home Feeder Temple of the Archangel Gabriel, Menshikov Tower: description, history, architect and interesting facts. Moscow Church of St.

Temple of the Archangel Gabriel, Menshikov Tower: description, history, architect and interesting facts. Moscow Church of St.

Golden-topped Moscow is full of churches with high bell towers, but there is a church that stands out among the traditional examples of Moscow architecture. It is dedicated to the Archangel Gabriel. Located on Chistye Prudy, far from hiking trails, Muscovites know it under the name “Menshikov Tower”.

Temple in Myasnitskaya Sloboda

The first mentions of the temple, consecrated in honor of the Archangel Gabriel, are found in chronicles from 1551. Its location was Myasnitskaya Sloboda, according to the tradition of that time it was called the Church of the Archangel Gabriel in Myasniki. But there was another Moscow geographical definition that tied the temple to its location - the Temple of Gabriel the Great at Poganye Ponds.

History says that the settlement was nicknamed Myasnitskaya after the occupation of the people who inhabited it. The butchers dumped all the waste from their business into ponds, and the smell emanated from them was very unpleasant. Until 1639, the church, through the care of the abbots of the temple and thanks to numerous donations from wealthy laymen, was built of stone, expanded and repaired. Later, the name of the settlement changed, and the place began to be called Gavrilovskaya Sloboda, after the name of the temple.

Menshikov starts and doesn’t finish

The favorite of Peter I, Alexander Menshikov, acquired an estate in Myasnitskaya Sloboda in 1699. Thanks to his active character, desire to benefit the parish and backing up his zeal with money, Prince Menshikov quickly began to equip the St. Gabriel Church, of which he became a parishioner. The first donation went to repair the temple, and from 1701 to 1703 the church was significantly ennobled, but the chance and fortune of Prince Menshikov gave impetus to new construction.

During this period, the king sent the prince on a military mission, which was marked by victory. In addition to honors, Menshikov brought from the campaign the most famous, miraculous icon of the Polotsk Mother of God. According to legend, the icon belonged to the brush. For such a shrine, Prince Alexander Menshikov decided to turn a simple church parish into a magnificent church, the crown of which would be a miraculous image. Therefore, exactly a year after the renovation, the St. Gabriel Church was destroyed to the ground and a new one began to be built on its foundation.

Angel on the spire

The new temple was completed in 1707. He came out marvelous, the likes of which had never happened in Moscow before. Rumor maligned that Menshikov wanted to “rupe the nose” of proud Muscovites, because they did not like the Tsar’s favorite and remembered his “uncourtly” origin, impoverished past and career, which began with selling pies. As soon as the construction of the temple was completed, it was immediately named “Menshikov Tower”.

The church turned out to be tall, about 81 meters high, which was three meters higher than the height. This caused discontent among eminent citizens of the city. But ordinary people accepted the tower favorably and came to admire the new miracle. A special sign of the newly built Church of the Archangel Gabriel (Menshikov Tower) was the thirty-meter spire crowning the bell tower, on which a golden angel ascended to heaven.

The entire design of the temple was unique, especially for those years: numerous ornaments covered the walls of the church; one could look at and marvel at the skillfully carved bouquets, vases, and fruits. The external and internal decoration was made in a spirit that will manifest itself in full force in the new capital of St. Petersburg, but a little later.

Moscow curiosity

The Menshikov Tower in Moscow was built on a grand scale and with great care. The main architect of the project and construction manager was Ivan Zarudny. Under his command were eminent Italian architects, sculptors, and the stone carvers were skilled craftsmen from the Kostroma and Yaroslavl artels.

Through the efforts of the architects and the will of the church, the church came out airy, directed towards the sky, it seemed that it was hovering above the earth, the Menshikov Tower was wonderful. The architect Zarudny designed and built the temple, above which a six-step bell tower soared high, topped with a thirty-meter spire.

The two upper tiers were built of wood with through windows; on the penultimate one they hung fifty ringing bells with a clear sound. Wanting to make a splash, Menshikov ordered a large watch from abroad. They were installed lower than the bells. But the prince was not destined to finish what he started. In 1710, according to the order of Peter I, the capital was moved to St. Petersburg, and the favorite had to urgently leave Moscow. The Church of the Archangel Gabriel (Menshikov Tower) was never fully finished.

Fire and desolation

In 1723, there was a fire in the temple; lightning struck the spire directly. The flames broke out quickly and spread from the upper wooden tiers. The burnt oak supports collapsed and fell inside the building along with all the bells. At this time, there were people in the temple saving valuable icons, many were injured, and some died from their wounds. The icon of the Polotsk Mother of God remained intact, for which the laity thanked God and providence.

A curious fact is that the new church (Menshikov Tower) had not been consecrated by that time, since the work was not completed, but the prince had more important things to do. Over the years, the temple fell into disrepair, the architect Zarudny wrote letters to the prince about the condition of the church, where he indicated that the rafters were rotten, the clock mechanism did not work, and desolation hovered in the room.

