Church of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara. Temples of Zaryadye Temple of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara
The Church of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara is located in the very center of Moscow in Kitai-Gorod on Varvarka Street. The street's former name was returned to it several years ago. Since ancient times, Kitai-Gorod has been the center of trade, industry and legal proceedings. The kresttsy (crossing streets) Nikolsky, Ilyinsky and Varvarsky were known here. Each of them had its own special significance in urban economic life, but with the development of the city and the change of streets, only one retained its meaning and name. This is the Varvarsky Sacrum, which, like Varvarskaya Street, was named after the ancient church in the name of the Great Martyr Varvara. “On Varvarsky Sacrum, on Varvara Mountain, on Varskaya, then Varvarskaya Street - the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Varvara, stone...” One of the ancient names of the street is Vsesvyatskaya - named after the Church of All Saints on Kulishki, built according to legend by Dmitry Donskoy in 1380, in memory of the soldiers who died on the Kulikovo field. Sometimes the street was called Varskaya, Varvarsky Bridge, Bolshaya Mostovaya Street. In ancient times, healers and healers sold medicinal herbs and roots here, people came here to “speak” toothache... Believers went to Varvarka to venerate the image of the holy Great Martyr Barbara. The only daughter of a rich and noble resident of the Phoenician city of Iliopolis, Dioscorus, Barbara was known for her beauty and pious life. Refusing lucrative marriage offers, rejecting worldly vanity, she heeded the voice of her soul and accepted holy Baptism. Dioscorus, “Hellene by birth and evil faith,” was angry at his daughter’s act, but also struck by her firm faith in Christ. The most cruel tortures did not shake the Christian’s steadfastness. Barely alive, she was thrown into prison. At night, during prayer, a great light illuminated her, Christ himself appeared to her, healed her from terrible wounds and said: “Be bold, My bride, and do not be afraid, for I am with you.” In the morning, Varvara was again subjected to torture and humiliation, and then she was condemned to death. Barbara was executed with a sword by her own father... In the 6th century, the relics of St. The barbarians were transported to Constantinople. In the 12th century, the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Alexei Komnenos, Princess Varvara, married the Russian prince Mikhail Izyaslavich, and transported them to Kyiv. They still rest in the Kiev Vladimir Cathedral. Particles of the relics of the Great Martyr Barbara (three parts from fingers) were kept in Moscow, in the church on Varvarka, and the miraculous image of the Great Martyr Barbara became famous for its miraculous power and miracles in 1555. This temple was especially revered by Muscovites and visiting people, and was considered one of the best in Kitai-gorod both in its architecture and in the reverent attitude of believers towards it. It was built under Prince Vasily Ioannovich III in 1514 by the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin at the expense of well-known wealthy visiting guests at that time: Vasily Beaver with his brothers Theodore Veprem and Yushka Urvikhvost. Here is how the chronicle reports about this: “Yes, that same summer, the Holy Great Martyr Vasily Bobr built a brick church for Barbara with his brethren, with the Boar and with Yushko. And all those churches were mastered by Aleviz Fryazin...” In 1731, the church was “renovated” at the direction of Empress Anna Ioannovna. Richly decorated and conveniently located, it has become one of the most revered in Moscow. During these years, the following priests served in the temple and regularly contributed “tribute to the treasury” to the treasury: Kirill, Luka, Ivan, Tikhon and others. On holidays and on the days of the temple holiday, festive prayer services were served with the blessing of water. The water was then delivered to the patriarchal chambers. Here is a laconic entry from the book of the State Patriarchal Order: “145 and 151 December 9, the church of St. Martyr Varvara, in China near Gostiny Dvor, to priest Tikhon for a prayer service on 3 alt. 2 days, came to St. To the Patriarch with holy water on the 4th day of December...” The fire of 1737 caused significant damage to the church. Priest Stepan Kuzmin and the parishioners of the temple in a petition submitted to the Synodal Treasury Order wrote: “On May 29 of this day, 1737, the said Barbarian Church and in