In many cities of Russia, along with restoration work in old churches and their revival, new churches are also appearing. The capital of the Black Earth Region is no exception in this regard. New buildings are not always of architectural value, but there are exceptions. The Temple of the All-Tsaritsa in Voronezh represents an interesting example of the modern implementation of the idea of the Byzantine-Russian style.
Story
In the summer of 2014, construction of an Orthodox church began on the outskirts of the new Voronezh microdistrict of the Moscow Quarter. The main philanthropist and builder of the new religious building was S. N. Lukin, a member of the Federation Council from the Voronezh region.
Temple in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God “Vsetsaritsa”, Voronezh
On September 29, on the site prepared for the construction of the building, a divine service took place, which was conducted by the future rector of the temple, Archpriest Andrei Skakalin, who conveyed the blessing of Metropolitan Sergius of Voronezh and Liskin to the builders.
By December of the same year, the ground floor of the building was erected, and on December 13, Metropolitan Sergius performed the ceremony of founding the temple dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God “The Tsarina of All.” A year later, the main construction work was completed. On December 1, 2015, the head of the Voronezh diocese consecrated the domes, crosses and bells of the church under construction.
At this time, finishing work was carried out in the lower church, which was consecrated on the eve of Christmas in 2021. The first bishop's service in the new religious building took place six months later.
External and internal finishing work was carried out throughout the year. During this time, the main temple shrines arrived at the temple:
- The icon of the Holy Forerunner and Baptist John, which was commissioned by the church patron in the Montenegrin Cetinje Monastery. A large icon was installed on the lectern of the lower St. John's Church.
- The Icon of the Mother of God “The All-Tsarina” is the main temple shrine, which is a copy of the miraculous image that is kept on Mount Athos in the Vatopedi Monastery. The holy image measuring 1.4 by 2 meters is placed in the iconostasis of the upper church. By praying before him, they receive healing from cancer.
The image of the Mother of God “All-Tsarina” is considered miraculous in Orthodoxy
At the end of July 2021, the consecration of the temple took place, which became the center of spiritual life rising around the area.
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Vsetsaritsa”
The celebration in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Vsetsaritsa” is set for August 18/31.
The Icon of the Mother of God “Vsetsaritsa” (“Pantanassa”) is revered as miraculous. This image of the Mother of God has the most powerful healing principle. She is known throughout the world as a cancer healer. The very name of the icon - “All-Mistress”, “All-Mistress” - speaks of its special, all-encompassing power. Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “The All-Tsarina” they pray for healing from fatal diseases, most often from cancer, for deliverance from witchcraft and conspiracies, and parents whose children are addicted to drugs and alcohol turn to the Mother of God in front of Her icon “The All-Tsarina” for help. Events from the history of the icon
In church history, a number of holy images have gained the reputation of being miraculous. Some of these icons were revealed to humanity in an incomprehensible, amazing way, others were painted by famous saints, some revealed their location to pious people in visions or dreams, but all these icons became famous for their miraculous, including healing, nature. They are united by the fact that they respond in an inexplicable way to our prayer requests, protecting, supporting, showing a solution in seemingly insoluble situations and saving when such salvation already seems beyond human power. Speaking about miraculous icons, I would like to note: any icon can be miraculous if we have enough faith, prayerful fervor with which we approach the shrine: “According to your faith, be it done to you.” It is also worth remembering that a miracle is performed not by an icon, or even by the saint who is depicted on it, but by the Lord, and only if it is useful for the person asking. The image of the Mother of God “The All-Tsarina” (“Pantanassa”) is also revered as miraculous. This icon belongs to the Panahranta iconographic type, which translated from Greek means “Most Immaculate”, “Most Pure”. The All-Merciful is the second name for icons of the Mother of God of this type. A common feature of such icons is that the Mother of God is depicted seated on a throne with the Child Christ on her lap. The throne symbolizes the royal grandeur and glory of the Mother of God, the most perfect of all those born on earth. The glorification of the icon of the Mother of God “The Tsaritsa” began in the 17th century, although the iconographic type and name of the image are much older. For example, the Pantanassa monastery in Mystras, one of the most important cultural and political centers of the late Byzantine Empire, was founded in 