancient temple from the surviving complex of buildings of the Zverin Monastery is the Church of the Intercession, erected in stone in 1399; later it was rebuilt and renovated several times. The church was restored in the 1970s. in the forms of the 17th century. while preserving the original elements, including the decor of the 14th century. In 1899-1901 on the site of the western aisle of the church, a large five-domed stone Intercession Cathedral was erected.
Panorama of the temples of the Zverin Monastery from the southeast.
To the north of Pokrovskaya there is the Church of Simeon the God-Receiver, a votive church built on the site of a wooden ordinary (one-day) church. Written sources - chronicles and graffiti on the eastern wall of the deacon - tell in detail about the events related to the construction of the church. In 1466, the “mortem or iron plague” began on Novgorod land (Second Novgorod Chronicle) - a severe plague epidemic that claimed the lives of about 56,000 townspeople. During a mournful prayer, Archbishop Jonah heard a voice commanding the construction of a church in the Zverin Monastery within one day, where a small mass grave was built for the burial of the townspeople who died from the plague.
From the St. Sophia Cathedral to the Zverin Monastery, where the icon of St. Simeon the God-Receiver, on October 1, 1467, a religious procession was held. In honor of this saint, Bishop Jonah consecrated the temple erected by the Novgorodians on one day. By March the epidemic had stopped, and the following year the wooden church was replaced with a stone one. Soon after this, the temple was painted. The Church of Simeon the God-Receiver is the last surviving dated monument from the period of Novgorod independence. The temple is a typical building of its time, when architecture followed the path of creating miniature chamber churches. The small volume, intended for sparsely populated monastic services, is distinguished by its integrity and compactness.
The church was built of brick, without using local stone, which was a new word in the Novgorod building tradition. This is a rectangular building with a strongly protruding high semicircular apse, a dynamic eight-slope roof and one massive light dome, expanding towards the bottom. Adjacent to the main volume from the west is a two-story stone extension, which appeared in the 19th century. in place of a wooden porch. With narrow blades, tied in the upper part by a multi-blade arch, the facades of the church are divided into three sections: approximately equal narrow side sections and a wide central one.
Fragment of the southern facade.
The windows of the high drum are decorated with edges with a jagged belt, above there are decorative belts of a curb (a frieze made of protruding corners of bricks embedded in the masonry), a runner (a row of bricks placed on the edge) and arches. The facades are decorated with edges with crenellations above the windows, in the upper part - alternating belts of runner and curb, the upper part of the apse is also decorated with a belt of runner. In a niche located in the upper part of the southern wall, an image of St. Simeon the God-Receiver with the Child Christ in his arms. The temple has a sub-church, separated from the main volume by a flat interfloor ceiling. The boundary of the tiers on the facade is not expressed; the church is perceived as a single vertically oriented volume. In the sub-church, four pillars have a square cross-section, while in the main volume the western supports are rounded to the height of human height, and the eastern ones, on the western edges of which the iconostasis was located, are only from the east; above all the supports acquire a square cross-section.
Altar part. Photo by E.V. Gordyushenkov.
Over the centuries, the church was repeatedly repaired and renovated. A few years after its construction, in 1471, during the approach of the troops of Ivan III, “a new church of the Holy Semyon Ogor was built in Menagerie” (Fourth Novgorod Chronicle). Serious renovation work was carried out at the end of the 17th-19th centuries.
View from the south before restoration.
Revealing and restoration of drum decor.
During the Great Patriotic War, as a result of the bombing, the roofs, window and door fillings were damaged and partially destroyed, and the interfloor ceilings were dismantled. A set of research, repair and restoration work was carried out in 1960-1970. under the leadership of G. M. Shtender. The monument was restored to its original date with the preservation of some later elements: the completion of the facades was made in the forms of the 17th century, the chapters - of the 18th century; the 19th-century western extension has been preserved.
During the work, all windows, portals, decor were opened or restored, the communication system and interfloor ceilings were restored, engineering reinforcement was carried out, and heating was installed; In the main volume of the church, a brick floor was laid, and the late choirs were dismantled. Numerous repairs also affected the ancient murals. The painting was completed in 1654 and 1771; in 1845, the temple was completely painted with glue paints, with a change in the iconographic program. Test clearings were carried out in 1923 by Moscow restorer P.I. Yukin, and this work was continued in the post-war period. In the 1970s restoration artists from the Novgorod restoration workshop uncovered and strengthened the 15th-century paintings, preserving layers of painting from the 17th and 19th centuries in places of loss.
Painting of the northern wall. XIX century. View before restoration.
Painting of the southern wall. XIX century. View before restoration.
Painting of the southern wall. View after restoration.
The decoration of the upper zone is quite traditional: in the skufia of the dome there is a medallion with a chest-length image of Christ Pantocrator; in the upper tier of the drum there are full-length archangels and seraphim (layer of 17th century painting).
Dome. Christ Pantocrator. Photo by E.V. Gordyushenkov.
In the second register there are full-length figures of the forefathers: between the northern and eastern windows are Adam and Eve, between the eastern and southern windows are young Abel and Noah with the ark; on the other side of the south window are Abraham and Isaac, on the north-west wall are young Jacob and Seth with a disk symbolizing the Universe.
Drum. Forefathers Jacob and Seth. Photo by E.V. Gordyushenkov.
At the base of the drum are twelve half-figures of prophets. The sails depict evangelists seated against the background of the chambers (in the southwestern sail there is a painting from the 19th century).
Apse. Composition "Fatherland". XIX century.
The altar painting was damaged to a greater extent; the main part of the compositions was either completely rewritten in 1845 (the composition “Fatherland” in the conch, medallion images), or with partial additions (five figures of saints). On the slopes of the arch in front of the apse, the original images of the largest figures in the temple have been preserved - full-length high priests; below, archdeacons are placed on the shoulder blades.
