Cathedral of St. Barbara in Kutna Hora. Church of the Great Martyr Barbara

The Church of the Great Martyr Barbara on Varvarka is located in the very center of Moscow - in Kitay-Gorod. The temple that has survived to our time was built from 1796 to 1801. Funds for the construction of the temple were allocated by artillery major Baryshnikov and a Moscow merchant of the first guild Samghin. The church was designed by architect Rodion Kazakov. He used the foundation of the old building of the temple, built in 1514 by Aleviz Novy. And that temple was probably built on the site of a wooden temple, also built at the expense of merchants. Their names have been preserved. These are Vasily Bobr, Yushka Urvihvostov and Fedor Vepr.

Saint Barbara was always revered among merchants. According to canonical traditions, she was born in Egypt, in the city of Heliopolis. The only daughter of Dioscorus, a noble resident of the city, was distinguished by piety and beauty. Saint Barbara refused an advantageous marriage, rejected worldly life and accepted holy baptism. Dioscorus was angry. Varvara was imprisoned, but the torture did not shake her faith. Barbara was condemned to death. Varvara was executed by her own father. The relics of Saint Barbara were transferred to Constantinople in the 6th century.

In the 12th century, Princess Barbara (daughter of the Byzantine emperor Alexei Komnenos) married the Russian prince Izyaslavich. It was she who transported the relics of St. Barbara to Kyiv. The relics rest in the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv and in our time. Parts of the relics of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara were also kept in Moscow, in the church on Varvarka. In 1812, the sacristy of the church of St. Varvara was plundered by the French. The temple itself, being in the center of military events, was miraculously preserved.

After the revolution of 1917, the merchant class disappeared, parish life froze, and in the thirties the church was closed. The last restoration of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara was carried out in 1965-1967. The restoration of the church bell tower, dismantled earlier due to an emergency condition, was led by the architect Makarov.

One of the oldest streets in Moscow, Varvarka got its name from the local church. Already in the 15th century, Varvarskaya Street with a wooden church of St. Barbara was mentioned. At the beginning of the 16th century, it was dismantled and a stone building was built in its place according to the project of the Italian Aleviz Novy, who created the Archangel Cathedral in the Kremlin, and more than a dozen stone churches outside it. One of them has survived to this day almost in its original form - this is the Cathedral of Peter the Metropolitan in the Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery (other churches have either been lost or significantly rebuilt).

The stone church on Varvarka, built in 1514, had a similar appearance - an "eight-leaf" in plan, crowned with one powerful dome. It was built by order of the merchants Vasily Bobr, Fyodor Vepr and Yushka Urvihvostov, who lived in Zaryadye. The church stood practically unchanged until the end of the 18th century, when its dilapidated building was dismantled. The new church of St. Barbara was also built with private funds: major Ivan Baryshnikov and merchant of the 1st guild Nikolai Samgin became the builders of the church. Work began in 1796, and the consecration of the new church took place in 1804.

The most likely author of the Church of St. Barbara is considered to be an architect, a master of the era of classicism. The building, cruciform in plan, is crowned with a powerful dome with a small cupola and is marked by four-column porticos from the north and south; a three-tiered bell tower adjoins it from the west. The church is placed on a high powerful plinth, but due to the height difference from Varvarka, it is not noticeable: to see it, you need to go around the temple from the north.

In 1812, the Barbarian Church suffered first from the French soldiers who set up a stable in it, and then from a fire. Only in the 1820s it was completely restored. Big losses occurred after the revolution.

In 1932, the church of St. Barbara was closed, and soon the street was renamed in honor of Stepan Razin. The temple lost its head and the upper tier of the bell tower, from the inside its space was divided into floors for a warehouse and offices, but still the building survived, despite plans for its demolition.

In the 1960s, in parallel with the construction in Zaryadye, the buildings of the Rossiya Hotel were restored historical monuments Varvarka, including the church of St. Barbara, its head and the lost part of the bell tower were recreated. Inside is the Council of the Moscow Regional Branch of the All-Union Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments.

In 1991, the temple was handed over to the community of believers, and services were soon resumed on the second floor. In 1993, the street became known again as Varvarka. In 2007, during archaeological excavations under the temple, the foundation of the Alevizov church of the 16th century was discovered, confirming the version of its external resemblance to the cathedral in the Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery.