it the holy icons, iconostasis and all church utensils burned without a trace by the will of God, and without the decree of this church We do not dare to build, and so that by decree it is commanded to build the designated church and give a decree about its consecration and issue an antimension.” The request was granted and two decrees served the purpose of restoring the temple: “Priest of the Barbarian Church Stepan Kuzmin with the parishioners in this church to rebuild what was burned and arrange it, remove it with sacred icons.” “Protopope Nikifor Ivanovich of the Assumption Cathedral to consecrate this church according to the newly corrected breviary.” At the end of the 18th century, the ancient church was dismantled, and in its place, in 1796 - 1804, a new building was erected according to the design of the architect Rodion Kozakov. The customers of the new church in the name of the Great Martyr Barbara were artillery major Ivan Baryshnikov and Moscow merchant N.A. Samghin. The new building was decorated on the north and south sides with six-column porticoes of the order. The interior of the temple was updated: the iconostasis was gilded, the icons were dressed in vestments. During the Patriotic War of 1812, the richest sacristy of the church was looted, frames and vestments were removed from the icons. But the temple itself, despite the fact that it was in the very center of military events, survived; The iconostasis was preserved; some icons continued to serve in the church even after the consecration. During this period, Archpriest and Dean Ivan Kandorsky served in the church; Alexander Rozanov, as well as sexton Ivan Fedorov, were appointed “to the deacon’s vacancy.” The bell tower was dismantled back in 1757, at the request of the architect Yakovlev, because... gave a significant list and was close to falling. In the 19th century, the bell tower was built again. Currently, services are held in the Church of the Great Martyr Barbara, the schedule of which can be seen.
Marked on the map:
- VMC Temple Barbarians
- Cathedral of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign" of the B. Znamensky Monastery
- Church of the Great Martyr St. George the Victorious (Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary) on Pskov Hill
- Temple of St. St. Maxim the Blessed on Varvarka
- Temple of the Conception of Righteous Anna, "what's in the corner"
In the center of Moscow, not far from Red Square, an ancient temple built in the 16th century has been preserved. on the site of an earlier wooden church; This is a temple in honor of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara. He also gave the name to the street running down to Kulishki, a warm, old Moscow name - Varvarka...
The place is amazing. One after another, the domes of the temples grow: here, austere, a little reminiscent of the Pskov ones - “Maxim the Blessed”, behind it are the glazed emerald and gold domes of the Znamensky Cathedral, - the old sovereign’s courtyard, the “family nest” of the Romanov boyars, - and here is the elegant one, like Easter egg, “Egory, on the Pskov Hill” - a temple in honor of the heavenly patron of Moscow. Different in style and time of construction, they reflect the spirit of Moscow with its diversity and eclecticism, splendor and artistic optionality.
Zaryadye is a cozy “island” of antiquity in the tourist center of the capital. It seems to fall out of the urban space; you want to come here in the evening, when the moths of candles flash in the windows, or in the early morning, when there is still no traffic, and a thin bell is flying along the washed streets. and Saint George in shining armor - two martyrs, two great confessors - in the Heavenly Triumphant Church they pray for youth and for the army, and here on earth, as if they were raising high the cross of testimony from different ends of the Moscow street.
“Saint Barbara was also sacred”
The first Varvarinsky temple on the site of the modern one, according to legend, was built by Surozh merchants - natives of Surozh (Sudak). The architect was Aleviz Fryazin. In the records of the events of 1514 there remains a certificate of the consecration of this temple: “Saint Barbara was also consecrated against the master’s court by Metropolitan Varlaam.”
Why did the Crimean merchants choose her, the Holy Great Martyr Barbara, as their patroness?
Since ancient times, this saint has provided protection to people in danger in the Church. Having suffered a lot during her life for professing the Christian faith, having reached a high level of holiness, she has the boldness to intercede with God for the deliverance of people from sudden death.
