Trinity Church in Skhodnya turned 105 years old in 2015. During its existence, it survived the persecution that befell Russia in the 20th century. Its history includes closure, ruin, and return with all sorts of obstacles. The present time has made its contribution to its history - services are constantly held in the temple, it is full of people who no longer remember how their compatriots treated this holy place twenty, fifty and eighty years ago.

The “childhood” of Trinity Church occurred at the beginning of the century. The first church at the Skhodnya stop was built by local farmers and dacha owners at their own expense in 1903. It belonged to the parish of the village of Cherkizovo, was made of wood, did not have a bell tower, and services were held only during the summer season. It was consecrated in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. In 1907, at the expense of the merchant I.N. Proskuryakov and donations from parishioners erected a warm side church in the name of St. Nicholas. In January 1909, the wooden Trinity Church burned down.

It was immediately decided to build a stone one in place of the wooden temple. F.F. was chosen as the architect. Voskresensky, who personally supervised the construction. He chose for future church the neo-Russian style characteristic of the beginning of the century, which combined simplicity and tradition. In 1910, Bishop of Dmitrovsky, later Metropolitan, Tryfon (Turkestan) performed the Great Consecration of the temple.

Soon misfortunes befell the country, which could not but affect the fate of the Trinity Church. It operated until 1936, then, along with many other churches, it was closed and destroyed. IN Soviet time Here at first there was a warehouse, then a cinema, and in the 1980s a sculpture workshop was set up here.

The temple stood in desolation and desecration until 1990, when by decree of Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna, a young priest, Nikolai Ryzhenkov, was appointed its rector. No one expected his visit, moreover, no one wanted it. Threats rained down on Father Nikolai. The release of the temple had to be achieved through an arbitration court.

As soon as the temple was liberated, work immediately began in preparation for the first service. Father Nikolai's first assistants were his parents and, of course, his wife, Mother Vera. First, the Nikolsky chapel was put in order, and on January 14, 1990 - after almost sixty years of desolation - the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated, at which, according to Father Nikolai, there was a large number of of people.

Bishop Yuvenaly supported the young rector and visited the temple many times: first in 1993, then in 1996, when he performed the rite of the Great Consecration. In 2000, Vladyka served at Trinity Church on Easter. At the same time, the foundation stone of the future chapel in the name of the Holy Blessed Matrona of Moscow was consecrated. In 2010, the temple celebrated its centenary, and Vladyka Yuvenaly led the solemn celebration of this event.

From the first days after its opening, the temple began to fill with parishioners, which contributed to its restoration. In 2006, a church building was built, which includes a baptismal church in the name of St. John the Baptist, a building for Sunday school, a refectory and recreation areas for the clergy. The rite of the Great consecration of the baptismal church in 2007 was performed by Archbishop Gregory of Mozhaisk.

The exterior of the temple is also being restored and transformed. For the 2000th anniversary of the Nativity of Christ, the domes and belfry were completely restored using old photographs, five bells and iconostases were installed in both chapels. In 2005, Vladimir masters were invited to paint the temple. In their work, icon painters were guided by ancient Russian models, and now the interior decoration of the temple fascinates and inspires the soul. In 2013 - a hundred years after the first, then still wooden, church appeared here - the Trinity Church acquired its historical appearance. Guided by surviving photographs, the architects developed a project to recreate the brickwork of the drums for the four domes that were once installed at the corners of the main cube of the temple. On December 13, four gilded crosses took their place next to the crosses of the main domes and belfry, reflecting the original architectural design. Also on the territory of the temple in 2001, a chapel was erected in the name of the Holy Blessed Matrona of Moscow, who lived in Skhodnya in last years life.

On June 19, 2013, the rector of the Trinity Church, Archpriest Nikolai Ryzhenkov, reposed in the Lord. From the first day of his appointment until his death, Father Nikolai gave all his strength, knowledge and love to his parish: he restored the church walls, the temple splendor, and lovingly cared for his spiritual children. He himself grew up in Orthodox family and since childhood he visited the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on Presnya. Before becoming a priest, Father Nikolai studied to be a doctor, worked as an orderly in a hospital and as a laboratory assistant at an institute. Having given his duty to serve people in the world, Nikolai Ryzhenkov entered the Moscow Theological Seminary, hoping to realize his desire to serve God in the priesthood. On July 15, 1990, Bishop - now Archbishop - Gregory of Mozhaisk ordained him to the rank of presbyter.

