Revolutionary upheavals affected the temple back in March, when, after the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II, a religious procession to St. Michael's Cathedral took place in Izhevsk to commemorate the end of autocracy; In honor of the “beginning of a new era in the history of Russia,” a thanksgiving prayer service was held.
By the end of 1918, fighting broke out near the cathedral with the Bolsheviks; the peasantry, clergy and workers of Izhevsk, on whose support the Reds relied primarily, came out against them. The Reds captured the city. According to some reports, the Bolsheviks shot many Izhevsk workers near the walls of the temple; executions also took place in other parts of the city.
The “Red Terror” unfolded in the country. In 1922, authorities seized large amounts of gold and silver from the altar of St. Michael's Cathedral.
After the transfer of the Alexander Nevsky Temple to the Renovation Church, St. Michael's Cathedral became a cathedral - for the first time in its history.
Until 1930, parishioners managed to defend the cathedral from attacks. The practice of mandatory registration and concluding agreements between authorities and parishioners that existed in those years became a vast field for bureaucratic tricks and chicanery. In April 1930, the Izhevsk City Council terminated such an agreement by force. The fate of St. Michael's Cathedral was sealed. In the spring days of 1932, all the bells were thrown off it and sent for melting down.
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.
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.
Background
The first church on the site of the cathedral, where the city cemetery had been located since the mid-18th century, was built back in 1765. Later it was demolished and the Church of the Holy Trinity was erected there. However, this building did not have a long history, as it burned down in 1810. 45 years later, a 30-meter chapel was built on the same site, which was consecrated in the name of Archangel Michael, in honor of the patron saint of Grand Duke Mikhail Romanov, the head of all weapons production in the Russian Empire.
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.
Literature
- Orthodox churches of Udmurtia: Directory-index on documents of the Central State Archive of the Udmurt Republic / Compiled by O. I. Vorontsova, E. S. Vorontsova, I. N. Zaitseva and others. Scientific. ed. A. N. Kutyavin, A. A. Tronin. — 2nd ed., Spanish. and additional - Izhevsk: Udmurtia Publishing House, 2022. - 608 p. — 1000 copies. — ISBN 978-5-7659-0993-5.
- Shumilov E.F.
Christianity in Udmurtia: Civilization processes and Christian art. XVI - early XX century / scientific. ed. Ya. N. Shchapov. - Izhevsk: Udmurt University Publishing House, 2001. - 434 p. — 1000 copies. — ISBN 5-7029-0306-4.
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”).
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
The model for its construction was the Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called in Kronstadt. The Nevsky Temple was erected under the leadership of the architect S. Dudin in 1823.
The majestic cathedral building is designed in the style of strict Russian classicism. The cube-shaped structure is covered with a round drum vault. The spreader is supported by four powerful supports with smoothed corners.
Initially, the cathedral was decorated in a restrained style, but in 1870 its interiors became more pompous. The craftsmen gilded the stucco moldings, architectural elements, domes and iconostasis.
Nevsky Temple was considered the main cathedral of Izhevsk for a long time. Several churches and chapels were assigned to it. Including St. Michael's Cathedral.
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.
Warm pier
I really love this cozy and at the same time grandiose cathedral of St. Petersburg. When you enter it, your soul immediately becomes lighter, even on cloudy days. It was here that the amazing Theodore Icon of the Mother of God was brought from the Kostroma Monastery not so long ago.
It is believed that this Image belongs, like the image of the Vladimir Mother of God, to the Evangelist Luke. The “Feodorovskaya” icon is named in honor of the father of the holy prince Alexander Nevsky - Grand Duke Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, who was named Theodore in baptism (in honor of St. Theodore Stratilates). Yaroslav-Theodore blessed his son with this icon during his marriage. This miraculous Image is interesting because it is two-sided. On its back is the image of the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva, dressed in an expensive princely robe (her appearance is associated with the wife of Alexander Nevsky).
I met this amazing icon again, completely unexpectedly for myself, when, finding myself in the city center, I accidentally walked into the Vladimir Church. Before that, I saw her in Moscow during an Orthodox exhibition and in Kostroma itself during the celebration of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Indeed, the Orthodox saying is true that “chance is a pseudonym for God, who simply did not leave his autograph”...
