St. Michael's Cathedral, Izhevsk. History, schedule of services

The Izhevsk Cathedral, dedicated to the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky, is a symbol of the spiritual revival of Russian society, its return to traditional values ​​and traditions. For 200 years it has played an important role in the life of the city of gunsmiths, being its spiritual, cultural and geographical center.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Izhevsk

How to get there by public transport

The temple complex can be reached by public transport. The stop "St. Michael's Cathedral" is located on the route of tram routes No. 1, 2, 4, 9, 10. From this stop to the cathedral it is only about 170 m.

Near the temple there are:

• buses No. 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 19, 26, 27, 28, 36, 39, 40, 41, 56;
• trolleybuses No. 1, 4, 4d, 6, 6d, 7, 7d, 9;
• minibus No. 10, plying the route “Stankostroy - Plastics Plant”.

You should focus on the following stops (they are located from the cathedral at a distance of 300 to 700 m):

• TSUM;
• DK "Axion";
• Dynamo Stadium;
• Central square;
• Park named after Gorky;
• Cinema "Friendship";
• Alexander Nevsky Cathedral;
• Lenin.

Architecture

Today, a spiritual and educational center has formed around the Izhevsk Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which plays an important role in the life of the Udmurt and Izhevsk diocese. The temple ensemble located in the center of the city is a unique architectural monument of the Classical era.

Belfry at Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

The following buildings are located on the territory of the modern temple complex:

• Cathedral in honor of Alexander Nevsky;
• Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker;
• tomb of A.F. Deryabin;
• canopy over the Jordan for the blessing of water.

There are two churches in the main building of the ensemble:

• the top one in honor of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky;
• the lower one is the baptismal church of All Saints who shone forth in the Russian land.

The main part of the cube-shaped building is topped with a helmet-shaped dome mounted on a large light drum. The central part of the building is divided into three naves using two rows of columns. Its ceiling is a box vault. Above the rectangular porch there is a two-tier bell tower topped with a gilded spire.

The porch is made in the form of a Greek portico with six Ionic columns. The same porticos adjoin the northern and southern facades of the main part of the building, forming a cross in plan. The facades of the building are decorated with a minimal number of decorative elements.

History of the temple

St. Michael's Cathedral (Izhevsk) has a rich history. It was built on the site of the Trinity Chapel, which was once erected on an old factory cemetery. In 1784, on the site of the chapel, the Church of the Holy Trinity was built, which in 1810 was destroyed by a large fire.

The construction of a new temple was delayed for many years, since several churches already existed in the city. Therefore, in 1855, a large stone chapel was built on an empty site.

It was erected in honor of Archangel Michael, a saint especially revered by the residents of Izhevsk and the patron saint of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich Romanov. The structure was made in the Byzantine style and reached a height of 30 m.

However, the factory village needed a temple. Therefore, in 1876, residents organized a fundraiser that would allow construction of a new temple building to begin.

From 1896 to 1897 All design work was completed, the author of which was the architect Ivan Apollonovich Charushin, who managed to insist on his point of view and design the building not in the Byzantine, but in the Russian style of St. Basil's Cathedral.

In 1897, the foundation stone of a new temple took place. Major construction work continued for 10 years. As a result, a majestic 9-domed cathedral was erected, visible from a distance of 20 km, and the chime of its 11 bells (the largest weighed 2.5 tons) was heard far in the area.

Its construction cost 350 thousand rubles, which was quite a large sum. In November 1907, the main altar was consecrated in the new church in the name of St. Michael, and the first service was held.

For some time, the temple served as a non-parish factory church and was assigned to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. An independent parish was opened only in 1917.

: St. Michael's Cathedral in Izhevsk

However, after the October Revolution, St. Michael's Cathedral suffered the fate that befell most religious buildings : already in March 1929 it was closed and sealed, in the spring of 1932 it lost its bells, and in 1933 it was converted into a local history museum.

Bolsheviks were buried in front of the cathedral, and several Vodokanal buildings were built on the site of the ancient cemetery, as a result of which the old burial places were destroyed. But this was not enough. In April 1937, based on orders from Moscow, local authorities decided to completely destroy the amazingly beautiful building.