A distinctive feature of Father Nikolai was his deep love for Orthodox worship, acquired in childhood. Temple and worship were always at the center of his worldview, and he taught this to his parishioners. Father subtly felt his responsibility for the work to which the Lord called him. Father Nikolai's integrity, integrity and directness always amazed his parishioners, who completely trusted him as their spiritual mentor.

Archpriest Nicholas’s work for the benefit of the Holy Church was recognized by the hierarchy with many awards. So, in 2000 he was awarded the rank of archpriest, in 2005 - the right to bear a club, in 2007 - the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, III degree. In 2010, Father Nikolai was awarded the right to wear a cross with decorations.

The priest served his last liturgy on June 16, 2013, on the Sunday of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council.

After the death of Archpriest Nikolai Ryzhenkov, his son, priest Alexy Ryzhenkov, was appointed rector of the Trinity Church.

Both priests and parishioners put a lot of effort into restoring, decorating and maintaining the church. This also happened thanks to the prayerful help of his heavenly patrons - the new martyrs, who did not escape persecution in the 20th century. On November 10, 2013, in the Trinity Church, rector Father Alexy, concelebrated by clergy and in front of a large crowd of people, consecrated the icon of the Venerable Martyrs Natalia, Catherine and Elena. This image became one of the main shrines of the temple.

There is a Sunday school at the church. Its history began in 1998, when, with the blessing of the rector of the church, Priest Nikolai Ryzhenkov, enrollment of students was announced. The first director of the school was Lidia Iosifovna Zeynalova. Throughout the years, the work of Sunday school is aimed at the religious, moral and aesthetic education of children. Currently, the school educates children aged 7 to 14 years. Among the main subjects they study the Law of God, the Holy Scriptures of the New and Old Testament, liturgy. Children also engage in drawing, singing, acting, and handicrafts. Since 2013, the school’s activities have been led by priest Gleb Kursky.

In 2013, a youth group was formed at Trinity Church. The main thing in her work is the development creativity young people, continuing their religious education, discussing complex issues modern life. The group members are active in social activities aimed at helping the poor and large parishioners of the church. In addition, the group cleans the temple and its territory, group members perform obediences in the choir and altar, and decorate the temple for the holidays. The youth group also takes part in organizing various parish events: holiday concerts and theatrical performances.

Biblical and theological courses named after St. Sergius of Radonezh were established by order of Vladyka Juvenal, Metropolitan of Kolomna and Krutitsky. The main objective of the courses is to familiarize students with the Bible, the basics of Orthodox dogma and Orthodox worship. The organizational and methodological center of the courses is the Kolomna Theological Seminary. The courses are headed by Bishop Konstantin of Zaraisk, vicar of the Moscow diocese, chairman of the Diocesan Department of Religious Education and Catechesis, and rector of the Kolomna Theological Seminary. For the convenience of students, courses operate according to a system of departments. Classes in one of the two departments of the Khimki deanery are held in the Sunday school building of the Trinity Church. Lectures on the Four Gospels are given by the church cleric, priest Gleb Kursky.

Creation of a temple.

During its existence, the Trinity Church in Skhodny survived all the changes and misfortunes that befell Russia in the 20th century, one might say, sharing them with the people. In its history there is closure, and ruin, and return with all sorts of obstacles - and today’s life, when services are constantly being held, the temple is full of people who do not remember how their fathers and grandfathers treated this holy place for twenty, fifty and eighty years back.
The “childhood” of Trinity Church occurred at the beginning of the century. The first church at the Skhodnya stop was built by local farmers and dacha owners at their own expense in 1903. It belonged to the parish of the village of Cherkizovo, was wooden and without a bell tower, services were conducted only during the summer season. It was consecrated in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. In 1907 at the merchant's expense Ivan Nikolaevich Proskuryakov and donations from parishioners erected a warm side church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. But in January 1909, the wooden Trinity Church burned down.
It was immediately decided to build a stone one in place of the wooden temple. Architect was chosen Flegont Flegontovich Voskresensky, who personally supervised the construction. He chose for the future church something characteristic of the beginning of the century neo-Russian style, which combined simplicity and tradition. In 1910, Bishop Dmitrovsky, later Metropolitan, Trifon (Turkestanov) (in the world Boris Petrovich Turkestanov, 1861-1934) performed the great consecration of the temple.

Years of persecution.

