Description of the attraction
The village of Kachanovo was formed more than 300 years ago. It is believed that the village was in a state of war almost all the time, due to the fact that the borders with the neighboring state were constantly being moved, and local residents had to protect the interests of their own country. The village is now bordering - only 12 kilometers from Kachanovo to Latvia. From time to time, the name of the village also changed: it was called Kachanovo, Pokrovskoe, and Kachanova Sloboda. The village is located by the lake and is surrounded by forests on all sides. In the center of the village is the Church of St. Nicholas. The church was built on a small hill. Sky-blue domes can be seen from afar, their ringing can be heard for many kilometers. The temple is unusually beautiful in spring, when the domes seem to be buried in the lace of tall linden branches. The church is located on the territory of an ancient churchyard. Former parish priests are buried in this cemetery.
The present stone church was built in place of the old wooden one. According to local legend, the wooden church was built by the Radoshevsky landowners: Stefan and Anna, who were later buried in the churchyard at the church. From the inventory of the clerical statements it follows that the church at the Kachanov Sloboda churchyard was rebuilt in 1790, thanks to the efforts of Alexandra Borisovna Beklesheva, a landowner from the village of Pokrovskoye, and the parishioners also provided invaluable assistance. The organizer of the new stone church, Alexander Bekleshova, died in November 1809, she was buried in the church fence. Now the place of her burial is rather difficult to determine, despite the fact that through the efforts of the parishioners, all the graves are well-groomed and kept in order.
The new temple was built of bricks and slabs, sufficiently lit and fairly spacious. Inside, the temple is divided into two halves. There are two thrones here: in the main part - the throne in the name of the miracle worker Nicholas, and in the side room - in the name of Archdeacon Stephen.
There are many icons of ancient painting in the temple, which were transferred from the former temple. One of the main relics of the church is the altar cross. It was brought by the son of the landowner Bekleshova from Jerusalem. The Arab cross was bought from merchants when it was brought to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for worship, and then brought to the Kachanovskaya church. Another equally valuable relic is the Joy of All Who Sorrow icon. Not so long ago, its centenary was celebrated, however, how old the icon is in fact is unknown to anyone, there is no information about its origin, it is only known that in 1908 it was donated to the St. Nicholas Church in Kachanovo. The icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is also especially revered.
In December 1865, the Kachanovskoye rural school was opened at the church. It was opened by Fr. Pavel Dubrovsky, who taught children to read and write. There were not so few people willing to learn to read and write. In 1910, there were 28 girls and 64 boys in the school. The Church carried out considerable educational and educational work among the population. Deacon and painter Fyodor Konstantinov decorated the church inside and outside with original painting. Unfortunately, the external painting is barely visible now.
There is another cemetery 120 meters from the temple in a pine forest. It is lined with coniferous and deciduous trees and surrounded by a stone fence. In the middle of the cemetery there was a four-pointed cross with an eight-pointed cross depicted on it, as well as the inscription "Loins". There is an assumption that a cross was erected in memory of the soldiers who died and were buried here during the invasion of the Livonians in the 16th century.
The church needs restoration. Services are conducted only in one part of the church, the main chapel of Nikolai the Ugodnik is in need of repair.
