Description of the attraction
In St. Petersburg, at the crossroads of Lermontov and Rimsky-Korsakov avenues, not far from the Mogilev bridge, there is the Church of the Holy Martyr Isidor Yuryevsky and Nicholas the Wonderworker (Holy Isidor Church). It was built according to the project of A. A. Poleshchuk in 1903-1907 Its name is associated with the upper three-aisled temple dedicated to the holy martyr Isidor Yuryevsky. The side chapels are dedicated to the Apostle Peter, the Apostle Paul and the Monk Seraphim of Sarov. The lower church of the church was consecrated in the name of Nicholas the Wonderworker.
The chronicle of St. Isidor's Church begins in 1894, when an Estonian Greek-Cafolic parish was founded in Kolomna. It was headed by the rector Pavel Kulbush. At that time, about 4 thousand Estonians who had converted to Orthodoxy lived in St. Petersburg. At the suggestion of Pavel Kulbush, on November 29, 1898, the Estonian Brotherhood, dedicated to Isidor Yurievsky, was opened. Later, the rector Kulbush initiated the construction of a church for the parish. The right to implement this idea was given to the architect A. A. Poleshchuk.
By 1901, a preliminary sketch of the future church was ready, and by August of the following year, the final design of the temple was adopted, in which more than 700 people could be present at the same time. Money for the construction was collected throughout the Russian Empire. The first installment came from John of Krondstadt.
Construction began with a church house and a wooden chapel, consecrated in March 1903. In the same year, on August 24, the first stone of the five-domed church was laid. The church was built taking into account the fact that the complex will include a school and a hostel for students, a library, a book depository and a separate room for discussions and disputes.
While the construction work was going on, services were held in a temporary church in a church house. The icons and images were painted by the artists of the Mutual Aid Society. Services in the newly erected church were held in two languages - Church Slavonic and Estonian.
The altar of the temporary church on December 21, 1903 was consecrated in the name of Isidor Yuryevsky by Bishop Constantine of Gdovsky and John of Kronstadt. In February of the following year, the consecration of the Seraphim Chapel took place.
By 1905, the funds for the construction had run out. We got out of a difficult situation thanks to the help of a real state councilor I. M. Bogdan, who headed the construction committee. He donated about 50 thousand rubles. Money also came from Emperor Nicholas II, who donated 3 thousand. The construction of St. Isidor's Church was completed in 1907.
The consecration of the main chapel in the upper church was carried out by Metropolitan Anthony on September 23, 1907. A few days later, the left chapel, dedicated to the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, was consecrated. Bishop Constantine of Samara consecrated the lower church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on March 30, 1908. The last consecration took place on May 4, 1908 in the right side-altar in the name of the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul.
Later, the craftsmen made altarpieces. Unique multi-tiered baroque iconostases were made in Ambrosimov's workshop. The image was painted by the artist Vasily Perminov. The cladding of the thrones with white marble was carried out from 1910 to 1912 by craftsmen from the K. O. Gwidy.
After the revolution in 1923-1927. the church held courses in theology, which by 1925 became the Higher Theological Courses. Rector - Archpriest Chukov.
The Holy Isidore Church was closed in February 1935. The church property was transferred to the Nikolsky Cathedral. In 1938, the rector, Archpriest Paklyar, was repressed and shot. The building was completely rebuilt and a picturesque and design complex of the artistic fund was placed in it.
The return of the church building to the believers took place in 1994. The first liturgy took place on October 30. Two years later, a cross was erected over the church. Five years later, the restoration of the upper church began, and in 2001 the Nikolskaya chapel was opened for believers.
The restoration work in the upper aisle was completed in the spring of 2011 - the altarpiece stained glass window, painting, iconostasis were recreated. The lower church of the church still requires restoration. Since 1994, it has only been temporarily decorated. Regular divine services have been held since September 2006. At present, library funds have been opened in St. Isidor's Church, and children can attend a parish Sunday school.
