The Church of St. George the Victorious (Intercession of the Most
Holy Theotokos) on Pskov Hill is an Orthodox church in the Tverskoy
district of Moscow. It belongs to the Iversky deanery of the Moscow
Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The main altar was
consecrated in honor of the feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy
Theotokos, the side chapels — in the name of St. George the Victorious
and in the name of St. Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow.
The changes concerned the Church of St. George the Victorious several
times:
In 1812, during a French raid, the building was severely
damaged. It was possible to restore it only by 1816.
In 1819, a new
bell tower was built. The money for its construction was allocated by
the Moscow merchant Solovyov. At the same time, the main temple of the
church was painted. At the same time, a new iconostasis was installed.
In 1827, the reconstruction of the St. George's chapel was completed.
In 1838, the north aisle was rebuilt. They also built a new one. Funds
for the new south aisle were allocated by the widow of merchant
Solovyov.
In 1856, the Russian artist Rogozhin painted the dome and
walls of the temple.
During the Soviet era, the church was
abandoned. A tree even grew on the roof, the temple was so neglected. In
1965, permission was given to patch up the neglected temple a little.
However, it was forbidden to return crosses to the bell tower. And the
bush was the size of a man and stood there. The temple was used as a
warehouse. In 1979, the temple was given over to exhibition events. The
church was returned to believers only in 1991. And the first service
since 1920 was held only in 2005.
In 2015, the temple was
restored and somewhat modified
Moscow churches were often built on the foundations of the buildings
of the old churches that had not survived. The Church of St. George the
Victorious is no exception. This temple stands on
an ancient
foundation. Previously, the temple, which preceded the church of St.
George, belonged to the mother-in-law of Vasily the Dark, a direct
relative of the future Romanov royal family. A basement has been
preserved from the church of Vasily the Dark's mother-in-law. He became
the foundation of the temple of the Victorious.
George the
Victorious was considered the patron saint of warriors and cattle in
Russia. The name George means farmer in Greek. They prayed to George for
the cattle. But if the cattle were dragged away by a wolf, it was
considered a gift to the saint. The worship of George has its roots in
the worship of the heavenly body.
The temple has five heads. The
largest is the central drum. There are belts on all reels. Onion-shaped
domes. This is the Moscow flavor of the XVII century. But not only this
style adorns the Church of St. George the Victorious. The refectory and
bell tower were rebuilt. They were already built in a kind of
pseudo-Gothic style. Their reconstruction took place in the XIX century.
This style has stolen the volumes of the flavor of Moscow architecture.
But there are also elements that are similar to the "Russian pattern".
The window frames have the shape of the so-called "flaming Gothic". The
four-tiered bell tower has a rusticated first tier. The latter is in the
form of an octagon of arched shape, pointed arches, pyramidal, ribbed
drum, simple rest.
The Bolsheviks fired 10 bullets at the shrine
of St. George the Victorious, the icon of the Kazan Mother of God.
Interestingly, the faces of the saints remained absolutely intact. The
icon was fired from a revolver. Presumably this grim event took place in
1930-1935, and it was the work of some commander, judging by the weapon
from which the bullets were fired.
The main colors of the temple
are red and white. This coloring is considered traditional for Moscow
church architecture. This color style has its roots in the use of red
brick and white stone.
The head crosses are very beautiful. They
are made in the traditions of the XVII century: they have a
diamond-shaped shape, they are characterized by openwork, they are
crowned with shamrocks, semi-luminous radiances (12 pieces), and at the
base of the cross there is a semicircular tsata. It was very lucky that
during the restoration it was possible to recreate all this beauty.
The bell tower of the temple has a pseudo-gothic shade. The arches
of the first tier are pointed, and the upper tier has cleaner features
inherent in the Empire style.
When the church was returned to
believers after the Soviet period, it turned out that it needed serious
restoration. The walls and windows were reinforced inside, the painted
works were re-executed, and the iconostasis was redone.
Platbands
and kokoshniks were also restored. Then the temple was painted red and
white. The restoration was completed only in 2013. Today, this temple is
rightfully considered a national heritage of federal significance.
The church is open every day for all interested parishioners and
tourists. It works on weekdays, weekends, and holidays. Women should not
forget to cover their heads before entering the Church of St. George the
Victorious. The temple is open for a full 12 hours. The working hours
are from 8 am to 8 pm.
Temple address: Moscow, Varvarka 12,
Kitay-gorod metro station.
This wonderful temple is located in Moscow in the Tverskoy district.
It will not be difficult to get to it. Bus routes M6, M7, C920 are
suitable.
Another way to get to St. George's Cathedral is to take
a train. The following train directions are suitable: Belorusskoye,
Leningradskoye, Kurskoye.
In addition to the train, you can use
the subway. It's fast and convenient. Metro lines: 3, 6, 7.
The
Church of St. George the Victorious is always glad to parishioners, both
believers and tourists. The doors of the temple are open to people.
The rector of the temple is Archpriest Vyacheslav Shestakov
List of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
Icons of St. Spyridon
of Trimifunt
Icon of the righteous warrior Feodor Ushakov
Icon of
the Martyr Lyudmila of the Czech Republic with the relics of saints
The Ark with the relics of the Great Martyr George the Victorious