The small church on Aleksandrov's Vokzalnaya Square is very beautiful. It has an unusual, memorable architectural appearance and an interesting history. The small church, consecrated in honor of the revered Russian saint - Seraphim of Sarov, had to endure difficult trials. In the 1930s, it was converted into a faceless barrack that housed a dining room and shops. The beautiful church was recently restored, and it has become one of the adornments of the old Russian city.
History of the construction of the church
In the 70s of the XIX century, an iron line was laid through the district of Alexandrov, connecting Moscow, Yaroslavl and Arkhangelsk. In 1888, at the railway station, a tiny stone chapel appeared, made in the form of a church, in which there was an iconostasis. Dedicated to her rescuing members of the imperial family during a train wreck. Alexander III and his loved ones miraculously survived, and this event was celebrated throughout the country. In Aleksandrov it has become a tradition to serve all-night vigils in the chapel every Sunday and on holidays.
Seraphim of Sarov's Church from a bird's eye view
At first, only railway employees came here to pray. But time passed, and the number of residents in the districts adjacent to the station grew. The small chapel ceased to accommodate all comers, and the city authorities decided to build a new temple in its place. The abbess of the Holy Dormition Convent, which was located in Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda... The construction cost money, and the railway found them, and engineer Valentin Nikolaevich Chekalin took over the work.
In 1903, on the initiative of Emperor Nicholas II, the most holy synod of the church canonized the founder Diveevo monastery Seraphim of Sarov (1754-1833), and they began to venerate him as a monk, that is, having accomplished the monastic feat. At that time, the square near the station was being improved in Alexandrov. The old wooden station building was demolished, and a stone one appeared in its place. In 1904, a new church was laid, and the local archbishop allowed it to be dedicated to Seraphim of Sarov. So the Alexander Church became one of the first in the country, which was erected in honor of the revered Russian saint.
Construction began in August, and at the end of 1904 the main work was completed. The next year, the builders finished finishing and landscaping the church. And finally, at the beginning of October 1905, the new station church received the believers.
Church history in the 20th century
Five years later, the church was painted. Local craftsmen made frescoes in the style of the Byzantine Empire isographers. The color of the painting perfectly matched the graceful iconostasis, carved from beautiful bog oak. The frescoes in the bottom row were completely dedicated to the events that took place during the life of Seraphim of Sarov. And above there were paintings inspired by scenes from the Gospel.
One of the main places on the iconostasis was occupied by an icon dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ, which was framed by a skillfully carved oak icon case. In the dark, this icon was consecrated, and passengers passing by the Alexandrovsky railway station could see it.
In 1928, when the Soviet government launched an active anti-religious campaign, the railway station church suffered the fate of most Orthodox churches in Russia - it was closed. After a while, the church began to be reconstructed. Workers tore down the chapters and roof, dismantled the altar, dismantled the south aisle, and erected several additional rooms that surrounded the main temple building. The church was completely transformed outwardly and became like an ordinary civil building. Even with a rich imagination, it was impossible to recognize an Orthodox church in the new building.
Restoration of the shrine
Until the early 2000s, the former church housed a canteen and shops. In 2003, an initiative group of parishioners created an Orthodox community, raised the necessary funds, and began to restore the church.
It all began with the construction of a small graceful brick chapel topped with a golden dome with a cross. It can be seen today. A sculpture depicting the Monk Seraphim of Sarov was erected under the arched vaults of the tiny church. The saint stands on a stone in a kneeling position, holds a rosary in his right hand and prays. The expressive sculpture was created by a resident of Aleksandrov, a member of the Union of Artists of Russia, Yuri Albertovich Ivatko.
The chapel with the saint was the first step. While it was being built, members of the community agreed with the leadership of the railway, and the canteen was moved to another place. The historical part of the church required a major restoration. They began with the liberation of the red-brick walls from the layer of plaster and paint, as well as the demolition of the later buildings surrounding the church. In parallel, the builders were engaged in the restoration of the roof and domes. Then the water supply and heating systems were changed and new floors were laid. The interior decoration took a lot of effort and money - plastering and whitewashing of walls, installation of the iconostasis and painting. The renovated church was opened for believers on April 1, 2007.
Features of architecture and interior
The temple was built in an elegant pseudo-Russian style. The rectangular building is covered with a high pyramidal roof made of copper sheets. On the edges of the complex-shaped roof, two windows were made to illuminate the interior. Arched window frames are framed with expressive keeled ends. The endings of the same shape are at the top of the roof. The temple is crowned with a rounded illuminated drum with an elongated bulbous head and a large gilded cross.
From the east, a semicircular apse is attached to the building, on which you can see a picturesque fresco depicting Seraphim of Sarov. The entrances to the church are decorated with portals with arches and columns. The temple has its own voice. Its belfry is located right on the roof and has a full set of beautifully sounding bells.
According to church traditions, the walls and vaults of the church are decorated with paintings. Some of the plots are dedicated to the life of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, while other frescoes depict the main events of Sacred history, images of four evangelists, as well as saints - teachers of the church. The dome of the temple adorns the face of Christ the Almighty. All the work on the creation of the frescoes was carried out by experienced icon painters from the Nizhny Novgorod diocese.
The image of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov on the apse of the church
At present, parishioners are raising funds for a beautiful carved iconostasis and are planning to order it from the workshop of the Nikolo-Tikhvin women's monastery located in Yekaterinburg. The icons placed on it will be painted in the Byzantine manner of writing according to the canons of the XII-XIV centuries.
Current state and visiting regime
The temple is active and open to everyone on any day. It's not just believers who come here. Many tourists come to the station's church, traveling through the cities of the "Golden Ring" of Russia.
Chapel with the figure of St. Seraphim of Sarov on the church grounds
Services in the temple are held on weekdays at 8.00 (9.00), and on Sundays and holidays at 8.00 (8.30) and 17.00. Since 2006, a Sunday school for children and adults has been operating at the church. An Orthodox shrine is kept in the church - a piece of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov.
Attractions near the temple
The territory surrounding the church is landscaped and surrounded by a metal fence. In front of the temple, there is a green park lined with trees. In its center there is a memorial dedicated to the memory of the residents of the city who died during the Great Patriotic War. Nearby, behind the alley of tall fir trees, stands the Aleksandrovsky railway station, which has the status of an architectural monument.
The long brick station building was erected in 1903. Its central section has two floors, while the side sections are one-story. The building is decorated with rustication and neat triangular pediments. Inside it is an interesting museum that tells about the history of the railway line leading from Moscow through Yaroslavl to Arkhangelsk. It is open for visitors every day, except weekends and holidays, from 9.00 to 13.00.
How to get there
The Temple of Seraphim of Sarov stands next to the railway station "Alexandrov-1", on the street. Vokzalnaya, 12. Those who come to the city by car need to turn off the P75 highway to Lenina or Oktyabrskaya streets and get to the railway station.
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