1428, and in Constantinople a church with the same name was built by Emperor Isaac Angelos (late 12th - early 13th centuries). There are also references to the fact that the icon of the Mother of God "Pantanassa" ("All-Tsarina") was donated to the Athos Gregoriate Monastery in 1500 by the pious Queen Maria Palaeologus, the wife of the Moldavian ruler Saint Stephen the Great - defender of Orthodoxy, benefactor of Athos and restorer of Athos shrines. Another image of the Mother of God “The All-Tsarina” dates back to 1537; this fresco icon, painted by the outstanding painter Theophan of Crete, is located in the vestibule of the cathedral Annunciation Church of the Lavra of St. Athanasius, the leading monastery on Holy Mount Athos. In the 17th century, the icon of the Mother of God “The All-Tsarina” became famous, which is now located in the cathedral church of the Vatopedi monastery, an Orthodox Greek monastery on Holy Mount Athos. This monastery is one of the most ancient and extensive; it is the second in the hierarchy of Athonite monasteries. The image of the Mother of God “The All-Tsarina” of the Vatopedi monastery was painted in the 17th century and was a blessing from Elder Joseph the Hesychast, the greatest Athonite ascetic, to his disciples. According to the legend compiled by the elder, in the same 17th century, the miraculous image of the Mother of God “The All-Tsarina” guided a young man to the true path, who connected his life with sorcery and witchcraft. Wanting to test the power of his spell, the young man came to the Vatopedi monastery, approached the holy image and began to practice magic. The face of the Mother of God on Her icon “The All-Tsarina” immediately flashed with an extraordinary light, like lightning, and the young man was thrown away from the shrine by an invisible force. After the young man came to his senses, with tears of repentance he told everything to the fathers of the monastery. The miraculous intervention of the Mother of God convinced the young man to change his life, he was healed of mental illness and remained on Athos. This was the first manifestation of the miraculous power of the icon of the Mother of God “The All-Tsarina”; later they began to notice that the icon had a beneficial effect on patients with various tumors, including malignant ones, as they are called in the modern world. Not many people know that the disease cancer has an ancient history. The name “cancer” comes from the term “carcinoma” introduced by Hippocrates, derived from two Greek words: “crab” and “tumor”. Hippocrates called the tumor carcinoma because it looks like a crab. The disease was first described in an Egyptian papyrus around 1600 BC. e. (Breasted J. The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus. - Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1930. - Vol. 1. - P. 363-463.). The papyrus talks about several forms of cancer and reports that there is no cure for this disease. Already in the 1st century BC. The Roman physician Aulus Cornelius Celsus proposed treating cancer at an early stage by removing the tumor, and at a later stage not treating it at all. It cannot be said that over the past twenty centuries doctors have made any particular progress in the fight against this disease, which affects an increasing number of people every year. Now, as before, this disease is considered incurable, and all cancer patients hope only for a miracle. It must be admitted that cases of miraculous healing do occur, many of them, perhaps all, are associated with fervent prayerful appeal to the Savior and the Mother of God. Therefore, when in the 17th century the miraculous power of the icon of the Mother of God “The All-Tsarina” in curing cancer was discovered, exact lists began to be made from the icon for other monasteries. Gradually, the icon became known throughout the world as a healer of cancer, and to this day the image of the Mother of God “The All-Tsarina” has the grace to heal the most terrible of diseases of modern humanity. The very name of the icon - “All-Mistress”, “All-Mistress” - speaks of its special, all-encompassing power. This image of the Mother of God has the most powerful healing principle. In 1995, Russians also had the opportunity to bow before the miraculous image in order to directly address the face of the Mother of God to the All-Tsarina with a request for deliverance from many incurable diseases, and first of all, from cancer, which is called the plague of the 20th century, and which does not spare small children , neither young men nor old men. At the request of the Community of Mercy of the Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt at the children's cancer center on Kashirskoye Highway, the abbot of the Vatopedi Monastery, Archimandrite Ephraim, blessed to make a copy of the Athonite miraculous icon of the Mother of God “The All-Tsarina”. An exact copy of the icon, painted in compliance with the canon, prayers and solemn services, appeared to the unfortunate children. And miracles began. The condition of the children improved significantly, which could not be explained solely by the use of medications. A few months later, on the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the icon of the Mother of God “The Tsarina