After the death of Peter I, His Serene Highness Prince Menshikov fell out of favor. During his illness, he demanded that a miraculous icon be brought to the St. Petersburg estate in the hope of begging for recovery. But later he was sent into exile, the trace of the icon was lost, and the Menshikov Tower in Moscow fell into complete desolation.

Masonic signs

Fifty years later, Gavrila Izmailov, an influential Moscow nobleman and freemason (according to rumors), decided to restore the church. He made large donations, but they did not completely restore the appearance of the church. The two wooden upper tiers and the spire with the angel remained only in memory and projects. Only the four stone tiers were restored; now the Menshikov Tower was crowned with a tall gilded cone.

According to rumors that excited Moscow, secret meetings and services of Masons were held in the temple. Indirect confirmation of this was the signs and symbols belonging to the Masonic order that appeared on the walls of the church, by order of the generous philanthropist Izmailov. By this point, many had already forgotten what kind of church it was, the Menshikov Tower - that’s what the residents called it. When the Masons were convicted of treason and many were imprisoned, the meetings stopped, but symbols, inscriptions and signs adorned the walls of the building for a long time.

Temple at the Post Office

Metropolitan Philaret ordered the removal of symbols inappropriate for Orthodoxy from the walls of the church in 1852. The temple was rebuilt with money from the postal department and re-consecrated. The church came under the guardianship of the Moscow post office in 1821, and at the same time the Church of the Archangel Gabriel at the Post Office began to be called. Since 1792, the postal department was established in the former residence of Menshikov, and now the building of the Moscow Post Office is located almost on the spot former palace Alexandra Menshikova.

Touch history

On Chistye Prudy there is a unique architectural monument, one of the first examples of Russian Baroque. While exploring the capital's attractions, pay attention to the ancient church, better known as the Menshikov Tower in Moscow. Address of the architectural monument and active church: Arkhangelsky lane, building 15a.

Menshikov Tower near Chistye Prudy (Russia) - description, history, location. The exact address, phone, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

Last minute tours in Russia

The Menshikov Tower (Church of the Archangel Gabriel on Chistye Prudy) was built in 1707 by order of Alexander Menshikov. The authors of the project are called Ivan Zarudny, and the participation of Domenico Trezzini, a group of Italian and Swiss craftsmen from the cantons of Ticino and Friborg and Russian stonemasons from Kostroma and Yaroslavl are expected.

The earliest surviving Peter the Great baroque building in Moscow, the Menshikov Tower at Chistye Prudy, was built in 1707 by order of Alexander Menshikov, an associate of Peter I.

Only when you find yourself next to this temple, you involuntarily become convinced of the correctness of the popular saying that it is better to see once than to hear a hundred times. After all, the soaring white and terracotta structure of the church is a rare example of the so-called Peter the Great baroque.

Essentially, this is a traditional tower church “like the bells.” It is, however, to a greater extent endowed with the features of new architecture. This primarily relates to its secular, civic appearance.

In this outstanding work, one of the most remarkable monuments in Moscow, Western influences are organically intertwined with the features of Russian architecture, ancient national traditions come alive with new ideas.

in 1787, during the reign of Catherine II, a certain Gabriel Izmailov undertook to restore the church. During the restoration of the church, instead of the upper tier with a 30-meter spire, a rounded dome with a screw spire was made. The statues of angels with the instruments of the Passion were removed. Instead they put vases.

The Church of the Archangel Gabriel is one of the most original works of Russian architecture of the early 18th century.

All this greatly changed the appearance of the church. It acquired roundness of shape and “softness”. The impression of softness was enhanced by the new spire, which looked like a candle flame. But, despite these changes, the Church of the Archangel Gabriel remained the tallest church in Moscow.

Temple of the Archangel Gabriel

After reconstruction, the church became a universal favorite of Muscovites. And no one paid attention to the strange and wonderful signs that appeared on the walls after the restoration. The fact is that Gabriel Izmailov belonged to a lodge of Masons that existed in Moscow at that time and called themselves Martinists. Not far from the Church of the Archangel Gabriel, in Krivokolenny Lane, in the house of Professor Schwartz, lived about fifty students of the Pedagogical Seminary organized by the Masons. It was for them that Izmailov restored the Church of the Archangel Gabriel, decorating it with Masonic symbols and emblems with Latin inscriptions. Then in the hands of the figures above south entrance Scrolls with mysterious texts appeared.

Secret signs outside and inside the temple lasted for several decades. Only under Nicholas I, in 1852, Metropolitan Philaret suddenly remembered the Masonic signs and Latin inscriptions and ordered their destruction.

Address: Moscow, metro station Chistye Prudy, lane. Arkhangelsky, 15a.

What is what in the church

Alexander Danilovich Menshikov was a parishioner ancient temple, and therefore ordered it to be rebuilt and even gave the church a valuable icon of the Archangel, painted, according to legend, by Luke himself.

