Description of the attraction
The Intercession (Mazarakievskaya) Church is an active Old Believer Orthodox church in the capital of Moldova - Chisinau. The church is located on the oldest city street - Mazarakievskaya. At the foot of the hill where the church is located, you can see a memorial stone installed, indicating that it was here that the Moldovan ruler Stephen III the Great announced the founding of the city.
According to archaeological data, the building of the temple is the oldest stone architectural structure in the city, the construction of which was completed in 1752. There are several legends about the appearance of the Mazarakievskaya church. One of them says that the temple was erected by the boyar Vasile Mazaraki, who, before going to the Bendery fortress to the Turkish pasha, promised that if after this visit he remained alive, he would build a church. According to another legend, a stone church was built on the site of a wooden temple previously burnt down by the Turks.
There is evidence that in 1956, near the Church of the Intercession, archaeological excavations were already carried out under the guidance of Professor of History I. Shlaen. Research has shown that there was once a pagan temple on the site of a modern temple, and the Mazarakievskaya church actually stands on the foundation of an older temple.
The interior of the temple is very picturesque and all this is due to the light and shade, emphasizing the volume of the domed vaults, creating a feeling of peace. Outside, the Church of the Intercession has a rather stern look.
The Church has been active since its foundation. Throughout history, it has been restored several times. After held at the beginning of the nineteenth century. restoration to the building of the temple added a bell tower. Today its appearance is as close to the original as possible. The features of the old Moldavian style of boyar temples of the 18th century are perfectly preserved.
