“200 Temples” program (construction of Orthodox churches in Moscow)

“Program 200” (another name is the “200 temples” program) proposes to build 200 new Orthodox churches in Moscow in those areas where there are not enough of them - in all except the central one.

The project was launched in 2010 and exists only for charity.

Official website of the program www.200hramov.ru

By mid-2022, 60 stone and 100 temporary wooden temples had been erected, with another 70 in progress.

Two key figures in the program

Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'

Vladimir Resin, adviser to the patriarch on construction, curator of the “200 temples” program, former State Duma deputy

The “200 temples” program was launched in 3 years

On February 5, 2009, Patriarch Kirill met with the then mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov.
The task of “walking distance to churches” became the first task of the new patriarch. The plan was brought to the foundation of the first church in 3 years:

1. February 2009 (5 days after being elevated to patriarch) - Kirill discusses with Yuri Luzhkov (mayor at that time) the need of parishioners for churches. The chapters agreed on the number 200 (out of the original 600).

Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'

A few months after this, the Moscow government prepared a document regulating the allocation of sites for churches.

2. Summer 2009 - government order No. 2367 was prepared for the allocation of land.

3. October 2010 - the order was signed by Acting Mayor Vladimir Resin.

4. April 2011 - the first temple was laid - the Church of Cyril and Methodius (on Dubrovka).

The first temple of the program (Church of Cyril and Methodius) was erected in memory of the terrorist hostages (2002, musical “Nord-Ost”).

The first temple of the program (Church of Cyril and Methodius) was erected in memory of terrorist hostages (2002, the musical “Nord-Ost”). In 2012, the new mayor Sergei Sobyanin annexed 25 suburbs to Moscow, causing the population to grow 2.5 times.

After this reform, 200 churches were not enough, and the project decided not to limit the construction of churches to this number. There was no official renaming, but people use the name “Forty Sorokov” (a reference to the 1600 churches of pre-revolutionary Moscow). As of 2018, there are almost 1,200 churches in Moscow.

Growth of the Principality of Moscow in 2012 (highlighted in red). There are more believers in Moscow, which means that we now need much more churches than 200

In 2015, money became scarce. Therefore, Patriarch Kirill proposed combining “200 temples” with city temple restoration programs:

• federal target program “Culture of Russia”;
• restoration program of the Moscow Government.

Number of churches opened

By 2015, 25 new churches had been completely built, and 28 new churches were under construction. Ninety temporary church buildings were erected, and daily services were held in eighty of them. In 2022, the hundredth new temple will be inaugurated in the capital.

The hundredth temple built under this program will be a new church in the Novokosino area. It is almost ready for commissioning: all construction work has been completed, walls and vaults have been painted, the temple area has been landscaped, and ornamental plants have been planted.

Interesting fact! The Church of the Great Martyr Theodore Tiron on Berzarina Street was built the fastest - the rector of the temple with five assistants built a temporary church building in 2 months.

Another temple that will open its doors to parishioners by 2022 is the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Izmailovo. In total, 19 sites have been allocated for the construction of new churches in the east of Moscow. New churches have already been opened on seven of them; active construction work is underway on the remaining sites.

A church in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was also built in Teply Stan. In April 2022, it was consecrated and opened to parishioners.

Kazan Church in Teply Stan

The Kazan image of the Mother of God has been revered in Rus' since ancient times. This image helped the militia of Minin and Pozharsky to fight foreign intervention. This is a reminder of the mercy of the Mother of God to our people, of her intercession. That is why in Russia so many new churches are named in her honor.

As a result, the number of new buildings will exceed the figure of 200 churches, but this will be done at the expense of churches built on the territory of New Moscow.

Interesting to know! In the 90s of the last century, there were about 250 churches and chapels in the capital. To date, the number of churches in Moscow has quadrupled.

Before the project in Moscow there was a ratio of 1 temple per 15,000 inhabitants

The land plots are selected by the Moskomarkhitektura and the Russian Orthodox Church. Public hearings are held for each site. If residents agree, the land goes into free-term use. For 2022, the statistics are as follows:

• 170 approved;
• 27 were cancelled.

Often, the city allocates plots of land in parks and forests in order to save on landscaping the church area. Sometimes - in courtyard areas and playgrounds. This is not popular with local residents and is impractical. Such cases are sent for reconsideration.

Before the project, Moscow had the lowest ratio of churches to residents (1 to 15,000) than anywhere in Russia. However, the project was not conceived to improve statistics. “Program 200” is not just churches, but entire complexes with Sunday school, children’s art groups and youth clubs. This is social service, spiritual work with the population.

Official map of 200 Temples. Temple icons indicate a temple that is being built or is being planned. The map is interactive - when you click on the icon, a description of the temple appears.