Surozhans, who were far from their homes and at risk on the roads, were afraid to die without repentance and without church guidance, and therefore most often turned to this saint, asking her for prayerful intercession for themselves and for their loved ones. That is why the temple became a place of special veneration for travelers and everyone living away from home. The crossroads area where this church was built was named Varvarsky Krestets.
The relatives of those unfortunates who found themselves in custody in the Tsar’s Court of Justice located next door also came here, “to Varvara,” to pray. Having survived the hardships of imprisonment, the saint mercifully responded to the prayers of people who asked her for release or relief.
Church of the 16th century represented in plan a square with semicircles protruding from four sides. The pillar-shaped building ended with a dome, characteristic of Italian architecture. The main shrine of the temple was the icon of the Holy Virgin Martyr with embedded particles of fingers.
In n. 30s XVIII century The first Aleviz building suffered serious damage due to a strong fire, after which the temple was restored and re-consecrated under the care of Empress Anna Ioannovna. And already in chapter XVIII - beginning. In the 19th century, with the blessing of Metropolitan Platon, the church was rebuilt in the classicist style according to the design of Rodion Kozakov. This time, artillery major I. Baryshnikov and Moscow merchant of the 1st guild N. Samgin provided assistance in the construction of the temple. Their wives received healing from the relics of the Holy Great Martyr. The church was consecrated in 1804. True, only the foundation in the basement of the current church remains from the original structure. Modern trends have also appeared in interior decoration. The walls were covered with oil painting, but the fate of the ancient icons and the old ones is unknown...
Varvarka and Zaryadye with the chambers of the Romanov boyars in the 19th century.
Guiding Star of Faith
For a long time, the Great Martyr Barbara was one of the most beloved saints among the people.
...She was very young, this girl who lived at the turn of the 3rd and 4th centuries in Asia Minor, but her story is so amazing that it has not been forgotten centuries later; she is known in all corners of the Christian world. Extraordinarily beautiful, not needing anything, brought up in bliss and luxury, Varvara was the daughter of one of the influential rulers - Dioscurus, but having learned about Christ, she accepted His teaching with all her heart and easily managed to step over all the blessings of the world in order to be worthy of the Christian vocation.
She faced the most severe test: for refusing to renounce the gospel teachings and worship false gods, Varvara was subjected to the most severe torture, sparing neither her age nor her maiden tenderness. She had to endure such tortures that not every man could endure. The girl was beaten with ox sinews, her body was burned with fire, she was whittled with iron claws, her clothes were torn off, she was dragged around the city... But, probably, more severe than the physical and moral torment from offended purity was the pain for her father. The main persecutor and torturer of Varvara was the person closest to her!
In the instructions of our famous contemporary there is one observation that allows us to better understand the history of this saint and the terrible metamorphosis to which natural parental affection has undergone: “When there is no abstinence and spiritual love, passions are born from feelings.” After all, the father loved his daughter more than anything in the world, took care of her, took care of her and thought about choosing a worthy groom for her, but the question of faith became an insurmountable “threshold”. Unsanctified by true love, love in Christ, the feeling of Varvara’s father literally disintegrated under the influence of passions and delusions. Warmth turned into unbridled hatred, parental care into immoderate lust for power, affection into frantic persecution.
Her feeling, strengthened by faith and love for the Lord, on the contrary, grew rapidly, gained strength and extended to the heights of Christian achievement - to the readiness to give her life for the One Who was Love incarnate. Under torture, she was no longer afraid of pain, but only of deviation from the Truth, afraid of dropping the guiding star of faith, and the Lord gave her strength. The barely mature girl showed as much courage in the earthly battle with evil as the Roman legionnaires, seasoned in campaigns, who converted to Christianity and preferred death to participation in pagan cults.
