Trinity Cathedral, Pskov - a symbol of faith and a defender of the Russian land

Some historical data show thatThe first settlers at the confluence of the two rivers Pskov and Velikaya were the tribes of the western Finns. Also the first settlements here were organized by the Slavic tribes of Krivichi. By the tenth century Pskov had already become a city with a large population of different nationalities. Residents mainly engaged in trade and craft.

The city center, its foundation is the Kremlin (Krom)is located on the edge of the cape, the edge. Now on the territory of the Kremlin there are two historical parts of the city, relating to different times. Detinets with a bell tower, veche area and the Trinity Cathedral and the city of Dovmont.

The idea of ​​a single God in the person of the Father, the Son, andThe Holy Spirit is symbolized by the Trinity Cathedral. Pskov with the cathedral and the Kremlin is one of the oldest architectural monuments of Russia. Its greatness and scale amaze, even in our days rarely erect such grandiose buildings.

History of the Trinity Cathedral

Trinity Cathedral in Pskov is the main shrineall the land of Pskov. The cathedral that we see now is the fourth one erected on this site. The first was built of wood, presumably in 857 AD in the time of Princess Olga. The cathedral was standing until 1137.

In 1138, Prince Vsevolod-Gabriel erected in his place a stone, in which, after the death of the prince, his relics were kept. But, unfortunately, the cathedral stood not so long, its arch collapsed in 1363.

The third cathedral was laid in 1365 atposadnikov Paul and Ananias, consecrated in 1367. Regarding the architecture of the first church there is no information, and the second and third can be judged by some icons. The icon of St. Vsevolod-Gabriel holding the temple in his left hand is in the Trinity Cathedral next to the relics of the prince. Exactly the same icon is in the Kozmodemyanskaya church: the temple is depicted as one-domed, two rows of zakomars are seen, an octahedron is located over the second, there is a tribune with windows and ornaments in the form of arches on the eaves, there is a chapter and 8 final cross on the tribune. On the Sretensky icon the temple is already five-domed, two rows are zakomar, due to the fact that the temple stands on a podklet, it has an elongated shape.

Fire

During a violent fire in the Pskov Kremlin inIn 1609, the powder depot exploded, because of which all the buildings on both embankments collapsed. In the cathedral itself everything burned out, except for the relics of the holy princes Vsevolod and Dovmont. After repairs, the church stood still until 1682, that year the Metropolitan of Pskov Markell started construction of a new church. But they did not manage to complete it, as the upper part of the temple collapsed.

The construction of the cathedral was continued by the MetropolitanHilarion in 1691, in 1699 the temple was consecrated. This cathedral is the one that we see. Several times the temple burned, but was restored inside and outside. Later, in 1770, buttresses were attached to it.

Trinity Cathedral, Pskov

The cathedral was built in a peculiar Russian-Byzantinestyle. It consists of two tiers, has a cubic slightly elongated shape, a four-pitched roof, five domes. The eastern part has three aspids in the form of a semicircle, from the north and south side there are extensions. The porch is located on the west side, it is equipped with a covered staircase. On the lower floor of the temple used to be the burial vault of the princes of Pskov, later the church of St. Olga was built there. And in 1903 the church of Seraphim of Sarov was erected there.

In 1917 after the revolution the cathedral was givenschismatics. In the thirties, the Trinity Cathedral was closed and handed over to the museum of atheism. Numerous shrines of the Trinity Cathedral were transferred to the Pskov Museum-Reserve, many of them are still there.

Revival of the Cathedral

The Pskov Orthodox Church helped revive the cathedralmission in August 1941. First, the main temple of the city was put in order, everywhere there were traces of blasphemy of employees of the anti-religious museum. All the remains were thrown out of the burial vault, everything had to be searched, brought to the proper view and returned to the places. The city museum handed over to the cathedral church utensils, sacred objects, icons, among them the icon of prince Vsevolod. The bells returned to the bell tower. The cathedral of the Pskov diocese found its former glory. They brought a miraculous icon of the Tikhvin Mother of God to the cathedral.

Resurrection

So, in 1941 the Trinity Cathedral again began to operate. Pskov with its Kremlin is a unique monument of Russia. Its architecture has not yet been influenced by Western trends.

Three miraculous icons are kept in the Trinity Cathedral. Of these, it is worth mentioning the icon of the holy princess Olga, written by the archimandrite of the Pskov-Pechora monastery Alipy. Other icons of the Trinity Cathedral are also unique.

Pskov with its residents and church ministers tothe millennium of the baptism of Rus revived the chapel of St. Seraphim of Sarov. It was equipped with an iconostasis, an altar and a throne. The floors were repainted and the church utensils were restored.

Iconostasis

On the right side of the Royal Gates there is an icon "SpasNot Made by Hands ", on the left is the icon" Word of the Flesh ". The composition of the Deesis included the icons of princes of Pskov Dovmont-Timothy and Vsevolod-Gabriel. The iconostasis is completed with the icon of the Mother of God "The Sign". At the gate itself on the right side of the icon is Seraphim of Sarov, on the left side - Nikandra of Pskov. Both saints spent many years in prayer and silence, for which they were rewarded with the grace of God and the Holy Spirit, and praised the Lord with miraculous works.

The icons were painted by Archimandrite Zinon. They are like a prayer, ringing like the thinnest string, ascending to God. According to his design, the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral was drawn up. Pskov included the Trinity Cathedral in the category of monuments of national importance that are under the protection of the state.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Germans equipped a firing point in the Kremlin. During the fighting Troitsky Cathedral suffered.

Pskov guarded the borders of Russia for many centuries, did not allow the Lithuanian, Livonian troops to invade our land. The Trinity Cathedral became the symbol of faith, which helps in the fight against the invaders of the Russian land.

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