But soon misfortunes befell the country, which could not but affect the fate of the Trinity Church. She acted more before 1936, when, along with many others, it was closed and ruined. Before closing were parishioners of the temple future Skhodnensky new martyrs Natalya (Baklanova), Ekaterina (Konstantinova) and Elena (Korobkova). They will be discussed in more detail in the “Heavenly Patrons” section.

In Soviet times, there was first a warehouse, then a cinema. In the 1980s, a sculpture workshop was set up in the temple.

Renaissance

So the temple stood in desolation and desecration until 1990, when by decree of the Administrator of the Moscow Diocese, Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna, the young priest Nikolai Ryzhenkov was appointed rector of the Trinity Church. The temple was in terrible condition: it was a real “abomination of desolation.” Father Nikolai wanted to begin negotiations on the transfer of the building to the Church, but no one expected his visit and, moreover, did not want him. Threats were poured into his address. The release of the temple had to be achieved through an arbitration court. But even when the temple was handed over to the Church, the former “owners” were in no hurry to remove their property. For five months it was not possible to begin organizing any work. There was also nowhere to perform divine services, since one altar was the office of the head of the sculpture workshop, the other served as a place for making sculptures. Part of the temple was littered with building materials and sculptures.

As soon as the temple was liberated, work immediately began to prepare the temple for the first Divine service. Father Nikolai's first assistants were his parents and, of course, his wife, Mother Vera. From the beginning, the Nikolsky chapel was put in order and December 14, 1990 after almost sixty years of neglect committed first Divine Liturgy, behind which, according to Father Nikolai, there were a large number of people.

Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna supported Father Nicholas and visited the temple many times: from the beginning in 1994; then in 1996 when he committed The rite of the Great Consecration of the Temple; in 2000, Vladyka served at Trinity Church on Easter days. Finally, in 2010, the temple celebrated its centenary, and Vladyka Yuvenaly led the solemn celebration of this event.

Also, with the blessing of Metropolitan Juvenaly, the Trinity Church visited him several times first vicar Archbishop of Mozhaisk Gregory.First time Lord visited the temple in 1998 year; Another visit of Bishop Gregory on January 26, 2003 was timed to coincide with the consecration of the St. Nicholas chapel of the Trinity Church.

In 2005, Archbishop Gregory visited Trinity Church on Easter days and shared the joy of the Resurrection of the Lord with all parishioners.

In 2006, a church building was built, which includes a Baptismal Church in honor of St. John the Baptist with the baptistery, the rite of the Great Consecration of which was performed by Bishop Gregory in 2007. Also in this building there are premises for Sunday school classes, a refectory and rest rooms for the clergy.

The external and internal appearance of the temple was constantly transformed. For the 2000th anniversary of the Nativity of Christ, the domes and belfry were completely restored using old photographs, five bells were installed and iconostases were installed in both chapels. In 2005, Vladimir masters were invited to paint the temple. In their work, icon painters were guided by ancient Russian models, and today we can say that the interior decoration of the temple fascinates and inspires the soul.

In 2001, a chapel was erected on the territory of the temple in honor of the blessed Matrona of Moscow, who lived on Skhodnya in the last years of her life and is the heavenly patroness of our city. On May 2, 2000, Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna consecrated the foundation stone for the future chapel, and a year later (May 2, 2001) the consecration The chapel itself was performed by Archpriest Nikolai Sitnikov, who at that time was the rector of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on Presnya.

Life of the temple today

In 2013, a hundred years after the appearance of the first, then still wooden, church here and on the 110th anniversary of its foundation, the Trinity Church regained its original appearance.

Paying tribute to the memory of the first rector of the temple in modern history, Archpriest Nikolai Ryzhenkov, his son and successor in office, priest Alexy Ryzhenkov, continued the work of restoring a remarkable architectural monument of the early 20th century, made in the neo-Russian style. Guided by surviving photographs, the architects developed a project to recreate the brickwork of the drums for the four domes that were once installed at the corners of the main cube of the temple.

On December 12, four copper domes were lifted and installed on specially prepared foundations. The next day, after the Divine Liturgy, the rector of the church, priest Alexy Ryzhenkov, performed the rite of consecration of the crosses. After the consecration, clergy and parishioners venerated the crosses and witnessed how four gilded crosses took their place next to the crosses of the main domes and belfry, reflecting the original architectural design .