The Holy Great Martyr Barbara has traditionally been one of the most beloved and revered saints. If in a traditional society Christians were struck first of all by the strength of her faith, then in the new world with the predominance of material values, another facet of her image began to shine - selflessness and the determination with which she stepped over earthly goods. It is no coincidence that this was chosen as the main topic for a sermon dedicated to this great saint by the famous spiritual mentor of our time -. Here's what he writes:
“We extremely highly appreciate what the holy martyrs, reverends, and righteous people considered for nothing.<…>Here before us is the holy maiden - the Great Martyr Barbara. She is dressed in precious clothes, there are golden necklaces on her chest and arms, her name is glorious and noble. “No,” she says, “all this is empty, insignificant, completely priceless.” She takes off her jewelry and throws it on the ground. “My Christ,” she says, “is more precious, immeasurably more valuable, better. And all this is dust.” And she dies for Christ the Savior.<…>And today, what is our girl doing? She says: “No, what Varvara gave up is really valuable. This is truly wealth and treasure. This is all I live for.” “What a fool,” she says about the holy maiden, “why did she exchange jewelry for Christ?” And she rushes, unfortunate, and greedily grabs what Varvara has thrown. She puts it all on herself and considers herself truly happy<…>But Christ remains ridiculed.”
Archimandrite Tikhon had to live in difficult times for our Church - and the subsequent pressure. That is why the story of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara had special meaning for him both as an example of adamantine testimony in the face of obvious trials, and as an example of spiritual composure when there is no obvious danger, but a person faces a choice: whether to follow Christ, the narrow, thorny path, or submit to the terms of peace?
Renaissance
A “martyrdom” fate awaited the Varvara Church in Zaryadye. In 1917, it was destroyed not by the elements of nature, but by the elements of unbelief. The cross that crowned its head was removed, the upper part of the bell tower was damaged, the iconostasis was dismantled and removed.
Other Varvarka churches did not escape that fate. The ancient, most valuable historical and spiritual complex was used completely utilitarianly. Only in the village In the 60s, in connection with the construction of the Rossiya Hotel, the All-Russian Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments began restoration work in Zaryadye. In 1965 -67. restorers under the leadership of G.A. Makarov returned the church in honor of the Great Martyr Varvara to its former appearance. But more than 20 years passed before the sounds of church chants were heard again under its arches.
The patriarchal courtyard of the churches in Zaryadye is being restored these days. It takes a lot of effort and money, but fortunately, people still come here, although this area is considered “not profitable” - there are almost no residential buildings in the area, and parishioners come from afar, from all over the city. The amazing icon of the Mother of God in the St. George Church has already gained fame - a warm, wonderful image, riddled with bullet holes around the halo. Akathists are read before him, and, as a rule, even during the day there are people praying. Some people are inexplicably drawn to the temple in honor of the patron saint of the city - one of the oldest in Moscow. And on the day of the Great Martyr Barbara, those who bear the name of this great Christian saint and those who know the history of this wonderful “island” of Russian antiquity in the very center of the capital come to her church under the patronage of a young maiden and a courageous warrior, who received equal reward from God for witnessing the Truth.
2. Palamarchuk P.G. Forty forty: a brief illustrated history of all Moscow churches: in 4 volumes. M.: AST Publishing House, 2003-2005.
3. Russian Orthodox Church. Temples. Moscow. Encyclopedic reference book. (Compiled and authored by A.V. Nikolsky) M.: Moscow Publishing House. Patriarchies: Publishing House "Russian Writer", 2003.
4. Podyapolskaya E.N. Architectural monuments of the Moscow region: Illustrated scientific catalogue. Vol. 1-3. M.: Stroyizdat, 1999-2001.
6. Elder Joseph of Vatopedi. Athos conversations. Answers of the Athonite Elder to the questions of pilgrims. Translation from modern Greek. With the blessing of His Eminence Nikon, Bishop of Lipetsk and Yeletsk. – St. Petersburg, 2004.
