Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul Small Georgian poster church

I have always been interested in the history of culture and religion of different peoples. Moreover, if they are closely intertwined with our history and periodically influenced each other. In this regard, the history of the Catholic Church and everything connected with it is very interesting. I am especially impressed by their temples with their unique, majestic architecture. And the church ceremony is very interesting and fascinating. I knew that there were Catholic churches, and decided to visit the most important one - Cathedral on Malaya Gruzinskaya. I want to tell you how this temple lives, where it is located and what it represents.

Where is the Roman Catholic Cathedral located?

• The Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located at the address: Moscow, Malaya Gruzinskaya street, building 27/13.
• Phone +74992523911.

How to get to the Roman Catholic Cathedral

1. To get to the cathedral without delay, you need to go to the metro station "Krasnopresnenskaya". Then walk along Krasnaya Presnya Street in a westerly direction towards Tretyakovsky Val. After walking about 500 meters, turn right onto Malaya Gruzinskaya, and after 600 meters you will reach your goal.
2. You can also get there by land route transport. Bus number 116 from Belorussky Station is ideal. You need to get off at the stop "Klimashkin Street".
3. If you are a supporter of traveling by personal vehicle, you should turn from the Third Transport Ring to Zvenigorodskoe Highway. Then turn left onto Krasnopresnensky Val, to Klimashkina Street, and right, after 200 meters you are at your goal.

Operating mode

The cathedral is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The temple is closed to visitors from 12:45 to 15:30 on all days except Sunday.

Schedule of services at the Roman Catholic Cathedral on Malaya Gruzinskaya

Divine services in the cathedral are held daily:

• From Monday to Friday: at 8, 9, 18, 19 (except Wednesdays) Holy Mass;
• On Saturday: at 8, 9, 17:30, 19 o'clock Holy Mass;
• On Sunday, Holy Mass at 8:30, 10, 10:30, 12:15, 13, 14:30, 15, 17:30, 20 o'clock, Holy Mass for children 11:45, Divine Liturgy according to the Armenian rite at 15: thirty.

Divine services in Russian are held from Monday to Saturday at 8, 9 o'clock, on Wednesday at 18 o'clock, from Monday to Thursday, as well as on Friday and Saturday at 19 o'clock, on Sunday at 10, 17:30 and 20 o'clock.

Photo of the cathedral

At night, under artificial lighting, the Gothic architecture of the Roman Catholic Cathedral looks especially majestic.


The interior of the cathedral is distinguished by the abundance of columns characteristic of Gothic buildings.


The central facade of the cathedral greets its visitors, as if soaring upward.

Gate of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Gothic style of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Moscow.

Mosaic in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Icon on the wall of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary - video

Let's watch a short video about this cathedral. Enjoy watching!

The organ is the king of instruments. And any self-respecting royal dynasty dates back to the depths of centuries. And it is true. A foreshadowing of the organ can be seen in the Pan flute and bagpipes. The organ was invented by the ancient Greek Ctesibius, who lived in Alexandria, Egypt. True, this organ was water and sounded during gladiator fights, as well as during the inauguration ceremony of emperors. The image of a water organ is found on the coins of Emperor Nero, a famous music lover.

In the 4th century, organs appeared that were quite royal in their sound, and in the 7th century, Pope Vitalian introduced the organ into the Catholic Church. Byzantium of the 8th century was universally and deservedly famous for its organs! True, they were rather rough in appearance, and the keyboard was so wide that the keys were struck not with fingers, but with fists. However, the royal courts of that time were not particularly distinguished by their moral sophistication.

Already in the 14th century, the organ acquired pedals, i.e. keyboard for feet. Playing with two hands and two feet significantly increased the performer's capabilities. And in XV, the width of the keys has finally decreased and the number of pipes has increased. And we got the king of musical instruments we know and love today. Further improvements, although important, were not so significant.

Any royal dynasty must have some secret. The organ also has it. The organ heals souls. His nobility is so great that any simple melody played on his trumpets becomes high music. By the way, the number of pipes in some organs reaches up to 7000. And in order not to get confused in all this diversity, they are grouped by registers. A register is a set of pipes with the same timbre and being, as it were, a separate instrument. When meeting with an organ, the organist must register. After all, each instrument is absolutely individual - the number of registers sometimes reaches up to 300. Also, in order not to be distracted while playing, the organist prepares the tones of keyboards - manuals - in advance. The organ has several of them - on the largest ones there are up to seven.

It is the retinue that makes the king. The more majestic the king, the larger the trail of his music. And organ music was written by the best composers. And, of course, the closest and most trusted of them is Johann Sebastian Bach. By the way, Bach, although he was a great organist, treated his playing with a grain of irony. “You just need to know which keys to press and when, and the organ will do the rest,” he answered when asked how he succeeded.