In 2016, the temple became a laureate of the Moscow Government competition "Moscow Restoration" in the nomination "For the best organization of repair and restoration work"

In total, 517 years of construction, this is a record long-term construction in the Czech Republic. Do not think that from the beginning of construction the temple stood empty. They prayed in it, services were held, even in the unfinished one.

Who is Saint Barbara?

This is the Holy Great Martyr, the patroness of firefighters, climbers and miners. No wonder it is named after her. main temple in Kutna Hora.

Saint Barbara has always been deeply revered by local miners. It was to her that the miners prayed during the blockages. There are hundreds of legends about her help when she helped move the heaviest stones, illuminated the passages in the mines, showed the way to the exit from the tunnels.

The support of St. Barbara has always been important for Kutná Hora, no money was spared for the cathedral.

IN Catholic tradition Saint Barbara protects from unexpected attacks and fires. She is often depicted with a shield or a fortress tower, as seen in the photo next to it, click on the photo to enlarge.

In honor of her, a city in California was named, which is called “Santa Barbara”. The city became the center of events of the famous series, which most readers remember exactly.

Paradoxically, the name after Saint Barbara did not help the city of "Santa Barbara" in 1925, when it was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake. The Cathedral of St. Barbara in Kutna Hora also did not escape several fires.

What to see outside and inside

No other temple has such decorative elements. Chimeras, bats, harpies, frogs, winged rams and other real and fantastic animals can be found on the ceiling and walls. On one of the southern pillars, you can find a monkey with an orange.

To see all the splendor of the decor inside and out, we recommend bringing binoculars with you. This is not a joke, take binoculars, you won't regret it.

So varied and interesting decor associated with the desire of the inhabitants of Kutna Hora, especially its elite, to demonstrate their significance and wealth, to do something unique.

In addition, the city of Kutna Hora sought to relieve itself of the burden of dependence on the Sedlec Monastery. By the way, according to legend, it was the monk from this monastery who discovered the silver deposit. Residents of Kutna Hora had to ask the Pope for permission to build a temple. Of course, they got it, and the wealth of the city was the main argument for that.

The main altar in the cathedral is the latest element. In the center of it you will see the image of the Last Supper. To the right of it at the top is the face of St. Barbara.

An early late Gothic altarpiece was removed by the Jesuits in 1502. It was they who initiated the finishing of some chapels with a combination of gilding and black material.

The walls in the church are decorated with medieval frescoes. The most valuable of them have been preserved in the Smishkova Chapel. Smishek M. was a famous person in Kutna Hora, played an important role in the silver industry, the construction of the temple and the life of the city. Above the stained-glass window we will see murals depicting his family.

The stained-glass windows are also interesting. The decor appeared already at the end of the construction of the church. This is a painting on glass, it was made according to the sketches of paintings on historical themes by Frantisek Urban. Jakub Nymburk, a master carver, immortalized his skill in the choir shops.

Pay attention to the department. It was carved by a certain Leopold the stonemason in 1560. After 100 years, the Jesuits added wood cladding and decorations to it. They also came up with the idea of ​​creating an organ cabinet. The organ is placed on the balcony of the main portal.

Do not be surprised at the figure of a man in a white robe. This is a sculpture of a miner in a working raincoat. The cloak was white color so that in the event of a blockage, you can see the worker and save him (or pull out the corpse). On their knees, the miners of silver ore were chiseling the earth with a working tool, holding a burner in their other hand.

The upper gallery exhibits collections of sculptures from past eras. Here you can also see sculptures on the organ: angels with instruments in their hands. They were created in the second half of the 18th century. The internal mechanism of the tool is an amazing creation of human hands. It consists of 3 keyboards, 45 registers, 4 thousand pipes. The organ is the work of master Jan Tucek.

Another reminder of the Jesuit order is present in the temple: one of the frescoes shows the story of the wounding of Ignatius Loyop, the founder of the Jesuit order, who, after being wounded, became a monk.

The cathedral complex includes a chapel, the construction of which on the slope near the cathedral was started by Jan Parlerge. The first floor was erected, and on the second floor, an observation deck was built in our times. From here you will see all the beauty of Kutná Hora, landscape paintings of the Vrchlice valley and the local river.

The hall for parishioners is interesting in its own way. The wealth of Kutna Hora in the old days is evidenced by separate places for executioners and their families. Keeping people of such a profession in ancient times was an expensive pleasure. There were several executioners in Kutna Hora!

The temple has special rows for noble citizens, for the head of the city and his retinue. There is a legend about a bench made of solid wood, decorated with skillful carvings, located in the center of the temple. The bench was made for the Church of St. Vitus, but the Kutnogorsk people "intercepted" the order, having paid twice as much for the work. The inhabitants of the city did not let up to wipe the nose of the citizens of Prague.

