At the end of the XIV century, when they were still fresh in the memorythe victory on the Kulikovo Field and the terrible invasion of Tokhtamysh Khan that followed two years later, a Sourozh merchant Stephen appeared in Moscow, whose nickname, which soon became a surname, was Komra. For his descendants, it changed to Howrah and gave the name of their ancestral patrimony to the very area where the Temple of the Sign in Khovrino is now located.
The first two churches in the family estate
Первое свидетельство благочестия потомков Стефана Hovry - the mention of the construction of a wooden church in the name of the great martyr George by them on the patrimonial lands - dates back to the end of the 16th century. However, she was not destined to stand for long. In the Time of Troubles, the church was burned by apostates, who exchanged the faith of their fathers for the Latin heresy.
Restored the fire burned in only threeFor decades, and at the very end of the 17th century, another church was erected next to it, a wooden one, but of a larger size, and consecrated its main chapel in honor of the Mother of God “The Sign” icon. She was destined to stand until 1740, when the owner of the estate, Count N. Golovin, in an impulse of piety ordered to replace the wooden, rather dilapidated stone building by that time. So in its place a new temple of the Sign in Khovrino appeared.
The pious deed of Count Golovin
For over a hundred years, mass was served in it,baptized babies and funerals for those who were due to complete their earthly journey. Finally, in 1860, the new owner of the estate, court counselor EI Molchanov, as well as his predecessor, Count Golovin, wished to make a major donation for the salvation of the soul and the forgiveness of sins for the benefit of the Orthodox Church. He conceived and soon carried out the next restructuring of the temple.
Development of the project and conduct of outdoor workthe adviser commissioned the famous Moscow architect Konstantin Mikhailovich Bykovsky, who, by his order, had already worked on the construction of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity at the Pokrovsky Gate. The Church of the Sign of the Mother of God in Khovrino became the pinnacle of his work. Despite the recurring technical difficulties, the construction was carried out at a fairly rapid pace. Founded in 1868, the church was completed two years later, and consecrated in 1871. Services in it were conducted beautifully and decorously until 1917.
Time of spiritual darkness
After the October Revolution, the Temple of the SignsKhovrino fully experienced the evils that befell the Russian Orthodox Church. The owners of the estate, on the territory of which it was located, were driven out, and their land was transferred to the agricultural community. From that time on, endless litigation began with the new owners of the land, then with the railway workers of the Khovrino station. Both of them, under various pretexts, demanded the closure of the temple. The “God-bearing people” who believed in the Marxist-Leninist heresy did not need him.
A series of repressions againstclergymen, as well as the most active parishioners. Many of them were shot or exiled to camps. In this difficult time, trouble touched all the Moscow churches. Not made an exception and the temple of the icon of the Mother of God "Sign" in Khovrino. The schedule of worship in those years was not respected simply because there was simply no one to serve. Parish priests take the crown of martyrdom: K. Vinogradov, N. Kasatkin, who was replaced by Archimandrite of the Chudov Monastery Ambrose (Astakhov) and a number of other sufferers for the faith.
The ruin of the temple
If before the service in the temple at least periodically, butwere committed, then in 1939 a resolution was issued to close it. Memories of old-timers of Moscow about how ruthlessly demolished domes and belfries, broke high-reliefs and burned icons remained. Only three images were miraculously saved from the fire - the Savior, the Most Holy Mother of God and Nicholas the Wonderworker. This is all that remains of the old church magnificence.
Кусты акации, создававшие вокруг храма живую fence, cut down, replacing the gray plank fence. Production workshops were set up in the building itself, the bay was tiled with asphalt and covered with marble with blue oil paint. Later, the former temple of the Signs in Khovrino was re-equipped again, this time turning into a garage of one of the state institutions.
Start of adjustment
In the second half of the eighties in the countrya process of all-round liberalization began, which, in a very original way, affected the temple of the Sign in Khovrino. The schedule of the evenings of the disco arranged inside it is the only thing that the restructuring brought to the church building. The next blasphemy was initiated by the local Komsomol district committee, which by that time had not yet been dispersed.
But gradually everything fell into place.Following the biblical wisdom, the times of “throwing stones” were replaced by a period when it was appropriate to collect them, and since a lot was scattered over the years of universal atheism, much work was ahead. In 1991, the church was returned to believers, and the process of its restoration began. The new abbot father George (Polozov) had to lift the building literally from the ruins.
Works on the restoration of the temple
For five years on the money collectedparishioners, managed to re-lay the mosaic of the floor, once destroyed by asphalt, and recreate the former appearance of the walls. After many years of separation, three holy images, which they managed to save from the fire during the destruction of the church in 1939, returned to their former place. There were also new icons donated by other churches and simple pilgrims.
Special works cost the restoration of the centraldomes and high reliefs, which once was famous for the temple. The best specialists of the capital were involved in their production. They also erected four belfries, accurately reproducing the appearance of their originals. It was possible to completely free the building from forests in 2005.
Related work
In addition to all of the above, for a parable builtA new roomy brick house, and the whole complex was surrounded by an openwork metal fence. The territory provided to the temple by the city authorities is small, it does not exceed half a hectare, but several facilities were to be located on it, without which the modern parish cannot do.
Today's temple life
With the completion of the main part of the restorationwork resumed and regular worship. The schedule of services in the temple "Sign" in Khovrino indicates that they are held in full, as provided by the church charter.
On Sundays and public holidays: early liturgy at 7:00, late at 10:00; vespers, matins at 17:00.
On weekdays: liturgy at 8:00, vespers, matins at 17:00.
The only exception is March 13, 2016 - conspiracy to Lent. On this day at 16:00 the rite of forgiveness will be committed.
In addition, classes are organized in the parish.children's Sunday school, as well as regular conversations with adults, especially with those of them who are just starting their churchhood and preparing for the sacrament of holy Baptism.
In the Kaluga region, the parish temple providedconsiderable territory (area of forty seven hectares) for the conduct of subsidiary farming. At present, extensive and systematic work is being carried out on the development of this land, which ultimately should allow to solve the problem of material independence, which is so acute in most communities.
In the temple are regularly organized pilgrimage.trips to the holy places of Central Russia. Their list is quite extensive. For a more complete and comprehensive familiarization of the participants of travels with objects located on the bus route, professional guides from various travel companies are invited. Today, the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign" (ROC), fully restored after a period of its neglect, was actively involved in all spheres of the spiritual life of Russia.
