Temple of Saints Athanasius and Cyril on Sivtsev Vrazhek. Temple of Saints Athanasius and Cyril (Resurrection of the Word) on Sivtsev Vrazhek Temple of Athanasius and Cyril of Alexandria

Photo: Church of Athanasius and Cyril, Patriarchs of Alexandria, on Sivtsev Vrazhek

Photo and description

The Church of Saints Athanasius and Cyril on Sivtsev Vrazhek is also known as the Church of the Resurrection of the Word, with the second name being official, and the first being more common among the people. The people used to call the temple after one of the aisles consecrated in honor of Athanasius and Cyril. But the main name is still considered in honor of the Resurrection of the Word - by the name of the main throne, the former Spassky and re-consecrated in 1856 at the request of one of the benefactors who participated in the reconstruction and renovation of the temple in the first half of the 19th century.

In Moscow, the temple is located in Filippovsky Lane. The first church was wooden and existed already at the beginning of the 16th century. At the beginning of the next century, it was rebuilt in stone, and its main throne (Spassky) was consecrated in the name of the Savior Not Made by Hands. The chapel of Saints Athanasius and Cyril appeared in the temple in the middle of the 18th century, and the whole church began to be popularly called by the names of the saints - Athanasius-Kirillovskaya. Saints Athanasius and Cyril during their lifetime were Bishops of Alexandria: Athanasius lived in Egypt in the first half of the 4th century, Cyril at the end of the 4th - the first half of the 5th centuries.

During the war with the French, the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God was brought to the temple from Smolensk, but its presence in the temple did not save it from being plundered by French soldiers who entered Moscow in September 1812. The icon was subsequently transferred to the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, and the temple was restored a few years later thanks to the generous donations of Praskovya Yushkova. The temple acquired its current appearance at the end of the 19th century after its next reorganization.

In Soviet times, the temple was a warehouse, a hostel, an electromechanical plant, transferred from here before the Olympics-80. Even plans were considered to transform the building with excellent acoustics into a concert hall, but in the end, in the early 90s, the building returned to the fold of the church.

Church of Saints Athanasius and Cyril Patriarchs of Alexandria on Sivtsev Vrazhek

Filippovsky, now per. Aksakov, 3, B. Afanasevsky lane, now st. Myaskovsky, 18

"B. and M. Afanasevsky lanes are named after the church of Athanasius and Cyril that stood in B. Afanasevsky lane from the 18th century (actually much earlier - P.P.)." "In 1960, B. Afanasevsky Lane was renamed Myaskovsky Street." In book. erroneously indicated the construction of the church under Vasily III. In fact, it was the church of Athanasius in the Kremlin. As M. M. Sukhman suggests, the temple on the Arbat appeared no earlier than the middle of the 16th century. at the second suburban courtyard of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery.

"In 1631, according to the books of the Patriarchal Order, it was listed as a" newcomer ". On June 2, 1710, an antimension was issued for the throne of the Savior Not Made by Hands."

"It existed before the Romanovs, as it received a rug. After the Poles, it did not recover for a long time, which is why in 1634 it was entered in folding books as a newcomer. In 1657 it was shown wooden. In 1681, the main throne was the Savior Not Made by Hands. In 1710, issued antimins to the thrones of Spassky and Nikolsky, which became known for the first time this year.

After Napoleon's ruin, the temple was renovated in 1815 at the expense of the daughter of Colonel Praskovya Petrovna Yushkova. The image of him at that time is in the publication of Naydenov, then the main chetverik was about five chapters. Since 1837, a new bell tower and a refectory were built, and then a new light drum was erected over the old quadruple. The consecration took place on September 19, 1856, and at the request of the benefactor, honorary citizen Bubnov, the Spassky Throne was renamed into the Resurrection Throne. In 1899, the altars of the limits were moved forward in line with the main one. There are no ancient items inside."

"The church was renovated in 1899".

