Church of Stephen of Perm description and photo - Russia - North-West: Veliky Ustyug (Topic)

Church of Stephen of Perm description and photos - Russia - Northwest: Veliky Ustyug. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photos and a map showing the nearest significant objects.

Photo and description

In 1772, an imperial decree was issued prohibiting the burial of the dead within the city of Veliky Ustyug, in connection with which it was decided to allocate a place for the city cemetery behind the Pokrovskaya Church on Krasnaya Gora. 1 July 1772, a procession of the cross from the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the new cemetery, where a cross was erected on the site of the future church.

The Church of Stephen of Perm is one of the three functioning temples of Great Ustyug. The construction was started in 1722. A church was erected, like a cemetery, on Red Mountain. Initially, a wooden church was laid, transported from the Sukhonskaya Erogod volost from the churchyard of the Nativity of Christ. In 1774, or more precisely on October 15, the consecration of the church in the name of St. Stephen the Great was held.

In 1799 the Vologda and Veliky Ustyug bishop issued a charter for the construction of a stone church. In 1800, on the basis of a letter from the Right Reverend Arseny, Bishop of Vologda and Veliky Ustyug, the church was rebuilt from wooden to stone.

The church was built with funds raised by parishioners. The merchants Yamshchikovs supervised the construction. Simultaneously with the temple, a bell tower was built next to it. The belfry had nine bells of various sizes. The largest bell was cast in 1807, weighing 107 pounds 30 pounds. But not only the weight set it apart from other bells. On this bell were cast images of the Mother of God, the Crucifixion of the Lord and Nicholas the Wonderworker. When it was made and how much the second largest bell weighed, it remains unclear. The third bell was cast in 1786 in Ustyug and weighed 12 pounds. The other bells were small and did not stand out in any way.

In the period from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the church was considered “quite solid with well-appointed and decorated temples”, with sufficient funds. As evidenced by the inventory of 1919, the cold church in the name of St. Stephen of Perm stood out for its special splendor. The altar had a marble altar with enamel inlays and gilding. Separate pictorial hallmarks adorned the vaults over the altar.

At the end of the 19th century, near the church, in the place where the former wooden temple was located, a stone chapel-burial vault was being built, which was consecrated in the name of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov. The chapel has survived to this day.

The wave of mass cover-ups of churches and the demolition of selected temple buildings did not spare Stefanovskaya Church either. In May 1936, the bells were removed from the belfry, and in 1940 the property of the church and iconostases, as the old residents of the city testify, were destroyed. Nevertheless, Saint Stephen guarded his church, which, although they were ravaged, they did not destroy.

Since 1948, the funeral service for the dead has been performed in the Stephanov Church. In 1964, according to the decision of the executive committee, one temple building was left for the use of believers - the Stefano-Perm cemetery church. The following repairs were carried out in the church: flooring, arrangement of the iconostasis, repair of steam heating, painting, putty of the altar and cold temple, painting of cold and warm temples. In 1965 - 1966, the restoration of icons, gilding of the iconostasis located in the Stefanovsky limit, painting of the niches of the temple, painting the domes of the temple and the roof. In 1970, the roofs were closed and the iconostasis in the side-chapel was rebuilt, the chapel was put in order, the dome was painted. Gradually, the Stefanovskaya church regained a form worthy of worship.

Until 1991, the Stefanovskaya church was the only working parish church in Veliky Ustyug.

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Topic: Church of Stephen of Perm description and photo - Russia - North-West: Veliky Ustyug.