Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Ufa: history and address of the temple, description, schedule of services, shrines and abbots

Current state

The reconstruction of the temple lasted about 15 years and today the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary rightfully has the status of one of the most beautiful churches in Ufa and Bashkortostan.

Interior of the cathedral church in Ufa

Externally, the temple looks very unusual - its walls are painted sky blue, crowned with golden domes. In the evening, there is illumination around the cathedral, which adds special beauty to the building.

The internal beauty of the temple is not inferior in the wealth of decorations to the external one - the floor and all surfaces of the cathedral are made of pink Italian stone and white marble, mosaics made of granite and serpentinite, revealing famous biblical scenes, decorate all the walls of the church. Separately, it should be said about the amazingly painted vault of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which has become a kind of attraction not only in these places, but also in Russia.

Services in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary

On weekdays, the Divine Liturgy is held at 08:30, and the evening service begins at 17:00. On Sunday there are two Liturgies:

early - at 06:30;
late - at 09:00.

Side facade, © Lyubov Razumkova

The time of the evening service on Sunday does not change. On pre-holidays and public holidays, additional services are added to the schedule. You can find out more information on the official website of the Cathedral.

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Ufa - schedule of services

Shrines

The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the place where such shrines are kept as:

relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker;
the relics of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina of Georgia;
the holy relics of the healer Panteleimon;
the relics of the Great Martyr George the Victorious;
relics of the Great Martyr Saint Barbara;
holy relics of Saint Tatiana;
relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh;
holy relics of the noble princes Peter and Fevronia;
icon of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity;
icon of the Last Supper with a piece of Mount Zion;
Iveron Icon of the Mother of God;
icon of the Mother of God “Seeking the Lost”;
Icon "The truncation of the head of John the Baptist."

Painting of the dome of the Nativity Cathedral

History of the temple

Back at the end of the nineteenth century, the site of the construction of a new cathedral was marked on city plans. Ufa Bishop Anthony Khrapovitsky decided to build a cathedral on the eastern side of Priyutskaya Street, which ends in a square square surrounding the main church of Ufa. However, there was no money to implement the project. Construction work began only in 1901.

Foundation of the Cathedral

The monastery owes its foundation to the merchant and member of the City Duma Patokin Nikifor Mironovich. The patron allocated funds for the construction of the temple, and from 1901 to August 1909 construction work took place.

In September 1909, the solemn illumination of the Cathedral took place. The northern aisle was consecrated in the name of Nicholas the Wonderworker, the southern aisle - in the glory of the Archangel Michael. The bishop of Ufa and Nathanael Trinity took part in the consecration of the temple. New Martyr Priest Vasily Lezenkov was appointed rector.

Period during the USSR and revival

Services were held in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin until 1934. In 1934 the temple was closed, the church was empty for some time, then workshops were opened in the premises, and a little later - warehouses. And in 1950 the Cathedral was turned into a cinema.

The building was rebuilt: the main dome and the bell tower were removed, all ceilings were replaced, and additional extensions were erected. Only in 1991, at the numerous requests of believers, the largest temple in Bashkorstan was transferred under the guardianship of the Russian Orthodox Church. Recovery has begun. Patriarch Nikon took an active part in the restoration and construction work in the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The year 1992 will mark a great event - the icons were filled with myrrh: the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, “Seeking the Lost,” “Beheading of John the Baptist.”

During the construction work, the building was expanded, the dome of the Temple was restored, the bell tower was rebuilt and new bells were installed. Pakistani yellow and white Greek marble, Italian mosaics, and South African granite were used to decorate the walls and floors. The walls and ceiling are covered with paintings. Mosaic icons were placed in the Cathedral, a church shop was built, and a chapel in honor of the Holy Martyrs was completed.

There is an active parish life in the Temple. There is a children's Sunday school, where young parishioners study the Old and New Testaments and practice singing. There is a youth organization, Sunday meetings are held, and assistance is provided to parishioners (the elderly, those with many children, those in difficult situations). There is also a Bible school where people of any age can study the Holy texts.

In the near future, it is planned to create a charitable volunteer organization on the basis of the Ufa Cathedral; lay people will also be involved in the work.

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church is located in the Kirovsky district of Ufa, in the southern part of the capital of Bashkortostan.
It is the most spacious of all the Orthodox churches in the city. Within its walls there can be several thousand people at the same time. Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Ufa, © Liliya Kryazheva

In 1988, by order of the Council of Ministers of the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, the building was placed under state protection as a historical and cultural architectural monument of local (now regional) significance. In 2016, the religious site of the Ufa diocese received the status of a Cathedral.

Services in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary

On weekdays, the Divine Liturgy is held at 08:30, and the evening service begins at 17:00. On Sunday there are two Liturgies:

early - at 07:00;
late - at 09:00.

Side facade, © Lyubov Razumkova

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Ufa - schedule of services

History of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary

During its hundred years of age, the temple experienced many difficulties. Most of the time the building was used for other purposes, but thanks to numerous requests from parishioners, the building was eventually returned to the Russian fold and restored.

Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church, © Lyubov Razumkova

The place for the parish Orthodox church was chosen in 1901 by Bishop Anthony (in the world - Alexey Khrapovitsky).