of All” began to stream myrrh, several large drops of myrrh appeared on it, and an amazing fragrance filled everything around. On the Feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, the flow of myrrh was repeated once again. The first miracle revealed by the All-Tsarina in Russia is called the healing of a young man who had suffered from drug addiction for many years. Since then, parents have turned to the Mother of God in front of the “Vsetsaritsa” icon to pray for their children who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. Needless to say, the news about the amazing icon spread throughout Moscow with lightning speed. The miraculous image was transferred to the Church of All Saints of the former Novo-Alekseevsky Monastery, which is located in Krasnoselsky Lane, not far from the Krasnoselskaya metro station; the image of the “All-Tsarina” is regularly brought back to the oncology center for prayer services. After some time, a Church Slavonic version of the akathist to the Mother of God in honor of Her icon “The Tsaritsa” was created, different from the Greek. Every Sunday in the Church of All Saints at 16.30 (and if a great holiday falls on Monday, at 15.00) prayers are held with the reading of an akathist to the Mother of God and the blessing of oil for anointing all those who suffer, and not only from cancer. The chronicle of healing is constantly updated with more and more new evidence of miraculous help for those who no longer expected to receive it from earthly doctors. There are stories here about old people and babies, on behalf of women and men, about healing in the late stages of cancer and about removing suspicion of it, about recovery from fatal diseases and from those that bring a lot of suffering, but are not fatal and about much, much more. Grateful people not only leave their stories in the book, but also bring all kinds of gifts to the shrine. Today this list, which is located in the Church of All Saints in Krasnoye Selo, is no longer the only one in Russia. Another miraculous copy of the icon of the Mother of God “Vsetsaritsa” has appeared in Moscow, which is located in the Novospassky Monastery (Moscow, Krestyanskaya Sq., 10, metro station “Proletarskaya”). Here, too, a book is kept in which all miracles occurring from the shrine are recorded. In a short time, the icon of the Mother of God “The Tsarina of All,” be it an icon located in a church or in a home iconostasis, or a printed image, gained fame as an ambulance, thanks to the many miraculous healings that occur through prayer before it. Opening your heart and letting a miracle in is easy at first glance. This is great work, and, like any great work in the name of God, it is rewarded: “According to your faith, be it done to you”!
Prayers before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “The All-Tsarina”
First prayer
O All-merciful, most wonderful Mother of God, Pantanassa, All-Tsarina!
I am not worthy, but come under my roof! But as a merciful and gracious Mother of God, say the word, may my soul be healed and my weak body strengthened. For you have an invincible power and all your words will not be exhausted, O All-Tsaritsa! You beg for me. You begged for me. May I glorify Your glorious name always, now and forever. Amen. Second prayer
O Most Pure Mother of God, All-Tsarina! Hear our much-painful sigh before Your miraculous icon, brought from the inheritance of Athos to Russia, look upon Your children, those suffering from incurable ailments, who fall to Your holy image with faith! Just as a winged bird covers its chicks, so You, now and ever-living being, have covered us with Your multi-healing omophorion. Appear with patience and weakness. There, where hope disappears, awaken with undoubted Hope. There, where fierce sorrows prevail, there, where the darkness of despair has settled in souls, let the ineffable light of the Divine shine forth! Comfort the faint-hearted, strengthen the weak, grant softening and enlightenment to hardened hearts. Heal Your sick people, O All-Merciful Queen! Bless the minds and hands of those who heal us, may they serve as an instrument of the Almighty Physician Christ our Savior. As if You are alive and present with us, we pray before Your icon, O Lady! Extend Your hand, full of healing and healing, Joy to those who mourn, Consolation to those in sorrow, so that we soon receive miraculous help, we glorify the Life-Giving Indivisible Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
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Description
The church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Vsetsaritsa”, located in the north of Voronezh, is a five-domed temple, which was built in a mixed Byzantine-Russian style. It consists of the following parts:
- The main part is a quadrangle, covered with a cross-domed vault, in the center of which there is a large light drum topped with a helmet-shaped dome. The facades have a three-part division. The central spindle ends in a large keel-shaped zakomara. At the corners of the square there are small light drums, which are also crowned with helmet-shaped domes. The southern and northern facades of the central part of the temple are adjacent to the vestibules, covered with a semicircular vault.
