Borisov. Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ

Resurrection Cathedral, Cathedral of the Resurrection of the Lord - Orthodox church in the city of Borisov. Located in Staro-Borisov on the market square.

The cathedral is a monument to the retrospective Russian (pseudo-Russian) style; there are signs of stylization of Moscow forms church construction XVII century.

Story

Before the construction of the modern cathedral, there was a wooden Church of the Resurrection on it, erected in 1620-1648 and burned down in 1865 or 1867. After this, the architect P. Merkulov, with the participation of the rector of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, L. N. Benois, developed a design for a new temple - a cathedral in honor of the Resurrection of Christ made of red brick.

This project was approved at the personal request of Minsk Bishop Alexander (Dobrynin). Already in September 1871, the foundation stone of the cathedral took place on the shopping square, on the site of the former Transfiguration Church. The consecration of the new cathedral took place on October 20, 1874, it was carried out by His Grace Alexander.

According to 1901 data, the parish consisted of 2,954 men and 2,966 women and residents of 9 surrounding villages. The cathedral, closed in 1937, resumed its activities during the war. In 1945 it was handed over to believers.

Architecture

The nine-domed, three-apse temple, which has a cube-like, square central volume, is cross-shaped in plan. Its dimensions are as follows - length is 27 meters, width is 23 meters, and height is 12 meters. The hipped roof, which completes the two-tiered central volume, has a cylindrical light drum and an onion dome in the center, and cylindrical drums with domes are erected at the corners.

The same chapters are present above the apse and side extensions. Among the decorative elements of the richly decorated facade are kokoshniks, platbands (both arched window and doorways) with semicircular and triangular pediments, profiled cornices, corner rusticated pilasters, panels, contrasting with the red brick background. To emphasize the main arched entrance, a large portal was used, looking like a profiled arch on 4 barrel-like pillars.

Inner space, illuminated by two rows window openings, divided by four powerful pillars into 3 naves, covered with cross vaults. The same four pillars, with the help of sails, support the light drum with a spherical dome, located above the middle cross. The walls are braced using profiles and blades. In the conch of the apse there is a fresco image of the God of Hosts, on the cross vaults on the girth arches there is an ornamental coloring.

Above the entrance to the church there are choirs, open with an arched doorway. A staircase from the vestibule leads to the choir. The main altar in the name of the Resurrection of Christ is located in the apse, along left side from it there is a throne in honor of the holy Prince Vladimir, and on the right there is a throne in honor of the holy Prince Alexander Nevsky. All three iconostases are made of oak and are unpainted. The main one is four-tiered with 24 images, the iconostases from both aisles are single-tiered with 10 images each. They are decorated with gilded columns, carvings, frames and cornices.

Later, in 1907, a belfry was erected on the same axis with the temple, made of brick in the style of the temple itself, designed by architect V. I. Struev. The belfry, which is a tower-like tent-like structure, is three-tiered - an octagon on two quadrangles - and ends with a dome. The first tier is occupied by gates.

Staroborisov Center - Trade area, now called the city's 900th anniversary square. Here stands the main Orthodox church of Borisov, a monument to its founder, and the buildings of the 19th century around it are well preserved.

In 1865, Borisov experienced several fires, as a result of one of which the wooden Resurrection Church of the first half of the 17th century, located next to the market, burned down. On this occasion, the Orthodox townspeople decided to rebuild the temple more beautiful and grander than the previous one, and also from stone, so that it would be no worse than that of the Catholics, who had a stone church since 1823, and the Jews, whose synagogue, by the way, is located nearby. It took six years to preparatory work, in 1871, construction began according to the design of St. Petersburg engineer Pyotr Merkulov. The construction of the 9-domed Resurrection Cathedral was completed in October 1874.

In 1907, a bell tower was added to the cathedral complex, built according to the design of the Minsk diocesan architect Viktor Struev.

In 1937, the cathedral, as usual, was taken away from the believers, they made a granary in it, and a parachute tower on the bell tower. It's good that they didn't blow up.

Soon, however, the Nazis came and returned the church to the flock. After the war Soviet authority she did not retake the Resurrection Cathedral again, although she repressed the rector. In Khrushchev's times, they only banned the ringing of bells, which prevented the surrounding workers and employees from resting after their work accomplishments.

For the 900th anniversary of Borisov, celebrated in 2002, the silver domes of the Resurrection Cathedral were painted bright blue. Since then, as a friendly townsman, who decided to exchange a few words with me, confidentially reported, the domes have pretty much lost their elegance, and I can’t photograph all the beauty, even if I wanted to. I can only lament.

At the same time, on the 900th anniversary of Borisov, a monument to the legendary founder of the city, Prince Boris Vseslavich, was erected near the Resurrection Cathedral. According to the sculptor’s idea, Prince Boris, trampling the boulder with the inscription “1102” with his morocco boot, stretches his hand over the square, probably with Peter’s exclamation “There will be a city here.” With his other hand, Boris raises a sword with a hilt in the shape of a cross - of course, the local pagans cannot expect anything good.

