In the heart of the old city stands the majestic Holy Trinity Cathedral, which dates back to the early 17th century. The building, which has survived to this day, was built in the 19th century. It served as a monument to the soldiers who bravely defended the Fatherland during the war with Napoleon.
Temple history
The first temple on this site appeared in 1610. The residents of Kaluga will remember him by the fact that False Dmitry II was buried here. In 1619, the wooden church was burnt down by the Zaporozhians who attacked the city, and a new stone church was built in its place by the boyar A.P. Khitrovo.
General view of the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity
By the end of the 18th century, the cathedral fell into disrepair, so a new church began to be erected in Kaluga. Empress Catherine II allocated 30 thousand rubles for this purpose, but the Kaluga temple turned into a real long-term construction. The building project was prepared by the architect Pyotr Romanovich Nikitin. By 1788, the foundation was laid, the basement was erected, but due to the wars that Russia waged with different countries, construction was suspended.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the architect Ivan Denisovich Yasnygin prepared a new project, construction continued, and in 1811 work began on the interior decoration of the building. After long preparations, the Kaluga Cathedral was finally consecrated in 1819.
In Soviet times, the temple was closed to believers, and the Bolsheviks stored in it were transported to Moscow... At the same time, the huge 8-meter iconostasis by the architect Kazakov was irretrievably lost. So that nothing reminds of religion, the frescoes on the walls were painted over with whitewash. For many years the solid building was used as the House of Defense, a cinema, a menagerie and a hall for exhibitions.
During the war, the former temple housed a military hospital, armory and food storage. Then the Kaluga archive moved here, followed by the sports school. The city authorities planned to turn the premises into a concert hall, but in the summer of 1991, through the efforts of the local diocese, the temple was returned to the Orthodox Church.
Architectural features and interiors
The Kaluga Church was built in the classical and neo-Byzantine styles. This is the first and largest pillarless cathedral in our country with the largest unsupported dome. The diameter of the dome is 29 m outside, and 17 m inside.It is curious that the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg, built simultaneously with it, has a dome with a diameter of 15 m.
The four-tiered bell tower rises to 70 m. The huge building is constantly being restored, so the reconstruction work has not yet been completed. The interiors were redesigned in the 1990s-2000s. Inside you can see dark-toned Russian-style murals and a new multi-tiered iconostasis.
Iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity
Useful information for tourists
The cathedral is open daily from 8:00 to 19:00. Three thrones have been consecrated in the church - in honor of the Holy Trinity, the Tikhvin and Kaluga icons of the Mother of God. A Sunday school for children is open at the temple, and excursions are regularly held for tourists who travel to the cities of the "Golden Ring" of Russia.
The main shrines of the cathedral are the lists of the Kaluga, Iberian and Chernigov icons of the Mother of God, several revered icons of the 18th century, arks with the relics of St. Kuksha and the Optina elders.
View of the dome of the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity from the inside
How to get there
The Cathedral stands in the Central Park of Culture and Rest of Kaluga. To get to it from the railway or bus station of the city, take a bus, trolleybus or minibus that goes to the center and get off at the stop "Ploschad Staryi Torg".
Information sources:
- Wikipedia, Trinity Cathedral Trinity Cathedral (Kaluga)
- Tourist Information Center "Kaluga Region", Trinity Cathedral
- Sobors.ru, Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity
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