Description of the attraction
The Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is located near Alushta in the village of Malorechenskoye. This is the only church on the Crimean peninsula, erected in memory of the travelers who died on the water. The cult structure, laid on a high cliff above the sea, can be seen from many points on the southern coast of Crimea. The uniqueness of the church lies in the fact that it can serve as a lighthouse and is the only temple-lighthouse in Ukraine.
Malorechenskaya Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was built with the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II on the savings of the Russian politician and businessman A. Lebedev. The first stone of the temple was laid in October 2004, on the day of the celebration of the Protection of the Mother of God. In June 2006, Metropolitan Lazar of Simferopol and Archbishop Augustine of Galicia consecrated the Orthodox cross of the Crimean lighthouse church. At that time, the decoration of the church was still underway, on which the Chernigov artists worked. The temple was designed by the famous architect A. Gaydamak. The solemn consecration of the church in honor of the patron saint of sailors and travelers Saint Nicholas took place on May 15, 2007.
The two-altar temple-lighthouse of Nicholas the Wonderworker, 65 m high, is the highest in Crimea. In its design were used ship anchors, chains and bollards. Instead of the traditional dome, the temple is crowned with a golden cross, under which is a ball symbolizing the Earth. It was in this ball that a lighthouse was arranged indicating the way to sea vessels. A little below there is a bell tower with an electric bell drive. The architectural details of the church are made using traditional ancient Greek ornaments.
The interior of the temple is especially impressive. The gilded iconostasis is made of precious wood. On the ceiling of one of the porticoes, you can see the image of the signs of the zodiac, symbols of the constellations that serve as a guide to sailors.
With its beauty, the lighthouse-temple of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker attracts many tourists from different parts of the world.
