In the village of Kholostoy Maidan stands a majestic church in the Russian-Byzantine style, the construction of which began thanks to Princess Natalia Andreevna Ozerova, born Obolenskaya, known from the painting by Tropinin. However, the completion of the construction was made possible by the efforts of the parishioners. This cultural heritage site was placed under protection by a decision of the Gorky Executive Committee in 1989. The Trinity Church is the main attraction of the village, which now has about 150 residents.
The church was consecrated in 1864 in honor of the Life-Giving Trinity and had two side altars: the right one dedicated to St. Sergius of Radonezh and the left one to Archangel Michael. After the arrest and execution of the last priest of the church, Father Alexander Sakharovsky, in November 1937, under the pretext of an epidemic in the Vad region, the church was closed and handed over to the local collective farm "Krasny Luch" for use as a grain storage facility. Despite this, the villagers managed to preserve many icons and continued to baptize children among the grain, inviting a priest from the village of Medyntsevo, and conducted sacraments until the 1950s.
In 1955, when the district center of the village of Vad was actively developing, a decision was made to dismantle unused churches for bricks. However, the chairman of the collective farm, Philip Ivanovich Belenkov, stated that the church in Kholostoy Maidan was being used as a grain storage facility, and dismantling was impossible. After almost 80 years, the residents once again had hope for the revival of the shrine.
On January 22, 2017, a meeting was held in the village with the archpriest of the Vad district, Father Maxim Kutya, where plans for the restoration of the church were discussed. The ruins, like a century ago, impress with their architectural beauty. At the meeting, a group of local residents was chosen, and documents are now being prepared to create a community. About 40 people attended the meeting, waiting for spring to begin restoration work.
Unfortunately, construction was halted. Residents hope for support from federal and regional authorities. It was decided to start fundraising for the restoration. Parishioners, as before, show care for the church with their own efforts and resources. This indicates that the spirituality that existed in the village before the revolution has not disappeared. As long as the church lives, the village will live on!
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