The Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin in Cherkessk is one of the oldest and most significant Orthodox landmarks in the city, located at 156V Lenin Street. This wooden church, built in the 18th century, is a unique architectural and historical monument that reflects the path of Orthodoxy in the North Caucasus. Here is a detailed description:
The church has an unusual history, connected with the resettlement of
the Cossacks. It was originally built in 1730 by the Cossacks of the
Khopersky Regiment on the bank of the Khoper River (in the territory of
today's Volgograd Region). It was a wooden church, consecrated as the
Nikolsky prayer house. In 1825, when the Cossacks were transferred to
the Caucasus to build the Stavropol fortress as part of the Azov-Mozdok
line, they dismantled the church and moved it to Stavropol. It stood
there until 1831.
In 1831, the Cossacks of the Stavropolskaya
village, singing psalms and prayers, carried the dismantled church on
foot to the Batalpashinskaya village (present-day Cherkessk), where it
was reassembled next to the new stone Nikolaevsky Cathedral. In 1876,
Emperor Alexander II granted the wooden church the status of a
cathedral. However, in 1901, after the construction of the stone
cathedral was completed, the old church was dismantled again and moved
to the southern part of the city. On October 27, 1902 (November 9, new
style), it was consecrated in honor of the Intercession of the Holy
Mother of God, which is associated with the date of the village's
foundation - October 14, 1825, the day of the Intercession.
During Soviet times, the church miraculously escaped destruction and was
never closed, becoming a stronghold of Orthodoxy in the region. From
1976 to 2004, its rector was mitred archpriest Vasily Afonin, who made
the church the spiritual center of Karachay-Cherkessia. Today, the
rector is Archpriest Alexander Nartov, the author of a book about the
history of the church.
The Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin is a rare example
of all-wooden architecture of the 18th century:
Materials: Built
of hewn oak logs on a stone foundation, which ensured its durability.
Layout: Cross-shaped with a small bell tower above the entrance. The
temple is decorated with three stone porches with four columns each,
which gives it elegance.
Exterior: Modest but elegant, with simple
wooden trim that preserves the spirit of Cossack architecture. The dome
is small, traditionally Orthodox, with a cross.
Interior: Inside
there is a wooden iconostasis, restored after the Soviet years, and
paintings updated at the end of the 20th century. The atmosphere is cozy
and warm.
The temple holds several significant relics:
Iveron Icon of the
Mother of God: Painted in 1904 in the New Athos Monastery (Abkhazia).
Icon of the Mother of God "It is truly worthy": Created in the early
20th century in the Russian skete on Mount Athos.
The church is active and is part of the Pyatigorsk diocese (Northern
Karachay-Cherkess deanery). Services are held regularly:
Schedule: Liturgy - 8:00, evening service - 16:00 (check on the church
website pokrov-cherkessk.ru).
Condition: The church is well-kept, the
area around is equipped with benches and flower beds. The grave of
Father Vasily Afonin is nearby, which adds spiritual significance to the
place.
The Church of the Intercession is not only a religious center, but also a symbol of fortitude. For almost 300 years, it has survived wars, persecutions and several transfers, remaining active. Its history is connected with the Cossacks, and the consecration in honor of the Intercession reflects the faith of the first settlers who entered the village on this holiday. In 2023, for the 180th anniversary of the temple, the book "History of the Intercession Church of the City of Cherkessk and its Clergy" was published, available in the local library.
How to get there: From the center of Cherkessk (Lenin Street) - 5-10
minutes on foot or by bus # 5 to the stop "Ul. Lenina". By car -
coordinates: 44.210278, 42.042222.
Hours: The temple is open daily,
admission is free.
Vasily Finance (July 2, 1939 - April 4, 1941)
Vasily
Afonin (October 25, 1976 - 2004)
Vyacheslav Kovalenko (? - 2011)
Mikhail Samokhin (2011 - March 29, 2016)
Alexander Nartov (since
March 29, 2016)