History of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Volgograd

The historical Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was built in Tsaritsyn in 1916 and consecrated 2 years later. Its construction took 15 years, and funds for construction were raised by the whole world. The temple became one of the monuments dedicated to the miraculous rescue of Alexander III and members of the royal family in a terrible train accident known as the Imperial Train Wreck on October 7 (29), 1888.

The Kazan Cathedral in Orenburg was used as a model , and the Saratov architect Yu. N. Terlikov was appointed to the position of chief architect. The first stone was laid on Alexander Square on April 22, 1901. After its opening, the cathedral was the largest building in Tsaritsyn, its height reached 51 meters and width - 42 meters.

The first Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Tsaritsyn, ©

The Civil War changed the usual way of life and greatly affected the church. In 1929, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was closed, then turned into part of a motor depot, and in 1932 it was completely blown up, and the stone was used for road construction.

Revival of the shrine

The topic of restoring the cathedral began to be actively raised in the early 2000s and a special fund was created. By 2016, during long discussions, a site for the new church was chosen and on April 5, the groundbreaking ceremony took place. For this they used bricks from the destroyed temple.

The original project envisaged the construction of a shopping center next to the cathedral, but many townspeople were already unhappy with the cutting down of trees in the park area of ​​the Square of Fallen Fighters, so this idea was abandoned.

Today there is a park with a fountain around the cathedral, officially called the Alexander Garden. There are benches for rest, walking paths, trees and flowers planted here.

Alexander Garden, © Panova Tatyana

Modern life of the temple

For more than 60 years the temple stood in ruins. The idea of ​​reviving the cathedral arose back in 1989. But only in February 2000, thanks to the initiative of the President of Udmurtia A. A. Volkov, it was decided to restore this historical monument. Construction work began in 2004 (immediately after the religious procession that took place on May 19).

It took 3 years to revive the cathedral (the opening was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary). Already in May 2007, the lower church, erected in honor of Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia, was restored and consecrated, and in August 2007, the throne of St. Michael was consecrated and the first liturgy after the restoration took place.

Serious public work is carried out at the cathedral. Now St. Michael's Church is a center for religious and cultural education, charity and community service. The temple has a choir school, an exhibition gallery, and a teaching and learning center. There are also regular excursions organized by the tour service.

For children of all ages, the cathedral has been operating a Sunday school for more than 10 years. At the end of the year, pilgrimage trips to both distant and nearby monasteries are organized for school students and their parents.

At the temple there is a school of icon painting “Stavros”, where you can get acquainted with the basics of this ancient craft and, if you wish, purchase your favorite work as a keepsake. The school was opened at the temple back in 2008.

It is headed by Vasily Nikolaevich Morozov, Honored Artist of the Udmurt Republic. A serious approach to teaching has allowed us to achieve great success: Stavros graduates are often invited to paint temples.

By decree of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' in July 2022, St. Michael’s Church was given the status of a cathedral.

Architect and exterior decoration of the cathedral

The architect E. L. Skopin was involved in recreating the original appearance of the building. The cathedral, reaching a height of 67 m (the size of a 22-story building), is magnificent from any point of view.

This effect is achieved by maintaining symmetry along the vertical axis (that is, there is practically no emphasis on the front and rear courtyard facades). An architectural feature is the placement of the lower temple on the ground floor.

The basis of the building is formed by 8 turrets and 9 large chapters. As in the original project, 4 of them contain bells (there are 11 in total). For the revived temple, they were cast using traditional technologies by craftsmen from Voronezh.

There are crosses on the cathedral. The largest one, which adorned the destroyed building, reached 4 m. The restored temple is now crowned with a 7-meter cross.

The architectural stucco covering the entire building and the many façade elements that decorate the arched windows and kokoshniks add elegance and lightness to the exterior appearance. The elegance of the figured masonry is achieved through the use of patterned bricks.

The magnificent structure delights visitors not only during the day, but also at night. For night viewing, a special lighting system has been developed, which further emphasizes the beauty and grandeur of the cathedral.