The organ is like an orchestra. But he is more majestic than an orchestra. It has more than two thousand years of history behind it. And an equally boundless future. We love the organ and recognize its primacy in the wonderful kingdom of music. After all, he is the true king of instruments.

You can truly experience organ music only by hearing it at a live concert. Not one, even the most advanced acoustic system, does not convey the vibrations, air movements and magic of the melodies of the “king of instruments”. Its power and variety of overtones combined with violin, saxophone and other instruments create an enchanting sound that is impossible to forget.

The Bel Canto Charitable Foundation brings to your attention a varied poster of organ music concerts in Moscow halls. You can select a suitable event below on this page. Our charitable foundation offers a variety of program formats, from a classical organ concert to an audiovisual production. You can purchase a ticket by going to the section of the event you like, where you will find not only a description of the event, but also the time it will take place. There you can pay for your favorite places in a convenient way. All changes in the schedule are immediately reflected in the poster.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Catholic Cathedral of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, which is headed by Archbishop Paolo Pezzi. The cathedral, built in the neo-Gothic style, is the largest Roman Catholic church in Russia, and is also one of two Catholic churches operating in Moscow. The cathedral is located at the address: Russian Federation, Moscow, st. Malaya Gruzinskaya, 27/13.

Services in the Church are held in many languages: Russian, English, French, Spanish, Polish, Korean, Vietnamese and even Latin. In addition, the Tridentine St. Masses and services according to the Armenian rite.

The church organized youth meetings, catechesis, music concerts as part of charity events and much more. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary runs a library, a church shop, the editorial office of the Catholic Messenger - Light of the Gospel magazine, the office of the Russian branch of a charitable Christian organization and the Art of Good charity foundation. The cathedral provides training in Gregorian chant and organ improvisation.

History of the Catholic Cathedral on Malaya Gruzinskaya

The history of the cathedral dates back to 1894, when the council of the Roman Catholic Church of St. Peter and Paul asked the Moscow governor for appropriate permission to build a church. The governor allowed construction far from the center of Moscow and significant Orthodox churches, while not allowing the construction of towers and sculptures outside the church (later the last condition). The construction of the cathedral was carried out according to the design of F. O. Bogdanovich-Dvorzhetsky. According to the project, the church should be built in the neo-Gothic style and accommodate five thousand parishioners.

The main construction was carried out from 1901 to 1911, and in 1917 the interior decoration work was completed. Representatives of the Polish community and believers from all over Russia collected money for construction work. In total, 300 thousand rubles in gold were needed for the construction of the cathedral.

On December 21, 1911, the church, which had branch status, was consecrated and named “The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.” And in 1919, the church became an independent parish, the rector of which was thirty-four-year-old Father Michal Tsakul.

In 1938, the Moscow authorities closed the temple: its property was stolen and the church was turned into a dormitory. The Second World War also took its toll on the church: bombing destroyed several turrets and spiers.

In the post-war period, in 1956, the church housed the Mosspetspromproekt Research Institute, which is why the building was redesigned, dividing it into four floors, and its interior was changed.

In 1989, the diaspora of Moscow Poles “Polish House” began to actively seek the return of the temple building to the Catholic Church. In early 1990, Catholics organized the parish of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And on December 8, 1990, in honor of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Father Tadeusz Pikus celebrated Holy Mass at the entrance to the temple with the permission of the authorities.

Periodic holding of divine services began on June 7, 1991, and in 1996, after long disputes with the leadership of the institute that occupied the premises of the temple, the building was transferred to the Catholic Church.

The temple was restored and restored for several years. And on December 12, 1999, the Secretary of State consecrated the renovated Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In the spring of 2002, the cathedral participated in the prayer of the Rosary with the now blessed Pope John Paul II and Catholics from different countries thanks to an organized teleconference

On December 12, 2009, the Cathedral celebrated the tenth anniversary of its renovation, and on September 24, 2011, the 100th anniversary of the Temple was also celebrated.

Schedule of Divine Services of the Catholic Cathedral on Malaya Gruzinskaya

OTHER SERVICES

WORSHIP OF THE HOLY GIFTS
Monday–Saturday
From 8:45 to 11:00.
Tuesday
From 8.45 to 18.00 and from 20.00 to 21.00
Friday
At 18.00 or after general Vespers

NOVENA TO THE MOTHER OF GOD HELPER OF CHRISTIANS
Wednesday 17:30

A stone's throw from the Moscow Zoo, on the corner of Malaya Gruzinskaya and Klimashkina Street, among residential buildings and narrow streets, there is the largest Catholic cathedral in Moscow and one of the largest in Russia. Today we will take a look at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This building was built in 1911 and was misused for most of its history. Only since 1996 have Catholics gathered here again.

