The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, called Nikitsky, is one of the oldest in Kaluga

Kaluga Church in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(Kaluga diocese)

• Thrones: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Great Martyr Nikita (right side chapel) and St. John Chrysostom (left side side chapel)
• Address: Russia, Kaluga, Lenina St., 106, behind the living room rows
• On the map: Yandex.Map, Google map

The stone church was erected by parishioners in 1685. Previously, a wooden church in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary with a chapel of St. stood on this site. Nicholas the Wonderworker. In 1649, residents of Nikitskaya Sloboda joined the Nativity of the Mother of God parish. They were resettled to Kaluga, devastated during the Time of Troubles, by order of the Tsar's uncle Ivan Nikitich Romanov from the trading village. Spassky (now Kievka). At the request of new parishioners, in memory of the temple with. Spassky's chapel of St. Nicholas was replaced by the chapel of the Great Martyr Nikita, which is why the temple is called Nikitsky. After the fire of 1754, the temple was rebuilt in 1755. In 1820, another chapel was added to it in the name of St. John Chrysostom.

The temple had a massive quadrangle with bunches of decorative semi-columns at the corners, with platbands, a wide cornice and rhythmically repeating false zakomaras.
On both sides of the altar, at the side entrances, there are galleries of colonnades, ten columns in each. The bell tower was octagonal and four-tiered. From the formation of the independent Kaluga diocese until the completion of the construction of the Holy Trinity Cathedral from 1799 to 1819, the department of the ruling Kaluga bishops was located in this church. Several ancient icons were venerated in the temple, including the image of the Great Martyr Nikita (17th century).

The temple was closed in the 1920s. It was originally used by the military department as a warehouse. In March 1929, at the proposal of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) faction of the city council, the upper tiers of the bell tower and the central dome were demolished, and the temple itself was refurbished. Since 1939, the temple has housed the Pioneer cinema.

By decision of the Kaluga Regional Executive Committee No. 35 of April 4, 1991, the Nikitsky Church is a monument of architecture and urban planning of local significance.

In the 1990s, along with a cinema, commercial structures were located here.

Since 1993, the diocese has repeatedly sent requests for the return of the temple for restoration and resumption of services there.
And only in October 2004, by decision of the City Duma of Kaluga, the temple was transferred to the Kaluga diocese. Restoration work in the temple began in April 2005. It was necessary to dismantle the internal partitions, remove garbage, carry out interior decoration of the premises, strengthen the foundation, restore the tops of the quadrangle, install crosses and domes, build a bell tower, purchase church utensils, and improve the square next to the temple.

At Easter 2005, a church shop was opened.

On September 28, 2005, the first divine service (prayer service with akathist) was held in the Nikitsky Church, which was performed by Archimandrite Nikita (Ananyev) and priest Alexei Pelevin. On January 18, 2006, the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated. On Easter 2007, the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the restored right border of the Great Martyr Nikita.

On September 28, 2008, Archbishop Georgy (Gryaznov) consecrated the crosses on the bell tower and on the apse of the altar.

On Annunciation 2009, the first bell ringing sounded from the bell tower of the Nikitsky Church.

In 2009, on the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsk Clement (Kapalin) consecrated the crosses on the quadrangle of the temple.

On December 27, 2009, Metropolitan Clement of Kaluga and Borovsk performed the great consecration of the three premises of the temple. On the same day, a memorial cross was consecrated, built in honor of the event of the consecration of the temple and the 325th anniversary, which was celebrated in 2010.

Since the end of 2009, the St. Nicholas Church in Chizhovka has been assigned to the temple.

The church has a spacious Orthodox library where both adults and children can gather for useful reading. Conferences, Orthodox conversations and meetings are held in its premises. The library fund is constantly updated with new books.

A Sunday school is organized for the parishioners of the temple. Classes are designed for both children and adults. A spiritual and educational center has been organized on the basis of the Sunday school.