Architectural ensemble of the cathedral

St. Michael's Cathedral (Izhevsk) is not one building, but a whole temple complex. The area around the cathedral is decorated with green lawns, beautiful flower beds, and bronze sculptures. The most famous of them can be called the monument to the faithful Peter and Fevronia of Murom.

There is also a memorial erected here in memory of the victims of the civil war, which was designed by the architect F. Senatov. The monument was dedicated to the Red Army soldiers who died during the Izhevsk-Votkinsk uprising of 1918.

The structure was damaged during the construction of the temple, but it was restored and left on the territory of the cathedral. This was done as a sign of respect for the country's controversial history.

On July 7, 2011, another attraction was opened near the cathedral - the “Bench of Reconciliation” in a beautiful forged frame.

The presentation took place on the eve of the Day of Family, Loyalty and Love, since the bench is intended to reconcile people who are in a quarrel. Its special concave shape helps to do this, bringing quarreling people closer together. For those who want to visit this attraction in the evening or at night, there is a lantern above the bench.

In addition to the prayer rooms, the complex also includes:

• Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God;
• a beautiful chapel in memory of the holy saints Peter and Fevronia;
• walk-through gallery;
• Jordan;
• exhibition gallery;
• church shop.

Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
Due to the fact that the cathedral is located on a hill, you can reach its entrance along the wide main staircase, which is also part of the temple complex.

If in the warm season the area around the cathedral is decorated with greenery, then in winter you can admire the ice sculptures that are created by craftsmen especially for the parishioners of the temple and guests.

In addition, 6 more chapels are assigned to St. Michael’s Church:

• St. Nicholas (train station);
• Our Lady of Help in Childbirth (maternity hospital No. 6);
• Russian New Martyrs (Pension Fund);
• Holy Martyr Bonifatius (drug dispensary);
• as well as the Holy Martyr Svetlana on the Pond and the Holy Great Martyr Catherine (“Izhmash”).

Input and operating mode

Entry to Vladimir Cathedral, like most Orthodox churches in Russia, is free. When visiting, just do not forget about the rules of appearance.

The cathedral is open daily from the beginning of the morning until the end of the evening service. Schedule of services here. On Monday, Thursday and Sunday, Akathists to Seraphim of Sarov, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Jesus Christ and the Mother of God are performed here. These are very beautiful services. By the way, the word “akathist” means “unsaddled song,” that is, it must be performed while standing. You can order prayers here at any time for the health of your loved ones and services for the deceased - memorial services, litias, funeral services.

Interior decoration

The interior decoration is luxurious and amazes with its richness and splendor. As in previous times, 4 thrones were restored: three in the upper temple and 1 in the lower.

Thrones of the upper temple:

• Archangel Michael;
• Martyr Alexandra;
• Nicholas of Myra.

In the lower church there is a chapel of Saints Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia.

It is interesting that the wall painting of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow was taken as the basis for the wall painting. The work was carried out by artists from Palekh, led by I. Lebedev. Nizhny Novgorod craftsmen from Dzerzhinsk were invited to create a new carved iconostasis.

In the lower church there is a unique iconostasis made of faience - the only one in the republic. It was created by Ural craftsmen.

Shrines and relics of the temple

St. Michael's Cathedral (Izhevsk) is not only beautiful, but is also the custodian of a large number of religious shrines. There are unique icons here.

The cathedral contains particles of relics:

• Anna (mother of the Virgin Mary);
• Nicholas the Wonderworker;
• Matrona of Moscow.

Icons (many of them also contain particles of holy relics):

• St. Panteleimon;
• St. Luka Krymsky;
• Sergius of Radonezh;
• "All Saints";
• “Savior Not Made by Hands”;
• St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky;
• John the Baptist "Angel of the Desert".

Icons of the Mother of God:

• "Iverskaya";
• "Inexhaustible Chalice";
• "Feodorovskaya";
• "The Tsaritsa";
• "Kazanskaya";
• "Assistant in childbirth."

Among the shrines of the cathedral are two more temple icons (Archangel Michael and St. Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia), as well as a stone brought from the place of death of the Apostle Simon the Canaanite, and a stone from Golgotha ​​with a crucifix.

