Church of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill and its creation. Temple of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill Temple of Great Martyr St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill

On Poklonnaya Hill is perhaps the most famous Russian Orthodox church, built at the end of the 20th century. It is located in the capital on Poklonnaya Hill. In fact, on the territory of the famous memorial complex called Victory Park, created in honor of the victory in the bloody war over the Nazi invaders. It is worth noting that this temple also includes a chapel dedicated to Archangel Michael.

History of the temple

The Church of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill was founded by Patriarch Alexy II. This happened in December 1993. Construction was carried out very quickly, because already in May 1995 Alexy consecrated it.

The work was carried out by famous masters. The architect was Muscovite Polyansky, Chashkin worked on the iconostasis. The famous bronze bas-reliefs are the works of Tsereteli and Andzhaparidze. Mosaic icons are the merit of Klyucharyov. The walls of the Church of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill were painted by an artel specially hired for this work called “Joy,” led by Alekseev.

Many researchers note that the appearance of the temple reveals modernism, which is generously added to the classical Russian style.

Almost immediately from the moment construction was completed, there were disputes between supporters and opponents of the temple about how successful its location was. Many are of the opinion that it is extremely unsuccessful. Mainly due to the fact that nearby there is a statue of the pagan ancient Greek goddess of victory Nike. Her image is crowned with a 140-meter obelisk in Victory Park.

It is worth noting that not only divine services are held in the Church of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill. The religious institution runs a Sunday school for children. The temple also educates minors in a boarding school for people with mental problems.

The most famous shrines

The Church of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill, a photo of which is in this article, is famous for its Orthodox shrines. It is because of them that many people come to this Orthodox cathedral.

The main one is a particle of the relics that belong to the Orthodox Great Martyr George the Victorious, in whose honor this temple is named. In 1998, it was presented to the Russian Orthodox Church by Patriarch Diodorus of Jerusalem. Then she was transferred to the Church of the Great Martyr George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill.

How to get there?

It is not at all difficult to find this religious building. The Church of St. George the Victorious is located on Poklonnaya Hill. Address: Moscow, Victory Square. The religious building itself is located in building 3b.

The best way to get here is by metro. You need to go to the Ploshchad Pobedy station. There are many remarkable places nearby. This is a museum dedicated to the war with Nazi Germany, a Victory Monument, a memorial synagogue, memorials to soldiers and officers, missing people, internationalist soldiers, defenders of the Russian land.

Victory Park

Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill deserves special mention. The Temple of St. George the Victorious is located directly on its territory. This is one of the world's largest complexes and memorials. The total area of ​​the territory exceeds 130 hectares. It is dedicated to the success of the Soviet army in the Great Patriotic War. Its grand opening took place in 1995. It appeared on the half-century anniversary of the victory over fascism.

The location for such an important park was not chosen by chance. After all, Poklonnaya Hill was mentioned in chronicles of the mid-14th century. And in 1612, it was at this place that Hetman Zolkiewski set up camp. A delegation came to him from the capital, wanting to see a Polish prince named Vladislav as king.

The main thing is that in 1812, the French Emperor Napoleon was waiting for the capital’s boyars on Poklonnaya Hill. But they never brought him the keys to the city.

Along with the temple to which this article is dedicated, the main attractions of Victory Park are the museum and monument dedicated to the victory over fascism. The latter is a huge obelisk, 141 meters and 80 centimeters high. This accuracy is not accidental. The war lasted exactly 1418 days. The total weight of the monument is about one thousand tons. It depicts warriors, as well as illustrations of key battles with the Nazi invaders - the Battles of Kursk and Stalingrad, the Belarusian operation.

Sunday school

The Sunday school plays an important role at the church. Several hundred children attend it. Classes are held on Sundays, immediately after the end of the weekly liturgy. The teachers are priests with pedagogical, theological or musical education.

After all, the list of subjects covered in Sunday school is different. This is the law of God, the catechism, the Holy Scriptures, church singing, arts and crafts, the Church Slavonic language. Sunday school students regularly go on pilgrimages to holy places.

Also, Orthodox holidays are always celebrated with her. Children perform theatrical performances.

