Description of the attraction
In 1670, the building of the famous Sretenskaya Church was erected on the site of two side-chapels that previously existed in the meal of the Annunciation Church, one of which was consecrated in the name of Varlaam of Khutynsky, which in 1803 was transferred by Archimandrite Benedict to the temple; the second side-altar was consecrated in the name of the Blessed Saints Boris and Gleb, and was also transferred to the Sretenskaya Church from the tent of the Annunciation Church. The western part of the wall of the Sretenskaya Church adjoined one corner to the Sacristy.
Today there is a description of the old, built of wood, Sretenskaya church. The chronicles say that the church was completely wooden, and also had only one throne. The roof was covered with planks. The church had three chapters, which were covered with scales made of wood. There was an iron cross on the roof, and on its edges there were copper plaques. The church bell tower was located on two pillars, on which there were three bells, one of which stood out significantly in size from the others. The consecration of the temple took place in 1870 by the rector of the Pskov-Caves monastery, Bishop Porkhov and Pskov, His Grace Paul.
The building of the Sretensky Church was located on the lower site of the Pechersky Monastery and was tightly built in between the Sacristy and the Annunciation Church. Sretensky Church is a two-storey building built of bricks, which is made in the old pseudo-Russian style. The overlap of the first floor was carried out using a cylindrical vault. The church itself is located on the second floor of the temple building, which is flatly covered. A large central niche was built in the church altar, as well as several small niches on both sides for the altar and the deacon. The narthex is separated from the Sretenskaya church by a large thick wall with three openings: two small, located on the sides, medium and large. All window openings in the temple are completed in the form of arches. The façade of the building was specially designed to be symmetrical and not connected to the Sacristy. Most likely, during the construction process, a small insert was deliberately completed with one window, which connects with the building of the Sacristy and the Sretenskaya Church.
The decorative component of the decoration was based on the principle according to which the facade forms of the Sacristy are repeated, which are made not of slabs, but of bricks. At the same level, the installation of an interfloor traction was carried out, as well as platbands with bow cornices located on them and columns. The central part of the facade is poorly marked with the help of paired pilasters, and on their cornice imposts a parapet was placed on the entire width of the projection with a shortened gable in the very center. A deaf drum with a small head was placed on the part truncated in this way. The front part of the parapet includes an icon case, decorated with an arched end, as well as a keeled kokoshnik. In the icon case itself there is a picturesque composition called "Presentation".
The lower floor of the temple building is treated with a special smooth rustication, and under the central cut and connected pilasters at all corners of the building there is a rustic stone, which is plastered “under a fur coat”. The cornice, located above the pilasters, is loosened, and between the pilasters it is equipped with a valance made of crackers. The pilasters in the corners of the building mark the rotated parapet posts, which are covered with crosses and metal marquees.
In the interior of the Sretensky Church, the paintings on the western and eastern walls have been preserved, which were subsequently updated more than once. The southern and northern walls are decorated in the form of pilasters passing through the window piers. All walls are made of bricks by fixing on a lime-sand mortar, then plastered and whitewashed. The church chapter is colored blue.