Description of the temple

The temple building is a traditional Russian Christian church with a pyramidal dome. The cathedral has a lower Baptismal church and a classroom. The interior is decorated with columns on the facade, kokoshniks and reliefs. The electronic bell ringer in the belfry is another innovation in the city cathedral.

The parishioners are greeted by a monument on the site in front of the church. The moment of the end of Seraphim’s great feat is frozen in stone - a prayer lasting a thousand days. The monument is an all-Russian treasure: more than 3.5 meters and 500 kg. The stone on which the sculpture of Seraphim of Sarov is installed weighs more than 12 tons. The inscription on the stone is a request to Seraphim to pray for each of us.

There is also a children's playground on the territory of the complex, and the area around the monument is a public garden with coniferous plantings.

Relics are kept within the holy walls: the relics of St. Seraphim, Simeon of Verkhoturye and the wives of Diveyevo.

Service schedule, operating hours

St. Michael's Cathedral in the city of Izhevsk is active, open every day from 7.00 to 19.30. Divine services are conducted in Church Slavonic.

Service schedule:

Activities of the parish

Divine services in the temple are held daily at 7.30 and 16.00. On weekends and holidays there are two morning services at 6.30 and 8.30.

Divine service in the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

In addition to the main liturgical activities, the clergy of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral carry out active social and educational services. It consists of the following actions:

• conducting work aimed at combating various sects;
• assistance to parishioners who find themselves in difficult life situations;
• spiritual and material support for low-income and large families;
• organizing classes for children and adults in Sunday school;
• coordination of the activities of the youth Orthodox team;
• organizing the work of a children's Orthodox camp.

Attention: more information about the schedule of services, the work of parish educational and public organizations can be found on the official website of the cathedral or by calling its information service.

Interesting facts about the cathedral

The cathedral has been restored to its historical location. However, there was a high probability that instead of a temple building, a weapons museum named after M. T. Kalashnikov, a world-famous designer of small arms and a native resident of Izhevsk, could be built here.

Mikhail Timofeevich considered this decision of the authorities to be fundamentally wrong and expressed his categorical disagreement. This noble act made it possible to restore historical justice and revive St. Michael's Cathedral in its rightful place.

Information for visitors

The cathedral provides various services for parishioners and guests, and you can also buy souvenirs with religious symbols here.

Services

Services:

• On Thursdays, for parishioners who want to learn more about Orthodoxy, spiritual conversations with the clergy are held in the cathedral at 6 p.m. Anyone can visit them (for information by phone: (3412) 51-01-77).
• In the temple it is possible to order wedding rites, baptism, unction, and also prepares for the sacraments of baptism and wedding.
• Every day (by agreement) from 11.00 to 16.00 excursions are held around the St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral, during which those who wish are allowed to climb the belfry of the Kazan-Virgin Church. Touring the cathedral is free, but a donation can be made if desired. To get on one of these excursions, which are conducted for groups of 10 people or more, you must pre-register by calling or6.

Church shop

The cathedral is almost always crowded. To calmly admire all the beauty of the interior decoration, it is better to come here in the afternoon (from approximately 13.00 to 15.00).

Gifts or souvenirs can be purchased in the church shop, located on the ground floor of the cathedral building. A variety of religious items are sold here: icons (including handmade ones), jewelry, utensils, beautifully designed genealogical books intended to record the history of a family, and children's literature.

Also on sale are watches decorated with Christian symbols, and special clothing specifically designed for bathing in the Epiphany Font.

In the church shop you can purchase gift certificates for your loved ones in denominations of 1 thousand, 3 thousand and 5 thousand rubles. This certificate allows you not only to pay for purchases offered in the store, but also for baptismal and wedding ceremonies.

Izhevsk is an interesting tourist destination. The city has many noteworthy historical and modern places, but St. Michael's Cathedral is the main attraction, clearly visible to everyone entering the city. Beautiful, majestic, it has become one of the most recognizable symbols of Izhevsk, personifying a new stage in the revival of Orthodoxy on Udmurt soil.

Author: Irina Zhuravka