Youth club

There is also a youth club at the temple. It's called "Akaluf". Over a cup of tea, current issues of modern life are discussed here, lectures and discussions are organized.

Thematic classes on theological disciplines and pilgrimages to holy places are held. Meetings with the clergy are not excluded.

Club members meet every week on Fridays. Its members go to cinemas, church-wide events, seminars and classes.

Priest Dionisy Lukin is responsible for working with youth.

Since time immemorial, Orthodox Rus' has developed a tradition of erecting churches to remind descendants of the glorious milestones of history. They were built in gratitude to God for His persistent help and as an edification to youth, who are yet to create this history. The tradition is still alive today. Its continuation was the Church of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill, which immortalized the memory of all who did not return from the war.

Throughout the centuries-old history of Russian Orthodoxy, this saint patronized Russian warriors and farmers, that is, those without whom the life of the people is impossible. In his honor, numerous churches were built and consecrated throughout vast Rus'. From the end of the 14th century, he became a prayer book for our capital before the Throne of God.

Nowadays, the coat of arms of Russia and the coat of arms of Moscow are decorated with the image of St. George. On them he is presented in his traditional appearance - a horseman slaying a serpent with a spear. Long before the Church of St. George the Victorious appeared on Poklonnaya Hill, the thrones of several Moscow churches were consecrated in honor of St. George the Victorious by order of the Moscow Patriarchate. Everyone who wants to bow to this defender of Russian land gathers there.

Construction of the temple

In accordance with the plan of preparation for the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Victory, it was decided to erect a temple - a monument that is a decoration of Poklonnaya Hill. It's hard to imagine a better place to implement this project. A year before the planned celebrations, the ceremonial laying of the building took place.

The Church of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill was built at an unusually fast pace and was consecrated exactly a year later. The author of the project was the famous architect A. Polyansky in Soviet times. How many people remember him for his most famous work? the building of the WWII Museum. It is unfortunate, but, having created a wonderful project, the author never saw its implementation. The architect passed away in 1993. The temple became his posthumous monument.

Authors of the decoration of the temple

The Church of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill is a very original architectural solution. It simultaneously, without prejudice to each other, embodied classical elements and features of modernism. A similar trend is noticeable in the appearance of many modern churches, the construction of which has begun in recent years, but in this case it received the most vivid embodiment. Undoubtedly, its further development will encourage the creation of new interesting projects.

Bronze bas-reliefs, the author of which was Z. Tsereteli, were installed on the walls of the temple. They give the overall appearance of the temple expressiveness and spirituality. On the western façade of the belfry there is a mosaic panel “Deesis”. It was also posted by the famous master Evgeny Klyucharyov. These images, just like the entire building as a whole, bear the imprint of the fusion of modern artistic movements with the traditional, centuries-old canons of Christian art.

Visitors to the temple will also be impressed by its interior decoration, the main element of which is the three-tiered iconostasis created at the Sofrino production association, consisting of forty-eight icons of various sizes. All of them were written by Moscow isographer Alexander Chashkin. The interior painting, completed eight years later, includes, in addition to traditional themes for an Orthodox church, images of Russian new martyrs who suffered during the years of repression.

Church of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill: schedule of services and address

Undoubtedly, the capital has acquired another striking attraction. But the temple on Poklonnaya Hill is famous not only for its beautiful decoration. The relics of St. George the Victorious are his precious shrine. Since they became the property of the temple, the flow of pilgrims to them has not dried up. Before coming to Moscow, they spent a long time in Jerusalem, and there are many records testifying to their miraculous work. Currently, they are freely accessible to everyone who wants to pray in front of them.

For two decades now, the Church of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill has been opening its doors to its parishioners every morning. The schedule of services performed there informs visitors to the temple that they begin at 9 am with the reading of the hours, followed by the liturgy at 10 am. Evening services usually last from 17 to 19 hours, after which the temple closes. We inform everyone who is planning to visit it for the first time: Moscow, Poklonnaya Gora, Church of St. George the Victorious. Every Muscovite will point it out to you.

