The brick church rises on the banks of the old riverbed of the Vyatka River. Its walls, once covered with lime plaster and whitewashed, have weathered significantly. This is one of the earliest stone churches in the area.
The monument has survived to this day in a ruined state. Only the walls of the square base remain up to the level of the cornice of the lower light, the volume of the warm church with the southern chapel, and the partially dismantled lower tier of the bell tower without one support. The interior of the church does not evoke positive emotions, while the exterior leaves a depressing impression of neglect. The dimensions of the building are: length 44 m, width at the refectory 28 m.
The church-building charter for the construction of a stone church in the name of the Savior Not Made by Hands with a warm chapel of the Prophet Elijah was obtained in March 1751. Eight years later, the Elijah chapel was consecrated. The construction of the cold church continued until 1767, and it was also consecrated in 1770. At the end of the 18th century, a bell tower was built, and probably at that time, the completion of the square base was altered. Between 1848 and 1873, decorative work was carried out in the refectory, which did not affect the facades. In the second decade of the 20th century, the church underwent significant changes: a northern chapel was added, the height of the refectory was increased, and the side facades of the bell tower were built up with tents.
The original volume of the Savior Church was an example of Vyatka churches of the transitional type, widespread in the 1730s to 1760s. The facade was adorned with fluted pilasters, window frames with sills, and a profiled cornice. The pilasters rested on pedestals with vertical strips and a high cornice. A half-tier at the completion of the walls of the square base was separated by a relief belt. A decorative arch on the facade anticipated the appearance of a semicircular cap characteristic of "Vyatka Baroque." The wooden completion in the form of a "kurma" was replaced with a roof with a break and a decorative octagon.
The bell tower, built at the end of the 18th century, was a massive four-tiered volume with an elegant goose-shaped roof and spire. It was shifted southward from the longitudinal axis of the church, creating a picturesque effect. The bell tower had an almost square base and two octagons for ringing. The faces were decorated with elongated rectangular niches, emphasizing verticality. The lower tier was distinguished by relief and high arches of the portals.
The five-tiered iconostasis of the cold church was wooden, with carvings covered in light pink paint with blue flowers. In 1913, a project for the expansion of the church was proposed by M. A. Bukhgolts due to the population growth of the parish. It was planned to add a new northern chapel and several utility rooms. The commission allowed the implementation of the project on the condition of transferring the forms and decor of the existing church to the new chapel.
The reconstruction allowed for the spacious interior of the warm church to be revealed. The western wall of the square base had three arched openings, two of which are now bricked up. The western window of the northern facade is also bricked up. The altar of the southern chapel connects with the main room of the church through a narrow passage. The central room of the refectory is illuminated by sixteen semicircular windows of the lantern extension.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first.
To leave a comment, sign in with Google.