Творческая работа на тему “Sacred places of my native land”
Ткаченко Владислав,
ученик 8 «Б» класса МБОУ «СОШ г. Бирюча»
The grace of sacred places in my native land will be never exhausted!
Those church bells,
How many a tale their music tells!
Have you ever tried to ring the church bells? And as for me, I had a happy chance to do it once. It happened in the village of Kalinovo, situated in Krasnogvardeisky district, during Easter celebrations. My relatives and I took part in the church service that day. By chance, I heard that children were allowed to ring the church bells. I hadn’t expected that it was so exciting. When I stood on the bell tower and rang the bells, my heart was filled with bliss and happiness.
That event made me think about the attitude of people to their local churches and inspired me to collect some information about the foundation of the sacred places in my native land.
There are churches and temples in many villages of my district, but are they really that important place where people are eager to go to?
To answer this question I decided to make a virtual excursion to some of the sacred places in the district. First of all, I have found out that there are as many churches- as many stories of their foundation. Let me introduce the most interesting ones.
The Temple of Kazan Icon of God’s Mother
This temple in the village Soldatka was built according to the project of the architect Karl Ivanovich Blanca. It has a form of the extended ship with a bell tower over an entrance. Parishioners of the Kazan temple in all years of the Soviet power didn't allow to close the church. And even in the months of the German occupation of the village of Soldatka Church services took place. In 1987 restoration works were performed, the unique list and the altar were restored. The temple external walls were updated.
The Temple of Gracious Saviour
Streletsky stone church was constructed in 1876 instead of the burned-down wooden temple built in 1641. In October 1932 under pressure of the activists of the local collective farm the descent of peasants made the decision on bell tower demolition, temple closing. It was also decided to demolish the temple dome. However, in the day of execution of this decision people began to protest, many participants were arrested, and the church was turned into a grain store.
In May 1945 at the request of parishioners Church service in the temple was resumed. In 2003 some restoration works in the temple were carried out.
The Temple of St. Sergius Radonezh
The inhabitants of the village Malobykovo say that their temple is one of a kind. Not without reason, there is a proverb: “Every bird likes its own nest”. The temple attracts tourists’ attention because of its unusual glass domes. The list of the Temple of St. Sergius Radonezh was executed in 2011 by the group of artists of icon painters of Palekh under the leadership of the artist-icon painter Ivan Lebedev.
The Temple Chapel in honor of the Prelate Ioasaf
This temple chapel in the village Ezdotsky is small in its size, though the whole spiritual complex has been created here. People like to say about their church: “A little body often harbours a great soul”.
God's Temple Arkhistratiga of Mikhail
The first church in the village Valuichik appeared in 1796. Many times the building burned and built up anew. In 1960 the church burned down to the basis. And only in 2013 here again the parishioners heard a voice of the church bell. “Better late than never” – this is how the inhabitants of this village speak about their long-expected church.
The Temple of the Protection of Our Most Holy Lady
Nothing's so good but it might've been better – these words belong most of all to the main temple in Biryuch. It was put in 1832 and only six years later it had been constructed by a feast of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God. The beauty of internal furniture of the temple was noted by many well-known people in our country. It was visited by the composer Bortnyansky and the writer Danilevsky. The artist Kramskoy created an image of future picture "Christ in the Desert" on lists of the temple. After the revolution the temple underwent the real defeat, in 1922 withdrew all values, the clergy was also dispersed. In 1961 the majestic temple was turned into regional Recreation centre. And only in September, 2004 reconstruction of the building began and in 2006 the updated temple accepted its first parishioners.
To learn people’s opinion about this temple, some of my classmates and relatives were asked 3 questions: 1. Do you go to the temple? 2. How often do you go there? 3. What are your feelings and thoughts after visiting it?
So, I have discovered that a lot of people, elderly and young, go to the temple, but more often they visit it on the main religious holidays: Christmas and Easter. They express their feelings about the temple differently but the meaning of their words is the same:
? When I walk about Sobornaya Square, my eyes steadily direct up, in the sky, and I see two suns - one of them is real, and another - a gold cross of the Temple. And at once I feel some awe in my soul, inexplicable pleasure and grace.
? Let the doors of the Temple be opened for all people going to Belief, Love and Truth. I wish our Temple long years of prosperity.
? I beg the Temple’s pardon for that it had to endure. I believe that a club or a movie theatre will be never more arranged in its halls and the altar will be never profaned.
For the conclusion of my work I have chosen the following words of the former Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Alexy II: “People can't live without Temple – it is also necessary for their soul as the house and food for their corporal existence”. People in my native land also need temples; they aspire there to fill their soul with kindness, to become spiritually purer and better. I am sure that the grace of the sacred places in Krasnogvardeisky district will be never exhausted.
