The fountain and the scene instead of temples – how to destroy archaeological heritage

In the early twentieth century in the center of Moscow, stood a red-brick convent, named Sorrow. In 1918 the monastery was abolished, and 10 years later destroyed together with the churchyard. Preserved only decapitated the Cathedral of the merciful Savior, and handmade shell – it acts the temple. And now the site of the temple of the Three saints, the Foundation of which were found preserved, within the framework of the improvement of the city want to build a stage for the entertainment of the townspeople. Why the value of the finding was recognized only by the parishioners and Arhnadzor, and that Moscow can not be saved.

  • 150 years of all who Sorrow monastery in Moscow. The Shrine has not given to the Church
  • 150 years of all who Sorrow monastery in Moscow. The establishment of all who sorrow monastery
  • The duty of our memory
  • The Convent Of All Who Sorrow. The Cathedral Of All-Merciful Saviour.
  • The chambers on the site of the temple and the Church on Godless street

Here it is, the temple, and on paper nothing of value there

Before beginning prayer the mayor khrama vsemilostivogo Spasa Vladimir Prostov conducts a tour for everyone: leads to dug in the middle of the hill to the pits and explained, as is the historic Church. Here the remains of a transverse wall, here was the altar, around here – the throne, and then, in the third pit, the door to the basement, that is on the ground floor.

– You’ve been inside, nothing is preserved? Maybe an icon of some kind or painted?

– No, thank you! What is there to remain, only the walls.

In the early twentieth century in the center of Moscow, between Sushevsky shaft, Novoslobodskaya street and the street Tikhvin, stood a red-brick convent, called in the name of all who Sorrow icons of the Mother of God “joy of All who sorrow”. It was founded by Prince Golitsyn on the territory of his estate. In the ensemble of the monastery included several churches, including Three saints, sisters of the cells, refectory, school and cemetery. In 1918 the monastery was abolished, and 10 years later destroyed together with the churchyard. Preserved only decapitated the Cathedral of the merciful Savior, and handmade shell – it acts the temple.

If not for the day of the city 100 years later, an occasion for the construction work on the improvement, hardly anyone out walking in the Park “Novoslobodskaya” could imagine that the low hill area of about 100 square meters. It was formed in 1930 when the remains of a bombarded just demolished Three saints Church, and today the project GBU “roads. CAO” the hill needs to be wiped out and become a stage for holding dances and concerts.

Joy of all who sorrow monastery in the early twentieth century. Photo: Wikimedia commons

– That on this place there was a Church we have always known, because it preserved the plans and even construction drawings. We just didn’t know what her remains, and could not think what had kept so many – says the Abbot of the temple merciful Saviour Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko.

To work on improving the Park began in June. Alexander’s father, and active Church members became concerned almost immediately, and when it became clear that the builders to dig trenches careful not going on their own has opened the turf on the hill, and found beneath the masonry. Archaeologists determined that the remains of the temple, stopped the work and started digging. Found fragments of walls and foundations, the blind area around the temple, the door leading down to the basement and the basement itself. It would seem, here it, cultural heritage, and GBU “Roads” should immediately stop all work around the hill, and certainly to abandon the idea to build the stage.

We agree with the builders, they promise, we even have a paper that is written by the project Manager, that there are no earthworks on a hill to not be. But they gave us this paper and then put curbs around – continues Alexander’s father.

When the trench came close to the Foundation of the former Church, the priest wrote a letter to Arhnadzor. First to protect the Orthodox shrines joined by the coordinator of Social movement Maria Korobova. The moleben to the Three Ecumenical saints she came with her daughter. Says could not stay in the party itself and the child tries to attach to the values and Orthodox, and universal.

According to Maria, the problems could not be entirely, if at GBU “Roads” knew the legislation. In 2017, issued a decree, according to which Moscow within Chambers-the Collegiate shaft itself is a monument and archaeological value, therefore, any excavation in this area may be conducted only with the permission of the Department of cultural heritage of the city. The “Highways” of this permit document was not, and still need to figure out how do they could start construction in the Park.

Maria Korobova

– It turns out we are with you own eyes can see – here it is, the temple, appeared to the Muscovites, and on paper there is nothing of value there. Should probably write a petition on the protection of foundations and the recognition of noteworthy places to resonance, – says Maria.

Work was stopped only by the police, now on duty in the night

The cultural heritage Department and other agencies competent to change the situation, drew attention to the problem only after the builders nearly destroyed tombstone marble cross. It was 3 July. On the hill were already a traditional meeting of members and coordinators of the Arhnadzor.

The activist community of the Church, the head of the public Association “national Zemsky Sobor” Marina Grosheva even remembers the time when he heard that unnatural, different from the usual hammers and shovels sound – 18:30. Workers were channels for cable, stumbled upon a fragment of the cross and tried to break it with a crowbar to keep the cable on.

– I ran from there just the sparks – recalls Marina. – To stop workers was difficult, so I called the police. Surprisingly, and thank them for that, the police arrived within five minutes and stopped working. The night we sat here because there was concern that this finding will not be the next morning. Everyone thought that this snippet, and the next day archaeologists have dug up a tombstone white stone cross.

From the moment responded Monoslide, even though we had sent them requests. We, unfortunately, failed to defend the necropolis, where we found the cross, and the tombs in the chapel Zubelevich. The very next day there were stairs, everything was buried. When we realized that we cheated, we decided to legally defend this question.

