Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. Bykovo, Moscow region, Ramensky district. A church that looks like a castle. Vladimir Church in Bykovo Temple in Bykovo schedule of services

Vladimir Church and estate in Bykovo January 28th, 2014

The Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God (Nativity of Christ) in the Bykovo estate was built in 1789. According to one, the most widespread and authoritative version, its project belongs to V.I. Bazhenov, according to others - to M.F. Kazakov or A.N. Bokarev.

Bazhenov (possibly together with Kazakov) is credited with creating the entire ensemble of the estate of the senator and governor of Moscow and the Moscow province M.M. Izmailov, who was founded in 1762. a village near Moscow was granted.

The church in the palace village of Bykovo has been known since the beginning of the 17th century, when it was wooden, of the cage type. In 1704 Here, with palace funds, a stone church was built in the name of the Nativity of Christ. The new owner of the estate, Mikhail Mikhailovich Izmailov, decided to build a new church in Bykov, and in 1789. fulfilled this intention.

The white stone church in the Russian Gothic (or pseudo-Gothic) style has no worthy analogues in the temple architecture of the Moscow region, and, perhaps, in the temple architecture of Russia in general. There are two churches in the building - the upper one in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God and the lower one in the basement - the Nativity of Christ. The main volume of the temple is oval in plan, placed on a high basement; from the west, an extensive rectangular refectory with two bell towers in the corners is attached to it.

The main volume ends with a light rotunda with a high spire at the top; it is surrounded by a number of similar spiers. On the sides of the oval of the main volume of the temple there are high lancet windows, between which there are decorative porticoes with columns framing the side entrances. There is a rich carved cornice under the roof. Tall windows with pointed tops also decorate the refectory, the side facades of which are topped with tympanums. On top of the refectory there is a low rotunda with a very small spire with a cross. The refectory was expanded in the first half of the 19th century.

The temple looks very impressive from the west, from the bell towers. A two-way grand staircase leads to the area in front of the entrance to the upper temple, under which is the entrance to the lower temple. One bell tower was built as a bell tower itself, with a platform for ringing, the second - for a clock. The round upper tiers of the towers are cut through by arched openings and end with domes with high spiers, the same as those above the central chapter.

The entire decor of the temple is unusually rich. The variety of details, designed in a single Gothic style, gives the tall building a upward thrust, expressed not only in pointed spiers. In 1884 A separate bell tower was built next to the temple in imitation of the same style. Some sources call it the architect D.A. Gushchin, others - I.T. Tamansky.

The inside of the temple is decorated in a classic style. The vaults rest on four groups of columns with Corinthian capitals, the decoration is made of artificial marble, with wooden carvings. The interiors were badly damaged during Soviet times: in 1937. the church was closed and destroyed. Crosses were knocked off the spiers, the bell tower was left without bells, and many church utensils and books were destroyed. The temple building housed a garment factory. Later it was replaced by a warehouse for the cinema department. In 1989 The temple was again handed over to believers, restoration work and services began.

To the side of the street on which the church stands, in the depths of the ancient park, is the Bykovo estate itself, or rather, what has remained of it. Of the huge number of buildings, only the main house survived, rebuilt in the 19th century and placed on the plinth of an old house built according to Bazhenov’s design, and a small round gazebo on the island.

In the 18th century, the estate belonged to Mikhail Izmailov, a Turk by origin, who went over to the Russian side in one of the battles, converted to Orthodoxy and became the head of the Moscow Reconstruction Commission. To build the palace in the then fashionable neo-Gothic style, Izmailov commissioned one of the most fashionable architects of that time, Vasily Bazhenov.

Simultaneously with the palace, Bazhenov created the entire architectural and park ensemble, including a church, a park, ponds, a winter garden, a grotto and the Hermitage. All that remains of Bazhenov’s palace are the foundation and ramps at the main entrance: in the mid-19th century, when Bykovo came into the possession of Count Illarion Vorontsov-Dashkov, the house was rebuilt by the Swiss architect Bernard Simon. The result was a magnificent two-story red brick palace with a tower in the style of English castles. The house has retained English-style decoration, and in general it has been well preserved, apparently largely due to the fact that a tuberculosis sanatorium has been located here since Soviet times.