7. Archimandrite Tikhon Agrikov. "The Trinity is winged." Memories. M., Publishing House of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, 2002
8. Varvara Iliopolskaya. (Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia).
10. Zaryadye. (Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia).
Varvarskaya street with the wooden church of St. Barbara was mentioned in the century. The dedication of the temple gave the modern name to the entire street, which was previously called in a similar way - Varskaya Street (from the word “Varya”, meaning the service of the townspeople). According to other sources, until the 16th century Varvarka was called All Saints Street, after the Church of All Saints on Kulishki.
Architecture
The main volume of the temple is cruciform in plan, with porticoes, the pediments of which rest on Corinthian columns. The inside of the church is very bright - due to two tiers of windows and an under-dome drum with light windows. This is an excellent representative of mature Moscow classicism - restrained external decor with clear lines throughout the main volume, a wide round dome with a small dome. The bell tower of the temple is not very high, ending in a small hemisphere with a cross; the upper tier of the bell has wide arched openings framed by pilasters with Corinthian capitals and pediments. The second tier was broken after 1917 and restored in 1967 during the restoration.
The beauty of this temple lies in the subtlety of proportional relationships and the elegance of the order and decorative decoration. In the preserved part of the interior, a great impression is made by the dome, in which gray-blue painting creates the illusion of a perspective reduction and visually increases the volume. The walls are decorated with artificial marble in warm pink and yellow tones. The wall images were made in oil painting in the 19th century. In the altar part, the original marble carvings of excellent artistic quality have been preserved.
Literature
- Elena Lebedeva. "Church of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara"
Used materials
- Nikita Brusilovsky. "Church of the Great Martyr Barbara on Varvarka"
- "Church of Barbara the Great Martyr on Varvarka", page of the website "Temples of Russia"
Church of Barbara the Great Martyr on Varvarka
Varvarka, then st. Razin, since 1990 again Varvarka, 2
“I erected a brick church for Varvara” - in 1514, the chronicle reports the construction of over a dozen posad churches in Moscow, which were erected under the leadership of the Italian architect Aleviz. One of them is the Church of Barbara. Its building was built by order of wealthy “guests-surozhans” Vasily Bobr, Fyodor Vepr and Yushka Urvikhvostov, whose estates were located here in Zaryadye. The location of the church is indicated - "behind the market, opposite the Lord's courtyard." Soon after its construction, Varvara's Church became one of the most revered in Moscow. From the name of the church in the 16th century. the names also came about - Varvarskaya Street and the Varvarskaya Tower of Kitay-Gorod, which closed the street.
From the surviving general plans we know about the original plan of the Church of Barbara in the 18th century. It was a square with protruding semicircles on all four sides. At the end of the 18th century. the ancient church building was dismantled.
In 1796-1804. According to the design of the architect Rodion Kazakov, a new building of the Church of Varvara is being erected on the site of the ancient temple. Its customers are artillery major Ivan Baryshnikov and the Moscow first guild merchant N.A. Samgin.”
"The spouses of both Elizaveta Ivanovna and Anna Ivanovna were happily healed from illnesses by faith in the relics of St. Barbara. Construction began in 1796 by Baryshnikov, and Samghin, having completed it, decorated the temple inside. The consecration took place on June 26, 1804. The elegance of the architecture of the church caused imitation: in 1821, the landowner I. Bek built a church in the village of Mikhalevo near Faustov, quite accurately copying the Church of St. Barbara.”
"The church building, cruciform in plan, is decorated on the northern and southern sides with six-column porticoes of the Corinthian order. Due to the difference in relief, an additional floor was created, which was designed by the architect as a high white stone plinth - a kind of pedestal, which made it possible to raise the building higher, clearly visible from river, and from the side of Red Square. The main room of the building - a bright hall, covered with a high dome - was made with great artistic expressiveness and skill. On the western side, the choir-box was adjacent to the hall."
