Description of the attraction
Nikolo-Innokentievskaya Church is a functioning Orthodox church, which is one of the cult sights of Irkutsk. This is the last stone building in the city, built in the classicism style.
The initiators of the construction of the temple were the inhabitants of the Glazkovsky village, previously ranked among the parish of the Trinity Church, located in the center of Irkutsk, across the river. In the off-season, due to the lack of a crossing over the Angara River, parishioners could not attend the temple. That is why the residents decided to apply to the Irkutsk Spiritual Consistory with a request to give permission to build their own church.
The construction of the temple was blessed by the Irkutsk Archbishop Eusebius, but he set two conditions for the parishioners: the first was that the church should be made of stone, and the second was that the temple should be built according to a project approved by the Irkutsk Provincial Construction Commission. According to some reports, the project of the temple was developed by the Irkutsk architect Belnevsky. Funds for the construction of the church were allocated by a local merchant Ya. S. Malkov.
In September 1859, a solemn consecration of the temple took place in honor of Nicholas the Wonderworker and Innokenty. Four years later, from the northern part of the church, the Assumption side-altar was added, which was consecrated in 1866. The side-altar was erected with donations from the “local resident” IS Mogilev. A carved gilded iconostasis was also installed and new utensils were purchased.
In 1934 Nikolo-Innokentievskaya church was closed. By this time, the temple was practically inactive - there were no priests. The remaining church utensils were handed over to the railroad club. The bell tower and the crowning parts were dismantled and the second floor was added. After the building was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Irkutsk cinema network.
In 1990, the temple was returned to the Irkutsk diocese, which was actively engaged in restoration and restoration work, which lasted until 2003.