The mural ensemble of the main part of the temple belongs to the rarest type of temple decoration: the composition of its images is built on the basis of a month book (“Menology”) or a calendar: the frontal half-figures of saints in registers and medallions are located in the calendar sequence of festive services and days of remembrance of saints of the annual menaion cycle.
The authors of the painting depicted the scale of the terrible disaster that befell the Novgorodians during these years by creating a monument - a memorial, an annual commemoration of those who died during the epidemic. The painting belts connected with the icons of the altar barrier, forming a single whole with them.
The ensemble of paintings retained almost the complete original composition of the images - in total there were about 400 half-length figures and 33 full-length figures in the temple; about twenty images have preserved signatures with partial losses under the records of the 17th century. Events of the Christological and Theotokos cycle (great feasts of the church calendar) are indicated by the figures of Christ or the Mother of God.
Reading the month book begins on September 1 (all dates are given according to the old style) in the southern part; then the annual cycle unfolds clockwise, going down the walls and faces of the pillars. Among the most famous saints, the half-figures of Simeon the Stylite in the brow of the southern girth arch are recognizable, paired with the young martyr Mamant (September 1 and 2), between the images of the evangelists Matthew and Mark.
Brow of the southern girth arch. Simeon the Stylite and the Martyr Mamant. Photo by E.V. Gordyushenkov.
Southeast sail. Evangelist Matthew. Photo by E.V. Gordyushenkov.
The Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (September 8) is marked by the half-figure of the Mother of God - the first from the west on the girth arch. Saint John the Evangelist (September 26) is depicted in the lunette of the southern wall (the easternmost half-figure of the lower belt). Images illustrating October were located on the western wall, but almost all of them were lost due to the construction in the 18th century. in this part of the church there is a choir.
November opens on the brow of the northern girth arch with images of the healers Cosmas and Damian; further, among the images in the lunette, the second half-figure from the west in the upper belt is the Virgin Mary, denoting the feast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the temple (November 21); the extreme eastern half-figure of the lower belt is the Apostle Andrew.
North wall. Apostle Andrew. South wall. Martyr Tatiana. North wall. Alexy Man of God. Photo by E.V. Gordyushenkov.
December is illustrated in the eastern part. Among the figures on the southern slope of the girth arch, St. Nicholas is recognizable (December 6). The January reading begins in the middle zone of the southern wall: the eastern half-figure of the upper belt is St. Basil the Great; in the middle belt among the half-figures is Baptism (the Savior with a cross-shaped halo); the westernmost half-figure of the lower belt is the martyr Tatiana. Next, the month unfolds in the upper zone of the southwestern pillar: on the eastern plane in the lower zone is St. Maximus the Confessor, next to him is the Apostle Timothy. February, with temple holidays, is illustrated in the upper zone of the southwestern compartment: on the eastern slope of the western girth arch of the southwestern pillar - a full-length figure of the Virgin and Child - the Presentation of the Lord; nearby, on the quarter vault, was given the figure of St. Simeon the God-Receiver (the image has not survived. The reading of March begins on the northwestern pillar in the upper zone; on the plane adjacent to the northern wall, a group of three half-figures in the upper belt, depicting the forty martyrs of Sebaste, attracts attention Among the figures of the northern wall in the upper belt is Alexy the Man of God, next to him is St. Cyril.
Northwestern pillar. Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. Photo by E.V. Gordyushenkov.
April is illustrated from north to south in the upper zone along the quarter vaults, arches and on the east wall; the images have been preserved with significant losses. The saints whose memorial days fall in May are depicted in the southwestern part: on the southern wall in the lower zone, the first from the east is the righteous Job; in the upper zone, from the west, figures of St. Pelagia, martyrs Irene. On the eastern plane of the southwestern pillar, Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helen are represented (May 21).
Southwestern pillar. Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helen. Photo by E.V. Gordyushenkov.
The June saints are located in the northwestern compartment of the church and on the edges of the northwestern pillar: on the southern plane - righteous Elizabeth with the baby John in her hands, celebrating the Nativity of John the Baptist; on the eastern plane - the healer Paul, the apostle Peter.
Northwestern pillar. Healer Paul, Apostle Peter. Photo by E.V. Gordyushenkov.
Images of saints commemorated in July are located on the round planes of the western pillars: in the southwest - the healers Cosmas and Damian, the Mother of God before the ciborium (feast of the Placing of the Robe of the Mother of God); on the northwestern pillar are Prince Vladimir and the youth Kirik, whose memory is celebrated on the same day, July 15. The reading of the month ends at the altar: on the eastern wall there are images of princes Boris and Gleb.
Southwestern pillar. Healer Kozma.
Southwestern pillar. Healer Damian.
Southwestern pillar. Our Lady in front of the ciborium.
The images on the rounded planes of the eastern pillars correspond to August; among them is the Savior with a cross-shaped halo, whose figure symbolizes the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (on the north-eastern pillar). Figures of saints marking the end of the month are depicted in the deacon: on the southern wall in the upper belt - the Dormition of the Virgin Mary; in the lower belt is the martyr Andrei Stratelates.
A special place in the painting program is occupied by tall figures framing the windows and the portal. On the southern wall to the west of the window, the ktitor - Archbishop John is depicted standing before the Lord, with a model of the church of St. Simeon the God-Receiver created by him.
South wall. Archbishop Jonah.
His role as a supporter of the peaceful overcoming of the crisis that arose in these years between Moscow and Novgorod, and as a spiritual healer, is revealed thanks to the figure of the healer of bodily ailments, St. Christopher, placed opposite, on the northern wall.
North wall. Saint Christopher. Photo by E.V. Gordyushenkov.
Strengthening the theme of reconciliation and spiritual unity, on the southern and northern walls east of the windows there are images of saints especially revered in Novgorod and Moscow - Varlaam of Khutyn and Sergius of Radonezh.
North wall. Saint Sergius of Radonezh. Photo by E.V. Gordyushenkov.