The prince is hugged and whispered valuable instructions by an angel with the face of the nun Eupraxia, the younger sister of the notorious Euphrosyne of Polotsk.

The Resurrection Cathedral is now closed for major renovation. As you can see in the photo, it won't bother him.

While builders are mastering soul-saving budgets, services are held in a Sunday school, adapted from the former treasury. This is the oldest surviving building in Borisov - 1807.

The bars probably remain from treasury times.

At the entrance, the parishioner is greeted with a menacing quote. I was afraid to go in.

According to official statistics, in 1865 Borisov experienced five fires that destroyed 345 houses. There were also human casualties. The fire did not spare the wooden church, which was located next to the market. And then only one small cemetery church of Andrei Yurodivy remained in the city (now it is a prayer house of Old Believers on Gazetnaya Street). Naturally, among the Orthodox people the question immediately arose about the construction of a new church, not a wooden one, but a stone one, spacious and beautiful, which would be in no way inferior to the church built back in 1823 (the synagogue built in 1866 was also stone). ).

Reviewing applications, finding funds and a suitable project took five years. The initial project of a five-domed church, proposed by engineer Skuratov, was rejected by the Minsk diocese, mainly due to the small size and, therefore, insufficient capacity of the prayer hall. We settled on another option - a cathedral with nine domes, three apses, an expressive outline, attractive decor and sufficient volume (27x23x12 m).

The “conception” of the temple and its consecration in the name of the Resurrection of Christ the Savior (two chapels were named in honor of the holy princes Vladimir and Alexander Donskoy) took place on Sunday, September 5, 1871 (old style) in the presence of eminent persons. Bishop Alexander of Minsk and Bobruisk gave a speech.

The estimated construction costs, according to the approved estimate, amounted to 47,890 rubles. 14 kopecks At that time this was a considerable amount, but due to unforeseen circumstances it was not enough. When digging a pit, it turned out that the quality of the soil did not allow the use of the designed conventional foundation. It was necessary to manufacture and drive 580 wooden piles, which required an additional 3,000 rubles.

The cathedral was built by highly qualified masons from the town of Ivenets, and Vilna artists Elishevsky and Trutnev were invited to decorate the interior.

Issues of construction financing and provision necessary materials was in charge of the leader of the local nobility, Vladimir Ermolsky, and the technical management was carried out by the architect Sergei Petrovich Ivanov.

From the “Description of Churches and Parishes of the Minsk Diocese,” the date of creation of which dates back to the late 70s of the 19th century, it follows that the cathedral building, made of brick, was an equilateral cross with one open dome in the middle and eight smaller ones on the side ledges. One of the side domes housed a bell tower. The windows of the cathedral were located in two tiers. Entrance doors there were three. The roof was covered with sheet iron... There were 10 ovens built inside the cathedral. Three iconostases were made of oak wood - without painting, with gilded columns, cornices, frames and carvings. The main iconostasis consisted of 24 icons arranged in four tiers.

Construction of the temple lasted three years and ended on October 15, 1874 (old style). And five days later, on October 20, on the occasion of the first divine service, a solemn ceremony took place with the participation of the provincial leadership and high-ranking clergy.

The splendor of the new Orthodox church in Borisov attracted the attention of many. For an engraving with his image, the St. Petersburg weekly Niva, popular at that time, in No. 12 for 1877, did not spare a whole page.

The first rector of the Resurrection Cathedral was priest Kliment Groditsky.

And at the beginning of the 20th century, a local official and church elder, Nil Burtsev, took the initiative to build a brick belfry at the main entrance of the cathedral. And this idea was brought to life in 1907 by the Minsk diocesan architect Viktor Struyev (1864-1931). Now this bell tower together with the cathedral forms an integral ensemble.

Resurrection Cathedral on a postcard from the early 20th century.

The rector of the temple in those years was Nikolai Falevich, who was distinguished by his charitable activities, active participation in resolving city problems and enjoyed enormous authority among the parishioners.

In October 1941, the diocese appointed a rector there. This was a graduate of the Zhirovitsky Theological Seminary 37-year-old Father John(in the world - Ivan Matveevich Strok). During the difficult years of occupation, he helped the sick and poor as best he could, tried to alleviate the plight of Soviet prisoners of war, sheltered and saved a Jewish boy, prevented the deportation of about 300 Borisov residents to forced labor in Germany.

However, immediately after the liberation of the city, Fr. John was arrested by Soviet authorities, and as an accomplice of the enemy was sent to Stalin’s dungeons (rehabilitated only in 1956).

However, the cathedral was no longer closed, although during the reign of Khrushchev the ringing of bells was banned, which, according to an article inspired by a local newspaper, allegedly disturbed the peace of the townspeople (perestroika abolished this ban).