“By the time of the demolition of the Aleviz church in 1795, it was in good technical condition: “... all in solidity, satisfied with the utensils.” The reason that caused the demolition of the church was the desire of the Moscow Metropolitan Platon to change its appearance: the Metropolitan believed that the Church of Varvara “It has an insufficient appearance and does not at all correspond to the splendor of such a particular place.”
“The existing Church of Barbara at the beginning of the 20th century was thoroughly distorted.”
"The building includes the foundations of one of twelve churches erected at the beginning of the 16th century by Aleviz Fryazin. The clear volume, strict proportions and treatment of the facades are typical for monuments of mature Moscow classicism. The existing church is cruciform in plan, with porticoes of the Corinthian order and a wide round dome on a low drum. The two-tier bell tower was restored during the restoration in 1967. The inside of the church is two-height, with choirs in the western part, with a coffered dome and paintings of the 19th century."
“Once upon a time there was a Court Order near the church, where the saying came from: “Go to Varvara for punishment.” According to the large number of drinking establishments on the street, old songs about bitter revelry more than once began like this: “How Kasyan, a Kamarinsky man, sleeps on Varvarinskaya Street,” “I was walking along Varvarka Street with a cook I knew,” etc.”
"The street has been known since the end of the 14th century, when Dmitry Donskoy drove along it, returning from the Kulikovo field. Then it was called All Saints after the Church of All Saints on Kulishki. Then it began to be called Varvarskaya after the Church of Varvara. In 1933 it was renamed after St. Razin , executed in Moscow in 1671."
After the closure of the temple, it was severely disfigured: the top of the bell tower was broken with a ringing sound, the head with the cross was knocked off. Inside there was first a warehouse, then office buildings.
“The church was restored in 1965-1967. The head was architect G. A. Makarov. Simultaneously with the restoration, all the buildings of the 19th century adjacent to the church were demolished.”
Nowadays the Council of the Moscow regional branch of the All-Russian Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments (VOOPIiK) is located in the temple building. Sometimes exhibitions are held inside.
Photo: Church of the Great Martyr Barbara on Varvarka
Photo and description
The Church of the Great Martyr Barbara on Varvarka is located in the very center of Moscow - in Kitay-Gorod. The temple, which has survived to this day, was built from 1796 to 1801. Funds for the construction of the temple were allocated by artillery major Baryshnikov and the Moscow merchant of the first guild Samgin. The design of the church was carried out by the architect Rodion Kazakov. He used the foundation of the old temple structure, built in 1514 by Aleviz the New. And that temple was probably built on the site of a wooden temple, also built at the expense of merchants. Their names have been preserved. This is Vasily Bobr, Yushka Urvikhvostov and Fyodor Vepr.
Saint Barbara was always revered among traders. According to canonical legends, she was born in Egypt, in the city of Heliopolis. The only daughter of Dioscorus, a noble resident of the city, was distinguished by her piety and beauty. Saint Barbara renounced a profitable marriage, rejected worldly life and accepted holy Baptism. Dioscorus was angry. Varvara was imprisoned, but the torture did not shake her faith. Varvara was sentenced to death. Varvara was executed by her own father. The relics of Saint Barbara were transferred to Constantinople in the 6th century.
In the 12th century, Princess Varvara (daughter of the Byzantine emperor Alexei Komnenos) married the Russian prince Izyaslavich. It was she who transported the relics of Saint Barbara to Kyiv. The relics rest in the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv in our time. Parts of the relics of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara were also kept in Moscow, in the church on Varvarka. In 1812, the sacristy of the Church of St. The barbarians were plundered by the French. The temple itself, being at the center of military events, miraculously survived.
After the revolution of 1917, the merchant class disappeared, parish life froze, and in the thirties the church was closed. The last restoration of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara was carried out in 1965-1967. The restoration of the church bell tower, previously dismantled due to its disrepair, was led by architect Makarov.