And perhaps it was no coincidence that you also read my article about the wonderful Vladimir Cathedral...
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.
Soviet period
In 1922, the communists confiscated all valuables from the Nevsky Cathedral (Izhevsk). In 1929, the temple was robbed again and finally closed. The building housed a club and a museum of atheism. Later, reconstruction was carried out and the children's cinema "Colossus" was opened.
As a result, unique wall paintings and most of the icons were lost forever. The iconostasis was completely destroyed and the domes were dismantled. Only in 1990 did the revival of the temple begin. One of the most beautiful cathedrals in Izhevsk has been restored and re-painted.
The re-consecration of the temple took place in the winter of 1994. The working schedule of the Nevsky Cathedral (Izhevsk) can be viewed on the official website of the Udmurt diocese.
Address: st. M. Gorky, 66.
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:
| Day of the week | Time | Divine service |
| Every day except Thursday and holidays | 7.40 | Confession, divine liturgy, prayer service, memorial service |
| 17.00 | Vespers, Matins | |
| Thursday | 7.40 | Confession, divine liturgy, prayer service, memorial service |
| 17.00 | Akathist to Saint Nicholas (before the relics of the saint) |
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.
Photos
- View from the north
- View from the north side at night
- View from the street K. Marx
- View from the street K. Marx
- Flight of stairs from the street. K. Marx
- View from above
- View from above
- Model of the cathedral in the National Museum. K. Gerda
- Cathedral interior
- Cathedral interior
- Cathedral interior
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
Missionary service of the Vladimir Cathedral today
Sunday schools
At the Vladimir Cathedral today there is a children's Sunday school called “Logos”. Classes are held on Saturdays and Sundays. One of its goals is the desire to revive lost family traditions and introduce children to the beauty of Orthodox culture. Training is most often built in the form of a dialogue that occurs during a conversation with a priest. Here boys can try themselves as altar servers, and girls, in addition to the essential subjects - temple studies, study of the New Testament, etc., study in handicraft clubs. There is also a theater studio and art classes.
Parents often attend their children’s classes and also attend Sunday school for adults.
School of bell ringers
Yes, yes, in this wonderful cathedral a school with exactly this name was opened in 2000! Everyone who wants to comprehend this ancient science is invited here.
It doesn’t surprise me that a similar trend appeared at the temple. After all, its majestic bell tower reaches 68 meters in height and is one of the tallest buildings in the center of St. Petersburg.
Bell ringers often take part in various church and social events, including ringing in churches in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, consecration of churches, concerts and festivals, large-scale exhibitions and presentations.
Training takes place 2 times a week in the bell tower itself on a kind of belfry simulator. The lesson plan includes an introduction to the rules of bell ringing, their types, etc., solo and ensemble performance, lessons on rhythm, ear development and musical notation.
You can start training here at any time of the year. True, you need the blessing of the rector of the cathedral and recommendations from the church parish you are visiting. But I think the main thing is the desire itself! By the way, here an individual approach is applied to each student, and there is no rigid curriculum or uniform methodology. Everything is built on personal interaction with a mentor and constant practice.
Up to 40 people of all ages are trained here annually. The teachers are the bell ringers of the Vladimir Cathedral under the leadership of Vladimir Stepanovich Kaychuk, the senior bell ringer and head of the temple’s restoration workshops.
Over the years of its existence, the school has raised a whole galaxy of professional bell ringers who today serve in churches in St. Petersburg and other cities of Russia and the CIS.
Students participate in trips to festivals and competitions in other cities, which helps them constantly improve their skills and share experience.
The Easter festival is held especially solemnly in St. Petersburg, which is opened by the bells of the Peter and Paul Cathedral.
Then their song is picked up and the rest of the churches of St. Petersburg continue to preach the gospel. And this ringing lasts throughout Bright Week.
Parish newspaper
The temple publishes its own newspaper. The archive of issues can be found here.
Library, social and legal services
The Vladimir Cathedral has its own library and parish social service. You can learn more about her diverse and very useful activities in our time here.
I would just like to note that since 2015, this particular service has organized a weekly charitable distribution of hot food, necessary items and medicines for those in need.
This happens every Thursday at 16:00
If necessary, free legal assistance is provided to parishioners at the Vladimir Cathedral.
