Description of the attraction
One of the amazing churches of Novaya Ladoga is dedicated to Clement of Rome and Peter of Alexandria. The first chronicle sources describing the Church of Clement were records according to which in 1153 the temple was laid as a cathedral. This event happened thanks to the Novgorod Archbishop Nifont. After some time, the cathedral, built of stone, was demolished, and a wooden church was built in its place. In 1703, the wooden church was moved to Novaya Ladoga, because it was originally located in Ladoga.
Between 1741 and 1743, a stone church was built on the previous site of the wooden church of St. Clement, Pope, and St. Peter of Alexandria. The necessary funds were allocated by the noble merchant of Novaya Ladoga Konstantinov Dmitry Irodionovich. The completion of the temple was made in the form of a small onion-shaped dome. The temple was equipped with a pillar-shaped bell tower. Its consecration took place on August 18 in 1743.
A distinctive feature of the Church of St. Clement was its inherent asceticism of external decoration, which was not characteristic of the Baroque era, which prevailed during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna. To date, the gilded iconostasis, made of wood, as well as icons, especially valuable for their time, have been lost. It was not possible to save the ancient temple image of St. Clement of Rome and the icons of the Apostles St. Peter and two martyrs, which were painted in 1761 according to the order of Archbishop Demetrius Sechenov.
The wooden spire on the bell tower collapsed due to dilapidation from a strong hurricane in 1811, but during the 1818-1820s it was recreated thanks to the efforts of the church head E. E. Yaroslavtsev - the new spire was now located on iron rafters. In the same period of time, it was decided to whitewash the church, while the domes of the warm church were covered with brass iron, after which new crosses were erected on them, covered with gilding.
In the summer, at the end of July, the parish was visited by the Novgorod and St. Petersburg Metropolitan Isidor Nikolsky. In honor of this event, according to the project of the architect and engineer K. V. Fortunatov, the temple was repaired. The head of the Stolyarov and the priest Nikifor Verolsky took over the work. Over a short period of time, the temple has changed significantly, with a new altar and an oak throne built, as well as a completely renovated bell tower built in the form of a hexagon over a small part with a spire and a domed end located on the west side.
The church received many donations, among which it is worth noting gifts from the merchant Yevseyev and Princess Kovrigina, as well as an expensive gift in the form of an altar cross from Princess Fedorova. The church interior was invented by the architect K. V. Fortunatov, who made detailed sketches. The icons included in the carved gilded iconostasis were painted by the artist Kolchin. On June 30, 1878, the repaired temple was consecrated by Archbishop Dobronravin Hermogenes.
In 1938, the church of St. Clement was closed, although a huge number of believers from the townspeople asked not to do this, the authorities did not succumb to their influence. After some time, the building of the temple was converted into a city cinema, although at first it was supposed to accommodate repair shops under the joint name "Lengorrybtrest".
To date, there is no iconostasis or interior decoration of the church, because they were destroyed in the 80-90s of the 20th century. At that time, a workshop from the "Lacond" plant worked in the building of the church, a fish workshop at the Novoladozhsky combine operated in the Spassky Church. Thus, in the early 1990s, the premises were completely empty and began to collapse. Only some fragmentary paintings in the dome and on the dilapidated walls, made in the academic style, have survived - the painting of the Nativity of Christ, the Assumption, St. Mary Magdalene, Savior the Almighty, ethereal Heavenly Forces.
The church is currently not in use.