In 2012, in the park next to the temple, the city’s first monument to Saints Peter and Fevronia, the patron saints of the family, was built and consecrated.

Church of the Holy Prophet John the Baptist in Kaluga: schedule of services

1st of May. From 8.00 to 20.00, blessing of Easter cakes and eggs in the temple courtyard.

• 8.00 — Divine Liturgy
• 23.10 — General confession
• 23.30 — Midnight Office with the canon of Holy Saturday
• 23.50 — Beginning of the Easter Procession. Easter Matins. Easter Divine Liturgy

May 2 - Sunday. Bright Resurrection of Christ. EASTER

• 8.00 — Easter Divine Liturgy
• 10.00 — Easter Divine Liturgy
• 17.00 — Easter Vespers

Current state

On May 22, 2001, the church was consecrated under the “Orthodox Russia” program. Large-scale restoration work began in the Nikitsky Church in 2005, the last of which took place more than 80 years ago. This could not but please the parishioners. In 2006, on January 18, the first service in a long time was held.

Divine Liturgy at Nikitsky Church

Currently, the temple is in excellent condition. The upper tiers, bell tower and domes were restored. The preservation of ancient frescoes is also maintained. The square next to the church blossomed. A monument to Saints Peter and Fevronia was erected here.

Description

Regarding the date of its construction, the Nikitsky Church has original features and architecture. They are unique to the Kaluga diocese, but at the same time they are not very similar to the traditions of that time. The temple is made in red and white colors with blue and gilded domes.

Interior of Nikitskaya Church

There are Thrones in the temple:

• Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
• Great Martyr Nikita (right side chapel);
• St. John Chrysostom (left side chapel).

The most beautiful part of the temple is the 6-tier iconostasis, made of wood and covered with gold. There is no free space on the inside walls of the temple. Each piece is painted with amazing pictures of biblical life. In some places ancient frescoes have been preserved, which are often restored. The facades of the building are decorated with traditional details and tiles.

Interesting! Tiles are a type of ceramic tile used for cladding fireplaces, stoves, and building facades. The first samples were created in Ancient Egypt more than 5 thousand years ago.

Divine services in the temple are held daily.

The Liturgy begins at 8.30.

Evening service 17.00.

Every Saturday after the liturgy there is a prayer service and a memorial service.

Schedule of the Sacrament of Baptism here

Shrines

The Nikitsky Church contains:

• the relics of the blessed Matrona of Moscow;
• relics of Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom;
• an ark with a particle of the relics of the Great Martyr Nikita;
• icon “The Queen of All”;
• Iveron Icon of the Mother of God;
• a piece of the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” in the Nikitsky Church

Unfortunately, the relics that were here before the closure of the church have not been preserved. Most likely, it was then that they were destroyed. Lists of miraculous icons were brought from holy Mount Athos to the temple:

• Gerantissa;
• Pantanasa (All Queen);
• Iveron Icon of the Mother of God;
• Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a piece of the belt.

Transport

On the night of May 2, when Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter, eight trolleybus routes will operate in Kaluga, each of which will carry one car.

According to the city government, trolleybuses will depart from Stary Torg Square after the completion of services in churches:

• No. 1 - Lenin street - Kaluga-1 station;

• No. 2 - Moskovskaya street - Terepets;

• No. 3 - Saltykov-Shchedrin Street - KZTA - Victory Square - Cinema "Central" and further along Moskovskaya Street to the depot;

• No. 6 - Gagarin Street - Kirova Street - Victory Square - Marshal Zhukov Street to the Dubrava stop, then to the Dom Byta stop and to the depot;

• No. 8 - along Moskovskaya Street through Moskovskaya Square and Olgovskaya Street;

• No. 9 - along Moskovskaya Street to Severny;

• No. 10 - along Moskovskaya Street through Moskovskaya Square to Guryanov Street;

• No. 18 - along Gagarin Street through Mira Square to the Koshelev microdistrict.

Note to drivers

From May 1 to May 10, it will be possible to park in paid parking lots in Kaluga for free.