On the western wall on the sides of the entrance there are images of the archangels Michael and Gabriel - formidable guards, personifying the approaching end of the World and reminiscent of the personal readiness of everyone to appear before the throne of the formidable Judge.
Western wall. Archangel Michael.
Western wall. Archangel Gabriel.
The artists' palette includes fairly bright color combinations of green and brown; red and blue colors are used for sonorous decorative accents; Light yellow ocher is the basis for painting the faces and imitates the gold of the halos.
Ornamental friezes dividing calendar cycles. Photo by E.V. Gordyushenkov.
A special role in the painting system is played by ornamental friezes that separate calendar cycles. The upper register of the mural is outlined by a floral pattern consisting of diagonally located and multidirectional leaves framing lily-shaped flowers. The next ornamental belt consists of thin, gracefully climbing stems and small flowers in yellow, green and blue shades and long white stamens on a bluish-gray background. On the pillars where the edges transition into the vaults there is a frieze with ocher and bluish strokes on a red-brown background; the base rounded parts are decorated with diagonal stripes of red-brown, yellow, gray-beige and blue. In the basement area of the naos there is a decorative panel in the form of a white hanging shroud - a “towel” with a stylized ornament.
The window slopes are decorated with floral patterns in bright multicolor colors.
The iconographic program of paintings is unique and unusual for Russian churches. The tradition of depicting the calendar cycle in murals is known in Balkan churches of the 13th-15th centuries, however, in these monuments, the calendar occupies a small part of the internal space, playing a subordinate role in the overall ensemble. The only ensemble that has preserved the iconographic scheme for depicting the saints according to the month is the painting of the church in Cozia, on the territory of Romania, in the 14th century.
Such a complex order was carried out by local craftsmen, the artel of the archbishop's court, who approached both in the technique of writing - using egg tempera, and in the nature of artistic techniques for icon painting. They combined a significant number of unrelated images using a limited set of techniques and iconographic types: based on the dimensional arrangement of half-figures, presented separately or in medallions. The figures with large heads and narrow sloping shoulders are shown somewhat generally; the draperies are made mostly schematically, either with black contour lines or fan-shaped diverging spaces. The faces are interpreted more carefully, the stern and restrained gaze of the saints’ large eyes is directed to the side. The images are organically combined with the small size of the temple - the figures do not seem small and do not give the impression of being cramped, they are quite clearly readable from a distance.
The elitism of the temple is also reflected in its architectural features. The monument, completing the period of independent development of Novgorod architecture, absorbed the most striking features of the architecture of the previous period, and at the same time had a noticeable influence on the further development of local architecture.
T. V. Pinkusova. "Church of Simeon the God-Receiver in the Animal Monastery."
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VELIKIY NOVGOROD. ZVERIN MONASTERY.
SEE ALSO:
New construction
In 1752, a significant event took place in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church - the relics of St. Dmitry Rostovsky. After his canonization, pilgrims from all over the country flocked to the relics. Altars began to be built in churches in his honor, and in churches where the relics of the saint were present, more and more believers grew every day. In Moscow, more than 12 thrones were consecrated in honor of Dmitry of Rostov at that time. In the temple of Simeon the Stylite beyond the Yauza, after receiving the incorruptible relics of the saint, it was decided to make a throne in his honor.
In 1763, cloth manufacturer A.I. Malinkov allocated an impressive amount for a new refectory with two side chapels. The patron also sponsored the construction of a new bell tower. The author of the refectory project was the architect I.M. Nazarov. Construction was completed in 1768, the chapels were consecrated in honor of Dmitry of Rostov and St. Nicholas. However, the construction of the bell tower was postponed for unknown reasons.
Temple in the 18th century
In 1785, a church fence and gate were erected along the perimeter. It is noteworthy that they have survived to this day. Four years later, the construction of a new bell tower is completed, the funds for which were allocated by A.I. Malinkov.
By the end of the 18th century, the church with the main chapel located in it had become quite dilapidated, and the question arose about its repair. The rector of the temple, Nikolai Fedorov, submitted a petition to Metropolitan Platon to reconstruct the church. After some time, the Temple Creation Certificate was received along with the blessing of the Metropolitan.
In 1792, large industrialists I.R. Batashev and S.P. Vasiliev, who were parishioners of the church, allocated the necessary funds for the reconstruction of the temple of St. Simeon the Stylite behind the Yauza. With great changes after this alteration, the church has survived to the present day.
Church of St. and Ave. Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess on Mokhovaya Street
This church, originally wooden, was built, by order of Emperor Peter I, with two altars: the main one, in the name of St. etc. Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess, in honor of the name day of the eldest daughter of Peter the Great, Tsesarevna Anna Petrovna, and the chapel - in the name of Archangel Michael. The founding of the original wooden church, according to existing descriptions of churches in the capital and according to clergy registers, dates back to 1712; but in the report to the Holy Governing Synod of local priests John Panov and John Ivanov with the clergy and parish people in November 1727 about the extreme dilapidation of this church and the need to build a new one in its place, the construction of the original church was dated back to 1714. The same report states that this church was built with the care and care of the Sovereign Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich. The place where the original Simeon Church stood was to the east, 11 fathoms from the altar of the now existing church. It, as can be seen from some documents, was neither spacious nor durable, like the churches erected during the founding of St. Petersburg in general.