Anniversary of Trinity Church

In 2015, Trinity Church celebrated its 105th anniversary and 25 years of revival of parish life, and on June 21, the solemn celebration of these events was led by Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna, who awarded diocesan awards to everyone who had worked especially hard to restore historical appearance Trinity Church . The temple cleric and priest Sergius Rossiykin was awarded the right to wear a pectoral cross; The medal “For Sacrificial Labor” of the 3rd degree was awarded to the rector of the Trinity Church, priest Alexy Ryzhenkov and the benefactor of the temple A. N. Tsenterov, the Medal “For Sacrificial Labor” of the 2nd degree was awarded to the benefactors of the temple V. S. Orbis-Diaz and I. V. Korotkov. The clergy of the church, priest Gleb Kursky and deacon Vsevolod Orlovsky, received the Blessed Letters of Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna.

At the end of the service, Metropolitan Yuvenalius, together with the clergy, celebrated a funeral litany at the grave of Archpriest Nikolai Ryzhenkov, located behind the altar of the temple.

The celebration continued at the Sunday school, where Metropolitan Juvenaly received a speech prepared by its students and teachers. At the end of the concert, the children presented Vladyka with a collage made by Sunday School students. The Bishop gave the children a book and icons of the Holy Trinity.

City Skhodnya

Story. In 1903, at the expense of local landowners and parishioners, a summer wooden church was built in Skhodnya in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity.

In 1907, at the expense of the merchant I.N. Proskuryakov, a warm side church was erected in the name of St. Nicholas.

In January 1909, the wooden Trinity Church burned down.

In 1910, at the expense of summer residents under the supervision of the architect F. F. Voskresensky, on the site of the burnt Trinity Church at Skhodnya Nikolaevskaya station railway A stone church with a chapel was built in the name of St. Nicholas. The great consecration of the temple was performed by Bishop Trifon of Dmitrov (Turkestan).

A parochial school was set up in the prayer house built in 1909.

In 1936, the temple was closed and used as a factory for artistic products, placing a foundry and crushing shop there. The temple suffered great damage.

In 1990, the Church of the Holy Trinity on Skhodnya was returned to believers, and priest Nikolai Ryzhenkov became its rector.

Despite the deplorable condition of the temple handed over to the Church, the first service was held here on December 14, 1990.

On January 13, 1996, Metropolitan Yuvenaly performed the rite of great consecration of the temple.

Currently, the temple has been completely restored and is a beautiful architectural monument of the early 20th century.

There is a Sunday school and a library at the church.

The parishioners of the Trinity Church especially reverence the heavenly patrons of this parish, the Reverend Martyrs of Skhodnensky Natalia (Baklanova), Ekaterina (Konstantinova) and Elena (Korobkova). All of them suffered martyrdom and were canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in the Cathedral of New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church.

The temple also especially reveres Blessed Matrona of Moscow, who spent the last years of her life in Skhodna. A chapel was built in her honor on the territory of the temple and consecrated on May 2, 2001, on the day of remembrance of the saint of God.

Shrines. In the temple there are shrines: a reliquary cross with particles of srachita, the Mantle and the hair of St. Seraphim of Sarov; myrrh-streaming icon St. blgv. book Anna Kashinskaya; icon

The beautiful Church of the Holy Trinity is located in the Skhodnya microdistrict of the Moscow region. Priest Alexy Ryzhenkov currently serves as rector. In 2020, the temple will celebrate its 110th anniversary.

History of the temple

In 1903, local landowners and summer residents decided to build a church by common council. Together, funds were raised for construction. New Temple It was wooden, not heated, there was no bell tower. The church diocese designated the temple under the jurisdiction of the nearest parish in the village of Cherkizovo. The consecration of the church took place in memory of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. Services in the temple were held only during the summer season. Four years later, local merchant I.N. Proskuryakov provided charitable assistance to the church, and with this money a heated side church was built in the name of St. Nicholas.

In the winter of 1909 there was a fire, and the wooden church was destroyed by fire. In the summer, a temporary prayer house was built for parishioners. On the site of the burnt temple, it was decided to build a new cathedral of stone. Just like the wooden church, the temple was built in memory of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. It was planned to establish a parish in the name of St. Nicholas. The architect F. F. Voskresensky developed the project and supervised the construction. By the end of 1910 the work was completed. The ceremonial consecration of the temple was carried out by Bishop Trifon of Dmitrov.

After the consecration of the new stone Church of the Holy Trinity, divine services began. It was decided to establish a parochial school in the temporary house of worship.

