Nativity of Christ Cathedral in Lipetsk: bell tower, tower clock, shrines, interesting facts, how to get there

One of the historical places on a small hill is occupied by the Nativity Cathedral in Lipetsk. The location of this holy relic is in the area where in ancient times, several decades before the invasion of the Tatar-Mongol yoke, a Slavic settlement was founded, which was protected by steep slopes on the northern and western sides. And only the eastern part, which has a gentle approach to the top of the hill, was once built with a defensive hill, part of which remains to this day.

Description

The Nativity Cathedral in Lipetsk is accidentally considered one of the main attractions of this city, its pride and pearl among many architectural buildings.

The ensemble includes:

high bell tower;
main temple;
refectory.

This church building is rightfully the main cathedral in Lipetsk, which reunites a huge number of believing parishioners and visiting tourists in pilgrimage prayer.

It is interesting to know: the bell tower of the Church of the Nativity of Christ consisted of eight bells, the largest of which weighed more than five thousand pounds.

This grandiose structure was erected over many decades by order of the great Russian ruler Catherine II. Architect - Tomaso Adamani. The construction itself was blessed by one of the Holy Synods - Bishop Innocent of Voronezh.

Without a doubt, you should be fascinated by the article about the 12th century monument - the Church of Boris and Gleb in Kideksha.

History of construction

Construction of the stone building began in 1791 and continued until 1803.
The organizers of the construction were P. L. Velyaminov, who did not live to see the consecration of his structure, and N. I. Lodygin. But as soon as the main part of the cathedral was completed, a fire broke out, during which the entire wooden part of the temple burned down, and the stone parts of this structure were also damaged. Construction again had to be resumed from the very beginning.

Thanks to generous donations and the efforts of many parishioners, the Church of the Nativity of Christ was rebuilt by 1805, and the first throne of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker within the walls of this cathedral was consecrated in mid-June of this year, after which regular services began.

The main cathedral was consecrated two years later, in May, by Ioann Panov. The consecration of the third altar throne was performed in 1816 by Archimandrite Anastasius of the Kozlov Trinity Monastery.

Interesting fact: in 1822 it was decided to build a bell tower, the design of which was carried out within the traditional framework. The construction of the bell tower began in 1825, which lasted for 10 years.

After the bell tower was erected according to the project, there was a long break in the construction of the Nativity Cathedral. As soon as the bell tower and the main part of the temple were stabilized, construction began on the refectory part, which was erected in just two years under the strict leadership of Andrei Kalugin. It is known that in 1842 it already began to function for its intended purpose.

It is important to know: from the very moment of its foundation, the cathedral was always considered to have three members, since its clergy always had three of the most respected priests.

As soon as the construction of the refectory part of the temple was completed, the left and right altars of the cathedral were consecrated, and this marked the end of the construction of one of the most important construction projects in the city.

Other churches in Lipetsk

There are also four more churches in the city that should not go unmentioned. After all, each of them has its own story, unlike the others.

Church of All Saints

In Lipetsk there is a church on the 15th microdistrict, on Vodopyanova Street 19.

The temple is quite impressive in size. The cathedral is rectored by Father Vladimir, who has been there since its construction in 2002, which was carried out under the leadership of the architect V. Rublev. The ideal proportions delight the city residents - the church consists of five domes and one adjacent high bell tower.

Temple of Sergius of Radonezh

Microdistrict 19, namely, Moskovskaya street house 30, is famous for the Parish of St. Sergius of Radonezh. The rector there is Archpriest Sergiy Nikolaevich Kosykh.

The construction of the two-tier church has been going on since 2006 to this day, but this does not prevent the Orthodox Church from being active. She receives visitors every day except Monday.

Patronal feasts are held there twice:

Sergius of Radonezh - July 18 (Finding of honest relics), October 8 (Death);
Venerable Sergius, abbot of Radonezh - July 18, October 8.

Transfiguration Church

Construction of the Transfiguration Church in Lipetsk began in 1808, but then it was closed in 1937. The authorities repressed the clergy. And finally, the shrine was reopened in 1946, and it is still in operation today. And in 1989 the bells were returned to the church.

To date, the Church of the Transfiguration has been completely restored and declared a monument of history and culture of the 19th century.

Address: Lipetsk, Papin street, building 1. The church is located almost on the central market.