• Temple of St. George the Victorious was built and dedicated in 1995, to the 50th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
• Temple architecture successfully combines Russian style and modernism.
• On the walls there are bronze bas-reliefs by Z. Tsereteli and Z. Andzhaparidze. On the belfry there is a beautiful panel “Deesis”.
• In the interior decoration The central place of the temple is occupied by a three-tiered iconostasis with 48 images of saints.
• Visit Poklonnaya Gora and Church of St. George the Victorious in the evening to admire how evening sky reflected in the huge windows of the temple.

The Church of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill does not have a centuries-old history, but has a very unusual appearance among Orthodox churches in Moscow. It successfully combines Russian style and modernism and is a real decoration of the Victory Park memorial complex. Like the entire complex, the temple was built in memory of the victims and heroes of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The main shrine of the temple is considered to be a particle of the relics of St. George.

History of the creation of the temple

Since ancient times in Rus' there has been a tradition of immortalizing patron saints on banners and dedicating churches being built to them. The image of St. George in the form of a horseman piercing a serpent with a spear was often depicted on the coats of arms of Russian princes and generals. Today it adorns the coats of arms of Russia and Moscow.

The Church of St. George the Victorious was built and consecrated in 1995, on the 50th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The date and place of construction of the temple were not chosen by chance: St. George the Victorious is considered the patron saint of both Moscow and Russian soldiers. The famous architect A. Polyansky (1928-1993), one of the leading architects of the era of communism, worked on the design of the temple. Therefore, for many specialists and ordinary people it seemed strange that the project of this particular author was accepted for the creation of such an important religious shrine. But Polyansky so successfully combined modern motifs with traditions, and brevity with monumentality, that his project was implemented, albeit with some changes made after the author’s death.

Temple architecture

On the walls there are bronze bas-reliefs by Z. Tsereteli and Z. Andzhaparidze. On the belfry you can see the most beautiful panel “Deesis” (author - E. Klyucharev). These elements are a striking example of modern temple architecture. They give the building sublimity, spirituality and expressiveness.

Another element of modernism is the large glazed sections of the walls, which look unusual for Orthodox churches. Thanks to them, the interior of the temple is flooded with natural light. The building is impressive with its slenderness and fits harmoniously into the architectural ensemble of Poklonnaya Gora. On a clear summer day, you can admire the majestic structure through the jets of the Poklonnaya Gora fountains and see how the sun's rays play in the magnificent stained glass windows.

Temple interior and shrines

In the interior decoration of the temple, the central place is occupied by a three-tiered iconostasis with 48 images of saints. Here you can also see elements of modern times: along with traditional subjects, Orthodox new martyrs of the 20th century who suffered during the years of repression are depicted here.

The main shrine of the temple is considered to be a particle of the relics of St. George the Victorious (Cappadocia). It was presented to the temple as a gift by the Patriarch of Jerusalem Diodorus in 1998. Among other shrines is an icon of St. Nikita the Stylite, considered a healer; an icon and a particle of the relics of one of the most revered saints, Blessed Matrona of Moscow, who, according to beliefs, helps all those who suffer; an ark with particles of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, to whom people turn with prayers for health and family well-being.

During the short history of the temple, traditions have already developed related to those who are patronized by St. George. These are military personnel, cadets and students of military schools who take the oath here. The fallen soldiers are also remembered within the walls of the temple.

Church-Chapel of the Archangel Michael

Attached to the Church of St. George the Victorious is the chapel-museum of Archangel Michael, located near the Kutuzovskaya Izba in Fili (Kutuzovsky Proezd, building 3). This is a memorial Orthodox church, founded on September 1, 1910 in honor of the heavenly patron of the Russian army, Archangel Michael, and in memory of the legendary 19th century commander Mikhail Kutuzov. The chapel-museum houses Kutuzov's personal belongings, weapons and samples of uniforms from the Patriotic War of 1812. The chapel was built in a picturesque Russian-Byzantine style.

After being ruthlessly destroyed during the Soviet years, the chapel has recently experienced a rebirth. From the Church of St. George the Victorious, you can walk to it in 10-15 minutes. Another nearby attraction related to the events of the Patriotic War with France is the Battle of Borodino Panorama Museum on Kutuzovsky Prospekt.