During the closure of churches throughout the Soviet country, the Church of the Holy Trinity was also closed. It was given over to a cinema. Disastrous for the temple building was its conversion into an art works factory. Two workshops were set up here: a stone crushing and a foundry.

The temple was returned to the church diocese in 1990. The main Trinity altar was consecrated on January 13, 1996 by Metropolitan Juvinal. The consecration of the Nicholas throne took place only seven years later, on January 26, 2003. The ceremony was conducted by Archbishop Gregory of Mozhaisk.

Blessed Matrona of Moscow spent the last years of her life in the Church of the Holy Trinity. Her memory is especially revered within the church walls. In honor of the blessed one, a chapel was built next to the temple in 2001. Its consecration took place on May 2, the day of memory of Matrona.

Currently, restoration and restoration work has been completed, and the temple receives parishioners every day. The temple building is a monument of church architecture. The Sunday school at the church resumed its work. It also publishes its own newspaper, “Trinity Word”. The church school has a library and video library.

The most valuable shrines are kept in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Skhodna:

• Kazan and Vladimir icons Mother of God and St. Nicholas;
• icon of St. Blessed Matrona with a piece of her relics;
• myrrh-streaming icon of the holy princess Anna Kashinskaya;
• cross-reliquary with particles of orchard, mantle and hair of St. Seraphim of Sarov.

Since 2013, a youth group has been operating in the temple. It consists of young people striving for creative development, spiritual education, and joint solutions to difficult life situations. Community members organize events that provide assistance and support to low-income families. Their responsibilities also include cleaning the temple and surrounding area, decorating the interior for the holidays.

Construction of the Holy Trinity Church

Construction of the stone Church of the Holy Trinity, which has survived to this day, began in the second half of 1909. Project development and construction work was led by architect F.F. Voskresensky. The temple building was built in the neo-Russian style, combining the traditions of Russian architecture and simplicity. Construction was completed in 1910.

After the temple was returned to the church in 1990, it was in deplorable condition. Nikolai Ryzhenkov (father of the current rector Alexy) was appointed rector, who took charge of the restoration work. The bulk of the work to prepare the interior of the church for the first service was carried out by the priest’s relatives: his parents and his wife, Mother Vera. First, the Nikolsky chapel was repaired. The first service there took place on January 14, 1990.

The church building was built in 2006. It included a church for baptism, a refectory, premises for Sunday school and rest for clergy.

Much attention was paid to the appearance of the building. For the celebration of two thousand years from the Nativity of Christ, iconostases were installed in two chapels and restored appearance domes, repaired the belfry and brought five new domes. In 2005, Vladimir masters re-painted interior walls temple. By 2013, the appearance of the temple fully corresponded to its original appearance, known from old photographs. Was recreated brickwork four dome drums. Next to the crosses of the main chapters and the belfry, they installed 4 gilded crosses that were there originally. In 2001, a chapel was built next to the church building in memory of Blessed Matrona.

Where is the Church of the Holy Trinity in Skhodnya

You can get to the Holy Trinity Church in Skhodnya:

• from the Skhodnenskoye metro station there is minibus No. 873, you need to get off at the Baltika cinema, stop at Skhodnenskaya;
• from the Rechnoy Vokzal metro station there is bus No. 370 or No. 482, get off at the “Temple” stop;
• from the Leningradsky station by train to the Skhodnya station, the road from the station to the temple will take 5 minutes.

Schedule of services

Divine services and confession in the Church of the Holy Trinity are held every day from Monday to Saturday at 8.30 .

Every Saturday at 17.00 All-night vigils and confession are held.

On Sundays, morning liturgy and confession occur twice: on 8.30 And 9.00 .

Photos

The Trinity Church at the Skhodnya station of the Nikolaevskaya Railway was built at the expense of summer residents according to the design of the architect F. F. Voskresensky. On June 22, 1909, the parish community received a blessing for the construction of a church in the name of the Holy Trinity with a side chapel of St. Nicholas. The construction of the temple in the ancient Russian style characteristic of the beginning of the century was completed in 1910. The great consecration of the temple was performed by Bishop of Dmitrov (later Metropolitan) Tryfon (Turkestan).

In 1936, the Church of the Holy Trinity suffered the fate of many, many Orthodox churches - it was closed and destroyed. During Soviet times, the temple served first as a warehouse, then as a cinema, in the 1980s. a sculpture workshop was set up in it. In 1990, the Church of the Holy Trinity on Skhodnya was reopened. Priest Nikolai Ryzhenkov became its rector. The church building was in a deplorable state: there were no domes, the roof was leaking, the floor was filled with a thick layer of cement and marble chips left over from the previous “owners.” However, already on December 14, 1990, with a huge crowd of people, the first service took place in the temple.