Temple of St. War

The temple is named in honor of the first bishop of Lipetsk, the holy martyr Uara. The rector of the temple at the moment is Archpriest Alexander Surikov. The decision to build was made in 2007. Then Bishop Nikon blessed the construction of the Church of St. War.

The uniqueness of the temple is that it will be built in the Greek, or rather in the New Athos style. The building itself is 36 meters high.

The church, which is still unfinished, but already working, is located on Stakhanov Street 28 in the city of Lipetsk.

Fate during the revolution and Soviet times

In pre-revolutionary times, the Church of the Nativity of Christ was considered the central part of Lipetsk, as well as the main attraction that attracted all city guests, tourists and relatives.

But, unfortunately, despite all its historical and cultural value, the Nativity Cathedral after the revolutionary movement in 1917 became just one of many Orthodox relics that were considered by the new government as an accessible source of rich profit.

On February 23, 1922, the authorities approved a secret protocol with a resolution on a complete inspection and inventory of church property in all Orthodox churches in Lipetsk. The main goal of the authorities was aimed at compiling an accurate report on the existing church utensils made of gold and silver. After which the authorities, having invented a non-existent “time of famine”, announced donations to help the hungry and began to confiscate all church valuables.

According to a decree from Moscow dated March 14, 1922, the executive committee began to form a special commission to confiscate church valuables.

Take note: they decided to begin the seizure precisely from the Church of the Nativity of Christ, since it was considered one of the richest Orthodox buildings.

The commission of the executive committee began to carry out its work on March 16, 1922, but was met with protest from 200 people - caring people and believing parishioners of this cathedral, who considered all the members of this commission to be antichrists and traitors to the Almighty.

The commission members retreated and attempted to put pressure on clergyman Suvorov and members of the church council in order to induce them to voluntarily cooperate. But their attempts were in vain. After this, the authorities sent a detachment of Red Army soldiers to help, who used force to requisition the cathedral.

Subsequently, the “people's power” approved a campaign to close the temple in 1931. Throughout this entire time, members of the Lipetsk City Council were preparing to close the temple to believers and services. At the same time, the very top of the government was thinking about what purposes to use the church building taken from the Orthodox people.

The initial idea of the authorities to use the temple building was aimed at housing workers there, but after calculating all the necessary investments for the required reconstruction, the authorities decided to use the building to create a theater in it. But the theater was never created, but a storage facility for grain and vegetable crops was made. In the refectory part of the cathedral there was a museum of local history. But the believing people did not lose hope and continued to fight for the restoration of the temple and the return of their rights.

Please note: the temple was returned to the Orthodox people for full use and holding of sacred services in 1991.

And finally, by the will of the Almighty, persons appeared who had their influence in the upper circles and were interested in restoring the Orthodox Nativity Cathedral. Repair work and restoration of the temple was carried out by L.E. Rudakov, this happened between 1957 and 1958.

Current state

Currently, the cathedral fits quite organically into the overall plan of architectural development of the main square of Lipetsk.

This temple is one of the most interesting and beautiful features and attractions of the city. It attracts with the integrity of its structure from an architectural point of view. All components of the ensemble form a single whole:

the church itself;
Bell tower;
refectory.

It is important to know: thanks to its unusual location at the very top of the hill, the Cathedral of the Nativity can be seen from any part of the city.

The composition of the temple is thought out and executed with extraordinary simplicity, conciseness, restraint and clarity.

How to get to the temple

Literally all roads lead to the temple, since it is located in the city center on Cathedral Square, building 4.

The city itself can be reached by train to the south; there is also a branded train called “Lipetsk”, which departs from Paveletsky Station in Moscow.

By car you need to take the M4 highway, and after Yelets turn onto P-119. Travel time will be about 5-7 hours.

Architectural features

The style of the modern structure of the Orthodox building is classic with an original 2-tier volumetric composition. The apse with a semicircular shape adjoins the first square two-story tier of the temple, and around there are three aisles of the same rectangular shape.

The temple itself is topped with a gilded vast dome, which recreates the majesty of this structure, despite its simplicity in the stylistic design of the building.

The facades on the northern and southern sides, belonging to the first tier, are topped with loggias with extraordinary columns. Exactly in the middle between the columns there are doors of a double-leaf structure, above which there is a semi-circular window with a second degree of illumination.

This is interesting: among other things, the temple has two porches located on the north and south sides.

Moreover, the cathedral has several chapels:

Chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
Chapel of Seraphim of Sarov;
Cross-Exaltation chapel;
Chapel of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God.