No less impressive is the huge, uncrowded park with ponds, the smell of rotting leaves, centuries-old trees and flocks of crows. In the center of one of the ponds there is a gazebo built by the architect Bazhenov.

How to get to the Bykovo estate:
By public transport: from Kazansky railway station you need to get to Udelnaya station. Then take buses 23 or 39 to the “Temple” stop. Or from metro station Vykhino by bus 424 to the Khram stop. Here you will see the Vladimir Church, and to the main house you need to walk among the fences of private buildings and then through the park.

Bykovo is a village in the Ramensky district of the Moscow region, part of the rural settlement of Vereiskoye. The village is located in the northeastern part of the region, on the left bank of the Pekhorka River, 11 kilometers from Ramenskoye and 20 kilometers from the Moscow Ring Road. The Bykovka River flows near the village.

Bykovo History.

The village of Bykovo was first mentioned in the 14th century in the spiritual charter of Prince Dmitry Donskoy. Before the Battle of Kulikovo, he bequeathed the village to his younger sons Vasily and Ivan. Presumably the name comes from the times when cattle were fattened on local meadows before being sent to Moscow. The further history of the village is inextricably linked with the estate. In the 18th century the village was donated to governor M.M. Izmailov by Catherine the Great herself.

Construction of an estate in Bykovo.

Since on official business he was familiar with the architects who were involved in the construction of the royal estate of Tsaritsyno, V.I. Bazhenov and M.F. Kazakov, he also attracted them to build an estate on his estate in Bykovo. The manor's house was built on an artificial hill, for which the peasants carried the earth in baskets. And they took this land from the park when they dug ponds there. Later, under the new owners, the Vorontsov-Dashkovs, the main house was rebuilt and took on the outline of an English castle. All that remains of Bazhenov’s creation is the foundation and a snow-white balustrade at the entrance to the house.

History of the estate.

The next owners of the estate were representatives of the Ilin family, who owned Bykovo until the revolution. Later, the estate was nationalized; it housed an orphanage and then a tuberculosis sanatorium. During all this time, numerous valuables of the manor's house were stolen, the greenhouse and the Hermitage palace were destroyed, and the park fell into disrepair. Now there is a red brick building on the hill, with a balcony supported by columns with images of girls. Above the balcony is the coat of arms of the Vorontsov-Dashkovs. The palace balustrade has already been destroyed in places.

The main attraction of the village is the Vladimir Church. The Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God (Nativity of Christ) in the Bykovo estate was built in 1789. According to one, the most widespread and authoritative version, its design belongs to V.I. Bazhenov, according to others - to M.F. Kazakov or A.N. Bokarev . The church in the palace village of Bykovo has been known since the beginning of the 17th century, when it was wooden, of the cage type. In 1704, a stone church in the name of the Nativity of Christ was built here using palace funds. The new owner of the estate, Mikhail Mikhailovich Izmailov, planned to build a new church in Bykov, and in 1789 he realized this intention.

Vladimir Church in Bykovo.

The white stone church in the Russian Gothic (or pseudo-Gothic) style has no worthy analogues in the temple architecture of the Moscow region, and, perhaps, in the temple architecture of Russia in general. There are two churches in the building - the upper one in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God and the lower one in the basement - the Nativity of Christ. The main volume of the temple is oval in plan, placed on a high basement; a large rectangular refectory with two bell towers in the corners is attached to it from the west. The main volume ends with a light rotunda with a high spire at the top; it is surrounded by a number of similar spiers.

Vladimir Church in Bykovo.

On the sides of the oval of the main volume of the temple there are high lancet windows, between which there are decorative porticoes with columns framing the side entrances. There is a rich carved cornice under the roof. The entrance to the upper temple is completed with the refectory, the side facades of which are topped with tympanums. On top of the refectory there is a low rotunda with a very small spire with a cross. The refectory was expanded in the first half of the 19th century. A two-way grand staircase leads to the area in front of the entrance to the upper temple, under which is the entrance to the lower temple. One bell tower was built as a bell tower itself, with a platform for ringing, the second - for a clock. The round upper tiers of the towers are cut through by arched openings and end with domes with high spiers, the same as those above the central chapter. The entire decor of the temple is unusually rich. The variety of details, designed in a single Gothic style, gives the tall building a upward thrust, expressed not only in pointed spiers. In 1884 A separate bell tower was built next to the temple in imitation of the same style. Some sources call it the architect D.A. Gushchin, others - I.T. Tamansky.