On May 13, 1993, Metropolitan Yuvenaly visited the parish and celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the restored church. In his speech, the Bishop supported the rector and parishioners in the restoration of the shrine, giving his holy blessing. We can say that it was from this visit that the real revival of the temple and the flowering of the spiritual life of the parish began. On January 13, 1996, Metropolitan Yuvenaly again visited the temple and performed the rite of great consecration of the temple.

In 1998, another joyful event took place: a Sunday school was opened, where today 45 children aged 5 to 18 years study, and classes are also held for adults. By the 2000th anniversary of the Nativity of Christ, the domes and belfry were completely restored using old photographs, five bells were installed, iconostases were installed in both aisles, and the temple was completely painted. In 2006, with the blessing of Metropolitan Juvenaly, a church building was built, including a baptismal church in honor of St. John the Baptist with a baptistery, a room for Sunday school, a refectory and rooms for rest of the clergy.

There are shrines in the temple: a reliquary cross with particles of sarbita, the mantle and hair of St. Seraphim of Sarov, a myrrh-streaming icon of the Holy Blessed Princess Anna of Kashinskaya, an icon of the Holy Blessed Matrona with a particle of relics, and the especially revered Kazan and Vladimir icons of the Mother of God and St. Nicholas.

In 2010, the Trinity Church on Skhodnya turned one hundred years old, and on May 16, Metropolitan Juvenaly visited the city, who led the solemn celebration of this event. The Bishop was met by the head of the Khimki city district V.V. Strelchenko, the dean of the churches of the Khimki district, abbot Vladimir (Denisov), as well as the rector of the church, Archpriest Nikolai Ryzhenkov. Hundreds of worshipers filled the temple in anticipation of the start of the Divine Liturgy, which was performed by Metropolitan Yuvenaly in the concelebration of Abbot Vladimir (Denisov), rector of the temple Archpriest Nikolai Ryzhenkov, dean of the churches of the Solnechnogorsk district priest Sergius Vanyukov, and the clergy of the Khimki deanery.

At the end of the Liturgy, the rector of the temple addressed the Vladyka with a welcoming speech:

“Your Eminence, our dear Lord, gracious father! On this significant anniversary day, when today we celebrate the parish holiday - the 100th anniversary of the day when Metropolitan Tryphon (Turkestan) consecrated this temple. For many years, restoration was carried out, which you blessed, dear Bishop, when you came here in 1996. Then there were mountains of coal here, there was dirt, and, nevertheless, you came to give us the saint’s blessing. And thanks to your prayers and blessings, this temple is now magnificent and prayerful. This is the anniversary of the church, the anniversary of the deanery, the anniversary of our city district. But soon another wonderful, significant anniversary will be celebrated, which will be celebrated by the entirety of not only the Moscow diocese, but also the Russian Orthodox Church, including abroad, in many countries of the world. This is the 45th anniversary of your episcopal consecration. This is a huge period of time that the Lord has given you as a bishop. And for almost 30-odd years you have been ruling the Moscow diocese, the largest diocese in the country. I can’t help but want to go back 35 years ago, when the church was in a completely different position and was persecuted and disrespected by the authorities. Then you, being the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, together with the ever-memorable Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Nikodim, raised your voice in defense of the Orthodox Church in Russia. You spoke for the Church at many global forums, including being a participant in the Christian Peace Conference, the World Council of Churches, when various debates were held there. Those organizations were very respected, and your voice was heard throughout the world. The Moscow region is proud of its archpastor, because you started in the very difficult times when it was dangerous to go to church. You endured all this, you passed it all on to the people around you. How many people have you led to God, how many bishops and priests have passed through your hands. For this, our dear Vladyka, allow me to bow low and thank you for the fact that today we, together, under your archpastoral leadership, prayed with a kind heart in this holy church. We hope that your visit to our temple is a worthy assessment of the work of those dozens of people who did everything possible to ensure that our temple rose from the ruins. Dear Vladyka Metropolitan, allow me to present you with a sign of filial gratitude and love, this folding piece, made especially for this day, on which your heavenly patrons are depicted: St. Juvenaly, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, after whom they were named in childhood.

Many and blessed summers to you!

