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Church of Flora and Lavra in Beloyarsk

Фото 1
In 1771, a wooden church was built in the village of Beloyarsk, but it soon burned down. The villagers decided to build a new brick church and sought help from residents of neighboring villages: Kosulino, Kulikovo, Pivkino, Krasnoyarka, and Chesnoki. The village elders visited Karachelka, where a church was being built at that time, and made arrangements with the craftsmen to come to Beloyarsk after completing their work. Therefore, both churches turned out to be similar. The archive of the Perm Diocese, where Grigory Dmitrievich Chepelev supposedly appealed, mentions the construction of a church in 1771, but this refers to the wooden church. The new brick church was named in honor of Saints Flora and Lavra, the patrons of livestock, especially horses. An icon of Saints Flora and Lavra, created in the late 15th century by masters of the Novgorod school, is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. This school is one of the significant ones in the history of world painting. The icon depicts Flora and Lavra with the archangel Michael, holding the reins of two horses. The colors of the horses show a contrast: one is black with a green saddle, the other is pure white with a red one. The image conveys the harmony between man and nature. The site for the new church was chosen in the center of the village, on a hill. According to residents' memories, by 1812 the church was built up to the windows. Alexandra Grigoryevna Chepeleva recalled that her grandfather knew Pyotr Vorobyov, who often visited the church when artists were working there. One of them depicted Vorobyov among the suffering on the icon. It is said that the features of the Virgin Mary on one of the icons resembled the face of a woman from the village, whom the artist was in love with. The bells for the church were cast on-site, the largest weighing 120 poods. The church shone in the sun, and the ringing of the bells was melodic thanks to the skill of the bell ringer Ilya Okorokov. Once, on Easter, the archbishop, who came for an inspection, was impressed by his playing on the bells and gifted him a present. The archbishop also highly praised the church choir. The church had two entrances and two altars: one in honor of Flora and Lavra, the other of John the Baptist. Perhaps that is why the Baptism was the patronal feast of the village. On festive days, the church and its fence were full of people. The fence was decorated with colored glass. Buried in the fence on the southern side were the ancestors of priest Nikolai Shmotin, who led the church until 1917 and supported the whites in the civil war. After his departure or death, Alexander Yermolov became the priest, who was arrested. The church was closed in 1933, and the bells were removed in 1935. The church had a three-part scheme with a temple, refectory, and bell tower. The architecture was richly decorated, with high vaults and light domes. The interior preserved wrought iron window grilles and a canopy over the southern entrance.

Geo point

Церковь Флора и Лавра в Белоярском

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