Address: Russia, Kasimov, Cathedral Square
Start of construction: 1756 year
Completion of construction: 1775 year
Coordinates: 54 ° 56'09.9 "N 41 ° 23'30.1" E
Content:
Since the second half of the 18th century, there has been a beautiful church on Kasimov's Cathedral Square. The Assumption Church has undergone many alterations. Today its restoration is coming to an end, and the old church attracts the attention of all tourists who travel to the cities of the "Golden Ring" of Russia.
View of the temple from the minaret of the Khan mosque
Temple history
Since the 17th century, a warm wooden church towered over the spacious trading square. It was consecrated in honor of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos and had a chapel dedicated to the martyrs Florus and Laurus. The church was heated, so it was used for worship during the colder months of the year.
The ancient temple was badly damaged by the fires that happened in the city in 1739 and 1753. Then the local diocese gave permission to build a new stone church in the city. Construction work was carried out at the expense of the Kasimov merchant Maxim Alexandrovich Milovanov and the parishioners.
By 1775, the Assumption Church was ready. After finishing work in the church, the main altar and two side-chapels - Nikolsky and Trekhsvyatsky - were consecrated. 14 years later, a squat refectory and a high Baroque bell tower were added to the temple. Then the refectory was expanded and two new side-chapels were created in it - Vozdvizhensky and Bogolyubsky.
A bird's eye view of the temple
At the beginning of the 19th century, a strong storm swept through the streets of Kasimov. The disaster destroyed some residential and public buildings, and also broke trees near houses. Wind gusts damaged the ancient temple, and the residents of the city were forced to repair it.
In 1826, a large new bell was cast for the church, and in 1830-1833 it was decorated with beautiful wall paintings. The wealthy widow of Kasimov, Tatyana Seregina, paid for the work of the isographers. At the same time, the city architect Ivan Sergeevich Gagin added picturesque Empire-style porches to the church and redid some of the window openings.
Throughout the 19th century, parishioners decorated their church and bought valuable liturgical utensils for it. Inside the building there was a rich iconostasis and several old icons.
The temple against the background of the Torgovye Rows, the Annunciation Church (right) and the river. Oki
In 1911, the Ryazan diocesan architect Ivan Stepanovich Tsekhansky inspected the old buildings and found suspicious cracks in the buildings. After a thorough examination of the walls, the architect came to the conclusion that the cracks are not dangerous, and allowed to build an arch in the west of the temple. In the same year, before the visit to the city of the Ryazan bishop, the church refectory was dismantled and rebuilt.
From the surviving documents it is known that by 1915 the church was in excellent condition. She had five consecrated thrones. The solid stone building was reinforced with cement and was ready to serve for many years to come.
In 1933, already under the new government, the church was unexpectedly recognized as dilapidated for believers. The document, which took only half a sheet, was signed by several representatives of the city authorities. In 1934, despite the protests of the parishioners, the Assumption Church was closed. The services in it were stopped, and they wanted to dismantle the Kasimov church into bricks.
View of the temple from Cathedral Square
Fortunately, this did not happen. Two years later, the building was converted into the central city library, and after a while they began to be used as a warehouse. In this capacity, the temple stood until the 1990s, and then it was returned to the believers.
Church today
Today the Church of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God is active. It has the status of a monument of federal significance. The temple complex in the form of a "ship" consists of a two-story quadrangle, a one-story refectory and an adjoining three-story bell tower. On the east side, the church has a lowered three-part apse. The upper part of the quadrangle is decorated with false kokoshniks, and in the design of the bell tower one can trace the Baroque traditions.
Since the building has not been fully restored, regular church services are not held in it yet. The entrance to the icon shop is from the northern facade of the refectory.
View of the church refectory and the entrance to the icon shop
How to get there
The church stands on the city's historic Cathedral Square. You can get from the capital to Kasimov by private vehicles or regular buses. The road to the ancient city takes about 6 hours. It is not difficult to walk from the Kasimov bus station to the temple.