In October 1731, a new, now existing, stone church with a wooden dome and the top of a bell tower was founded, by order of Empress Anna Ioannovna, whose namesake was also celebrated on February 3, St. and right. Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess, and another left side chapel was added to the side-chapel of Archangel Michael in the name of St. Ephraim the Syrian, in memory of the birthday of the Most High Slayer of the temple. The time of the founding of this temple is indicated on a copper plaque in the western wall of the temple on the right hand from the entrance to the church with the following words: “In the name of the Lord the foundation of this temple was founded by St. Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess, and two chapels of the Archangel Michael, the second Ephraim the Syrian, were founded by the command of the Most Pious, Autocratic Great Empress Anna Ioannovna, Autocrat of All Russia, in the second summer of the pious power of Her Kingdom in the summer of October 5, 1731 in St. Petersburg.” The new church was built according to the plan of the architect Mikhail Zemtsov and after 2 years the construction was completed. The design of the iconostasis for her is attributed to the work of the Eminence Theophan, and the images in the iconostasis were painted in the amount of 20, by Moscow icon painters Vasily Vasilevsky, whose signature appears on several images, and Andrei Pospelov, who painted St. image and to the Peter and Paul Church in St. Petersburg, on oak boards made of their material with icons of the kindest craftsmanship, according to an agreement concluded with them in February 1731, by decree of Her Imperial Majesty, for the amount of one thousand and forty rubles" (information taken from the files State Archive).
The consecration of the main throne took place on January 27, 1734, with the greatest solemnity, in the presence of the Empress herself. The consecration was attended by: Synodal members His Eminence Theophan, Archbishop of Veliko Novgorod and Veliko Lutsk and Pitirim, Archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod and Alator, His Eminence Hilarion, Archbishop of Kazan and Sviyazhsk, Varlaam, Archbishop of Pskov and Narva, Gabriel, Bishop of Suzdal and Yuryevsk, Georgian - Roman , Metropolitan of Samptauria and Mountains, and Joseph, Archbishop of Sambel. In addition to the bishops, there were: six archimandrites, including the Synodal member of the Novospassky Monastery, Archimandrite Hilarion, and the Trinity Alexander Nevsky Monastery Peter, 4 archpriests, among them were: the Synodal member of the Moscow Annunciation Cathedral, Protopresbyter John Simeonov, St. Petersburg, - Trinity Cathedral John Simeonov, Peter and Paul Cathedral Peter Grigoriev and St. Isaac's Cathedral John of Chednevsky; 8 hieromonks and priests, 3 protodeacons, 36 hierodeacons, deacons and subdeacons, and synodal and bishop choristers with 91 subdeacons. The chapel in the name of St. Ephraim the Syrian was consecrated on the 25th of January of the same January of the Trinity St. Sergius Monastery by Archimandrite Varlaam, Synodal member of the Moscow Annunciation Cathedral, Protopresbyter John Simeonov and other clergy. And the chapel in the name of the Archangel Michael was consecrated on November 8th of the same year by the Synodal members: the Moscow Miracle Monastery of Archimandrites Aaron and the Annunciation Cathedral by Protopresbyter John Simeonov with other clergy. (Taken from the files of the Synodal Archives No. 1229, 1734, February 4th day and November 13th day of the same year).
The Empress considered the newly created temple among the court, often visited it herself and took special care of its splendor. On highly solemn and royal days, the clergy of the capital's churches gathered here for prayers until the opening of the Church of Our Lady of Kazan in 1737, and on the birthdays and namesakes of the Empress, i.e. January 28 and February 3, solemn bishop's services were held in subsequent years until death of the Empress. Since the birth of Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna, later Queen of the Netherlands, and the subsequent assignment of the Order of St. to the Simeon Church. Anna during the reign of Emperor Paul I, bishops' solemn services began to be held there again on February 3 in honor of the royal person's name day, as well as in honor of the cavalry and temple holiday, and were performed until later. The decree of the Holy Governing Synod dated February 19, 1734 on the name of the Simeonovskaya Church is remarkable, but St. and right. Simeon the God-Receiver and St. Anna the Prophetess. This decree says: “By decree of Her Imperial Majesty, the Holy Governing Synod in St. Petersburg, reasoning that, by the special permission of Her Imperial Majesty, a church in the reigning city of St. Petersburg was built again in stone in the name of the holy and righteous Simeon the God-Receiver and St. Anna the Prophetess , which in the current year 1734 is already consecrated according to church rites and the Divine service is performed in it, and on the day of the festival of these saints, that is, February 3rd, there is the name day of Her Imperial Majesty the Most Serene Empress Anna Ioannovna Autocrat of All Russia. And people of all ranks and dignity who are still found in St. Petersburg, some from oblivion, and most, as the Holy Governing Synod thinks, partly from lack of reasoning and from simplicity write in letters, thus, for example: such and such lives or lived at Simeonovskaya churches, and in verbal conversations they repeatedly say that either he went, or was, or will be at the Simeon Church, and so on, and so on, but those whose names that church is consecrated with an explanation are not written decently in letters and are not used in verbal conversations, and for the above-mentioned important reason, as the case calls for the name of that church, it is of course necessary for people of any rank and dignity in St. Petersburg to write decently in all letters, with proper explanation, like this: church or to the church, or at the church, or from the church (and so on the like), Saint and Righteous Simeon the God-Receiver and Saint Anna the Prophetess, and in verbal conversations pronounce church, to church, at church (and the like) of Saints Simeon and Anna. Which of the Synodal members, His Eminence Theophan, Archbishop of Veliko Novgorod and Veliko-Lutsk and Pitirim, Archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod and Alator, January 28, 1734, and Her Imperial Majesty in the winter house of Her Imperial Majesty reported on which Their Eminences reported to Her Imperial The Majesty deigned to accept the name of that church for the good and by the command of Her Imperial Majesty approved it, for this reason they ordered
: from now on, of any rank and dignity to people in St. Petersburg who find themselves in any letters, write decently with the proper explanation, such as: church or to the church, or at the church, or from the church (and so on) of the holy and righteous Simeon the God-Receiver and St. Anna the Prophetess , and in verbal conversations pronounce “church, to the church, at the church” (and about the like) of Saints Simeon and Anna. About what, for proper execution in St. Petersburg at all the cathedrals and parish churches that are located and in the places closest to St. Petersburg, the departments of the St. Petersburg Ecclesiastical Board, from this Ecclesiastical Board to publish by decrees, as usual, strictly, and about that in the St. Petersburg Ecclesiastical The board from the Holy Governing Synod send a decree immediately. (The original was signed by Theophan, Archbishop of Novgorod; Pitirim, Archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod; Hilarion, Archimandrite of Novospassky; Aaron, Archimandrite of Spasoyaroslavl; John, Archpriest of Annunciation, Chief Secretary Mikhailo Dudin).”