In Catholic churches there is always a booth for confession. There are several of them in the Cathedral of St. Barbara. This fact is explained by the fact that a college was built near the church, and the youth are oh so frivolous, reckless and sinful.

The temple also features special stands depicting the scheme of construction of Gothic temples. This information will be of interest to architecture students. You can get acquainted with the history of the city, with the stages of the construction of the temple in the museum.

Churches in a row

On the day of the 870th anniversary of the city, Zaryadye Park opened on the site of the dismantled Rossiya Hotel, and against its background, the churches along Varvarka seemed to have found new life. Released from the pressure of a massive hotel building, having survived a long period of construction, they sparkled with fresh colors and gave a feeling of spaciousness.

1. Church of St. Barbara

At the beginning of Varvarka stands the marvelous temple of the Great Martyr Varvara, which gave the name to the street itself. Presumably it existed in the XIV century a little south modern church. In 1514, at the expense of well-known at that time rich visiting guests Vasily Bobr with his brothers Theodor Vepr and Yushko Urvihvost, a stone building was built under the guidance of the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin. In 1796-1801 the temple was rebuilt according to the project of Rodion Kazakov.

In 1812, the French used it as a stable, the richest sacristy of the church was looted, salaries and vestments were removed from the icons. The building was badly damaged and was restored in the 1820s. In the 1920s the church was rebuilt and closed. In 1965–1967, it was restored under the guidance of the architect G.A. Makarov bell tower.

Address: st. Varvarka, 2

2. Temple of Maxim the Blessed

Blessed Maxim was buried in 1434 on Varvarka near the church, previously consecrated in the name of the noble princes Boris and Gleb. In 1547 he was canonized. At the end of the 17th century, after a fire, a new, stone church of St. Maximus the Confessor was erected, the main chapel of which was consecrated in the name of St. Maximus the Blessed.

The church was badly damaged in the fire of Moscow in 1676. The new building, built in 1698-1699, included a part of the church of the same name built in 1568. After a fire in 1737, the temple was overhauled in the Baroque style, unusual for the old Moscow appearance of Kitay-Gorod.

In 1827-1829, instead of the old belfry, a new two-tier bell tower was erected in the Empire style. It consists of two tiers decreasing upwards with a dome completed with a spire. In the 1930s, the temple was closed, decapitated and devastated. It was restored in 1965–1969 (architect S.S. Podyapolsky).

Address: st. Varvarka, 4

3. Cathedral of the icon Mother of God"The Omen"

The Znamensky Cathedral, the main temple of the former Znamensky Monastery, was built in 1679-1684 by architects F. Grigoriev and G. Anisimov in the old Russian traditions on the site of the church of Athanasius of Athos. During Patriotic War In 1812, Napoleonic soldiers plundered the monastery, but the building of the cathedral was not damaged then. During the occupation, it was even allowed to hold services in the lower church. By the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, the cathedral was restored.

After 1923 the monastery was closed, its buildings were adapted for housing. By the early 1960s, the courtyard building and the stables were demolished, and the remaining buildings were in disrepair. But in connection with the construction of the Rossiya Hotel in 1963-1972, restoration work was carried out, which was continued in the 1980s. For a long time there was a concert hall in the temple building.

Address: st. Varvarka, d. 8

4. Church of George the Victorious

Built in 1657 (on the foundation of an ancient church that burned down in 1639), the bell tower and the refectory were built in 1818. In the late 1920s, the church was closed and used by various institutions. The temple was returned to the Church in 1991.

Address: st. Varvarka, 12

5. Church of the Conception of St. Anna, "what's in the corner"

One of the oldest churches in the city. The first mention of it refers to 1493. Closed in the 1920s, transferred to the Church in 1994. The existing building was built in the middle of the 16th century. It owes its current appearance to the post-war restoration (architect L.A. David).

In the Pokrovsky Cathedral on Red Square, a 30-pound bell from the bell tower of the Church of the Conception of Anna is kept (it was demolished during restoration and was not restored). It was cast in 1547 in France and purchased in 1610 by the Moscow merchant M.G. Tverdikov. During the Time of Troubles, the bell was taken out of the church, but later bought back and returned by Prince Pozharsky.

Address: Moskvoretskaya emb., 3

Prepared by Ivan Dmitrov
Published: September, 2017