Description of the attraction
The Church of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica was erected in 1906. The architect was A. A. Vseslavin. However, the history of the church began long before the date of its construction.
At the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, about 1000 people permanently lived in the village of Kolomyagi, while in the summer the population increased 5 times. The nearest Church of the Annunciation was in Staraya Derevnya. It was erected by the chancellor, a prominent statesman of the Elizabethan era A. P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin. On the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord from the Church of the Annunciation there was a procession with the cross to Kolomyagi.
In 1883, the Kolomyazh peasants decided to build a stone chapel on the mountain at the entrance to the village in honor of the Emperor-Liberator. Designed the chapel by F. K. Pirwitz. At the end of August 1885, she was consecrated in the name of the holy noble Prince A. Nevsky. In 1896, a small glass annex was added to the chapel, after which it was allowed to serve the liturgy in it. But there was still not enough space for parishioners, and in autumn and winter it became so cold here that services were held only on Sundays and holidays.
Three years later, with the blessing of the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, the peasants began collecting money to rebuild the chapel into a warm church. In 1906, the money was collected, in addition, the local Count A. Orlov-Denisov-Nikitin allocated 5,000 rubles and land for a new wooden church, the project of which was developed by A. A. Vseslavin.
A single-altar church with a squat dome, dedicated to the liberation of the peasants and the opening of the State Duma, was built quickly: it was laid in July 1906, and already on December 5 it was consecrated in honor of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki, whose memory in Russia is associated with the defense of the Fatherland, a military feat. A kokoshnik with small domes is crowned with an octagon of the main volume. A single-tier bell tower with a spire is installed above the entrance.
Since its construction, the Dimitrievsky temple has never been closed, except for several months, when a club was set up here. But nobody came here. The temple was one of the few that worked during the blockade of Leningrad. At the northern wall is the grave of Father John Goremykin, who served here in difficult times of war. When he was completely weak from hunger, the parishioners brought him to the service on sleds. On the other side of the church, the hero-pilot F. Belyakov was buried. He, dying of wounds in the hospital, asked to be buried inside the temple fence.
Currently, the Dimitrievsky temple continues to operate. Particles of the relics of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, Patriarch Tikhon, the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon, Saint Pitirim of Tambov and the patron saint of the village of Kolomyagi - Demetrius of Thessaloniki are kept here. The icon of the Mother of God of Kholmskaya also attracts the attention of pilgrims and is revered by parishioners. Until 1917, a women's community existed in the Udelnaya area, preparing to become a monastery. The sisters had this image, which they considered their patron. Now the Kholm icon is kept in the church.
Now the church of Demetrius of Thessaloniki is the rarest wooden church of pre-revolutionary construction in the city. In 1990, Archpriest Ippolit Kowalski came here, on whose initiative much in the life of the church changed for the better: the building inside and outside was completely restored, the temple area was put in order and is in excellent condition. Young mothers with small children love to walk here.
The number of parishioners has grown significantly. In the old days, 2-3 people received communion here, and now, even on weekdays, up to 30 people go to communion, and on Sundays and holidays - 50-200 people. Every day there are 3-5 christenings, and on weekends 20-30 people come to be baptized. That is why another baptismal church was built nearby in the name of the Monk Martyr Eugenia - the patroness of medical workers. This is the only church in St. Petersburg that bears her name.
Near the church there is a chapel in the name of the holy blessed prince A. Nevsky, which was consecrated by Alexy II, the most holy Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, by the care of Father Ippolit after restoration in the fall of 1990.