In 1737, by Decree of Her Majesty, a clock with chimes taken from the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, on Vasilyevsky Island, was transported from the Peter and Paul Fortress for installation on the bell tower of the Simeon Church, and for playing the chimes, 25 bells were poured by master Peter Leclerc according to these models from bellmaker Förster; These clocks were later removed, it is not known exactly when, and their monument can be considered one broken bell weighing about 10 pounds with English inscriptions from 1685, which was also removed from the bell tower during the last reconstruction of the temple, due to being unfit for use. (Taken from the file on the clock on the church of St. Simeon and Anna - 1736, No. 18. Synodal archive). After the death of Empress Anna Ioannovna, a canopy sewn on crimson velvet in gold with fringe and gold tassels, which served during the burial of the Empress’s body, was moved to the Simeon Church and placed above the main altar. In 1772, a third chapel was built in the middle of the Simeon Church and on February 16, the third chapel was consecrated in the name of St. Great Martyr Eustathius Plakida, in memory of the birth of the Heir to the Throne, Tsarevich and Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, which happened on September 20, the day of this saint.
From the time the third aisle was built, the church was divided into cold and warm: in the cold one there were three altars, initially all arranged in a row under one iconostasis, and in the warm one there was one newly installed altar. In addition, at the entrance to the church, women's places were made on both sides, separated by partitions with a raised floor. In 1797, Emperor Paul I assigned the Simeon Church to the Order of St. Anna, and ordered to place a wooden sign of this order, decently decorated, over the main entrance to it on the western side, and inside the temple, at the right column closest to the altar, to build an Imperial seat made of crimson velvet with gold braiding. At the same time, probably, a preaching pulpit was built on the left side opposite the Royal Place.
In 1802, the Simeon Church was transferred from a court department to a diocesan one. From now until 1808, significant corrections were made to it and some changes took place in its interior, under the church warden, St. Petersburg merchant Ivan Vasilyevich Tarasov. So, inside the church, new summer and winter frames were made in all the windows, in the two side entrances there were large iron doors, St. The images were renewed, all the walls were painted, the floors were re-painted, and in the warm church, the elevations for women’s seats and partitions were destroyed, except for those glass ones that separated the cold church from the warm one, and finally, to make the temple more widespread, the 3rd chapel in the name of the Great Martyr. Eustathius was abolished and the whole church was made warm. Outside, to the northern wall of the altar, near the chapel of St. Ephraim the Syrian, a stone extension was made for the sacristy, treasury and coal burning; at the corner of the fence along Simeonovskaya and Mokhovaya streets, a chapel was built, in the same style as the church, for placing images outside, and inside with three small chambers, originally intended for residence of clergy and watchmen, and for a storage room57; the church fence itself has been raised and repaired. Then, under the rector of the church, Archpriest Peter Vigilyansky and under the church elders Pavel Sutugin and Sylvester Shishkin, who was distinguished by his special stewardship and zeal for the splendor of the temple, the church for several years, from 1834 to 1839, was again restored from top to bottom and brought into that form , in which it existed until now. During these years, precisely in 1834, the entire wooden upper part of the bell tower was dismantled, where the old one was replaced with a new one, the spire was covered with new iron, and the cross was again gilded; on the church, the damaged iron was replaced with new one and the entire facade of the church and bell tower, as well as the church fence with the chapel, were repaired and painted. It is not clear, however, that the wooden dome on the church would be rebuilt, for which permission was given by the diocesan authorities back in 1825, if, as stated in the decree, this dome turns out to be dilapidated and unfit for repair, without departing exactly from the previous facade.
In 1838, the entire interior of the church was restored and corrected: the iconostasis and all the icon cases were gilded with the best red gold and painted, the painting in the iconostasis and on the walls was cleaned and corrected, and in the royal doors of the chapel of St. Michael the Archangel 6 images were painted again by Academician Antonelli; the iconostasis was cleaned in places and covered with boards on the altar side, the black and clean floors were re-laid with new beams placed under them, silver vestments on local images and lamps were bleached, all the walls of the temple and the dome were painted with blue glue paint; the stoves and windows were repaired, even the mortars on the thrones and altars were made new; In addition to these internal corrections, the outer facade of the church with the church fence was again painted, the plaster was corrected, the order sign above the western entrance doors was again bronzed. And so that worship in the church would not stop during the work, temporary altars were built in the middle of the church, separated from the main iconostasis by plank lining. With this general restoration of the church, the royal seat, the canopy over the throne and the preaching pulpit were abolished due to dilapidation. In 1839, the room for the sacristy was remodeled, moving the entrance to the altar from the north to the east. The cost of all calculated work on the bell tower, church and church fence, as can be seen from the income and expenditure books for the years shown, extended to 14,600 rubles in banknotes. It should be noted, however, that corrections and alterations in the church were permitted and carried out only in the preservation of the previous style and without deviation from the outer facade, and therefore the Simeon Church has retained its original appearance to this day. A slight deviation from the previous façade was allowed only by an extension to the northern part of the altar, facing the inside of the church yard, to conveniently house the sacristy, treasury, archive and library.
