Description of the attraction
The St. George Church is located at the crossing over the Velikaya River, in the place where the rise (ascent) goes from the river to the bank. The stone church was built in 1494 and was located at the gate under the cover of the fortress wall of the Okolny city.
The church is cubic in shape, covered with a hipped roof, which was wooden until 1885, but in modern times it was replaced by an iron one. In the middle of the roof is a cylindrical drum covered with a pear-shaped head. The eight-pointed cross on the head was installed in 1867. The drum is decorated along the cornice with small depressions in the form of kokoshniks, squares and triangles, and a tiled belt with various images of people, mythological animals, birds. The side facades have ordinary tripartite divisions.
Initially, the temple had 2 aisles: north and south. They were connected to the western vestibules. The side-altars were destroyed in 1825 and 1831. On the belfry, which was originally located on the south side of the church, there were three small bells, transferred in 1828 from the temple of Joachim and Anna. In 1831, a closed porch on pillars was added to the church, and the belfry was thrown to the western side. From the west to the St. George Church, in its entire width, is adjoined by a small narrow vestibule, with a pediment roof, which lies much lower than the temple roof. On the east side there are 3 apses, of which the middle one is higher and wider than the lateral ones and is decorated with roller-like patterns.
The peculiarity of the internal structure of the temple is the absence of supporting arches. The dome rests directly on the corrugated vaults. A stone tent has been set up in the southwest corner. The same room is located in the altar, above the deacon. There is a stone bench here, and in the south wall there was a window, now sealed up. Presumably, there was a hiding place in which, in case of danger, church jewels were hidden. Voice-overs are arranged in the walls and sails of the church.
In 1786, the Pskov spiritual consistory ordered to attribute the church of St. George from Vzvoz to the church of St. John the Theologian on Misharina Gora (due to the low population). After 30 years, it was taken to the church of St. Nicholas from Usohi. By decree of Emperor Nicholas I, in 1837 the St. George Church with all its property was assigned to the Pskov gymnasium. At the gymnasium, the temple was listed until 1862, and was again assigned to the St. Nicholas Church (from Usohi).
In 1879 the church was closed. On the initiative of the Governor of Pskov M. B. Prutchenko, the temple was renovated in 1883-1885. In October 1885 he was consecrated by the Bishop of Pskov and Porkhov Hermogenes. Literally at once, by the decree of the Pskov spiritual consistory, the St. George Church with all the property and the clergy of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker from Usoha was transferred to the temporary jurisdiction of the priest George Luchebulu, who arrived from the Riga diocese. From that moment, services began to be held in the Slavonic and Latvian languages.
In 1887, at the Church of St. George s Vzvoz, a parish school was opened for Orthodox Latvians and Estonians, for the maintenance of which the Holy Synod allocated funds (in 1914, 92 students studied here). In 1898, the church gained independence. Since 1912, the priest A. K. Ballod, the psalmist was A. G. Maurov. After 1917, information about them was not revealed. The duties of the church headman were performed by medical assistant A. I. Gritsev. In October 1923, the St. George Church was closed.
During the Second World War, the Germans placed a fuel depot here. At this time, the apse, roof, exterior and interior decoration were damaged in the church. Currently, the Church of St. George from Vzvoz is active.
Description added:
Daria 2016-25-09
Hello! Please make a correction: the Church of St. George from Vzvoz is currently operational, services are regularly held. I am the administrator of the VKontakte group dedicated to this church vk.com/georgiypskov, as well as a parishioner of the church. Best regards, Daria.