Walk along Poklonnaya Hill

You can visit Poklonnaya Hill and the Church of St. George the Victorious in the evening, when dusk is gathering. Thanks to the huge windows, the temple seems fragile and transparent. The white walls are flooded with the light of lanterns, and the evening sky is reflected in the windows. The fountains are illuminated and the area is completely transformed. It is worth admitting: this is truly one of the most beautiful Orthodox churches in Moscow.

In addition to the Church of St. George the Victorious, on Poklonnaya Hill you will see the Victory Monument, you can go to the Victory Museum (formerly the Museum of the Great Patriotic War), walk along the green alleys of the park and enjoy the view of the magnificent cascades of fountains.

The Church of St. George the Victorious is an active Orthodox church of the Moscow diocese, which is also the Patriarchal Metochion, not only an important compositional element of the architectural ensemble of Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill and one of its attractions, but also a symbol of the victory of the Russian army over the enemy.

From the history of the construction of the temple

The Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious has been revered by the Russian Orthodox Church for many centuries as the patron saint of warriors and farmers. Many churches built in different centuries, located in large cities and small villages of the country, are consecrated in his name. And since the time of Prince Dmitry Donskoy, St. George is considered the patron saint of the capital of Russia, and his most famous image in the form of a rider on a horse, killing a serpent with a spear, still adorns the coat of arms of the Russian Federation, and in the capital itself there are several churches with thrones of St. George the Victorious.

At the end of the last century, the new St. George Church, built on the territory of the Victory Park memorial complex, located in the Western Administrative District of Moscow, became the decoration of Poklonnaya Hill. It is deeply symbolic that it was in Victory Park, symbolizing the victory of the Soviet people over fascism, that on May 9, 1994, after a solemn prayer service, the first stone was laid for the foundation of a new church by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus'. And a year later, on May 6, 1995, on the day of remembrance of St. George the Victorious and in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Victory, Patriarch Alexy II performed the rite of solemn consecration of the temple.

Built in the Russian style with some modernist elements, St. George's Church has become one of the attractions of the complex. The design of the temple building was drawn up by the famous Soviet architect Anatoly Polyansky, the author of the main building of Victory Park - Unfortunately, the architect, who died in 1993, did not see his brainchild, but his interesting solution made the temple a unique monument of the symbiosis of two architectural styles, complementing each other without prejudice, which was expressed, along with compliance with the canons of the construction of Orthodox churches, in the absence of small decorative ornaments inherent in the Russian style and excessive enlargement and laconicism of details characteristic of modernism.

Slenderness and upward direction are given to the temple by high glazed quadrangles with arched divisions and semicircular zakomars, an elegant apse, almost the entire height of the eastern wall of the wall, and a drum cut through with narrow windows, decorated in the upper part and crowned with an onion dome with a cross. A unique feature of the external design of the temple is the absence of corner zakomars, the abundance of modern structures that highlight and emphasize the main volume, as well as bronze bas-reliefs that decorated the facades and mosaic icons that decorated the belfry.

The famous sculptor Zurab Tsereteli worked on the creation of the bas-reliefs, placing a sculptural image of Our Lady of the Sign on the northern façade of the temple, St. George the Victorious on the western façade, and the Savior Not Made by Hands on the southern façade. The bas-reliefs are complemented by the mosaic composition “Deesis”, laid out by the monumental artist Evgeny Klyucharyov on the western facade of the belfry.

The interior of the temple sparkles with splendor. The three-tier iconostasis, made at the Sofrino art and production enterprise, is decorated with 48 large and small icons created by the talented isographer Alexander Chashkin. A large chandelier, icons with lamps, banners with images of saints complete the overall picture.

Eight years after the construction of the temple, the walls and vaults were decorated with paintings, the subjects of which, in addition to the traditional ones, reflected the holy images of the New Martyrs of Russia. In the northern wing of the temple, artists painted images of innocently murdered members of the family of Nicholas II and holy martyrs, in the southern - martyrs of the first centuries of Christianity, in the center - warriors who defended not only the faith, but also the Fatherland, in the western - images of Dmitry Donskoy, Alexander Nevsky, Ilya Muromets , Fyodor Ushakov and other soldiers.