From 1839, for 30 years, there were no significant corrections in the Simeon Church, except for the necessary repairs. As a result, the church fell into extreme disrepair and required not only complete restoration, but also major reconstruction in some parts. This case was initiated in 1868. Among the parishioners, the most active part in it was taken by the actual state councilor, the St. Petersburg 1st Guild merchant Vasily Fedulovich Gromov (died June 12, 1869), who from the full and unaccountable disposal of his capital according to the spiritual will of his late wife Fedosya Tarasyevna, donated 30,000 rubles for the reconstruction of the temple. 5% with State Bank tickets. On his instructions, the academician-architect Winterhalter drew up the first reconstruction plan, with significant deviations from the old plan. But the plan drawn up by Winterhalter, although it met modern requirements of taste and art, as well as the wishes of the donor, was not approved and approved by the St. Petersburg Construction Department, in view of the exact meaning of Art. 207 t. ХІІ st. builds., protecting all ancient church buildings from arbitrary alteration of them in fashionable taste, and the Simeon Church, as was expressed in the resolution of the construction department, is the oldest of the church buildings of the last century and the only one that remains to this day without modification; Moreover, the construction department recognized it as completely possible to restore this temple in the original style. According to this journal resolution of the construction department, Academician Wintergalter drew up a new plan for the restoration of the Simeon Church and its stone chapel, in the original style, with the construction of stone extensions, in place of the previous dilapidated and small ones, for the sacristy and entrance, and the construction of a new church fence, with the replacement of the previous wooden grille with an iron one. This plan, after consideration and approval by the St. Petersburg Construction Department and the Technical and Construction Committee under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, was approved by the Highest on the 11th day of April 1869, and forwarded for execution, according to the journal resolution of the construction department dated June 6, 1869, so that: 1) the basements and the front part of the church are covered with brick vaults, leaving the stone pillars inside the temple in their existing form; 2) that the dilapidated wooden portico at the southern side entrance be replaced with a stone one, also preserving the character of its architecture; 3) that during reconstruction the temple should be equipped with a good heating and ventilation system. To carry out the work, the diocesan authorities established a temporary construction commission, of which the local rector, Archpriest N., was appointed as members. P. Sodalsky with other clergy, church warden, merchant F.V. Romanov and from the parishioners, actual state councilor BC Barykov, guard colonel, then major general, F. Iv. Zherbin, actual state councilor A.I. Ler, state councilor Π. A. Klimov, hereditary honorary citizens: I.F. Gromov, instead of his deceased brother, actual state councilor V.F. Gromova and K. A. Vargunin, for office work, elected from the members of the commission, court councilor Π. A. Semenyuk. After drawing up and approving the proper estimates, work began in May of the following 1870, and for the most convenient execution of the work and the unhindered performance of worship, a temporary wooden church was built in the same month of May inside the church fence with two altars. All work was completely completed two years later by October 1872. They were as follows:
1) By the bell tower
– the two upper wooden tiers were replaced with new stone ones, and to strengthen the two lower tiers, which turned out to be thin and fragile, cement walls were built inside the bell tower under two arches; the wooden spire under an iron shell was built again, the cross above the spire with a ball was gilded for fire, the guardhouse and storage room under the bell tower were rebuilt. But as soon as the bell tower was rebuilt and the scaffolding was removed, as if by a lightning strike, during a strong thunderstorm that broke out over the area of the church on July 26, 1871, significant external damage was caused to the two upper tiers of the bell tower, which were again repaired with proper strength.
2) Around the church
– brick vaults, which were not there before, were re-installed under the entire church, new floors were laid - in the church from pine parquet, and in the altars and on the altar floor from oak;
the upper vaults above the front of the church, replacing the previous ceilings, and in the chancel new wooden vaults were built under plaster, with the front part raised; in the main dome, damaged parts were replaced with new ones; the frames, both in the dome and throughout the church, are embedded, summer and winter, new ones were installed with iron bars according to a new design; Ventilated furnaces were built new according to the Davydov pyrotechnics system; the entire church is covered with new iron, and the bottom is lined with a new plinth; the walls, both external and internal, have been plastered and painted again, with some thinning of the internal pillars; of the two choirs, one in the high part of the church was destroyed as unnecessary, and in the front part it was enlarged and supported on iron brackets; the crown over the main dome and the ball with the cross are again gilded. A new extension was made to the north side of the altar, with the dismantling of the previous small one, for the sacristy and entrance. Above the sacristy, with the special permission of the Holy Synod, a new 4th chapel was built in honor of the locally revered image of the Mother of God, called the Three-Handed Mother
, for the performance of custom services. The internal arrangement of this chapel and the supply of elegant and splendid utensils were made by a member of the construction commission, State Councilor Klimov (died August 10, 1872) with donations from the brothers of the St. Cyril and Methodius Brotherhood in memory of the founder of this brotherhood, the late Count Dmitry Nikolaevich Bludov. In the main church, a new iconostasis was built according to the design of Academician Winterhalter, while maintaining the style of the previous iconostasis. Painting in the iconostasis and wall images was resumed by the artist Emelyanov; the frames and icon cases are gilded again; the utensils and silver vestments were whitened, with new gilding where necessary, with their correction and the addition of silver. New porches with entrances were built on the western, northern and southern sides of the temple; an iron umbrella was placed above the first one, above the southern portico, instead of a wooden one, a stone one was built according to the same design, and above the northern porch there was a stone vestibule with the entrance to the main church, with a staircase to enter the new small chapel. In a word, the entire church was rebuilt anew, preserving only its stone frame and the upper parts of the main wooden dome and maintaining the former architectural character, and
3) Along the church fence -
it was all rebuilt from a base and surrounded by a bronzed iron lattice with three iron gates; the chapel at the corner of the fence was rebuilt, again covered with sheet iron, and the cross above it was gilded, the iconostasis inside it was renewed with gilding in places; underground pipes for water drainage were laid in the church fence and a garden was built; Wide slab sidewalks were laid around the church for religious processions, and the same sidewalks were laid along the outer side of the fence with the entire pavement along Simeonovsky Lane and Mokhovaya Street. The cost of all these capital, artistic and earthwork works reaches up to 70,000 rubles, not counting the interior decoration of the new chapel and donations of items for the decoration of the temple. The capital was acquired from parishioners who were zealous for the temple of God and partly from ordinary church income. The main donation for the reconstruction of the temple, as noted above, was 30,000 rubles. from the St. Petersburg 1st Guild of merchant, actual state councilor Vasily Fedulovich Gromov; Moreover, even earlier in 1858, according to the will of the Tsarskoe Selo merchant Nikolai Kalenov, 5,000 rubles were allocated for the same item, and with the interest received on them it amounted to 6,000 rubles, and by the proposed subscription, up to 14,000 rubles were collected from other parishioners. , and in total, with accumulated interest, an amount of over 53,000 rubles was formed, the rest was added from current church income; various donations of utensils, sacristy and other church supplies, purchased for 11,585 rubles, including donations for the new chapel from the brothers of the Cyril and Methodius Brotherhood.
