On July 20, 1914, in Novonikolaevsk, the chapel of St. was founded at the intersection of Nikolaevsky Prospekt and Tobizenovskaya Street, now Red Prospect and Gorky Street. Nicholas. In 1913, the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov was celebrated magnificently throughout Russia. For this occasion, the city authorities of Novonikolaevsk ordered 25,000 albums with views of the city from the capital, and the city real school became known as the real school named after the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov.

The charitable society “Nursery” fundamentally decided to perpetuate this date. It began to petition the authorities for permission to build a chapel in their name. St. Nicholas. In October 1913, the Tomsk diocesan administration notified the city authorities that it was allowing the “Nursery” society to build a chapel.

A few words about the “Nursery” society. It was a charitable society whose goal was to care for orphans. The work was carried out on the basis of the Church of the Intercession, and in 1909 a special building was built next to it. The head of the shelter was the wife of the famous city doctor and public figure M.V. Vostokova M.P. Vostokova. The shelter existed mainly through donations from townspeople and the church.

A community building committee was created to build the chapel. Its members were famous Novonikolaevsk merchants: Vishnyakov, Mashtakov, architect Romman. The plan and estimate for the construction were drawn up by the architect A.D. Kryachkov, and city architect F.F. Ramman supervised the construction. Vishnyakov donated bricks for its construction, and the entire construction was supposed to cost 9 thousand rubles. It was built in modernized stylistic forms of Novgorod-Pskov architecture of the 12th-14th centuries.

On July 20, 1914, the foundation stone of the chapel took place (this event was captured by local photographers, and the pictures were then shown in the Makhotin cinema), and on October 27, 1915, an act of acceptance of the building was signed. The chapel was very popular among the townspeople. If initially it was assigned to the Alexander Nevsky Church, then from the church register of 1920 it is clear that it was an independent chapel with a congregation of 5 thousand citizens.

It is worth noting that the chapel, judging by the documents, was created in memory of the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov, and not because the geographic center of the Russian Empire was allegedly located at the intersection of two city streets. The legend about the geographical center of the Russian Empire on the site of the chapel appeared in Soviet times.

Having not existed for even 15 years, the chapel was closed and broken down. The new government dealt the first powerful blow to the economic power of the church by taking advantage of the famine of 1921, when church wealth was confiscated. At the end of the 20s, when the Stalinist leadership began its terrible experiments in industrialization and collectivization, the church faced a new crushing blow. A campaign was organized to close churches and repress clergy. As an example, we can cite the minutes of a meeting of women in the suburban village of Bugry, which decided to close the church as a hotbed of dope and fooling the working masses, opponents of the rapid growth of collectivization. It was decided to remove the bells and give them to industry. A meeting of citizens in the village of Senchaksky called for action more decisively: “Priest Rafail, as a counter-revolutionary, should be shot immediately. The citizens of the old and new church council will be handed over to the investigative authorities, and the church will be converted into a club.” Similar resolutions were adopted at meetings of workers and employees in Novosibirsk. Thus, the minutes of the general meeting of construction workers dated January 12, 1930 stated that “a rabble of former people have grouped around the church and are waging a furious struggle against Soviet power under the guise of religion.” The workers demanded that religious buildings be transferred to cultural institutions, and that all religious “assets” be registered.

From the correspondence between the leadership of the Novosibirsk regional executive committee and the Siberian regional executive committee at the beginning of 1930, one can see the desire of the authorities to satisfy such demands as quickly as possible, without stopping at violating Soviet laws. The authorities understood that otherwise there could be a decline in the mood of the masses. And here even such a law as the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of 1929 “On Religious Associations” stood in the way of the Soviet party organs. According to this decree, closing the church was a rather lengthy procedure. Therefore, local authorities demanded that the procedure for closing churches be simplified. For this, in their opinion, only the petition of the poor would be enough. The NKVD was of the same opinion.

