Description of the attraction
The Zhytomyr Assumption (Podolsk) Church is located in one of the oldest historical sites in the city - in Podil. The church belongs to the diocese of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate and is an architectural monument of local importance. The temple surprises with its grandeur, beauty and originality.
On the site of the present stone church, there was once a wooden church, built in 1700. The building was small in size, therefore, during services and on church holidays, most of the believers were on the street. There was a need to build a new church, which would be able to accommodate more people, but there were not enough funds for its construction. In September 1859, the rector of the church turned to the Volyn spiritual consistory with a request to issue a “book for collecting donations” for the period of the planned construction.
In 1861, a stone refectory and a bell tower were added to the church, in which the St. Nicholas side-chapel was equipped. In the same year, the construction of a new stone church began on the site of the wooden church.
The first project for its construction was drawn up in 1871 by the Volyn provincial architect Lipitsky. The stone monastery took seven years to build and was painted with frescoes depicting the faces of saints and scenes from the Bible. In this form, the church has survived to this day.
The temple has a cruciform shape - with a bell tower, about 30 m high. In 1884, two stone wings were added to the church. In 1892 the St. Nicholas side-altar was moved to the southern part of the church, parallel to the main altar.
From 1935 to 1941, the church was closed and used as a warehouse. From 1961 to 1991, the building of the monastery was used as an archive. In 1991 the church was returned to the parishioners. After that, the frescoes were restored, the altar was recreated, as well as a copy of the miraculous icon. The grand opening of the Assumption Church took place in March 1992. In August 1996, it received the status of a bishops' council.
