Description of the attraction
The Church of St. Nicholas from the Stone Wall is an Orthodox Old Believer church in Pskov, it is a cultural and historical monument of federal significance.
The church was built of limestone with lime mortar. The temple is one-headed, with a drum of light, and has no pillars. The church quadrangle has an almost square shape (length - 5, 8 meters, width - 5, 3 meters), in the altar part it is joined by a semi-cylindrical apse. The narthex (length - 5, 4 meters, width - 4, 1 meters) adjoins the temple from the western side. Under the narthex and the temple there is a sub-church with 2 rooms covered with corrugated vaults. You can enter here from the northern part of the apse. The decoration is represented by blades connected at the top by lobed arches; blades divide the facades of the church into 3 parts. The drum has a pattern of rows of runners and curbs; ancient slit-like window openings have been preserved on it.
In ancient times, the church belonged to the Nikolsky Kamennogradsky monastery, which was first mentioned in documents of the XIV-XV centuries. In addition, there is chronicle information about the monastery for 1453. In the 16th century, the monastery is located on the Riga road with the name "stone fence". Presumably, at this time the temple was erected. In ancient times, the region of Pskov - Zavelichye - had no fortifications, and therefore the monastery, located near the main road on the outskirts of the city, at the beginning of the 17th century suffered many disasters and destruction from the Lithuanian and Swedish armies.
In 1682, an attempt was made to restore the monastery at the expense of a local townsman - Vasily Kolyagin. In 1745, there were 32 parish courtyards for the Nikolsky Monastery. In 1753, the temple was badly dilapidated. At that time it was made of stone, with a porch, covered with a plank with a plank head covered with scales. The bell tower was also built of stone and had 4 small copper bells. The iconostasis had 4 tiers.
In 1764, the Nikologradsky monastery was abolished, and the church was transferred to the parish. 22 years later, the Church of St. Nicholas from the Stone Wall was assigned to the Paromouspensky Church. By the beginning of the 19th century, the temple was badly dilapidated. At the same time, a wooden porch was built, the eight-pitched roof was replaced with a four-pitched one, the window openings of the southern and northern walls were enlarged, slotted windows were made in the apse, and the main opening was hewn and laid. In 1888, renovation work was carried out, after which 2 small bells were hung on the porch.
After the revolution, the Nikolograd church was taken under state protection, in addition, funds were allocated for its repair. Until the Second World War, the temple was used as a warehouse. In 1947, the church was transferred to the Old Believer community of the Pomor Consent. In 1960, the temple was taken under state protection as a monument of republican significance. For a very long time, from 1947 to 1987, the mentor of the community, numbering about 300 believers, was Father Makarii Aristarkhovich Epifanov. He was well known not only in Pskov, but also throughout the northwestern part of Russia and the Baltic states. Father Macarius led the community until his death on February 26, 1987; He was buried in the Old Believer cemetery near the village of Berdovo (behind the Kresty). After his death, to this day, the community does not have its own mentor. Sometimes, by invitation from St. Petersburg, Father Vladimir Shamarin comes from the church at the Fisherman's Cemetery and others.
The parishioners of the community are about 400 residents of Pskov and its outskirts. The Pomor community also operates in the town of Nevel, Pskov region.