On the day of service, the Marina went for a consultation at the General Prosecutor’s office. They were surprised that still no Prefecture TSAO or GBU “Roads. CAO” did not come to the understanding that it’s historical value, confirmed by archaeologists, and therefore, obviously, work must stop. Now for the parishioners importantly, to put a monument for protection. Until that happens, they watch themselves. The day is not so bad, because the place has been excavated by the archaeologists, but at night it is impossible to leave the hill unattended.

– Otherwise it will built up there will be a scene. The builders we were even threatened that everything will be covered with earth, – says Marina. – Do not allow it makes me a sense of duty to those people, after whom the temple is named – the Three universal hierarchs, teachers our. I don’t see how you can pass by, as do the builders, the Prefecture and other people. How can you give up, do not evaluate, do not understand? Keeping traditions and heritage of our people, we understand who we are, where we are and what we will leave to our children.

To rebuild the temple and to organize parish Museum

On the website of the Department of cultural heritage to the public discussion of hanging an Act of the state historical-cultural expertise on the development site and the archaeological Park Novoslobodskaya support. The act was approved on 13 August and until then all work in the Park actually illegal. But even the approved act will not protect the foundations of the Church of the Three hierarchs, if you do not appear comes from the top.

– The fact that the Act itself is flexible, it only recommends to change the construction plan. And that scene has not appeared at all, the revision of the draft should pass by order, – says Maria Korobova. From the idea to build a stationary scene they refused, now rests on a light but even light should not be here. What is an easy stage? Design, which need to be strengthened, otherwise it will just blow away with the wind, and this is the safety of people. Accordingly, it must be the anchor hooks, which will be driven into the body of the Church, but actually destroy it.

The ideal resolution of the conflict would be the restoration of the temple. According to Mary, make it quite real. For example, the former Zlatoust monastery between Myasnitskaya street and the Streets can be repaired, because there is a dwelling house, and construction can cause resentment on the part of residents and Park here and there are already basement – historical, sacred place.

Father Alexander also wants drivers in traffic jams on the Third ring road and the residents of nearby houses had a view of a beautiful Church. And in the surviving basement of 100 square meters, height 4 meters and even with the Windows which, however, is covered with earth, he wished to organize a parish Museum. This idea was supported by the chief archaeologist of the city of Moscow Leonid Kondrashov. At a regular meeting on the hill except it was attended by Advisor to the head of Department of a cultural heritage Irina Karpova and assistant of the Patriarch of the estate, Alexander Bugaevskiy.

Father Alexander Ilyashenko

– Alexander Vladimirovich very well-has managed to turn the conversation. I said that we are categorically opposed to the site of the temple was a dance floor. To this he replied: “the Opinion of Alexander’s father – it is the opinion of Alexander’s father, but if he said he doesn’t mind, he would have flew away, because it flatly contradicts to the requirements of his Holiness”. All agreed that efforts should be made to make changes to the project. The coming days will show whether they are word the priest says.

Since the risk again of losing the newfound temple still exists, Alexander’s father asked for prayer support from parishioners gathered for a prayer service.

– It is necessary to try to reach people who can influence the decision personally to say that the revival of the Church need, he will be the landmark of the Park.

We are losing many historic buildings

Under the asphalt of roads, under the tiles of the sidewalks and green grass parks of Moscow hidden many churches and estates, so that we literally walk on their own archaeological heritage. The program of improvement of the city, My street, which for three years they dug up the whole center, much was archaeology, however, is easier from this no more.

Very sad things, we lose a lot of historical heritage, – says Maria Korobova from Arhnadzor. – This year also during the construction works were uncovered the foundations of the temple of St. Nicholas in the Pillars at the intersection of Armyansky pereulok Zlatoustinskiy Low. The foundations have already been prepared for the museums, and just recently something happened. Can’t tell who did what by what right or arbitrariness, but the museumification suspended. The foundations at the moment is very severely disturbed and require re archaeological clearance. In General, the problem is that the earth itself is the object of cultural heritage, there should be no work without the supervision of archaeologists, but on the other hand, it turns out, we find the foundations, and they are to be armed automatically.

We found the monument, and it is not a monument, because it has not passed the procedure of its recognition.

Three years that there is a project “My street”, activists Arhnadzor literally living in the trenches: you have to call the Department of cultural heritage, to interfere in the work of the builders, to go to the police and prove that the Foundation of the XVI century – is not that other, as the Foundation of the XVI century. The story is amazing mainly because the whole archeology of Moscow has long been known and mapped, nothing unexpected, in principle, not dig, and wonder why each year brings an emergency situation.

Three years ago the process was completely uncontrollable. Then we lost fragments of the White city on Tverskaya square (the White city – historical space between the Kremlin and the Boulevard ring). And last year there was the greatest loss the Church of the XVI century at Exchange square.

– Seems to be given how to dig. Archaeologists conducted excavations good, good measurements, but the night is just before Day archaeologists – workers came and filled the temple. According to the official version, he preserved, although it is clear that there is nothing left. Now on a place of this temple erected by the fountain. All go, admire and don’t know what it was at the bottom. This is our biggest pain, says Maria.

Recently the situation has improved, because now all the work must be accompanied by acts of state approval of the Department of cultural heritage, providing for archaeological surveys. But it’s still not used to the new rules. Well, someone knows about the law and all work coordinates, and someone as “Road DISTRICT”, simply do not know. Maria hopes that the mechanism will improve and future findings – and in Moscow there is still something to dig – safe.

 

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