Vladimir Church in Bykovo.

The inside of the temple is decorated in a classic style. The vaults rest on four groups of columns with Corinthian capitals, the decoration is made of artificial marble, with wooden carvings. The interiors suffered greatly during Soviet times: in 1937 the church was closed and destroyed. Crosses were knocked off the spiers, the bell tower was left without bells, and many church utensils and books were destroyed. A garment factory is located in the building of the Vladimir Church in Bykovo. Later it was replaced by a warehouse for the cinema department. In 1989, the temple was again handed over to believers, restoration work and services began.

To the side of the street on which the church stands, in the depths of the ancient park, is the Bykovo estate itself, or rather, what has remained of it. Of the huge number of buildings, only the main house survived, rebuilt in the 19th century and placed on the plinth of an old house built according to Bazhenov’s design, and a small round gazebo on the island. During the formation of Soviet power, the church was closed, first a garment factory was built inside, and then a warehouse . The church returned to its original functions only in 1989.

I have long heard about one of the most beautiful and most unusual cathedrals in the Moscow region - the Vladimir Church in Bykovo, which looks like a fairy-tale castle. In addition, the noble estate of Bykovo with a park has been preserved nearby. All this served as a reason to go and see this beauty one summer weekend.

The Bykovo estate is located a few kilometers south of Moscow, so getting to it is quite easy even without a car.
As soon as we got off the minibus, we saw the spire of the Vladimir Church. Focusing on it, we walked along private houses to the temple. It was built in 1789 according to the design of the famous architect V.I. Bazhenov for the favorite of Empress Catherine the Great, Izmailov. The church is made in a pseudo-Gothic style and looks quite unusual for our Moscow region. It looks more like some kind of ominous castle, especially from the side of the impressive staircase.

The temple is divided into upper and lower. There is a functioning church downstairs where services are held. The passage to the top is closed due to the fact that the staircase is in disrepair and requires restoration.

Facade of the Vladimir Church

In general, despite the fact that I saw photographs of the entire church along with the stairs on the Internet, it turned out that it was quite difficult to take such a photo without a wide-angle lens. It was not possible to move a sufficient distance away from the entrance, due to the fact that repair work was underway on the territory and building materials were laid out around.

Vladimir Church of the Bykovo estate

In addition, on a small platform near the church there is a bell tower, built already in the 19th century, but which fits perfectly into the architectural ensemble of the Vladimir Church.

Bell tower of the Vladimir Church

There are plenty of tourists here on weekends; everyone is trying to capture this work of art as a keepsake, and themselves against its background.

It can be seen that the people at the church take good care of the territory: flowers are planted around, renovations are slowly underway. I hope that soon it will be possible to restore such an unusual temple and preserve it for future generations.

The area around the temple

Bykovo Estate

Having gone around the church along the path along the playground and walking along the five-story brick building, we came to the entrance to the park. We walked through a turntable, the same one that was installed in Soviet factories, and ended up in the park of the former Bykovo estate. The mountains of garbage immediately caught my eye. It is very difficult to take at least one photo without some pile of papers, a bottle or a tin can getting into the frame. I never understood how difficult it is to clean up trash after yourself, but you definitely have to leave it in the forest, or in such a stunning place as this estate. People, come to your senses!
The park is also in disrepair and extremely poorly maintained, although some alleys and paths have been preserved.

Once upon a time this estate amazed with its splendor. This place was donated to the Governor of Moscow M.M. Izmailov by Catherine the Great herself. Since on official business he was familiar with the architects who were involved in the construction of the royal estate of Tsaritsyno, V.I. Bazhenov and M.F. Kazakov, he also attracted them to build an estate on his estate in Bykovo.

Main house of the Bykovo estate

In the park of the Bykovo estate

The manor's house was built on an artificial hill, for which the peasants carried the earth in baskets. And they took this land from the park when they dug ponds there.