Chapel of St. Athanasius and Cyril was updated in 1837, as can be seen from the following story, recorded by N. I. Yakusheva: part of the foundation, and they found a copper board with the text, under which lay several coins. The board rested on bricks with the names of well-meaning givers squeezed out on them. The bricks and the whole place were immediately filled with cement and a machine was placed on top. The board was transferred to the nearest functioning church of Apostle Philip. The text on the board reads: "I will chapel this in the name of the Holy Patriarchs of Alexandria Athanasius and Cyril at the Church of the Most Merciful Savior of the Image Not Made by Hands, in Sivtsev Vrazhek, instead of the former dilapidated one. In the new place, the foundation was laid under the power of the Most Pious Autocratic Great Sovereign Nikolai Pavlovich of All Russia, under his August family, with the blessing of His Eminence Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, under the priest Mikhail Ivanovich Tikhomirov and the head of the Moscow church merchant son Mikhail Illarionovich Terentyev in the year from the creation of the world 7345 -e, from the incarnation of God the Word 1837th month of June on the 13th day in memory of the holy martyr Akilina. All the parishioners of the aforementioned church and other well-meaning donors contributed to the beginning of this chapel. With special offerings and advice, Major General Afanasy Petrovich Tyutchev, State Councilor Grigory Yakovlevich Vygodsky, Moscow merchant Ivan Fedorovich Zhukov.

After the closure of the temple until the 1970s. inside there were small enterprises, the last one was occupied by the Electromechanical Switchgear Plant. According to another story, recorded by the same N. I. Yakusheva, in 1972, a trench was dug on the former churchyard, occupied by a factory courtyard, and a hole was dug with a huge number of skulls. At the same time, no other bones, except for skulls, were found in it. One of the skulls had a metal cast icon of the Mother of God in its teeth (maybe it was the burial place of executed archers?). We called the museums, but they were not interested in it. Then they piled a full truck with skulls and took them to a landfill (!).

In the 1970s The factory was finally taken out, and scaffolding was placed around the temple, on which an extremely slow restoration began. They re-built two other tiers of the bell tower on the first surviving one, put a cross on the temple. In the meantime, a fire broke out inside. In the middle part of the main quadrangle of the temple, the restorers found paintings. The Vechernyaya Moskva newspaper reported before the Olympics that after the restoration was completed, a concert hall would be opened inside, where an organ would be installed.

The fence is broken. In the second half of the 1970s. the monument was put under state protection under number 600.

By 1990, the restoration was completed. Inside it was supposed to open as before a concert hall, but no longer an organ one.

Finally, in 1991, it was decided to return the church to the believers.

The Church of Saints Athanasius and Cyril (Resurrection of the Word) on Sivtsev Vrazhka is an Orthodox church belonging to the Central Deanery of the Moscow City Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. Address: Filippovsky lane, building 3.


Many researchers believe that the church existed, presumably, from the beginning of the 16th century, since it received a ruga.


Having suffered greatly in the Time of Troubles, it did not recover for a long time, which is why in 1631, according to the books of the Patriarchal order, the church was listed as a “newcomer”.


In 1657 and 1689 the church was still wooden. The stone church became at the beginning of the 18th century. The main altar was consecrated in honor of the Savior Not Made by Hands. Another chapel is in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.


In 1749, at the request of Lieutenant I.V. Pleshcheev, a side chapel of Saints Athanasius and Cyril was arranged in the refectory part of the church, and in the documents the church began to be called "Athanasius-Kirillovskaya Church."


In 1812, the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, taken from Smolensk, was originally placed in the church of St. Athanasius and Cyril and from there it was transferred to the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin.


Devastated in 1812, the temple was renovated in 1815-1817 at the expense of the daughter of Colonel Praskovya Petrovna Yushkova.


In 1836, a thorough reconstruction of the church in the Empire style began: a new bell tower, a refectory and a new light drum were built.


The consecration of the renovated church took place on September 19, 1856, and at the request of the benefactor, honorary citizen Bubnov, the Spassky Throne was renamed the Resurrection Throne. In 1899, in order to expand the temple, the altars of the aisles were rebuilt and the building acquired its present form.


After the revolution, by 1932, the temple was closed and warehouses, various small enterprises, an electromechanical plant, hostels were located in its building.


In the 1970s, a partial restoration of the building began, since it was supposed to open a concert hall with an organ.


In 1991, a decision was made to transfer the building to the Russian Orthodox Church, which was carried out on April 7, 1992.


It was decided to re-consecrate the main altar in the name of the Savior Not Made by Hands, but before that, on November 5, 1992, the chapel of St. Athanasius and Cyril.


