Orthodox church of the Protection of the Holy Virgin on Lyschikova Hill

District History

Pokrovskaya Church is located on the high bank of the Yauza River , in a place that has long been called Lyshchikova Hill. Lyshchikova Gorka is the northern slope of a large Tagansky hill, located at the confluence of the Moscow River and Yauza . There are hypotheses about the existence of one of the most ancient pre-Moscow settlements on this site, dating from the 10th century . ^{[1] [2]}

At the turn of the XV - XVI centuries , on the Lyshchikov Hill, the Grand Duke Pokrovsky Monastery was founded. It is possible that the monastery on the outskirts of the city was of defense importance. In 1504, Ivan III bequeathed the Pokrovsky Monastery to his son Vasily III .

Of the interesting facts of that period, the foundation by Boris Godunov around 1600 of the church of Simeon Stolpnik on the opposite side of Nikoloyamskaya Street can be noted. The street got its name from the St. Nicholas in the Yam Church located in it in the Rogozhskaya Yamskaya Sloboda. The Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Pits was built in the first half of the 18th century by coachmen who lived in the settlement, and was destroyed in the late 1950s .

After the campaign to Moscow of the Crimean Khan of Gaza II Giray , it was decided to surround the city with an earthen rampart . In the 1590s , during the construction of the fortification - earthen ramparts with wooden walls - part of a high hill was torn down. By that time, the Pokrovsky Monastery had left the category of the Grand Duchy and was abolished. The remaining wooden Church of the Intercession in 1625 is referred to as the parish. In 1688, the church completely burned out during a fire. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

Temple Construction

It was decided to build a new stone temple not at the old place - at the top of the hill, but at its foot. The building of the church in the style of Moscow Baroque was built by 1696 . According to the research of A. A. Kolmovsky, the Intercession Church was the first in Moscow to use which mascarons were used - a type of sculptural decoration of the building in the shape of a human head or animal full face . After finishing the interior in 1697, the temple was consecrated. According to the namesake of the famous parishioner clerk Ivan Ragozin, the chapel in the name of St. John of Damascus was also consecrated in the Intercession Church , currently it is the only one in Moscow. ^[3]

In 1773, at the expense of the second major, Ilya Alekseevich Likharev, a chapel was built in the Intercession Church in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God . According to the archival plans of 1802 and 1806, in 1803 - 1805 the existing belfry was built and the refectory was expanded. ^[four]

The Intercession Church was badly damaged during the Moscow fire of 1812 . Some of the church values ​​were hidden in the house of the churchwarden, the merchant Sergeyev, the rest was looted. After the French left Moscow, the devastated church was assigned to the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Pits . In 1814, the Intercession Church was restored. In 1895, the church was partially rebuilt according to the project of the architect N. V. Rozov ^[6] .

Soviet period

Despite the fact that during the years of Soviet power the Intercession Church did not close, many church valuables were removed from it. In the 1930s , especially valuable icons began to be brought here from neighboring closed churches. For many years, the venerable temple icons of the holy Apostle Jacob Zebedeev from the Church of the Apostle Jacob Zavedeev and the Monk Simeon Stolpnik from the church of Simeon Stolpnik were kept here. In the 1990s , both icons were solemnly, with prayers and religious processions, returned to their newly opened native churches.

In different years, priests from closed churches were received here. In 1929 - 1933, Protopriest Nikolai Benevolensky, rector of the nearby church of Simeon Stolpnik, closed in 1929, served in the Intercession Church . And in the winter of 1979 , in memory of the previously closed church, a side throne was consecrated in the main altar in honor of the Monk Simeon Stolpnik .

An interesting story is related to the attempt to close the church. The closing day was chosen on June 22, 1941 , but on the appointed day the decision was not enforced. During the Great Patriotic War , donations for the army were collected in the church. The Intercession Church even received a letter of thanks signed by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief I. Stalin .

The parish of the temple managed to preserve the old bells. According to one version, after receiving a message about the upcoming seizure of the bells, the parishioners covered them with black paint (according to another version it was tar). As a result, the authorities did not begin to remove the bell. The largest of the bells, called "Blagovest", was made in 1794 in Moscow at the plant of Mrs. Strugovschikova, its weight is 112 pounds 7 pounds (1837 kg ). In 1996, 5 new bells were cast at the order of the temple at the ZIL plant. Thus, at present, from the bell tower of the Intercession Church, one can hear the simultaneous sound of both new and old bells.

There is evidence (oral) that the bells were not coated with tar, but with ordinary shit from a cesspool, which was located near apartment building No. 54 on ul. Earth rampart (Chkalovskaya). According to eyewitnesses, this was led by Mikhail Provich Lapin, who was the church headman in this church until 1929, as well as the house manager of house No. 54. The arrived detachment of the Red Army disdained to remove the bells so as not to stain the uniform. The OGPU tried to arrest the headman, but he was soon released. And these bells are ringing safely today.

In the Soviet period, all the houses of the church were taken away and she needed free rooms. In 1959, one of the symmetrically located entrance stairs was dismantled from the northwestern side of the temple. A two-story extension was erected in its place, on the upper floor of which there was a church baptismal, sacristy and sewing workshop, and on the lower floor there was an office. ^{[3] [4]} However, after the church houses were returned to the parish, they did not dismantle the annex to the temple, which was disfiguring.

Russian period

On August 3, 1999, with the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, the relics of the priest Roman were transferred to the Intercession Church . ^{[7] [8]}

• Rector of the church - Archpriest Vladimir Rigin
• Archimandrite Damaskin (Orlovsky Vladimir Alexandrovich)
• Archpriest Pavel Nikolayevich Motovilov
• Priest Andrei Nikolaevich Nikolsky
• Priest Dmitry Olegovich Safronov
• Protodeacon Andrei Yuryevich Makarov ^[9] .

• Icon of the Archangel Michael
• Icon of the Mother of God "Kazan"
• Icon of the Mother of God "Veil" (revered)
• Icon of the Mother of God "Tikhvin"
• Icon of the Savior of the Miraculous Image
• Icon prpp. John Damascene and Paphnutius Borovsky
• Icon of St. vmch Panteleimon
• Icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
• Cancer with the relics of the priest Roman Bear ^[10]

• Official site Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin on Lishchikova Hill
• History of the Intercession Church on pravoslavie.ru
• History of the Intercession Church MAGAZINE OF THE MOSCOW PATRIARCH (inaccessible link)
• Pokrovsky temple on patriarchia.ru
• History of Tagansky Hill Russian Resurrection
• Pokrovsky temple on russian-church.ru
• Pokrovsky temple on sobory.ru