Description of the attraction
The Church of Varlaam Khutynsky located on Zvannitsa is an Orthodox church in the city of Pskov, as well as a monument of historical and cultural significance of the 15-19th centuries under federal protection. The temple was consecrated in the name of the Novgorod ascetic Varlaam, who founded the famous Khutynsky monastery near the city of Novgorod.
The first chronicle mentions of the church date back to 1466, when a wooden church was built during the frost plague. Soon, in 1495, the existing stone church was built. In the historical information of the Church of Barlaam, 1615 plays a significant role, which became famous thanks to the repulsion of the army of Gustav-Adolphus. The main point of attack was a place near the Varlaam Gate, above which a tower of special purpose was located. The gate survived a severe bombardment, while the tower was almost destroyed. Chronicle sources say that the Swedish troops were severely hit by shots that came directly from the church dome.
The entire Varlaam Church is made of slabs, its height is 5 sazhens (just over 10 meters). The temple building is almost cubic in shape. From the west, the church is adjoined by the porch and the vestibule, on which a belfry is built; the porch has a parapet. The belfry consists of two spans, and the covering is made of a four-pitched roof with a cross located on it.
On the north side there is an extension in the form of a gatehouse with a storeroom, and on the south side there is a side-altar, consecrated in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. On the front of the main church, there are triple blade divisions. The hipped roof is built over four medium-high walls. The cornice is decorated with small depressions made in the form of kokoshniks, squares and triangles. The dome has a bulbous cupola, which is covered with sheet iron. Previously, above the head, there was a tiled belt, currently covered with lime. Even in ancient times, the temple roof was eight-pitched. Above the chapel in the name of St. Nicholas, there is a wooden blank tribune with a cupola made of iron.
In the northern side of the vestibule there is a special compartment, which is arranged in the form of a chapel, in which the icon of the Mother of God is located. From this place you can go to the pantry or the gatehouse. Previously, there was a life-size carved image of Christ in a crown of thorns. In accordance with the general resolution of the Synod concerning the confiscation of sacred sculptural images, this image was moved to the sacristy of the Trinity Cathedral in 1808; now the holy image is in the museum of the historical and archaeological committee. In the central part of the main church there are four pillars, which until 1860 were tetrahedral and during the same year were rounded to increase the space.
The internal structure of the Church of Varlaam Khutynsky has some peculiarity, which consists in the fact that the domed arches are not decorated at the same height with the church vaults, but much lower than them. In 1831, a choir was made at the western wall. The last alteration of the temple was made in 1900.
The church iconostasis has three tiers. Its renewal was carried out twice: during 1861 and 1895. The twisted columns at the royal gates are made in the rococo style. In a special department there is a miraculous holy icon "Joy of All Who Sorrow" of ancient writing. Below, part of the icon is slightly sawn off - they say that a certain priest, who allowed damage to the icon, soon fell seriously ill and died. In the sacristy there is a copper cross, hollow inside, which is an ancient relic.
After the revolution took place in 1917, the temple of Varlaam Khutynsky was closed. The revival of the church is closely intertwined with the activities and work of the Orthodox Pskov mission - in December 1943 it became active again.
The Church of Varlaam Khutynsky is a unique and significant monument, it forms a single compositional whole with the adjacent fortifications and structures of the Varlaam corner.
