Description of the attraction
Chronicle sources mention that in 1404 an abbot named Karp erected a stone church named after St. Stephen in the Spaso-Mirozhsky monastery. But this church does not exist, since the modern church has very noticeable traces of late Moscow architecture. This kind of similarity is expressed only in an insignificant claim to some kind of panache, as opposed to the ordinary simplicity of the Pskov temples.
The church was erected from bricks and slabs. The Church of St. Stephen is not cubic, like almost all Pskov churches, but is slightly elongated upward, which resembles the Panteleimon Church located on Bor. Three semicircular apses protrude quite a bit from the facade and practically merge in one plane. Between the lateral and middle apses there are smooth semi-columns with three convex belts instead of capitals. A wide window has been made in the central apse, which is covered with a torn pediment, this is a sign of a rather late alteration in the late 17th or early 18th century. The side apses have no windows, but the northern apse has two niches. The three existing apses extend only up to half the height of the church and are clearly emphasized in the lower part by a horizontal ribbon of bricks placed on the edge, which make an indelible impression of miniature square-shaped nightstands with imposing capitals on them. Just below the described tape, an absolutely smooth wall runs right down to the ground.
The north-facing facade has an exit to the outside, while the south facade is directed to the courtyard. The north facade is divided into three parts perpendicularly: right, middle and left. The left part has one window in the upper tier, as well as a pediment on top and two pilasters on the sides. At the same time, the pediment has a rather primitive shape, which can be seen in Moscow architecture of the 16th century, for example, on the windows of the Church of John the Baptist in the village of Dyakov.
The central part differs significantly from the rest in that it has a built-on third tier, the angular blades of which do not converge with the blades of the middle tier. The upper and middle tiers are illuminated by several windows of the same device as on the windows on the left. The uppermost tier is covered with a hipped roof with a bulbous head and a drum made of stone.
The lower tier of the Stefanovskaya church is completely devoid of windows and is separated from the lower tier by the continuation of the horizontal tape that is on the eastern facade of the church building. The triple division of the northern facade is fully consistent with the internal demarcation of the temple, i.e. the right side corresponds to the narthex, the middle to the main temple building, and the left to the altar.
In 1789, a bell tower was added to the western façade, but 30 years ago it was replaced by a new one, which can still be seen today. On the right side there are two-storey monastic cells, which were built in the same 1789 year.
The southern façade of Stephen's Church was not much different from the northern façade. In 1884, a porch with wooden steps was added to it, which lead to the central tier, where the church itself is located. On the right side of the porch there is an entrance leading to the lower tier, which now serves as a warehouse for all sorts of materials, although in terms of architecture it deserves special attention.
The most unique is the temple iconostasis, which is the work of the famous archimandrite Zinon. In addition, the church has a miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Mirozhskaya Oranta", which appeared in an incredible way in 1199. Among the most revered shrines is the icon of the great martyr Panteleimon, dating back to the 19th century and brought from Mount Athos; "The Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God", "Nicholas the Wonderworker", as well as particles of the relics of saints from absolutely all over the world.
Icon-painting workshops are developing at the Stefanov Church, and the Mirozh icon painters are considered worthy successors of the traditions of masters from Byzantium, skillfully painting churches in the 12th century. Today, services are regularly held in Stephen's Church.