According to another version of local historians, the temple was founded back in 1889, when the clergyman was away from Ufa, and under him, in 1901, the construction of the object began.

Material funds for the construction of the church were allocated by the local merchant and philanthropist Nikifor Patokin.

In August 1909, eight bells were installed on the bell tower. The weight of the largest was more than 800 kg, and the most compact - about 5 kg.

note

The consecration of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church took place in September 1909. The ceremony was led by Bishop Nifanail of Ufa and Menzelinsk. The northern and southern aisles of the church were consecrated in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and Archangel Michael.

Services were held in the parish church from 1909 to 1934, even though it became a hospital in 1919. For 12 years, starting in 1922, the parish adhered to renovationist views and moved away from the traditional hierarchy. During this period, their own bishops and clergy were appointed here.

Absida, © Lyubov Razumkova

By decree of 1934, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was closed, and a year later its building was transferred to the management of Bashkino. Since 1938, the building was repurposed for warehouses and aircraft workshops. The church was desecrated at that time, but survived.

Significant destruction occurred in the middle of the last century, before the opening of the Yondoz cinema in the temple building in 1955. The structure lost the central dome along with the light drum, as well as the upper part of the bell tower and a significant part of the supporting pillars. The exterior suffered from incomprehensible additions and an incongruous portico at the main entrance.

Only in 1991, the building was returned to the parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church, and a year later several old icons were myrrhized. Locals claim that such a miracle happened for the first time in Ufa.

The reconstruction of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church began almost immediately. Bishop Nikon of Ufa and Sterlitamak gave his blessing for the restoration work.

Subsequently, he more than once took a personal part in adjusting construction, helping not only with advice, but also with deeds.

Central portal, © Irishkinm

During the 15-year reconstruction, the bell tower again took its place, and the complex itself was expanded. They erected a chapel, an administrative building, a Sunday school, a church shop, utility and storage facilities.

Architecture of the Ufa Cathedral

The building received its modern appearance as a result of at least four large-scale reconstructions. Initially, the church was built of dark red brick, which emphasized its closeness to the pre-Petrine traditions of Russian religious architecture.

The five-domed structure was crowned with a wooden dome, covered with iron and painted terracotta to match the walls. The bell tower had three tiers and eight bells of different sizes. The church roof was covered with iron and painted green.

Bronze crosses rose above the bell tower and the temple.

View of the bell tower and side domes, © Lyubov Razumkova

Today's image of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church differs significantly from the original one. The facades of the church are painted sky blue, the architectural elements are highlighted in bright white, and the domes and domes are covered with gilding.

The height of the cathedral is 21 m;
The height of the bell tower is 47 m.

Multi-colored stone brought from Italy, South Africa, Pakistan and Greece was used to decorate the walls and flooring. These are white, yellow and pink marble, greenish serpentinite and blue-gray granite.

In 2005, the rich painting of the walls and ceilings was completed. During the same period, the temple acquired three new iconostasis, manufactured at the Sofrino enterprise, specializing in the production of church utensils.

Interior of the Cathedral in Ufa, © Qweasdqwe

Shrines

In the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, believers can venerate icons with particles of the relics of saints - saints, noble princes, faithful and blessed. Among them:

Nicholas the Wonderworker;
Nina Gruzinskaya;
St. George the Victorious;
Sergius of Radonezh;
Seraphim of Sarov;
Alexander Nevsky, etc.

In addition, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary houses two important shrines. This is an icon of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity with a piece of Mamre oak bark attached to it and an icon of the Last Supper with a piece of the Zion Upper Room, in which the last Easter meal of Christ and his closest disciples - the twelve apostles - was celebrated.

Operating mode

The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is open daily from 07:00 to 18:30. On holidays, times vary depending on the schedule of services.

Sunday School classes for children are held every Sunday from 09:00 to 14:00. Groups are divided by age:

up to 7 years - youngest;
from 7 to 11 years - average;
from 12 to 16 years old - senior.

Meetings with young people are organized on Sundays from 12:30 to 14:00 in the Sunday School premises. Every Tuesday from 18:00 classes for adults are also held here.

Baptism ceremonies take place daily at 11:00. Registration is made on the same day from 10:30.

Church weddings are possible every day, except:

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday;
days of religious holidays;
period of fasting;
during Christmastide, falling on January 7-19.

How to get to the Nativity of the Virgin Church

To the stop "st. Kirov", located on Mingazheva Street, can be reached by tram routes No. 1, 16, 18.

On the other side of the temple, on Ayskaya Street, there is a stop with the same name - “st. Kirov". This is followed by:

minibuses - No. 218, 220, 224, 233, 270, 329a;
trolleybuses - No. 13, 21.

You can get to the UKSIVT stop by minibuses No. 202, 230, 252, 256, 264, 266.

To the stop "st. Ayskaya" there are buses on route No. 51 and minibuses No. 55, 280. After getting off the transport, you will need to go towards Kirova Street and turn right.

It’s convenient to create your own route using a special website.

Mobile taxi services Maxim, VTaxi, UBER, Yandex operate in Ufa. Taxi, Mini, Motor, Rutaxi, etc.

Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church: video

Source: https://www.tourister.ru/world/europe/russia/city/ufa/temples/28348

Interior of the Nativity of the Virgin Church