Saint Juvenal is probably also my patron saint, because on the day of his memory, July 15, 1990, I was ordained to the priesthood.”

Then the dean abbot Vladimir (Denisov) addressed the Vladyka with a word of greeting.

In his response, the Metropolitan said:

“Dear Father Superior, honorable fathers, dear and beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord! It is with great joy and love that I visit this parish and this holy temple today. Before the Divine Liturgy, Vladimir Vladimirovich showed me an album of built and restored churches and chapels that adorn this blessed land. We must offer humble prayers of thanks to the Lord for the fact that He, despite our many sins and failures, gave us the joy of salvation. Our ancient land near Moscow is decorated with revived holy monasteries and temples. Today we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Trinity Church, where we celebrated the Divine Liturgy today. The fate of this temple was tragic. Almost half the years of its existence passed in a mutilated, desecrated state. And so much has happened here over these 50 years, but today we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of its revival. The Lord sent a good shepherd here in the person of Father Nikolai. And he, having come to this place, seeing the abomination of desolation, did not shy away from ascetic labors, but diligently, with prayer, with boldness, took up the restoration. Today the temple stands before us in its splendor. I think that when it was created it was not as decorated as we see it now. Father Nikolai literally praised me in his speech, speaking about my episcopal works. But we must always remember the words of the holy apostles, who taught us all modesty. They said: “We are unbreakable slaves!”, that is, nothing standing people. “And what we did, we did what we had to do.” And, speaking about the general church revival, we, brothers, sisters and fathers, should not attribute this to our own merits. This is a clear, miraculous fulfillment of God's promise. You know him. Our Lord Jesus Christ said: “I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” In the 20th century, all the forces of hell and evil were aimed at eradicating the faith of Christ from the hearts of the inhabitants of our country. Then not only were churches and monasteries destroyed and desecrated, but also ministers of the Church, monastics, and ordinary believers were physically destroyed. But as those who observed persecution said in the first centuries of Christianity, the blood of martyrs becomes the seed of new Christians. Our faith, our Church are indestructible. This is not a human, but a Divine-human institution, called upon to lead the people into the Kingdom of Heaven until the end of time. I am very happy that these terrible times for the Church have passed and in conditions of complete freedom we can revive all forms of our traditional pastoral and social ministry in our native land. We are very glad that our priests boldly and selflessly carry out their ministry and lead the people to salvation. There are many examples. This is our entire Khimki deanery, where we are today, and in particular this Trinity Church. Dear Father Nicholas, the Holy Church noted your labors when, on Easter, you were awarded by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill a great priestly award - the right to wear a cross with decorations. But I would also like to thank you verbally for everything you have done over 20 years at this holy place. You are still very young. And therefore, all your further pastoral activities are ahead. Do not slacken in your efforts, because, as the Word of God says: “The harvest is plentiful.” We are required not only to perform divine services. We are obliged by life and word to preach Christ, to perform charitable works, and to carry out educational ministry. I am very pleased to greet you today, dear and beloved brothers and sisters. Thank you for your love for the temple of God, for your many years of sacrificial work to restore it. May the Lord reward you all with his heavenly, incomparable spiritual gifts. I wish you joy in the Lord, health, peace of mind, patience and God’s blessing.”

Metropolitan Yuvenaly awarded diocesan awards to those who particularly distinguished themselves in the restoration of the Trinity Church. The medal “For Sacrificial Labor” was received by the benefactors of the temple V. S. Orbis-Diaz and. V. Korotkov; Metropolitan's letter of gratitude - the treasurer of the temple T. A. Ushakova; Blessed certificate - the head of the territorial administration of the Skhodnya-Firsanovka microdistricts T. A. Turikova, temple employees M. A. Korotkova, N. V. Smirnova, A. S. Krakhmaleva, A. A. Noskov, as well as benefactors A. N. Tsenterov , E. E. Zhalkovsky, E. A. Chizhova.

The celebration continued at the Sunday school, where Metropolitan Juvenaly received a speech prepared by its students and teachers. The children demonstrated their talents: played musical instruments, sang, and recited poetry. The concert ended with the singing of the solemn many years, after which Vladyka was presented with a painting depicting the Trinity Church, painted by one of the school students.

Next, Metropolitan Yuvenaly visited the Russian International Academy of Tourism (RMAT), the largest university of professional tourism education in Europe. Here the Bishop was met by more than 200 students and teachers of the Academy, and its rector, Professor I.V. Zorin, told the Bishop about the department of religious tourism, which is a joint project of the Academy and the Russian Orthodox Church, and about the cooperation of the university teachers with the Trinity Church.