All other delights of this building can be appreciated during sacred services or during holy holidays, when, for example, during the service for Christmas or Epiphany, the main part of the population of Lipetsk gathers in the temple.

Rules for visiting the cathedral

Before visiting the temple, you must turn off the sound on your mobile phone or come without it at all. Talking on the phone during the service or being distracted by messages is also not recommended.

Before attending services, it is advisable to read the Bible or Gospel and tune in to prayer. It is necessary to analyze your life and behavior, think through the sins that can be expressed in confession. It is also worth remembering the good moments - everything for which you can thank the Lord during prayer.

Clothing should be modest and clean, the same goes for shoes. A person’s appearance affects his inner state, and vice versa - clean and tidy clothes reflect pure and modest thoughts. Calmness and tranquility should be personified in all appearance. On holidays it is better to choose light clothes, and on days of mourning - dark ones.

Women must come to the temple in skirts below the knee and with their heads covered. Men must always bare their heads in the temple. Shorts are not permitted for men or children over 7 years of age.

When entering the church, you need to cross yourself three times and you can read the prayer “Our Father” or simply say “Lord have mercy.” During prayer and the signs of the cross, you should turn your gaze to the vault of the temple.

You should come to the service on time or early, do not smoke near the temple, and do not talk about personal matters and problems. Silence and reverence should reign in your thoughts. Prayer should be done silently or in a whisper, as well as with singing. You cannot leave the temple during the service; it is better to wait until it ends. During the service, you should also not walk around the temple, light candles or talk.

Interior decoration

The decorations in the interior of the structure were purchased with donations from people collected over several generations. After which the decoration of the temple was gradually replenished with the most beautiful paintings and icons of Lipetsk gifted artists.

Interesting fact : now, thanks to Archpriest Bilchuk, the temple has been completely restored. It houses a huge number of magnificent icons, and at the beginning of 2001 the relics of 82 holy Kyiv Pechersk ascetics were transported here.

After the revolution, the temple was one of the richest and most unusually beautiful cathedrals. But in 1931 it was completely plundered by the people's authorities.

Cathedral Mentors

Each rector of the cathedral was a respected person in the city, especially in history the name of Archpriest A.V. Suvorov, who was with the cathedral during the difficult post-revolutionary time for it.

They tried to force him to cooperate during the theft of temple property, but he persistently fought back the raiders. He was arrested several times and sent to prison, including for counter-revolutionary agitation.

Today the following services are performed in the temple:

rector Archpriest V.A. Bilchuk;
sergeant archpriest V.R. Maksimchuk;
Archpriest A.Yu. Proboscis;
Priest V.V. Arkhipkin;
Priest S.V. Grishanov;
Deacon A.V. Aleshin;
Deacon O.Yu. Maltsev.

Over the many years of the cathedral's existence, the clergy carried out their service with honor and protected the honor and shrines of the cathedral.

History of the cathedral bell tower

The decision to build this structure was made in 1825. The construction of the bell tower in a strict classical style was planned. The construction was finally completed only 10 years later.

Good to know : of the eight bells placed on the bell tower, one weighed 489 pounds, which was only recast in 1900, after which it began to weigh 558 pounds 10 pounds, which is approximately equal to 9 tons.

Such a long time for the construction of part of the temple complex was spent on the construction of its five tiers, decorated with various shapes, porticoes, arches and other architectural decoration elements. The total height of the entire bell tower is about 90 arshins.

History of the tower clock

The very first clocks were installed in the mid-nineteenth century. After serving for about half a century, they broke.

At the end of 1970, at a height of 30 meters in the bell tower, it was decided to install a new tower clock with musical performance. Lipetsk chimes were launched in December of this year.

The tower clock mechanism itself was produced by the Petrodvorets Clock Factory. The design of the dial was developed by the indigenous resident V. I. Neminushchiy.

Interesting Facts

The sacred icon of the Passionate Lipetsk Mother of God located here is a true city relic. When in 1831 the population of Lipetsk was attacked by the terrible disease cholera, people began to die in dozens, all residents of the city in kneeling prayer asked the Most Holy Theotokos for salvation and deliverance from this terrible curse.

The clergy made a crusade with the icon. For two days the Lipetsk residents fasted and prayed for deliverance from the epidemic, and a real miracle happened. Cholera disappeared without a trace.

Lipchan residents remembered this healing for centuries. Nowadays, as almost two hundred years ago, the icon helps believers to be healed of terrible illnesses.