Construction of a new temple
Master masons invited from Suzdal quickly erected a new church. The design of the temple included its construction in the form of a rotunda, which had a powerful and high dome. The height of the dome had to correspond to the height of the pillar on which, according to legend, Simeon the Stylite spent 37 years.
However, the construction technology was violated, and almost immediately the erected temple collapsed, and the refectory part was severely damaged. I. R. Batashev and other parishioners again collected the necessary amount for the construction of the church, but now the parish ceded a plot of its land, on which the manufacturer later built a huge house. By the end of the century, the temple was finished, but its decoration lasted for 10 long years.
New destruction
Upon completion of the finishing work in the church, the Patriotic War of 1812 broke out. They never had time to consecrate the temple, since Moscow was occupied by Napoleonic army. The church suffered greatly from the atrocities of the French and the fire.
After the victory over Napoleonic troops, the servants of the Church of Simeon the Stylite beyond the Yauza returned to the ashes. All the wooden buildings were burnt down, and the recently completed beautiful temple was reduced to a charred stone shell.
However, by the end of 1813, with the help of parishioners and donors, the main church was repaired and supplied with church utensils. The restoration of the remaining chapels lasted until 1820 due to their large size, and also due to the fact that they were almost completely destroyed. At the end of 1820, the Dmitrievsky chapel was restored and consecrated.
Restoration of the temple complex
Until the mid-19th century, no major work was carried out in the church, but it was decorated, including a new iconostasis for the main chapel.
In 1852, cracks appeared in the ceiling of one of the aisles, and an inspection showed that the supporting beams had rotted due to their age. It was decided to carry out all repair work as quickly as possible in order to avoid further destruction. Two years later, all work was completed and the consecration took place.
In 1863, the history of the Church of Simeon the Stylite was enriched by a good event. Merchants O. Tyulaev and G. Voronin presented the temple with a new bell weighing 418 pounds. To install it, it was necessary to strengthen the walls of the bell tower.
Until the end of the 19th century, work continued on the decoration, reconstruction and decoration of the temple. As a result, the church was built in the classicist style. A tall and voluminous rotunda rose above the main quadrangle, which had porticoes. The dome part was decorated with lucarnes (round windows). The top one was crowned with a thin, elegant drum with a small head.
Description
The temple is famous for its architectural forms - it was built in the Russian pattern style and stands out for its rich decoration. The Church of Simeon the Stylite belongs to the so-called “fire” temples.
In ancient Russian architecture, temples richly decorated with triangular or pointed-up kokoshniks, reminiscent of flames, were called fire temples.
The main volume of the church building ends with a five-domed structure, which seems to grow from a hill of kokoshniks. Below there is a frieze, similar to a lace rim, made of bricks placed at an angle to each other.
Both chapels of the temple, united by a wide refectory, have their own apse and dome. The refectory is adjacent to the bell tower, which has arched openings in the lower tier. The temple has nine chapters - five above the main volume, three above the altars and one on the bell tower.
Restoration of the church building began in the early 1990s. The Church of Simeon the Stylite was painted again. Currently, we can see her shrine - the icon of St. Simeon the Stylite, preserved by the parishioners. While walking along Arbat, stop by this beautiful white stone temple with an unusual history. There are no crowds of tourists and it will amaze you with its stunning silence, intimacy and tranquility.
Church in the 20th and 21st centuries
In the mid-20s of the 20th century, the possibility of closing the temple arose. Because of this, Archpriest N. Benevolensky, being the rector of the church, transferred the main shrines (the image of St. Simeon the Stylite, the icon of St. Dmitry of Rostov and a particle of his relics) to the Intercession Church, which was located nearby. In 1929, the Simeon Church was closed. In the Church of the Intercession, where the shrines were transferred, an additional altar was consecrated in the name of Simeon the Stylite.
The premises of the Simeon Church were rebuilt and refurbished. The building was transferred to the management of the Moscow Institute of Advanced Studies. In 1965, the City School of Personnel Management under the Moscow City Executive Committee was located within its walls.
In 1995, services resumed in the Church of Simeon the Stylite, and the temple itself was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church. In a solemn and festive atmosphere, all its shrines returned here, and its gradual restoration began. Currently, the church operates a school of church choral singing, a Sunday school, restoration and icon-painting workshops, as well as a publishing house.
The Church of Simeon and Anna is one of the oldest churches in St. Petersburg
The entire name of the temple is the Church of the Saints and Righteous Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess. This is a functioning Orthodox church, located on the corner of Belinsky Street and Mokhovaya Street. It is an architectural monument. The Church of Simeon and Anna is one of the oldest churches in St. Petersburg.
History of the Church of St. Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess
In 1712-1714, a wooden church was built on the corner of Simeonovskaya Street. It was erected in memory of the birth of Peter I’s eldest daughter, Anna Petrovna. In 1714, on February 3, the Church was consecrated in the name of Archangel Michael. It was a rectangular one-story building with a turret and a spire above the altar. Over time, the church fell into disrepair.
In 1731, by order of Empress Anna Ioannovna, construction of a new stone church began on the site of the old wooden church in the name of Archangel Michael. Its architect was Mikhail Zemtsov, who, together with his assistant Ivan Blank, developed a design for a temple in the Peter the Great Baroque style using elements of ancient Russian architecture. Construction lasted until 1734. The bell tower spire was erected by the Dutch master Herman van Boles.
