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Trinity Church in Troitskaya Sloboda

Фото 1
Troitskaya Sloboda begins just outside the city and stretches in a northeast direction. Over time, it gained roadside significance when in 1849 the ancient northern route from Moscow to Yaroslavl was transformed from a dirt road into a highway. Previously, the sloboda was called Otkhozhaya Slobodka, as, according to some sources, priests from Pereslavl were supposed to come here to perform various rituals. Until the abolition of monastic estates, Troitskaya Sloboda belonged to the Pereslavl Nikitsky Monastery and was populated by monastic servants who engaged in agriculture, crafts, and brewing kvass. Subsequently, Troitskaya Sloboda merged with Nikitskaya Slobodka, located near the monastery. These slobodas retained their names and locations, although Nikitskaya Slobodka significantly increased with the formation of the settlement of Priozernoye.

The church in Troitskaya Slobodka was built in 1654 and had one altar in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. Archive documents do not specify the reason for its construction, but it is noteworthy that in 1654, an epidemic of plague ravaged Pereslavl, claiming up to 80% of the population. In the same year, the townspeople built a church in honor of Saint Martyr Anastasia on the right bank of the Trubezh River, possibly for the same reason. In 1702, the church was described as wooden, with one dome covered with German iron and an iron cross. The church, altar, refectory, porch, and bell tower were covered with shingles, and three small bells hung in the bell tower.

At the end of 1763, the wooden church burned down, and in its place, the parishioners built a new wooden church, consecrated in honor of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. In 1855, with the funds from the parishioners, a stone church was built with two altars: the main one in the name of the Life-Giving Trinity and a warm chapel in honor of Venerable Nikita the Stylite. The temple was well supplied with utensils, vestments, holy icons, and liturgical books.

In modern times, the temple suffered devastation, icons were taken away, and the interior decoration was destroyed. However, the Trinity Church remained open until the war, and services continued there. One of the parishioners was married here in 1941, but in the spring, when all the young male population of the sloboda was called up for military training, the village council initiated the closure of the church. That same year, the bells were taken down, and many people cried and prayed.

The church sheltered not only parishioners but also nuns from the closed Fedorovsky and Nikolsky monasteries. Many of them settled in Nikitskaya and Troitskaya Slobodka, closer to the temple and the grave of Blessed Misha-Samuil. Nuns Esfir and Alfeia lived in the church's narthex, engaged in cleaning and baking prosphora. They also taught people and children prayers in the conditions of Soviet atheism.

After the war, the temple was used for various production needs, but in 1999, with the blessing of Archbishop Mikhail, the church was transferred to the Nikitsky Monastery. The monastic brotherhood cleared the temple of debris, and the first service took place on Holy Trinity Day, May 30, 1999. The temple also celebrates the feasts of Nikita the Stylite and the day of remembrance of Blessed Misha-Samuil.

In 2000, when the relics of Saint Nikita the Stylite and Prince Andrei of Smolensk were found, a photograph of Blessed Misha was also discovered. Until that time, there was only a description of his appearance given by Priest Nikolai Smirnov. The photograph was handed over to the editorial office of the newspaper 'Pereslavsky Kovcheg' by an unknown woman on the day of Misha's remembrance. Now, in the Trinity Church, one can see his image and hope for his soon canonization and the writing of an icon.

Troitskaya Sloboda is located not far from the Nikitsky Monastery and was previously called Otkhozhaya Slobodka, as priests from Pereslavl came here to perform rituals. Until the abolition of monastic estates, it belonged to the Nikitsky Monastery and was populated by monastic servants. According to the scribal books of 1629-1630, the monastic servants cultivated fields and mowed hay here. In 1677, there were 16 households of craftsmen and 3 households of landless peasants in Troitskaya Sloboda. The church in Troitskaya Sloboda appeared in 1654 and had an altar in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity.

In 1702, a detailed inventory of the church and its property was compiled. The church was wooden, with one dome covered with German iron and an iron cross. Inside were icons, lamps, candlesticks, and other church property. In 1763, the wooden church burned down, and a new wooden church was built in its place, consecrated in honor of the Holy Trinity. In 1855, with the funds from the parishioners, a stone temple was built with two altars: in honor of the Life-Giving Trinity and Venerable Nikita the Stylite. The temple was equipped with everything necessary for worship.

Church documents have been kept since 1803, including metric books and confession lists. The clergy consists of a priest and a psalmist, who receive income from services and land leases. The parish includes Troitskaya and Nikitskaya Slobodka, where about 490 people live, all Orthodox.

Geo point

Церковь Троицы Живоначальной в Троицкой слободе

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