The Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God Church in the village of Baranovo was founded on September 19, 1871. However, the exact dates of the completion of construction and the consecration of the church have not been preserved. Overall, very little information about the church and its pre-revolutionary history remains.
With the advent of Soviet power, many churches were closed, but services and prayers continued at the Tikhvin Church. The authorities attempted to close the church, often resorting to deception of the higher leadership. The parishioners resisted until the end, but in 1940 the church was still closed.
In 1943, when the village of Baranovo was liberated from the Germans, retreating troops, believing that a Russian spotter was in the church's bell tower, shelled it. As a result, the bell tower was destroyed, the roof and central dome were damaged, and traces of shells remained on the walls. During the liberation of the village, many prisoners were taken, and to prevent them from freezing in February, they were locked in the church. A fire unexpectedly broke out inside at night. The prisoners were evacuated, but almost all the interior furnishings of the church burned down.
After the war, there were no thoughts of restoring the church. Only a few years later, it was covered, which protected it from further destruction, and it was used as a warehouse.
In the early 1990s, the process of returning the Church's sanctities began. The Tikhvin Church was returned to the Kursk Diocese, but its condition left much to be desired: a destroyed bell tower, a rusted roof, the absence of a central dome, broken windows, and crumbling plaster.
Restoration of the church began in 1999. Thanks to the efforts of the rector, the chairman of the collective farm, sponsors, and ordinary parishioners, the church gradually regained its former appearance.
Restoration work continues, and the parishioners believe that with God's help, the church will regain its true form and become a refuge for Orthodox Christians. On July 9, 2009, the church was reconsecrated by Archbishop German of Kursk and Rylsk.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first.
To leave a comment, sign in with Google.