In his speech to the students, Vladyka said:

“Dear Igor Vladimirovich, ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters! When I heard Igor Vladimirovich’s words of greeting, I thought that I had come to you at the right time, because this year the Government is transferring the ancient Novodevichy Convent to the Russian Orthodox Church and, in particular, to the Moscow Diocese. When a branch of the State Historical Museum was located in the Novodevichy Convent, we cooperated with the museum kindly and did not live like “in a communal kitchen.” We had a very kind and cordial relationship. The Novodevichy Convent in Moscow is the second most visited by tourists. State historical Museum constantly organized excursions to the Novodevichy Convent. And now this mission falls on me. I think that without consultation with you, and maybe even without help, it will be difficult for me to manage. That’s why I started with the fact that God brought me to you today. I know that the path was paved here by the current His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, because he had contacts with the academy when he was Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, and now Archbishop Mark of Yegorievsky collaborates with you on an ongoing basis. And I feel that I come to you as dear friends. Today the reason for my visit is the anniversary of the Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. The fate of this temple was sad. Today we celebrate the 100th anniversary of its consecration, but for almost half a century it did not serve its original purpose. It’s not for me to tell you, the local residents, what was there. 20 years ago the temple was returned to the Church. And those of you who have been there and those who haven’t, I highly recommend visiting, will see that the temple is now in its former grandeur, and even in greater beauty than it once was. Even in this regard, we can talk about tourism and pilgrimage. In the first years of my pastoral ministry, I was the head of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem for three years. And I remember one conversation with a monk of the Jerusalem Church. He told me that the Lord left us two Gospels. One written thing, I knew that. And another, and this was a new view for me, is the Holy Land, where the Lord left His mark on the earth, and where every stone speaks of His presence. I later experienced this and can say that this is exactly how it is. When I visited the edicule of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for the first time in my life, I then said to myself: “Now I can die, because I cannot experience greater happiness on earth.” I agree with you that they make money from tourism. And you need to earn money, because otherwise you won’t be able to preserve the monuments or organize comfortable tourism. However, tourism also has deep moral significance. He educates and teaches. I don’t want to delve into your sphere, but I would like to tell you about the religious part of tourism - pilgrimage. There are pilgrimages not only to the Holy Sepulcher, but also to other places. For example, I do not encourage, although I do not forbid, my clergy to spend vacations abroad. But I highly encourage and recommend, especially for children from Sunday schools, to make pilgrimages to the holy places of Rus'. I think, and I have reason for this, to tell you that we have more such places in our country than in any other country. It’s not for nothing that our land was called Holy Russia. Why did I start talking about the fact that tourism has moral significance and teaches us something? Because if we now travel and make pilgrimages, then, on the one hand, we will be filled with a deep reverent religious feeling, and on the other hand, a feeling of bitterness when we learn about the barbarity with which icons were once chopped down and burned, blown up temples, which were not only objects of worship, but also monuments to the victory of Russian weapons. In particular, such a temple was the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. The second temple, built in honor of the victory over Napoleon, was the Trinity Cathedral of the city of Podolsk. It was never closed and is now in excellent condition. I highly recommend that anyone visiting Podolsk take a look. In this way we are both edified and admonished. Speaking about the sad pages in the history of our country, we are trying to educate the younger generation in a different spirit. First of all, we pay attention to the younger generation. Our churches have Sunday schools for children and adults. There are more than 700 of them in the Moscow diocese alone. We try to instill a love for our national history and culture. This is facilitated by the holiday revived in our country, which from this year, according to the decree of the President, is officially celebrated throughout the country - the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture. It is dedicated to the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Slovenian teachers. A person cannot be considered cultured if he does not know his history, his faith, his culture. Why do we insist on teaching “Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture” in school? Because Orthodoxy has had a huge influence on our culture, architecture, literature, music and other aspects of life. Many proverbs and sayings are difficult to understand if you do not know the Gospel. Therefore, we are happy that the Church in our time has received a great opportunity to introduce the younger generation to this spiritual heritage of Russia. I think that we are close to each other in our mission. Nothing separates us. Our cooperation, our experience only enrich each other. In this case, I don’t mean money, but spiritual and moral values. I want to thank you for your attention to my visit and would like to ask your rector, dear Igor Vladimirovich, to accept a blessed letter from me as a sign of my deep respect.