On September 11, 1993, the main temple icon of St. Athanasius and Cyril. The main throne was consecrated on January 14, 2003, Nikolsky - on December 17, 2009.


In 2002, in the church of Saints Athanasius and Cyril (Resurrection of the Word) on Sivtsev Vrazhka, the funeral of People's Artist of the RSFSR Vitaly Methodievich Solomin took place.

March 4, 2017, on Saturday of the first week of Great Lent, the day of remembrance of Hieromartyr Hermogenes, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, miracle worker, (the celebration was postponed from Thursday, February 17, s.s. / March 2, s.s.) and Great Martyr Theodore Tiron, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia performed the rite of great consecration of the revived church of Saints Athanasius and Kirill, Patriarchs of Alexandria, on Sivtsev Vrazhek, Moscow, and the Divine Liturgy in the newly consecrated church.

Three thrones were consecrated by a great rite: the main throne - in honor of the Savior Not Made by Hands; southern - in honor of St. Athanasius and Cyril of Alexandria; northern - in honor of St. Nicholas of Myra.

His Holiness was co-served by: , the first vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' for the city of Moscow; , head of the Moscow Patriarchate; , viceroy; , chairman , governor ; , Secretary of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' for Moscow; Archpriest Mikhail Oskolkov, Rector of the Church of Saints Athanasius and Cyril of Alexandria; metropolitan clergy.

Liturgical hymns were performed by the choir of the church of Saints Athanasius and Cyril of Alexandria on Sivtsev Vrazhek (regent N.I. Vlasova).

The patriarchal service was broadcast live on.

After a special litany, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church offered up a prayer for peace in Ukraine.

During the Liturgy, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill ordained Deacon Sergiy Parfenov, cleric of the church of St. Nicholas of Myra in Tolmachi, Moscow, to the rank of priest.

The sermon before communion was delivered by Priest Vladimir Sokolov, cleric of the Church of the Nine Martyrs of Kiziche, rector of the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal-to-the-Apostles under construction in Nikolsky, Moscow.

At the end of the Liturgy, the rector of the newly consecrated church, Archpriest Mikhail Oskolkov, on behalf of the clergy and parishioners, greeted His Holiness and presented His Holiness with a copy of the temple icon of Saints Athanasius and Cyril.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said.

In conclusion, the Primate of the Russian Church said:

“I would like to thank you, father Michael, for your kind words and for the gift that you presented me, as well as all the parishioners of this holy church for the great work that you have endured, from the 1990s to the present day, preparing this temple to the great consecration. It is very important that the works that people do in the name of the Lord unite them.

Experience shows that people are very united by the construction and restoration of churches, when everyone makes some small contribution, their own means, time and effort. Then the temple becomes a part of life, becomes something very close, dear, and people associate their future life with it.

Today we are building new churches not only to have more of them, because there are not enough of them for such a huge city as Moscow, but also because the construction of churches is a great common deed. Translated into Greek, common work is liturgy. This is also the name of the Divine Liturgy that we have just celebrated, this is a common deed: we all prayed to the Lord together, celebrated the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist together. Our whole life should be a liturgy, a common deed for the glory of God and for our own salvation.”

In gratitude for his efforts, His Holiness presented Archpriest Mikhail Oskolkov with a commemorative cross, made on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of His Holiness.

As a gift to the newly consecrated church, the Primate of the Russian Church gave the icon of the Triumph of Orthodoxy.

Tonight, on the eve of the Week of the 1st Great Lent, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' will perform an all-night vigil in Moscow.

The church of Saints Athanasius and Cyril on Sivtsev Vrazhek was built no later than the middle of the 15th century. The first documentary mention is found in the Book of the Patriarchal Order for 1631.

The wooden three-altar church at the beginning of the 17th century was rebuilt stone and two-altar. The main altar was consecrated in honor of the Savior Not Made by Hands, and the side chapel in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. But in 1748-1749, at the request of one of the parishioners, a chapel of St. Athanasius and Cyril, and the church again became a three-altar one.

During the Patriotic War of 1812, a significant event took place. The miraculous Smolensk icon of the Mother of God "Hodegetria", taken out from the besieged Smolensk, was placed in the temple. Later, in a procession, it was transferred to the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin.

