At one of the most beautiful main streets of Sevastopol - Big Sea - is the cathedral in the name of the Protection of the Mother of God. It was built from 1892 to 1905 by a famous architect and watercolor painter VA Feldman (1864-1928). For example the architect took the stone Russian churches XVI century. Cathedral quite massive, but does not leave a heavy, oppressive experience. On the contrary, all of it runs upward to the sky: the ogive, and each of the four towers surrounding the dome, and a slender tower, which connects to a rectangular extension of the central temple of the volume, Do turrets and bell tent covering, crowned with onion-domed onion-shape. The Cathedral is decorated with architectural elements in the old Russian style: kokoshniki, cornices with molded friezes, arched window decorations. On the west side adjacent to the cathedral refectory, in which two rows of pillars and stairs leading to the choir. Entrance to the dining hall through the gallery like a closed porch with a stone staircase. This temple Sevastopol-Qi is very fond of him, he visited the people of different social classes: the sailors and their families, employees and officers. Cathedral included two temples: the top - in the name of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin and the bottom - in the name of the Holy Martyr of Faith, Hope, Love, and their mother Sophia.
Holy Martyr suffered for Christ in Rome under the Emperor Hadrian in 137 year. Hagia Sophia was a widow, and raised her three daughters in Christian piety. The news about the beauty, intelligence and education of young ladies came to the emperor, and he commanded to bring them to himself. The emperor ordered the girls to make sacrifices to pagan gods, but they are cooked with prayers and exhortations mother fearlessly confessed his faith in Jesus Christ. All three girls: Faith for 12 years, 10 years, Hope and Love 9 years, have been severely tortured in front of his mother, and then were decapitated. Their mother, Sophia, burying their daughters, died at their tomb after three days of grief. People buried next to her. Sofia did not undergo physical torture, but intimate suffering church called her, as all her daughters, a martyr.
In May 1916, at the crypts of the lower church was placed the coffins with the remains of Revolutionary PP Schmidt, S. P. Private, IA Gladkova, N. Antonenko, executed on the island Berezan. In November 1923, they reburied in the cemetery of the Communards.
During the Great Patriotic War in the cathedral placed hospital. One day, tragedy struck: in the south aisle hit by a bomb, and all who were there were killed. They were buried in a large mass grave near the temple.
cathedral rebuilt after the war, services were held and there until 1962, then closed it and handed over to the use of archives. Over the years, archival documents became more and more, to keep them required more spacious premises, but did not find a suitable long time.
Revival cathedral began in 1992, when released from the north aisle of archival documents in the name of the Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon, he re-consecrated on April 8. And in early 1994 and handed over all the building of the Church, by the time it is almost completely restored the dome and crosses.
tragic event happened in the church on Sept. 17, 1993. During the evening service one of those present in the temple, still a young man, set fire to combat incendiary chapel of the Cathedral of St. Panteleimon, which at that time the congregation prayed. Fortunately, God did not allow loss of life, except for the arsonist, it afire, could not be saved. From the high temperature melt concrete floor, and the iconostasis survived the fire barely touched him. Now the iconostasis decorated Seraphim aisle of the cathedral.
In 1998, work began on the interior painting of the church, first painted the chapel of Saint Panteleimon, its walls decorated with eleven stories from the life of the saint and the image of the Savior. Worked on murals creative team of artists from Kyiv: Sergei Odaynik, Victor Kozik, preparing sketches Vadim Kozik. Blessed them in this work by Metropolitan Volodymyr (UOC-MP), he also helped the council to what subjects to address and how to design the overall painting. A project S. Odaynika was arranged remarkable iconostasis, he also created a pattern for the floor of the cathedral.
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