- The apse adjacent to the eastern façade of the quadrangle has a complex shape. It consists of three parts, the central one of which is higher and longer than the side structures. Above it is a decorative drum with a helmet-shaped dome.
- Above the refectory part of the temple and the main vestibule there is a high three-tier bell tower topped with an onion dome. On both sides of the arched entrance portal there are square towers, above which rise decorative drums with helmet-shaped domes.
Consecration of the temple bells
The facades of the building are decorated with various architectural decorative elements:
- keeled and semicircular zakomaras;
- arcature belts;
- figured pediments;
- openwork cornices;
- pilasters;
- semicircular sandriks.
The building has a high ground floor, which houses the church in honor of St. John the Baptist. The walls of the upper temple are covered with white plaster. There are a few icons on them.
Architectural features
The project of the church building turned out to be successful. The five-domed All-Tsaritsyn Church on Shishkova Street in Voronezh is an example of the Byzantine-Russian style. It is characterized by the complexity and richness of its design and decoration.
The main part (quadrangle) of the building and the adjacent apse of a complex layout have a domed ceiling and decorative light drums, which are crowned with helmet-shaped domes. Above the central part, in addition to the main one, there are snare drums in the corners. A three-tier bell tower topped with an onion dome was built above the refectory. The side porches of the church have semicircular ceilings.
The decoration of the facades is also rich - cornices, pilasters, figured pediments of various shapes, sandriks and arcature belts give the building great elegance from the outside. The color scheme was also well chosen, in which white, grey, brown, gold and ivory successfully complement each other. The high ground floor, in which the Church of John the Baptist is located, is highlighted in color from the outside.
The interior design is much simpler than the exterior. The floors in the upper temple are tiled with geometric rosettes. The walls are simply white, without painting or decoration. There are relatively few icons in both churches (upper and lower). The church building is designed for 1000 parishioners.
Modernity
The priests of the All-Tsaritsyn Church carry out not only spiritual, but also social service. The beautiful and spacious church, designed for 1000 parishioners, is visited by both residents of neighboring houses and believers from other parts of the city.
Schedule of services
Divine services are held in the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Vsetsaritsa” every day. On weekdays, services begin at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. On weekends and holidays, Early and Late Liturgy is held (at 7 and 9 o'clock).
Divine service in the Voronezh Church
Patronal holidays are celebrated on the following days:
- veneration of the icon of the Mother of God “Vsetsaritsa” - August 31;
- Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist and Baptist - July 7.
Social activity
Clergy and volunteers conduct the following types of public activities:
- teaching in children's and adult Sunday school;
- conducting public conversations before church sacraments;
- organization and participation in the work of a youth club;
- participation in the church choir “Consent”;
- spiritual bordering of social organizations of the city.
Temple activities
The Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Vsetsaritsa” was initially designed to meet the needs of the believers of the new microdistrict, in the center of which it was built.
Since 2021, the church has been operating without interruption. Divine services are held daily, twice a day. There are special holiday services (early and late). Patronal feasts are celebrated in the lower and upper churches, respectively, on July 7 and August 31.
The church has an official website and a VKontakte group, where you can always get the necessary information about the activities of the temple. The schedule of services can be found there. In addition, the church supports a youth club, participates in charitable organizations and develops church choral singing. There is a Sunday school at the church.
