Description of the attraction
The temple of the Akhtyrskaya Icon of the Mother of God was originally a wooden church, which burned down in 1808. The erection of the stone church took place in 1813 with the financial support of the landowner-major Ivan Fedorovich Arbuzov. The consecration of the church chapel took place in honor of the Wonderworker and Saint Nicholas. In the temple iconostasis there were icons that were miraculously saved from a terrible fire. The image of the Kazan Mother of God has become a particularly revered icon. The church kept a silver altar cross dating from 1766 and containing a piece of the relics of the Great Martyr Theodore Stratilates, as well as the Gospel, published by the Moscow seal in 1653.
The church bell tower was also built of stone and stood separately from the temple. The belfry had six bells, of which the largest weighed 21 poods and 30 pounds; moreover, this bell had images of St. Nicholas and Our Lady of Kazan. The weight of the second largest bell was 6 pounds and 4 pounds, the third - 4 pounds and 23 pounds, the fourth - 1 pounds 21 pounds, the fifth - 38 pounds, the sixth - 36 pounds.
At one time, the church was completely surrounded by a fence built of wild stone. Not far from the church building, they buried those parishioners who had done a lot for the development and maintenance of the temple. In 1894, the funeral of a peasant from the village of Grishino named Feodosiy Vasilyevich Sadovnikov took place. The parish cemetery was located at a distance of 90 yards from the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. In the spring of 1895, the church was visited by Bishop Antonin of Porkhov and Pskov, who expressed real archpastoral approval of the parable, led by the church elder, while the bishop carefully examined all the church shrines.
The parish had two chapels, one of which was located in the parish cemetery, and the other was built of wood and was located near the village of Isakovo. The second chapel was built on the site of a previously existing dilapidated chapel at the expense of the inhabitants of this village in 1883. The church chapel housed the famous icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
During the Great Patriotic War, the church was closed and turned into a Soviet club. During the same time, the bell tower was destroyed, and only in 2004 attempts were made to restore it. Today, the church is undergoing global repair and restoration work, but the necessary funds are not enough to complete them completely, which is why, in parallel with the work, funds are being collected.