The project also does not pretend to have artistic value. Structurally, churches differ in capacity (for 200, 250, 300 and 500 parishioners), and there are only 30 exterior design options in total.

Official models of churches for 300 parishioners. Find the differences

The technical order was issued by the Department for Reconstruction and Development of Unique Facilities.

Three Moscow offices make the appearance of churches not monotonous:

• Research Institute of Typology and Experimental Design;
• Research Institute of Civil Engineering, Improvement and Urban Design "Mosproekt-3";
• Architectural and construction bureau "Mosproekt-2".

Moscow churches under construction have 30 appearance combinations.
Colors – white, red, beige. Moscow churches under construction have 30 appearance combinations. Colors: white, red, beige. Temples based on individual projects within the framework of Program 200 were designed by Andrei Anisimov's Workshops. The Byzantine style of the churches on Nekrasovka and Ochakovo-Matveevsky sets them apart from their assembly-line counterparts.

The first service in the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Education” in Nekrasovka was symbolically held on Christmas Eve

The Temple of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God was built on the initiative of the FSB Academy and stands in front of it

The first service in the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Education” in Nekrasovka was symbolically held on Christmas Eve.

The Temple of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God was built on the initiative of the FSB Academy and stands in front of it. Temples are built by various construction companies (1-3 churches for each company), sometimes partially at their own expense (at their own request).

Temple of the martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia

Photo: odigitria-blago.ru

In 2001, the first temple was built in the settlement of Kokoshkino - a church in the name of saints Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia. The temple was built of brick with a dome and an octagonal hipped roof. The work was carried out with funds from philanthropists. A three-volume set of the Explanatory Bible, bequeathed by Patriarch Pimen, is kept here.

In 2003, a wooden baptismal church of the Archangel Michael was erected in the church yard. It runs a Sunday school and an Orthodox cultural development center. Rector ─ Priest Georgy Goltsov.

Kokoshkino settlement

View on the map hram-kokoshkino.ru

Temples are built for charity

The source of money for the construction of temples and churches is the charitable Foundation for Support of the Construction of Moscow Temples. Its official mission is to preserve the religious traditions and cultural values ​​of Russia.

Head of the Moscow Church Construction Fund - Mark, Metropolitan of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky

Head of the Moscow Church Construction Fund - Mark, Metropolitan of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky. Board of Trustees (distributes money):

Chairmen:

• Patriarch Kirill;
• Mayor Sergei Sobyanin,

Members:

• German Gref (Sberbank),
• Vladimir Potanin (Interros),
• Vladimir Yakunin (“Russian Railways”),
• Alexey Miller (Gazprom).

Money is transferred both to the “general piggy bank” and to specific churches:

Up to 40% of the cost of specific churches was donated by anonymous benefactors.

160 million ₽.

The average cost of a temple is 30 billion rubles. — general estimate of the project

The Bank of Moscow has released a charitable line of credit cards “Gift to the Shrine”. Every purchase over 2,000 rubles on the card is another brick in the wall of the temple. Literally - for every 2,000, 30 rubles from the bank go to the temple fund (the cost of one brick). For other amounts, the charitable percentage varies from 0.5 to 1.75. In addition, interest for transactions through VISA also goes not to the bank, but to the temple construction fund.

The Bank of Moscow has released a charitable line of credit cards “Gift to the Shrine”

Owners of the Gift to the Shrine charity cards from the Bank of Moscow have allocated 200,000 rubles for the construction of churches over 8 years without any damage to their accounts. For every 2,000, 30 rubles from the bank go to the temple fund (the cost of one brick).

Over the course of 8 years, the program built 170 churches out of a nominal 200: 110 temporary (wooden) and 60 stone.

You can donate to the program on the official website of the “200 Temples” program

By leaving a comment, you accept the user agreement

Church of Panteleimon the Healer at the Central Clinical Hospital of Russian Railways

Photo: szvik.ru

The temple, named after the Christian saint and healer Panteleimon, opened its doors in 2000. Archpriest Stefan Zyla was appointed its rector even before the completion of construction. The church is located on the territory of the hospital, not far from the lock of the Moscow Canal. The canal was opened in 1937, and the hospital of the People's Commissariat of Railways, where construction participants were treated, was turned into a treatment center for railway and metro workers. When the foundation was laid here in 1999, the hospital staff turned to Patriarch Alexy II with a request to build a temple. Construction ended in just 5 and a half months.

Since 2000, the temple has housed a particle of holy relics from the St. Panteleimon Monastery from Holy Mount Athos.

Volokolamskoe highway, 84, building 11
View on the map panteleimonrjd.moseparh.ru