View from the hill on which the estate is located

Later, under the new owners, the Vorontsov-Dashkovs, the main house was rebuilt and took on the outline of an English castle. All that remains of Bazhenov’s creation is the foundation and a snow-white balustrade at the entrance to the house. This explains the strange appearance of the buildings, which is more common in European countries.

Bykovo Estate

Around the estate there was a park with several ponds, a greenhouse, a Hermitage palace and an alley of black roses bought for gold in France. As you understand, all the former beauty cannot be seen now, which cannot but upset.

Pond near the Bykovo estate

The Vorontsov-Dashkovs were not the last owners of the Bykovo estate. The fact is that, according to legend, one day, in the absence of his wife, the owner of the estate held a dinner party, to which he invited his mistress and promised to give her an estate in Bykovo. When his wife learned from the servants about such a promise, she ordered her husband to immediately sell the estate.

Main entrance to the Bykovo estate

The next owners of the estate were representatives of the Ilin family, who owned Bykovo until the revolution. Later, the estate was nationalized; it housed an orphanage and then a tuberculosis sanatorium. During all this time, numerous valuables of the manor's house were stolen, the greenhouse and the Hermitage palace were destroyed, and the park fell into disrepair.

In the park of the Bykovo estate

Fortunately, on one of the ponds a rotunda gazebo, the work of V.I., has been preserved. Bazhenova. Now it rises on an island and is heavily obscured by wild vegetation. And once upon a time, the owner of the estate met his beloved here, the ponds were well-groomed, and numerous alleys led to the house.

Bykovo estate. Bazhenov's gazebo on the pond

We saw the noble estate from below, and I must say, it made an amazing impression. On the hill rises a red brick building, with a balcony supported by columns with images of girls. Above the balcony is the coat of arms of the Vorontsov-Dashkovs. The palace balustrade has already been destroyed in places, which is a pity.

Columns of the Bykovo estate

I would really like to hope for the restoration of such a beautiful estate, not only the facade, but also the interiors. In this case, I would be happy to visit Bykovo again, I would be happy to visit the museums. Eh...dreams, dreams. But it would be quite possible to do something like Arkhangelsk. There is both the necessary space and beautiful creations of famous architects that can still be saved.
Despite everything, the estate in Bykovo amazed us with its former grandeur and unusual architectural solutions. And the Vladimir Church is a unique temple for the Moscow region, which is definitely worth seeing with your own eyes.

How to get to the Bykovo Estate and Vladimir Church

Address: Moscow region, Ramensky district, village. Bykovo, st. Kolkhoznaya

By car: in the direction from Moscow you need to go along the Ryazanskoye Highway. Approximately 8 kilometers to the turn to Bykovo (via Zhilino), then turn left. Next you need to go to Bykovo and Zhukovsky, and not to the airport. You need to drive through Bykovo, at the border between Bykovo and Zhukovsky at the traffic lights turn right, then after 200 m turn right again. To get to the Vladimir Church, go along Shosseynaya Street.

You can get to the Bykovo Estate by train from the Kazansky station to the Udelnaya platform, and then by minibus 23 or 39 to the Temple stop. Buses No. 424 also run from the Vykhino metro station. A train ticket costs 70 rubles one way, and a bus ticket costs 58 rubles.

In the Moscow region there are a lot of interesting buildings from past centuries, which few people know about. One of these buildings is the Vladimir Church in Bykovo. In this article I will tell you a little about this church, and you will take part in a sightseeing photo tour.