The construction of the temple became possible thanks to funds allocated from the Moscow budget, and Yuri Luzhkov, who held the post of mayor of the city in those years, took an active part in the process of its construction and improvement. It was Yu. Luzhkov, who made a business trip to Jerusalem in 1997, who met there with Patriarch Diodorus, who donated a piece of the relics of St. to Moscow. Great Martyr George, in November 1998, transferred to the St. George Church and since then kept at the altar in a shrine under a carved gilded canopy.

Despite the fact that the St. George Church has existed for a relatively short time, it has already developed its own traditions. It serves thanksgiving prayers every day and commemorates the soldiers who died on the battlefields, as well as students and cadets of Moscow military schools and military personnel take the oath.

On the territory of the memorial museum of the Patriotic War of 1812 “Kutuzovskaya Izba” in Fili there is a functioning temple-chapel of the Archangel Michael, assigned to the Church of St. George the Victorious. There is a Sunday school for children at the church, and the rector of the church, Archpriest Seraphim Nedosekin, and his parishioners are spiritually cared for by the pupils of the psychoneurological boarding school.

St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill became not just a part, but one of the attractions of the memorial complex in honor of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). The foundation stone of the temple was laid by Patriarch of All Rus' Alexy II on May 9, 1994.

The opening date of the complex was supposed to be May 9, 1995. - The day of the 50th anniversary of the Victory, so construction was carried out in record time (in order to be on time, the dome was mounted directly on the ground simultaneously with other construction work, and then installed on the finished frame of the temple), and already on May 6, 1995 - on the Day of Remembrance of St. Vmch. George - Patriarch Alexy II consecrated the new one, the finishing of which still continued for some time.

Bas-relief of St. Martyr. St. George the Victorious on the facade

Saint George the Victorious has always been especially revered in Rus' as the patron saint of warriors; many commanders of Rus' turned to him in prayer for help. The image of the saint - St. George the Victorious killing a snake - was often depicted on the coats of arms and standards of Russian princes, and it is also on the coat of arms of Moscow.

06.05.2005
Patriarchal service

St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill designed by the famous architect A.T. Polyansky, which caused a lot of negativity and criticism, since his colleagues considered him “the court architect of the communist regime.” Nevertheless, the project was accepted and implemented, however, after the death of the author (died 06/07/1993) and with some changes.

Polyansky sought, while observing the basic canons of temple architecture, to create something completely new, therefore, despite the fact that the temple was built as if in the Russian style, it has many details characteristic of modernism and alien to Orthodox perception. This includes the absence of small architectural decorations, laconicism and at the same time large details, emphasizing the use of modern designs and materials.

Iconostasis work
A. Chashkina

In an effort to enhance the dynamism and airiness of the building, to add “harmony” to the temple, the architect somewhat “overdid it”. Thus, as a result of the abandonment of the corner zakomaras, the “shoulders” appeared to be chopped off in the silhouette of the temple, which somewhat “hurts the eye.” And the voluminous bas-relief compositions on the facade do not correspond to the church canon: in Orthodoxy you can rarely find sculptural images of Christ, the Virgin Mary or saints; this is more typical of Catholicism. However, it is the giant bas-reliefs by Z. Tseriteli and Z. Andzhaparidze that decorate the facades of the temple.

Mosaic Deesis
works by E. Klyucharev
at the belfry

Modernist trends also include the use of glazing of large sections of the walls, thanks to which the temple is flooded with natural light from the inside. In addition to bronze bas-reliefs, the facades are also decorated with large mosaic icons made by the artist E. Klyucharyov. The iconostasis was made by the famous modern icon painter A. Chashkin.

The main shrine of the temple on Poklonnaya Hill is considered to be a particle of the relics of the Great Martyr George, received as a gift from the Patriarch of Jerusalem Diodorus in 1998.

Despite its “youth”, the Church of St. George the Victorious already has its own established traditions: cadets and students of Moscow military schools and military personnel take the oath here, fallen soldiers are remembered and thanksgiving prayers are held. The parish community of the church provides care for a children's psychoneurological boarding school.