In 1813, the Nikolsky chapel was re-consecrated, the only part of the temple that survived the ruin. In 1815-1817 the stone church was rebuilt. Since 1836, for twenty years, the temple was completely rebuilt and was consecrated in 1856. Reconstruction and construction works were carried out with the blessing and with the direct participation of St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow.

In the late 1870s, work on the improvement of the temple was resumed. It was then that it acquired its current form.

In 1932 the church of St. Athanasius and Cyril was closed, its building was used for various household needs. Partial restoration began in the 1970s. In the early 1990s, a decision was made to return the temple building to the Church. On November 5, 1992, a small consecration of the chapel of Saints Athanasius and Cyril and the first Divine Liturgy were performed.

Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'


For an enlarged image, click on the photo.

Modern address: Moscow, Bolshoy Afanasevsky per., 16; Filippovsky per., 3 (between Filippovsky and Bolshoy Afanasevsky per.)

The church is dedicated to the famous theologians of the Middle Ages, fighters against heresies - Arians and Nestorians - Patriarchs of Alexandria Athanasius (4th century) and Cyril (5th century). The temple of Athanasius and Cyril and Nicholas the Wonderworker is mentioned in the annals of 1585 and is listed in 1686 as wooden. In the 16th century, the out-of-town farmstead of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery was located in this area, to which the construction of the first wooden Afanasyevsky church is attributed.

In 1612, the wooden church was badly damaged during the Polish-Lithuanian intervention, so in 1631 it was rebuilt. In the income-expenditure books of the Patriarchal order, the church of Athanasius and Cyril in 1631 is listed as "newly profitable", i.e. renewed after the turmoil.

In 1681, the main altar of the Afanasievskaya church was consecrated in the name of the Savior Not Made by Hands. And in honor of the holy Patriarchs of Alexandria, Athanasius and Cyril, there was a chapel. Afanasievskaya Church is mentioned as a wooden church even in 1689, when most of the temples had already been rebuilt in stone.

In the documents of the Holy Synod, the temple is mentioned as a stone one only from 1722. The stone temple on the site of the wooden one was probably built in 1710 during the construction of a chapel in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

During the Patriotic War of 1812, the revered miraculous Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, taken from the besieged Smolensk, was brought to the Church of Athanasius and Cyril. During the war, the church was looted and burned by Napoleonic troops.

In 1815-16, at the expense of the parishioners, the chapel was restored and consecrated in the name of Sts.

In 1836, the temple was demolished almost to the ground. From 1837 to 1856, the Afanasievsky church was renovated again in the late Empire style. The construction was carried out again at the expense of the parishioners, mainly the merchant K.S. Bubnov.

Over the years, a new bell tower and a refectory were built, the chapels were remade, a new dome of light was erected over the old quadrangular building of the church. Outwardly and in the interiors, the temple received a single design in the style of the late Moscow Empire.

Only fragments of the foundations and the lower part of the walls have survived from the 17th century building. In 1856 the whole church was consecrated. And the main throne of the church was consecrated in the name of the Resurrection of the Word at the request of the honorary citizen Bubnov. Since then, the temple has remained Resurrection. In 1899, the altars of the aisles were put forward in line with the main altar. In the first half of the XIX century. many Russian writers, historians, philosophers were parishioners of the church of Athanasius and Cyril: N.V. Stankevich, founder of the literary and artistic circle, the Aksakov family, I.S. Turgenev and others.

The temple was closed in 1932. It was supposed to be demolished, but only the second and third tiers of the bell tower were destroyed. Later, workshops, warehouses, and small businesses were located in the church building. Even an electromechanical plant.

In the 1970s, the church was restored, the bell tower was restored.

On November 5, 1992, the chapel of Saints Athanasius and Cyril was consecrated, where divine services are performed.

Currently, the church is a five-domed stone structure, square in plan. It is elongated from north to south and is decorated with vaults and stucco decoration. At the end, a dome is located on a wide drum. The temple includes a refectory and a four-sided bell tower. It is located at the confluence of the Sivka river and the Chertoryya stream enclosed in an underground pipe.

Illustration sources:
Naydenov N. A. Moscow. Cathedrals, monasteries and churches. Part II: White City. M., 1882
www.postal.ru

Updated: 01/30/2017