According to generally accepted data, the church was built in 1789 according to the design of Vasily Ivanovich Bazhenov. However, initially only one floor was built.
At that time, the owner of these lands was Mikhail Mikhailovich Izmailov, chamberlain, and later privy councilor at the palace. After the loss of his wife in 1780, he ordered the construction of a new stone church on the site of the old dilapidated temple. And already in 1783 the Church of the Nativity of Christ was built; the name of the temple was inherited from the previous church. The Church of the Nativity of Christ is the first floor of the current church. The second floor was added in 1788. But on the second floor another temple was organized, the temple of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. The second temple was built in honor of Izmailov’s deceased wife. Thus, there were and are now two churches in one building.
2)


A pair of flights of stairs leads to the second floor. Made like the rest of the church from white stone. True, the church itself is entirely built of brick, lined with limestone slabs, which were called white stone. Limestone was taken nearby, in the Podolsk region, it was also called Podolsk marble.
On the east side of the entrance there is a traditional sign about state protection:
3)

From the main entrance I decided to walk around the church starting from the east side:
4)

The temple building can be divided into three zones. The oval part is the temples themselves, the rectangular part is the huge refectory buildings located in the middle and the entrance with two bell towers.
5)

It was originally planned that one tower would be a bell tower, and the second a clock tower.
6)

The temple part of the building is decorated around the perimeter with various portraits of people. Some of them are the Izmailov spouses. It was not possible to find out who the other persons belonged to.
7)

Approaching the backyard of the temple, you can see tall spiers, made in the Gothic style, like the entire church.
8)

At the back of the church, boarded-up windows can be seen on both the first and second floors.
9)

A pile of stone slabs lying in the backyard.
10)


It seems that this is part of the church, but fortunately there was no destruction comparable to this pile. Perhaps this pile is a consequence of the harmful influence of the Soviet authorities on the management of the building.
In 1937, the church was closed by order of the Soviet government, and, as a result, looted. Most of the ancient books and writings were destroyed. The bells were removed for melting down. Crosses have been knocked down from their spiers. Later a garment factory was located here. And after the factory, the premises were used as a warehouse. And only in 1989 the temple was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church and services were resumed there.
11)


Church ministers are currently organizing short excursions with interesting stories about the history of the church. In the photo above on the left you can see such an excursion group. Moreover, the organization of excursions occurs spontaneously. The attendants choose moments when a sufficient number of people gather and offer a tour for everyone.

The east and west sides are absolutely identical. They are distinguished only by the bas-relief of the people depicted.
12)

In the sunlight, all the beauty of the columns and decor of the white stone temple is clearly visible.
13)

The spiers of the temple with a light drum installed on the roof above are almost invisible from the courtyard.
14)

And here are the images of the Izmailov spouses:
15)

16)

But I still wonder who the rest of the people are. It is assumed that these are the owners of the estate in Bykovo, where this church was built.
17)

Walking along the western side we return to the main entrance. Which looks more like a palace than a temple.
18)

It is worth mentioning separately about the main bell tower of the temple. Previously, this bell tower was not included in the church project. It was built in 1884, more than a hundred years after the construction of the stone temple. The architect was Bazhenov’s student, I.T. Tamansky, but according to some sources he is D.A. Gushchin. In any case, the bell tower is designed in exactly the same style as the church, and was also built from the same material.
The bell tower is the same on all sides. In the photo below it is visible from different angles; if desired, you can click on it to a larger size.
19)

Massive bell tower base with 4 decorative columns and a cut arched window on each side, except the entrance door:
20)


21)

The main belfry of the bell tower has several bells of different sizes:
22)


23)

This ends my walk around the church grounds. The courtyard near the church is small, but so cozy and well-groomed that spending time there is a pleasure!
24)

Outside the church grounds there is a stunning panoramic view:
25)

From these angles, you can just see the same light drum with the main spire rushing up to the sky and 8 spiers surrounding it.
26)

A white stone fence has been built around the church, which is now very impressively overgrown with lilac bushes and other lush vegetation.
27)

Not far from the church there is a recreation area and a river where you can have a good time. And after walking about another kilometer to the north you can find the estate, but I will write about the estate later.
28)

Recently, the church has become much more popular and recognizable than 5-6 years ago, but it still remains just as mysterious and attracts curious people. True, basically, the purpose of the visit is not the historical value of the object or the religious value, but photo sessions, both wedding and any other genre. Often, many who like to take pictures choose very obscene poses and angles for such a place. But, oddly enough, no one forbids taking photographs and no one asks for blessings in the form of DS.
In general, the church made a vivid impression on me and in an instant reminded me of a Disney castle; I have never met more sophisticated and unusual architects in Moscow and the Moscow region, I recommend everyone to visit! :)