1. The building with sharp spiers is visible from neighboring streets. Neo-Gothic three-nave cruciform pseudo-basilica in its architecture. The exterior design is said to take inspiration from the façade of Westminster Abbey and the dome of Milan Cathedral.

2. I was neither there nor there. I hope there are those who can help compare the appearance.

3. There is a cross on the spire of the central tower, and coats of arms on the sides. One is Pope John Paul II, the second is Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, who previously headed the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow.

4. The territory is surrounded on all sides by ordinary residential buildings. Only to the south is the mansion.

5. Jesus is the good shepherd. Sculpture among flowers.

6. Nearby is a monument to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, beatified in 2003.

7. The dome of the cathedral is separate.

8. For those who only go inside the cathedral, I advise you to go around it from the outside. There are a lot of interesting things.

9. It’s time for us to look inside.

10. As I already said, the cathedral was reopened to believers in 1996. At this time, John Paul II was Pope. Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, whose coat of arms is on one of the spiers, supervised the restoration work.

11. At the entrance there is information for visitors, a donation box and a requirement to turn off the phone. This place is open to the public. Anyone can book excursions. This is not a rare occurrence in the cathedral.

12. The decoration of the cathedral inside consists of white and yellow flowers. it is very light. Even bright in sunlight.

13. All places from the dome to the far corner are visible. After visiting numerous temples, churches, cathedrals and basilicas in Spain and Portugal, as well as visiting the Vatican, I have seen a lot. Most of them were dark rooms. even those that were decorated inside in white seemed darker to me.

14. Is this good or bad? Of course, compared to something very old and used for many centuries exclusively for its intended purpose, it seems a bit empty here. But we are in Moscow, in Orthodoxy. There are very few places for Catholics in our country.

15. The history of the organ is interesting. The date of its creation is 1955, when the cathedral housed a completely different organization and the premises were divided into 4 floors. It is one of the largest in Russia: 73 registers, 4 manuals and 5563 pipes. This organ is a gift from the Basel Cathedral, dismantled in its old place in 2002 and placed in a new place in 2005. All parts except one register were transported to Moscow.

16. There is also an electric organ.

17. The history of the creation of the Moscow Cathedral began in 1894 with a request to build a third Catholic church due to the growing community in Moscow. Permission was received on the condition that no towers be created, no external decoration, and generally built away from the center.

18. Malaya Gruzinskaya at that time was far from the center. The location was chosen because of the location of the majority of Catholic Poles, who worked mainly on the Moscow-Smolensk Railway. Trains to Warsaw still depart along this route. 30 thousand Poles raised money for construction. For 10 years, from 1901 to 1911, construction was carried out according to the design of Bogdanovich-Dvorzhetsky. Internal work was carried out until 1917.

19. In 1938, the cathedral was closed.

20. The structure of the building is made in the shape of a cross, above the intersection of which there is a dome.

21. In addition to the central nave, there are two side ones. they are separated by two rows of 5 columns, symbolizing the 10 commandments.

22. Initially, according to the project, 5 thousand people were supposed to be accommodated here. I don’t know how it is now, but the number of Catholics is clearly larger.

23. Probably not everyone knows, but in order to see and hear everything they say, you don’t have to leave the house. The cathedral has a webcam.

24. In various parts of the cathedral there are several saints to whom you can turn. many people come here for a specific purpose.

25. Of the bells installed in the cathedral, the largest weighs 900 kilograms and is called “Our Lady of Fatima.”

26. Fatima is a place in Portugal where the Mother of God appeared three times in the last century. By the way, I was in Fatima. You can report from a religious center.

27. Along the walls in simple frames there is information for familiarization about various saints and more.

28. Altar part and large cross.

29. The largest crucifix in the cathedral is 9 meters high, and the body of Jesus is 3 meters high. On the sides are the Mother of God and the Evangelist John.

30. It is noticeable from the entrance.

31. On one side of the altar there is blessed water and a bath.

32. Here is the crucifixion of the already dead Jesus.

33. On the other hand, a small but very rich part. This, if I'm not mistaken, is the Chapel of Divine Mercy with the altar of the Holy Sacrament.

34. Very unexpectedly, but on this day the weather cleared up and gave out sunny weather. We can see how the rays breaking through the Gothic windows play across the building.

35.

36.

37.

38. Under the windows there are 14 bas-reliefs - 14 stations of the way of the cross. There are confessionals here.

39. Each of them has a reminder.

This concludes our excursion. The visit was interesting. The cathedral turned out to be very bright. This didn’t surprise me after Portugal. My girlfriend, for example, thinks it's too light. What do you think?

