The Church of All Saints is one of the oldest churches in the city of Arkhangelsk, located on the Obvodny Canal. The exact time of the construction of the church is unknown. But, according to the former headman of the temple K.A. Averkieva, the temple was built in 1864. For the first time, mention of the Church of All Saints can be found in the Arkhangelsk Diocesan Gazette in 1889.
In 1927, the church was closed and turned into a warehouse. There
is information that in the 30s a transit point was located in the
church building. He is mentioned in the book "The Gulag Archipelago"
by Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn, which tells about the misfortune
that happened in the building of the temple. Its 8-tiered bunks
collapsed, unable to withstand a large number of people and crushing
many people among themselves. They were quickly buried in the
churchyard. After that, the temple was in complete desolation.
According to eyewitnesses, the dome and the belfry were destroyed,
the windows were walled up, the stoves and floors were dismantled,
the plaster was damaged, and the wiring was cut off.
In
October 1946, at the insistence of the parishioners, with the
blessing of Bishop Leonty, the church was transferred to the
jurisdiction of the Arkhangelsk diocese. The temple has been
renovated. The first abbot was appointed Abbot Father Seraphim
(Shinkarev), who was transferred to this place from the service of
the abbot of St. Elias Cathedral. Father Seraphim was an outstanding
organizer, the parishioners loved and respected him.
A parish
council was formed. In just 10 days, before November 1, 1946, the
primary restoration work was carried out in the temple. A throne and
an altar were placed in the altar, window openings and frames were
arranged, stoves were installed, a temporary iconostasis was
erected, icons were hung, and so on. Bishop Leonty blessed the
transfer of 3 holy images from the Cathedral: the Tikhvin icon of
the Mother of God, the Joy of All Who Sorrow icon, the icon of St.
Nicholas, Golgotha (Crucifixion with the ones to come), and
everything that is necessary for the celebration of divine services.
The church was prepared for consecration. And on November 1, 1946,
His Grace Leonty, accompanied by the clergy, in the presence of a
large number of people, consecrated it.
The subsequent
improvement of the temple was carried out for several years, and the
additions to it were already carried out today under the patronage
of the rector fathers who served in those days.
The
iconostasis of the Church of All Saints was made according to the
project of the priest Father Vladimir Zhokhov, and the icon painters
of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra from Moscow wrote icons for him. At
present, in addition to the main chapel, there is a memorial chapel,
a refectory, a prosphora and other auxiliary premises inside the
church.
In 2001, the All Saints Church celebrated the 55th
anniversary of its restoration. The shrines of the temple are the
icons of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" and "Tikhvin",
St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Mirlikia, miracle worker.
The
clergy of the church performs pastoral service not only within the
walls of the temple, but also outside it, comforting and supporting
sick people at home, visiting the elderly living in nursing homes,
coming to schools and orphanages, hospitals, visiting prisoners in
prisons, spending these places preaching the Word of God and
performing the sacraments of Repentance, Holy Communion and Baptism.
Also, the ministers of the temple do not disregard the police
officers, conscripts and soldiers who serve in the ranks of the
Russian Army. There is a Sunday school at the church. It offers
classes for adults, parishioners and children with hearing problems.
By the 55th anniversary of the renovation of the church, through
the diligence of the parishioners, the restoration of its interior
was completed, the domes and wall paintings of the temple were
renewed.