During this campaign, based on the so-called opinion of the workers, the presidium of the Novosibirsk regional executive committee on November 9, 1929 decided to demolish the chapel. On December 27, 1929, this decision of the Novosibirsk Regional Executive Committee was approved by the Presidium of the Siberian Regional Executive Committee. On January 30, 1930, the newspaper “Soviet Siberia” in the article “The End of the Chapel” reported: “Yesterday at 4 o’clock in the afternoon the demolition of the chapel on Krasny Prospekt began.” Then, on the site of the chapel, a statue of “Komsomolets” stood, but not for long. It was replaced by a statue of the “leader of the peoples,” which was removed in the 50s.

On September 21, 1991, a religious procession took place from the Ascension Cathedral and the consecration of the foundation stone at the foundation of the restored chapel took place. In July 1993, the chapel was rebuilt. The new project was carried out by architect P. A. Chernobrovtsev. True, the location and orientation of the chapel have changed somewhat. Previously, the chapel was oriented to the cardinal points. Now the orientation is along the line of Krasny Prospekt.

Chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Novosibirsk, Krasny Prospekt). Photo: Stepanov Slava

The Chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Novosibirsk is one of the main attractions of the city. It is located in the very center and is considered its amulet.

Externally, the small chapel somewhat resembles an elegant candle, rising among other buildings and rapid city traffic. Her story is very interesting and unique.

About the city

The construction of the temple is connected with the anniversary of the founding of Novosibirsk (the name before 1925 was Novo-Nikolaevsk), founded in 1893, but only 10 years later received the status of a city.

It is the third largest city in terms of population and thirteenth largest city in the Russian Federation.

Currently, Novosibirsk is a major cultural, business, industrial, trade, scientific, and transport center of the country. And also one of the largest industrial centers in the West Siberian region.

The population is 1.6 million people.

It is located on both banks of the Ob River, in the southeastern part of the West Siberian Plain.

The city has a large number of architectural monuments, cultural places, and educational institutions. There are also 26 churches in Novosibirsk. Including the chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which is a unique monument of temple art and is of particular importance for the city.

Description

This pearl of Orthodoxy, located on Krasny Prospekt, opposite Lenin Square, is a fairly new building. The first building of the temple was destroyed during Soviet times. But this chapel, built at the end of the 20th century, almost completely corresponds to the original design.

The building is elegant, but at the same time incredibly majestic, it rises and stands out among other buildings in this part of Novosibirsk.

No matter where you have to go through the city center, you can see it from everywhere. And, what is most interesting, there is always noise around the building, but inside there is blessed silence and sacred grace.

There is information that the founding of the church in this area, in this place, was not accidental. According to geographical calculations, it was here that the central point of Russia was located, and Novosibirsk was a city considered the center of the country.

In addition, the construction of the chapel is connected with the construction of the first bridge across the Ob for railway transport.

According to historical information, the city was originally named in honor of Emperor Nicholas II, and the temple was named in honor of St. Nicholas.

Currently, in the chapel you can admire ancient images, pray at the icon of the Wonderworker of Myra with a particle of his relics, and venerate the reliquary icon of St. Panteleimon.

Story

The Chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Novosibirsk) was supposed to be founded in 1913 - for the twentieth anniversary of the city, as well as in honor of the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov. But by October of this year, only a construction permit was received from the authorities.

In fact, it turned out that work began only in the summer of 1914 (July 20). All costs for the construction of the temple were public: everyone helped in any way they could. The project was carried out by the architect A. Kryachkov, without taking payment for his work. In terms of finances, local merchants provided significant support. What is most surprising is that the bells were transported like ordinary cargo - in a railway carriage of a train. The construction of the temple was carried out quite quickly and amicably.

The location of the ancient chapel in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is the intersection of Nikolaevsky Prospekt and Tobizenovskaya Street (currently the street names are outdated).

In December 1914, the temple was solemnly consecrated. This was a very important event in the life of Novosibirsk (then Novo-Nikolaevsk).

At first, this monastery belonged to the Nevsky Church, and a little later it became an independent parish.

Unfortunately, the old chapel existed for only 16 years. Due to political events and persecution for the Orthodox faith, the temple was closed, and then a decision was made to demolish it altogether. This was done at the end of January 1930.

In this place of the city, a monument to Komsomolets was built, and then a monument to J.V. Stalin, which was removed in the 50s of the 20th century.