The cathedral continued to live in its usual rhythm, being, among other things, an architectural monument. Contemporaries find in him characteristic of the second half of the 19th century centuries of eclecticism. The architecture of the Resurrection Cathedral in Borisov is described in detail in a special publication - the Code of Historical and Cultural Monuments of Belarus.

The Holy Resurrection Cathedral survived the advent of Marxism-Leninism, the difficult years of fascist occupation, the general collapse of the 90s post-Soviet space and, finally, the monument of history and architecture stepped into the third millennium... Along with the seemingly general economic growth in the country and the improvement in the well-being of the people, the Holy Resurrection Cathedral began to collapse catastrophically quickly. Perhaps he couldn’t stand people’s indifference?..

For more than one year in a row, the believer and parishioners of the cathedral have been forced to hold festive Easter services within the walls of the Sunday school, because... The cathedral is closed for repairs. (See photo No. 2.5.-2.7.) Easter is an amazing holiday when the heart is filled with the expectation of a miracle... This is a joyful and bright holiday for all Orthodox Christians. But the miracle that parishioners have been waiting for for three years has not happened... The Resurrection Cathedral continues to collapse...

Students of the general education lyceum did not remain indifferent to the problem. We offer sayings and poems of just some of them.

Spirit of White Rus' -

Christian spirit.

The spirit of prayer in silence,

The sound of chimes...

Spirit of prayers for my city,

Like a big wall

What they covered

Those who loved Christ.

But the wall will disappear

And the prayer ringing -

Our

Resurrection Cathedral.

This is the heart of Borisov,

The heart of the people.

The heart of people

That they are so devoted to God.

Save the Temple and the prayer ringing!

Save our Resurrection Cathedral!

Safonchik D.

God is with me and God is with all of you.

He will help both you and me.

You live, know how to be content with little,

Turn your gaze to the temple of God...

The temple is fading away, and with it the faith of the people is fading away. Their souls are growing stale. Your heart bleeds when you look at the bleeding faces of the Saints, streaked with cracks. We can only pray that people will come to their senses and save the temple. The Holy Resurrection Cathedral has always been, is and will be the heart of Borisov!

Ignatovich Alexander

In a large industrial city Borisov located, which is a historical and cultural value of Belarus. The cathedral is a nine-domed building made of red brick with white decorative elements And hipped roof. This is one of best projects architect Peter Merkulova, implemented in 1874.

However, the history of the cathedral began long before Merkulov’s construction of one of the unique attractions of the city of Borisov. The first mention of the then wooden cathedral dates back to 1620. Serious damage was caused to the Resurrection Cathedral during the War of 1812, when French soldiers mercilessly set it on fire. Thanks to local residents, a new wooden cathedral was built in 1834. However, years later, a fire destroyed it again, leaving only one cemetery church in the city.

To date Holy Resurrection Cathedral in the city of Borisov, built according to the design of Pyotr Merkulov, is a monument of pseudo-Russian style, differing in its majesty and colorfulness from other Belarusian cathedrals. The Resurrection Cathedral was built by craftsmen from the city of craftsmen Ivenets, the paintings were made by the hands of the Vilna artist G. Trutnev. Exterior decoration the temple is very bright and contrasting due to the combination of red and white flowers, which looks especially impressive against the blue sky. Numerous pediments, pilasters and kokoshniks became an organic decoration of the Orthodox cathedral. It contains three iconostases made of unpainted oak with gilded columns, neat frames and carvings.

Near the Resurrection Cathedral you will see a three-tier belfry, built according to the design of the Minsk architect Viktor Struyev in 1907. The master’s work reveals an excellent knowledge of folk architecture and decorative art of Belarus.

Despite all the beauty of the Resurrection Church, it appearance needed restoration, so from 2005 to 2014 construction was carried out here renovation work, which, however, did not prevent the cathedral from being active. For example, there is a children's room at the cathedral Sunday School. In addition to the school, the cathedral is open icon painting workshop “Vzor”, where everyone is taught the art of painting icons.

For the 900th anniversary of the city of Borisov, a monument to Prince Boris – founder of the city. The monument represents interesting composition: Boris Vseslavich holds a sword in his hand, like a Christian cross, and rests with one foot on a boulder with the inscription “1102”. The date was not chosen by chance, because it was in 1102 that the city of Borisov was founded. The monument was built according to the design of three architects-sculptors: A. Artimovich, E. Kovalevsky and I. Morozov. Behind the prince stands the angel of the nun Eupraxia, whispering something to the great founder of the city. According to legend, the prince was the son of Vseslav the Magician and took the throne after his death. Prince Boris initiated the construction and restoration of many Orthodox churches, temples and cathedrals.

IN Resurrection Cathedral There is a pilgrimage service in Borisov, which invites everyone to go on a trip to the holy places of Belarus, Ukraine and Russia.