The ceremonial consecration of the new three-aisle stone church with a 47-meter bell tower took place on January 27, 1734. The main altar was consecrated in the name of Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess, the right one in the name of Archangel Michael, and the left one in the name of Ephraim the Syrian.
The following former names came from the name of the church: Simeonovskaya Street (now Belinsky) and Simeonovsky Bridge (now Belinsky Bridge).
Architecture of the Temple of Simeon and Anna
Church of St. Simeon and Anna is a striking example of early Russian Baroque. The architects reflected the main style of Russian church architecture, based on the traditional Moscow tripartite churches of the 17th century. The volume of the church is the traditional “octagon on a quadrangle”. Adjacent to the west is a refectory with a high bell tower above the entrance.
But some techniques were borrowed from Western European architecture. The walls of the building are decorated with pilasters made in the style of the Roman Doric order. Lighter Corinthian and Ionic orders were used on the tiers of the bell tower and on the drum of the dome.
The facades were decorated with numerous wooden statues. A magnificent four-tiered iconostasis was made according to Zemtsov’s drawing. It was created by carver K. Gan, I. Rossi made the stucco decoration.
Chronology of updates in the Church
In 1753, chimes made by master B. Neyer were installed on the bell tower. The clock was moved from the closed Church of the Resurrection of the Word near the palace of Prince A. Menshikov.
In 1772, another chapel was built in the church - in the name of the Holy Great Martyr Eustathius Plakida, which was consecrated on February 16, 1772 in memory of the birth of the Tsarevich - Pavel Petrovich. It was abolished in 1802. In 1779, the church was surrounded by a fence.
In 1797, when Paul I was on the throne, the Order of St. Anne was installed on the portal of the temple. So it became the capitular church of the Order of St. Anne. The word “capital” in the Russian Empire had the following meaning: it was an institution in charge of the production and presentation of orders and other awards.
Until 1802, the Church of Simeon and Anna was a court church. In 1803-1808, the architect Mikhail Vyborov added a sacristy and a chapel. In 1838, its interior was updated. Academician D. Antonelli painted new icons for the Royal Doors of the St. Michael's Chapel.
In 1869-1872, the temple was expanded and renovated by the architect Georgy Wintergalter. The bell tower was raised, the temple and chapel were expanded on 3 sides, and the sacristy was built on the old model. Above the sacristy, another chapel was built in the name of the “Three-Handed” icon of the Mother of God.
In 1871, on October 17, a new chapel was consecrated in the name of the “Three-Handed” icon of the Mother of God, which, according to legend, was brought by water onto the porch during the flood of 1777. In 1872, on October 8, the renovated church was solemnly consecrated.
Since 1868, a society for helping the poor operated in the Church of Simeon and Anna, maintaining an orphanage and an almshouse.
The fate of the Temple under the USSR
Under Soviet rule, the church operated for some time. In January 1938 the church was closed. But after the Great Patriotic War, during which the temple was damaged, restoration was carried out here in 1951-1954 to preserve the building.
In the second half of 1950, the hydroelectric power plant design department of the Leningrad branch of the Orgenergostroy design institute was located in the church. The walls were “bare”, there was no iconostasis, and throughout the entire area of the church and under the dome there were drawing boards with drawings of future machines, components and assemblies for shock construction projects from the Irkutsk hydroelectric station to the future Krasnoyarsk and Ust-Ilimsk.
The designers moved here from the Soyuzpushnina building on Moskovsky Prospekt, and left here in the early 1960s for the General Staff building, in the part where the new Hermitage exhibition is now open. The institute was located there until the 1990s.
The church was adapted into a meteorological museum by decision of the Executive Committee of the Leningrad City Council dated March 20, 1972 No. 479 “On the transfer of the building of the former Church of Simeonius and Anna to the Museum of Meteorology.”
Church of Simeon and Anna today
The Church of Simeon and Anna was returned to believers in 1991. The Church of the Saints and Righteous Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess was reconsecrated on January 1, 1995. In 1996 - 2013, the temple was completely renovated. The revived Church of Simeon and Anna was consecrated by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' - Kirill.
Today the Church of the Holy Righteous Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess is an active temple of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. The rector of the temple is mitered archpriest Oleg Skoblya.
During the day, the Sacraments of baptism and weddings are performed in the Temple, as well as prayer services and memorial services. There is always a priest on duty in the church.
Address of the Church of Simeon and Anna
- St. Petersburg, st. Mokhovaya, 48
Nearest metro station
- "Gostiny Dvor"
How to get to the Church
- From Art. m. "Gostiny Dvor" (exit to Sadovaya) cross the Nevsky Prospekt underground passage and walk towards the Mikhailovsky Castle.
- At the 2nd intersection, turn right onto Inzhenernaya Street, which leads to the St. Petersburg Circus and Belinsky Square. Without turning anywhere, cross the bridge over the Fontanka River and walk another 100 m.
Temple opening hours
- Opens: daily at 9.00
- Closes: after the end of the evening service
- Services in the temple: performed according to the schedule.
Church of Simeon the Stylite: reviews
According to parishioners who have visited the Simeon Church, this is an unusual place, filled with a bright aura that attracts and encourages people to come here again and again.
Local residents and guests of the capital note that the Simeon Church stands out clearly against the background of other churches in Moscow. It cannot be confused with any other. The style of solemn classicism is its unique architectural feature.
According to reviews from those who have ever visited the Simeon Church, this is one of those many places in Moscow that should definitely be visited. Here you will learn about its complex and interesting history, and also be able to admire its beautiful interior and exterior decoration. The photo of the Church of Simeon the Stylite shows its exoticism in comparison with traditional Russian temple architecture. In addition to the aesthetic beauty, you can feel the blissful energy of this place, which attracts thousands of parishioners.