Restoration of the chapel

More than sixty years after the monastery was demolished - in September 1991, a religious procession was carried out from the Ascension Cathedral Church to the site of restoration of the ancient monastery - the new chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

And by 1993, the temple was erected, only now geographically it is located a little further from the intersection - the place where it was located before the demolition. The year of his rebirth was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the city.

In 2002, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow donated to the chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Novosibirsk) a particle of the saint’s relics, which are now placed in the icon. Therefore, from now on the monastery is protected by a patron and has miraculous power for everyone who prays at this shrine.

The rector of this temple is Archpriest Patrin Georgy, who conducts services and performs religious processions on holidays.

Architecture and interior decoration of the temple

The chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (new) was designed by the architect P. A. Chernobrovtsev, but its modern appearance is as close as possible to the design of the early structure of the monastery. All the painted work on the interior space was carried out by the architect’s father, the artist A. S. Chernobrovtsev.

The base of the building is lined with finishing bricks, such as “Ragged stone”. The walls of the temple building are built of brick, decorated with plaster and whitewash. On the outside, they end with arched zakomaras with smooth curves and pointed tops.

The roof of the temple is made in the form of a dome, mounted on a round “drum” with eight narrow windows. There is an elegant cross on the top of the dome.

There are several steps leading to the entrance to the chapel. Above the arched doorway there is a mosaic image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

The interior decoration of the church is very unpretentious: there is no huge iconostasis, large chandeliers and carpets. In addition to the icon and Panteleimon, several ancient images are placed. But here you can feel a special atmosphere: spirituality and spiritual warmth, light and silence.

Legends about the chapel and the city

Associated with the ancient monastery of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is the assumption that the location of the temple coincided with the First such opinion was expressed in 1988 on the radio. Therefore, the decision was born that it was necessary to return the temple to the city.

When the chapel was restored (on Krasny Prospekt) in 1993, the press began to publish reports that Novosibirsk is the territorial center of the country.

In February 1992, an article was published in a local newspaper (section “Page of History”), which reported the following. The Chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, built at the beginning of the 20th century at the intersection of Nikolaevsky Prospekt and Tobizenovskaya Street (respectively Krasny Prospekt and Maxim Gorky Street at present) in memory of the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov, is a geographical point of the Russian Empire.

In the newspaper "Soviet Siberia", in an article published in July 1993 about the restoration of the monastery of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, it was said that at the beginning of the 20th century the temple was built on this territory due to the fact that this place symbolically designated the center of Russia.

Currently, according to geodetic calculations of coordinates, this place is the southeast of Lake Vivi, which is in the Krasnoyarsk Territory (Evenkiy District). A special monument was erected in this place. But the temple still remains an unchanging symbol and amulet of the city.

It is one of the symbols of the city.

Construction

Construction of the chapel began on July 20, 1914 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the foundation of the railway bridge across the Ob at the intersection of Nikolaevsky (now Krasny) Avenue and Tobizenovskaya Street (now Maxim Gorky Street).

The charitable society "Nursery" began to petition the authorities for permission to build a chapel named after St. Nicholas in connection with the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov in 1913. The city was named after the patron saint of the reigning Emperor Nicholas II, so it was decided to build a chapel in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. In October 1913, formal permission for construction was received from the Tomsk diocesan administration.

The project was drawn up free of charge by the famous architect A. D. Kryachkov. The public construction committee included famous Novonikolaev merchants M. L. Vishnyakov, Z. M. Dzhurich, V. N. Tsevkovsky, G. D. Mashtakov, I. M. Nekrasov and D. E. Barabanov, as well as engineer F. F. Ramman, who, as the city architect, was entrusted with construction control over the progress of the construction of the chapel. Most of the work on the construction of the chapel was undertaken by the mayor A. G. Besedin, Archpriest of the Church of the Intercession Diomid Chernyavsky - Chairman of the Board of the "Nursery" society and the head of the "Nursery" shelter M. V. Vostokova.

For the first time in the history of the city, the “people’s construction” method was used. Thus, through the efforts of the city public, free train tickets for the transport of bells were obtained. The blessing for the construction was given by Bishop Anatoly of Tomsk and Altai, who sent as a gift an icon of St. Nicholas with a particle of the relics of the great martyr and healer Panteleimon.

