The Nikolskaya Church in Malye Vsyegodichi of the Kovrov district is first mentioned in 1628. Later, there were records of a second wooden church, the Nativity of the Virgin. The current brick church began construction in 1784 on the site of the burned Nativity church and the dilapidated Nikolskaya. The warm Nikolskaya chapel was consecrated in 1788, and the main cold Nativity chapel in 1797. In 1822-1823, a single-headed completion was replaced with a five-headed one. In 1863, during the expansion of the church, a second warm Cross Exaltation chapel was added. A late tall four-tier bell tower in the Russian style adjoins the western facade of the refectory, along with a narthex in the same style.
Since 2010, the church has been restored through the efforts of local resident Alexey Strizhov. This is not a quest for fame or redemption of sins, but a conviction that it must be done. Alexey says: "People rarely think about God until they face a serious illness or grief. We are believers, and this is God's temple. The cleansing of the soul happens not because we are good, but because we must do this."
The church was chosen for restoration because the Strizhovs have a dacha opposite it. In childhood, Alexey and his brother often played in its ruins and saw people taking stone slabs from there for house foundations, not understanding that they were consecrated. Years later, they, along with local residents, began restoring the church.
The first mention of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary dates back to the second half of the 17th century. It was wooden, moved to a neighboring village, and then rebuilt in Malye Vsyegodichi, but burned down in 1783. Five years later, a stone church with a chapel in honor of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker was built with the funds of parishioners. Over time, the church changed: instead of one dome, there became five, the roof was covered with iron, and the walls were painted. Later, a chapel in honor of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord was added. Thus, the church exists today. It has a stone quadrangular bell tower. The main attraction was a wooden cross depicting the Lord, Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Savior, the Mother of God, and a cherub.
In 2013, craftsmen began creating a wooden carved iconostasis, which promises to be incredibly beautiful. If everything goes as Alexey and his friends dream, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Malye Vsyegodichi will become a decoration of the Vladimir region and a monument to the labor of the ascetics.
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