The significance of the church is mainly local, although believers from other urban areas often visit it. Parishioners note an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, supported by responsive and friendly clergy. In general, the Voronezh Church of the All-Tsaritsa is not only the center of spiritual life of the area located around it, but also an interesting architectural monument.
Author: Maria Goncharova
Schedule of services
Today, services are held in three churches of the monastery. Every day they host:
Midnight Office at 7:00. Liturgy at 8:00. Morning and evening services.
On holidays and Sundays, the liturgy is held at 9:00. These days a huge number of parishioners and pilgrims come to the cathedral.
Must read: Church of the All-Merciful Savior in Mitino, schedule of services
It is worth noting that entry into the community is prohibited in short skirts, shorts, or clothing with open shoulders. A woman must have a headdress.
Patronal holidays
The main church patronal holiday - the Transfiguration of the Savior, is celebrated on August 19 according to the Gregorian calendar. The Orthodox Church honors it as one of the twelve holidays. August 31 – festive (praise) great service in veneration of the icon of the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary “The All-Tsaritsa” (Pantanassa). October 14 – Celebration of the Holy Protection of the Intercessor of our Mother of God. On the same day, a service is held in honor of the divine composer of prayers and psalms, Roman the Sweet Singer, the beloved heavenly patron of the Romanov dynasty. December 10 – festive service in veneration of the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign”. This is the main temple holiday of the Church of the Sign.
The Lord said that it is not the healthy, but the sick who need a doctor. Rarely does anyone come to the Novospassky Stauropegic Monastery out of idle curiosity. In Moscow there are many holy places of prayer where the soul is cleansed from sorrow and filled with grace.
People bring their illnesses, sorrows, a heavy burden of guilt and resentment here. And anyone who comes with sincere faith and a need for help will certainly receive it - in the form of relief, strengthening of mental strength, and often physical healing.
Article design: Vladimir the Great
Short story
At first, the sanctuary was located in the place where the Danilovsky Monastery is currently located. But over time, the cathedral was moved to the Kremlin. After large-scale construction on the territory of the Kremlin, they decided to move the monastery again. This time, by order of Ivan the Terrible, the abbey was placed on Krutitsky Hill and made into a real fortress (thanks to large defensive structures). So it began to defend the capital on the approaches from enemies along with the Danilov, Novodevichy, Donskoy and Simonov monasteries.
The walls of the fortifications and towers were built by the famous Russian master Fyodor Kon. The main current building of the Transfiguration Monastery was erected in the 1650s. A number of famous personalities are buried in the basement of this temple, including many boyars of the Zakharyin-Romanov family, bishops Porfiry and Peter of Catherine. At the beginning of the 19th century, the nun Dosithea, known as Princess Augusta Tarakanova, daughter of Catherine Petrovna, was buried in the burial vault.
At the beginning of the 20th century, with the communists coming to power, the monastery was closed. It was one of the first Orthodox institutions to suffer at the hands of the Soviet regime. The cemetery at the temple was almost immediately destroyed. On its territory, the Soviet authorities located a forced labor camp. Particularly dangerous criminals were placed in the tomb. The monastery churches turned into prison warehouses and barracks. Many shrines disappeared without a trace. And since 1935, the complex came under the control of the NKVD.
The Novospassky Monastery was returned to the monastic brethren only at the end of 1990. A major restoration of many buildings was carried out. In 2011, the monastery celebrated the 20th anniversary of the second discovery of the shrine.
Must read: Belogorsky Monastery, Perm region
Icon "The Queen of All"
This is the greatest shrine of Athos, a copy of the miraculous image (the original is located on Mount Athos in the monastery). Donated to the holy monastery in 1997.
Many people come to the monastery to touch this icon. She helps and heals those who suffer. And it has long been noticed that cancer patients receive special help from “The Tsaritsa.”
Many people suffering from alcoholism, smoking and drug addiction receive hope for healing and are cured.
Within the walls of the monastery you can purchase oil consecrated after the prayer service for anointing the sick, as well as a prayer with an image of the icon.