On the site of the chapel, for a short time there was a statue of “Komsomolets”, and then a monument to J.V. Stalin, which was removed in the 1950s.

Restoration of the chapel

The chapel was re-erected in 1993 for the 100th anniversary of Novosibirsk. The restored chapel is located in a slightly different place, further from the intersection where it was originally located.

In 2002, Novosibirsk became the center of the celebration of the Day of Slavic Culture and Literature. Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II brought an icon of St. Nicholas as a gift to the city. A year later, the abbot of the St. Daniel Monastery in Moscow, Archimandrite Alexy, delivered to Novosibirsk a particle of the holy relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker, which were placed in the icon.

During my trip to Novosibirsk I wanted to visit (there was a sad reason for this) the local church, especially since there are many of them here, and all of them are beautiful. But I only managed to get to the chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which is located in the center of Novosibirsk and which I saw while walking around the city. She shone with golden domes! And thanks to its whiteness and location on a hill, the chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker seemed something wonderful, pure in the city stream that surrounds it. And only later did I find out that the chapel is the unofficial geographical center of Russia.

By the way, the official center of Russia (according to the Federal Service of Geodesy and Cartography) is Lake Vivi in ​​the Evenki district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory with coordinates 0

In the middle of the main street of Novosibirsk - Krasny Prospekt - this miracle is located. After admiring the steps for a minute, I went up to the door.

Inside there is soft semi-darkness, tall figures of saints and Christ and the Virgin Mary. A friendly woman advised us to wear a scarf, which was also available here. Photography, as I thought, is not allowed inside the chapel. But that’s not what I was going for.

Looking around, I notice several stands for candles near the icons, and a counter with various Orthodox goods. What surprised me most was the abundance of fresh flowers that stood on the floor. It seems that chrysanthemums are something white and light.

I asked for a few candles, stood by the icons, and remembered those who are no longer in the world. I thought about health for my loved ones. My soul became calmer after the bustle of the big city. I left the chapel with gratitude.

From the steps you can see an amazing view - part of the city at a glance.

And this is on the side. It’s amazing how unrealistically beautiful the sky and clouds are here!

There are signs at the back of the building telling you what this place is. In gold letters on white:

“This chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was built in the city of Novonikolaevsk in honor of the glorious anniversary of the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov. Restored with the care of true patriots of Russia for the 100th anniversary of Novosibirsk for the glory of the Holy Trinity of the same essence as a sign of nationwide repentance and a return to the path of faith and godly life in the bosom of the Orthodox Church on the eve of the great anniversary of the 2000th anniversary of the Nativity of Christ.”

Curious inscription. Of course, I knew that the former name of Novosibirsk was Novonikolaevsk, and it was quite logical and fair that the chapel in its center was dedicated to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. By the way, the most beloved and revered saint in Russia. But the dates made me think. In my free time I looked on the Internet.

It turned out that this chapel has a very interesting history. I will note right away that the current Red Avenue also bore a symbolic name in this sense - Nikolaevsky. And the chapel is here, or rather, a little away from its current location, at the intersection of the avenue and the street. Tobzianovskaya (Gorky) appeared in 1915. Two years earlier, the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov was widely celebrated in Russia, and at the initiative of one of the local charitable societies and with the support of city authorities, construction of the chapel began. As was usual at that time, the idea was supported – financially – by many wealthy people of Novonikolaevsk.

This is a view of Nikolaevsky Prospect with the new chapel. Almost the same as now.

The image of the Chapel of St. Nicholas as a city landmark appeared in albums and on postcards; its particular popularity among guests was associated with the myth that the building stands on the site of the geographical center of the Russian Empire.

Revolution, new ideology, the fight against religion - the opium of the people... And now a meeting of residents decides to demolish the stronghold of religious intoxication. And a little earlier, church utensils had already been borrowed from the chapel “for the needs of the revolution.” In 1929 she was completely gone.

But holy - in the literal sense - the place was not left empty. A monument to a Komsomol member appeared here. And the avenue became Red - the color of revolution, the color of blood...