The project was daring: the figure of the Archangel was attached to the tip of the gilded spire, and the bell tower was 3 meters higher than the bell tower.

Meanwhile, St. Petersburg was being built, and Menshikov was appointed governor new capital. The prince had to move to the banks of the Neva. Therefore, interest in the Menshikov Tower faded. The interior decoration of the temple was never completed, the clock with chimes delivered from London stopped, and the church itself remained consecrated with only a small rite.

In 1721, the architect Ivan Zarudny wrote to Menshikov that the church was deteriorating and was in danger of falling. But there was no answer.

And in 1723, the inexplicable happened: the priest of the Church of the Archangel Gabriel fell dead during a service, the spire ignited from a lightning discharge, the fire engulfed the upper tier, where the chimes were located, and they collapsed. Then all 50 bells fell, crushing people who were trying to protect the church decorations from the fire. It was possible to save the precious icon, which in 1726, by order of Menshikov, was transported to St. Petersburg. But a year later the prince was sent into exile, and the icon disappeared.

But Peter I liked the design of the Church of the Archangel Gabriel, and he ordered D. Trezzini to build a copy of it in the Peter and Paul Fortress. True, the Peter and Paul Bell Tower suffered the same fate as the original.

In the 1780s, Freemason G. Izmailov restored the Menshikov Tower, decorating it with Masonic signs. She became somewhat shorter, but still looked boldly into the heavens.

Guide to Architectural Styles

Symbolism alien to Orthodoxy, however, like the meeting of Freemasons, was abolished by Metropolitan Philaret. And in Soviet time the tower was about to be demolished. The Moscow workers especially advocated for this, since the church occupied large area in the post office yard. But the tower stood.

Since 1948, the Church of the Archangel Gabriel has housed the Syrian Antioch courtyard, which also includes the Church of Theodore Stratilates with the especially revered image of “Unexpected Joy”.

They say that......Menshikov did not start the construction of the tower of his own free will: Peter ordered the construction. He was worried about the fate of the German settlement, which was threatened by the archers. Although the Lefortovo regiment was quartered there, a reliable connection between the settlement and

A little bit of St. Petersburg in Moscow. The Church of the Archangel Gabriel on Chistye Prudy is one of the most unusual churches for Moscow. Both the architecture is unusual for the capital (“St. Petersburg baroque”), and the very fate of the church ( for a long time it was a meeting place for Masons). Muscovites called this temple this way: Menshikov Tower.

Church on Chistye Prudy, history

The Temple of the Archangel Gabriel was built at the very beginning of the 18th century on the orders of Alexander Menshikov, one of the most prominent statesmen of the time of Peter I.

The temple differed from other Moscow churches precisely in its St. Petersburg - “Latin” - style. Now this style is called Petrovsky (or St. Petersburg) Baroque.

At first the church had a high spire. Hence the popular name “Menshikov’s Tower”: built by Menshikov, it can be seen from everywhere around.

It is believed that the temple of the Archangel Gabriel became a prototype Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg - they were built by the same architect Domenico Trezina (although in Moscow the Italian was formally an assistant to the “chief” architect).

Construction of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg began immediately after the Moscow Church of the Archangel Gabriel. They have the same idea.

In general, the temple on Chistye Prudy is typical of St. Petersburg palace architecture in Moscow. And even the neighborhoods nearby, although they were built much later, are somewhat reminiscent of St. Petersburg. Krivokolenny Lane. Typical, cold, northern modern.

"Petersburg wells" in the courtyards:

...In general, at first, thanks to the spire, this temple was the tallest temple in Moscow (it was built much later - at the beginning of the 20th century). Then Menshikov left all his affairs, went to St. Petersburg, the temple began to deteriorate, collapsed, then was restored and for some time became a meeting place for Freemasons, who decorated the church with their symbols. In 1863, by order of St. Philaret (Drozdov) - then he was the Metropolitan of Moscow - they were all, or almost all, shot down.

By the way, after reconstruction, the church on Chistye Prudy lost its appearance as a tower. The spire is gone. Just a big, beautiful, tall church, the proportions have become a little more sedentary. For some time the church on Chistykh stood under the care of the Main Post Office. Photo from the Main Post Office:

By that time, the temple of the Great Martyr Theodore Stratilates was built nearby: this one is yellow.

It played the role of a “winter” temple with heating and the role of a temple with a bell tower, because after that collapse in the 17th century, bells were no longer hung on the temple of the Archangel Gabriel.

In 1930, the churches on Chistye Prudy, like almost all churches in Moscow, were closed.

Church on Chistye Prudy - now the Antioch Compound

However, they were returned to the Church much earlier than the others: immediately after the War. In 1948, the Temple of the Archangel Gabriel became the Metochion of Antioch Orthodox Church.

View of the “yard” of the Compound:

The Antiochian Orthodox Church includes the territories of modern Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, and Bahrain. In general, “wounded” territories - and mostly Muslim ones today...

These photos were taken in March. There is still ice, snow and slush in Moscow :)