Thanks:
-organizers of the excursion from the side of the cathedral- for openness;
-community mosblog - for information about the event;
-fellow bloggers for company(but it seems not everyone got there): arctic-inga.ru , kis_dikiy , podpolkovnikvvs , bulyukina_e ,

The largest Catholic cathedral in Russia, oddly enough, is located in Gruziny, a historically Orthodox Georgian settlement. Over more than a hundred years of history, the cathedral has survived closure, looting, bombing during the Great Patriotic War, reconstruction as a research institute, and large-scale restoration.

Not all Muscovites know about the small district of Gruzina in the center of Moscow, between Presnya, the Zoo and the Belorussky railway station. You can guess about the once prosperous Gruzinskaya Settlement - the possession of the Georgian king Vakhtang VI - only by the names of the streets: Bolshaya and Malaya Gruzinskie, Gruzinskiy Val, Gruzinskiy Lane. On Malaya Gruzinskaya, 27/13 there is the largest Catholic cathedral in Russia - Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In 1894, due to the growth of the Catholic community in Moscow, the need arose to build a third, more spacious church. Council of the Church of St. Peter and Paul applied for permission to build a cathedral from the Moscow governor: permission was received on the condition of construction away from the center and the main Orthodox shrines, without towers and external sculptures. The project of a neo-Gothic church for 5,000 parishioners by F. O. Bogdanovich-Dvorzhetsky won the competition and was approved, despite the violation of the last condition, and the site on Malaya Gruzinskaya was acquired. The location was not chosen by chance. Although Georgians historically had their own Orthodox Church of St. George the Victorious, founded in 1750 (also closed and damaged during Soviet times), many Poles lived in the area. It was the Polish community that collected the bulk of the funds for the construction, which cost 300 thousand silver rubles. Ten years of construction were completed in 1911, and on December 21 of the same year the temple was consecrated.

Finishing work was carried out until the revolution of 1917, and for the first twenty years of Soviet power, the church managed to maintain the parish and continue services. Everything changed in 1937: the temple was closed, church property was looted or destroyed, the altar and organ were destroyed, and the facade was disfigured. Redevelopment into a dormitory has begun inside. At the beginning of the war, the cathedral was heavily damaged by bombing - several towers and spiers were destroyed. After the war, the main spire over the once richly decorated altar was dismantled and redevelopment continued into workers' dormitories, then vegetable storage facilities, various workshops, offices and organizations.

In 1956 he moved to the church Research Institute "Mosspetspromproekt", which divided the building into 4 floors, thereby changing the interior beyond recognition. Twenty years later, in 1976, it would seem that luck should have smiled on the cathedral: the Moscow authorities created a project to transform the cathedral into an organ music hall. However, the 15 organizations that occupied the building refused to move. Finally, in 1989, Moscow Catholics, led by the association "Polish House" submitted a request to return the temple to the Roman Catholic Church. A year later, on the occasion of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, a mass was celebrated on the steps of the church with the permission of the authorities. This was the first divine service of the cathedral in 60 long years. However, it took another 5 years for the diocese to return the church - the Mospetspromproekt Research Institute refused to move out. In 1996, the parish finally received documents for perpetual use of the building from the authorities.

The main restoration work took about three years; at the end of 1999, Vatican Cardinal Angelo Sodano arrived in Moscow for the ceremonial illumination of the church. A few years later, the cathedral was returned to its main treasure - the organ, for which the project provided for special acoustics. This time the organ was donated by the Swiss Lutheran Cathedral. Today the body Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception- one of the largest in Russia: it has 74 registers, 4 manuals and 5563 pipes, allowing you to perform organ music from any era, starting from the early Middle Ages.

Today, the main Moscow church is open to the public, and masses are celebrated there in Russian, Polish, English, French, Korean and Latin. As one of the main organ music halls, the cathedral conducts music courses in Gregorian chant and organ improvisation. For more than 10 years, together with the “Art of Good” charity foundation, the temple has been holding sacred music concerts open to the public. On September 7, a new season was opened; in total, 10 more concerts will take place in September, where you can hear not only the organ. The program also includes violin, trumpet, vocals, saxophone, polonaise, and a concert for children.

At any time of the year you can walk around the temple grounds. On Catholic Christmas, the cathedral turns into a real winter fairy tale, and near the fence a small house appears to grow out of the snow - a barn with figures of Jesus in a manger, the Virgin Mary, animals and angels. Having survived the revolution, war, destruction, celebrating the return to the diocese and the centenary, the church is one of the brightest and most peaceful churches in Moscow.

You can view the program and buy a ticket on the website: http://artbene.ru
Cathedral website: http://www.catedra.ru

Anastasia Dorogova