Everything returns to its place. And now an initiative group of residents comes up with the idea of ​​​​rebuilding the Chapel of St. Nicholas in Novosibirsk. More than 60 years after the destruction. The location chosen was not quite right; the middle of Krasny Prospekt seemed the most successful. In my opinion, this is simply wonderful. The feeling that the chapel, directed upward, sanctifies everything that is nearby.

At the same time, when you are nearby, she does not seem too distant - on the contrary, she is so dear and close. There are benches nearby - sit down, relax, calm your heart. Pigeons are walking around, cooing peacefully. A good bird loves a good place...

It remains to add that in the chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker today the relics of this Saint himself, as well as St. Panteleimon, are kept. The chapel is one of the symbols of Novosibirsk. And this symbol has its own address on the city map - “Krasny Prospekt, 17a”:

Landmarks can be the Mayakovsky cinema, Lenin Square, not far from which there is a chapel. “Lenin Square” is the name of the bus stop and metro station. The chapel in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is located in the center of Krasny Prospekt and can be reached by a traffic light or an underground passage.

The chapel in honor of Nicholas the Wonderworker, one of the most revered saints in Christianity and Islam, at the Preobrazhenskoye cemetery was erected in 1805 according to the design of the architect F.K. Sokolova. What is noteworthy is that earlier architectural historians attributed the construction to another specialist of that time, V.I. Bazhenov. called the main square... of Paris.

In the 19th century, the religious site, built in a Gothic style unusual for Moscow, belonged to the Old Believers of the Fedoseyevsky Consent.

The building itself, made in the so-called Russian Gothic style, seems very elegant. The facade is decorated with various fragments of white stone. It is generally accepted that the Tsaritsyn Palace served as an example for the design of the chapel. Nine eight-pointed crosses are installed on top, as in. They say that previously there were miniature crucifixes on them, which have now been lost.

In 1940, the saint’s chapel was transferred to the Filippov Old Believers, who regularly held services here. However, the small community of the Filippovsky Concord gradually ceased to exist, as a result of which the small religious Orthodox site finally lost its cult status.

In 1990, the keys to the temple, which had fallen into disrepair, were transferred to the Moscow administration. In 2002, specialists restored the chapel, donating the building to the Old Believer community of the Fedoseyevsky Consent.

History of Fedoseevites and the Chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

The religious movement arose at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries among peasants professing Old Believer canons. The spiritual leader of the community was Feodosius Vasiliev, a former deacon and ancestor of the Urusov boyars. The Fedoseyevskoye Consent, as a Christian movement, was formed at the end of the 17th century. The Pomeranians later accepted the doctrine of being. Throughout the 18th century, their relationship was ambiguous. The communities alternated between reconciling and breaking off all sorts of relationships.

Fedoseevites have always been distinguished by asceticism and intransigence towards the ruling class and the state in general. Believers denied praying for the sovereign, as well as non-sacred marriage, because they were firmly convinced that the reign of the Antichrist had come.

Nicholas the Wonderworker

In the Christian world it is quite difficult to find such a revered saint as St. Nicholas. He is worshiped in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. We especially venerate the saint in Orthodoxy. Everyone turns to him - from children and ordinary people to old people and learned men, believers and atheists, Muslims, Catholics.

The reason for the scale of veneration is the Creator’s dedication to prayers, which are heard by icons of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker all over the world. The relics of the saint are located in the Italian city of Bari, but the main burial was in the Byzantine city of Myra (now the Turkish city of Demre). From there, already in the Ottoman era, the relics were secretly removed by the Genoese, one of whom Nicholas appeared in a dream. In addition, the relics and garments of the Wonderworker are carefully preserved in many countries of Europe and the rest of the world.

In Russia, Nicholas the Wonderworker is especially revered. Everyone sends him prayers, despite the fact that he is considered the patron saint of children, merchants, and sailors. Dmitry Donskoy built several churches in his honor after the appearance of the saint before the Battle of Kulikovo. Interestingly, in Russia there are more churches and icons in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker than anywhere else. In terms of popularity when naming churches, he is second only to the Mother of God.