Among the variety of Russian temple buildings,sometimes are masterpieces of architecture, there is one that has no analogues. This is the church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary, located in the village of Dubrovitsy. To see this, one look at its outlines, so uncharacteristic of the Russian Orthodox tradition, is enough. Touching its history, one can not help feeling the secret hidden in it.
Heir to the heir to the throne
In those distant years, when in place of the currentThe church of Znamensky stood an unremarkable wooden church in the name of Elijah the prophet, the Dubrovitsy estate, located not far from Podolsk, belonged to the clan of the princes Golitsyns. The eldest of them, Boris Alekseevich, was the tutor and mentor of the future sovereign of Peter the Great. Over time, when his pet, drowning all revolts and riots in blood, took over the Russian throne, the prince, as the closest person to him, went into great strength.
But sometimes there are sometimes changeable wrath and mercythe mighty of this world. Found at the court envious, whispered to the slander of the slander against his old teacher, and quickly to reprisal Peter in 1689 sent him into exile to a family estate - the same Dubrovitsy. It was bitter for the old man Golitsyn to receive gratitude with such a coin for all the zeal shown to them in the educational field. It was comforting that I had not lost my head-it was customary for Peter Alekseevich.
Intercession of the Queen of Heaven
However, the Emperor was ardent, but he was quick-witted.A year later he replaced anger at mercy and again allowed Boris Alekseevich to appear before the royal eyes. To console the old man, he praised him boyar dignity. Being an Orthodox person and deeply believing, Prince Golitsyn judged that such a happy change in fate could occur only by the intercession of the Queen of Heaven. Filled with gratitude, he wished to erect in his possessions, among which was Dubrovitsy Manor, the Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary - a monument to the happy deliverance from opals.
A masterpiece of an unknown genius
The construction of the prince began in 1690,previously ordered to dismantle the old wooden church of the Prophet Elijah, built in 1662, and move it to the neighboring village Lemeshevo. This follows from the documents that have come down to us, but further riddles begin. The fact is that absolutely nothing is known about the architect who created the project of this architectural miracle.
In Petrine times, many outstanding foreignersworked in Russia and immortalized their names, creating a unique style, known to us as the Petrine Baroque, but none of them has to do with the masterpiece erected in the Dubrovitsy manor. The Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin, in every detail of which the hand of genius is embodied, is devoid of authorship. It is absolutely out of the question that one of the outstanding foreign masters who were in those years in Russia, performed work of this level, and she did not decorate his creative biography.
The hypothesis of a certain Russian genius does not hold up to criticism. Without detracting from the merits of domestic masters, it should nevertheless be abandoned.
This becomes obvious at the first glance atthat is a construction in the Dubrovitsy manor. The Church of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos, as the specialists note, is the product of Italian creative thought, embodied in the Baroque style. In Russia they built quite differently. In all likelihood, domestic masters also made a hand in creating it, but only by implementing someone's ingenious plan.
Celebrations on the occasion of the consecration of the church
But, one way or another, and the church was erected.For its construction, a local white stone was used, often found in the Podolsk region. Its advantages are ease of processing and at the same time strength, which allows to work out fine details of decorative carving. The works were completed in 1699, but the church was consecrated five years later.
The reason for this delay is that Prince GolitsynHe wanted to invite Peter I to the celebrations in Dubrovitsy. The Church of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos was built in memory of their reconciliation, and his desire was fully understandable. But, since in those years the Tsar seldom visited Moscow, Boris Alekseevich had to wait five years for an opportunity.
He introduced himself in 1704, and on February 11 inpresence of Peter I, as well as his son Tsarevich Alexei, the new church was consecrated. Since the tsar loved to celebrate everything in a broad and grand manner, the celebrations lasted a whole week, and all local people from small to large took part in them at his will (more precisely, the order).
The temple, which appeared to the eyes of the assembled guests, wasreally beautiful. In his base he represented a cross with equal ends. Around the whole circumference he was rounded by the porch raised by a high foundation and richly decorated with carvings. The imagination and the abundance of sculptural ornaments, executed on biblical subjects, was struck. But the main highlight was made of metal and a gilded crown crowning the church and replacing a traditional dome.
Church not touched by the enemy
During the Napoleonic invasion, the French werebusy Podolsk. The Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Dubrovitsy was also in the hands of the enemies, but at the same time avoided ruin. This is hard to believe, but the conquerors who betrayed the Orthodox shrines alien to them, not only did not dare to destroy it, but did not even touch the inside of the utensils and did not damage the rich salaries of the icons.
The times of persecution of the church
Relatively quiet and prosperous was forchurches for the next century, until the twentieth century broke out, and the power in the country was not captured by the same people that Leo Tolstoy so hastily called a God-bearer. The wave of anti-religious campaign, launched immediately after the establishment of the new government and supported by official propaganda, has reached the village of Dubrovitsy. The Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose history had already counted more than two centuries, was at the center of tragic events.
Very soon all the clergymen, counting theman alien element, along with families and small children, were evicted from houses that were transferred to a local state farm, and the church itself was closed. Her last abbot - Archpriest Father Michael (Poretsky) - was sent into exile, from which he never returned.
Under the power of vandals
New masters of life, unlikeconquerors-Frenchmen, did not become moved by the baroque baroque foreign to them. Destroying the old world to the ground, they did not spare the church bell tower, which also represented exceptional artistic value. It simply blew up as useless. It remains only to thank God, who did not allow the destruction of the entire temple and protected him from the hands of domestic vandals.
In desolation the temple remained until the end of the fiftiesyears, until the territory of the estate Dubrovitsy was not transferred to the disposal of the All-Union Institute of Livestock. We must pay tribute to the learned men, who were happy about the increase in the weight of cattle and the increase in the milk yield - they did not try to re-equip the church they had received in the cowshed. Moreover, they even began to restore it, which lasted for forty years and if not improved its appearance, then, at least, did not allow the building to collapse.
Church returned to people
But everything in the world, including human troubles,the end comes. In 1989, the faithful of the city of Podolsk, daring for the years of perestroika, demanded the return of the Znamenskaya church to them. Since by that time the strength of the local party and Soviet bodies was melting away before our eyes, then, hardened in their atheistic perseverance, they could not persist for long. A year later the church was returned to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate and divine services were resumed there.
In our days, restored and adopted thethe very image that won her fame, she again accepts in her walls thousands of believers. Go to it and those who have not yet found their "path to the temple," still wants to see, created more than three centuries ago in the Dubrovitsy manor, the Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin.
How to get to it?
Convenient route by public transportindicates the church's website. It is recommended to follow the electric train from the "Kursk" train station to the Podolsk station, and then, by bus or shuttle № 65 to the village. Dubrovitsy. The Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin is there the main attraction. In addition to it, it will also be interesting to inspect the building itself.
For those who have personal transport,it is recommended to go along the Warsaw Highway and, passing Podolsk, follow further to the index: "Dubrovitsy Manor, the Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin." The map attached to the article will allow you to easily reach the right place.
