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Church of Our Savior Not Made by Hands in Serpukhov
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Church of Our Savior Not Made by Hands in Serpukhov was built with the help of the means of Serpukhov's merchant Vasilij Fedorovich Astapov in 1893 — 1896. This church was a decoration of Zanarie (Serpukhov's district located on the right bank of the Nara River). The plan of the complex was worked up by a famous architect of Moscow Roman Ivanovich Klein. The architectural ensemble represents a vivid example of "Russian style" at the end of XIX, the beginning of XX century. The altars in the side-chapels were sanctified for the name of the celebration of the icon "the Sign" of the Blessed Virgin and Three Saints. The bell-tower with main gates standing separately (its upper deck was destroyed during the soviet time) makes the entrance to the cemetery; there are low houses of the clergy of a parish near it. Iconostasis was zinc, gilded; the icons in it were the representation of the events of Holy Week.
During the soviet time the church was closed and lost its hipped roof and cupolas. It was used as a fish storehouse with a smoking-shed. Over 50 garages are built at the distance of 5-6 meters around the church. From the interior there remained strongly smoked fragments of wall-paintings in academic painting style from the 2d half of XIX century.
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The senior priest of Spasski church archpriest Nikolay Bogolepov was arrested in 1925. The priest of Spasski church father Nikolay Ischenko was executed on 23 February 1931 in Moscow. Priest Panteleimon Alekseevich Saveliev (he had served in Kashira before he was arrested) was executed at Butovski range under Moscow on 21 November 1937.
At the end of 90s the church was delivered to Russian Orthodox Church. Nowadays it is being repaired. Divine services are held on Saturdays, Sundays and great holidays.
Clergy: priest Pavel Kolosov, the senior priest
Phone: +7 (4967) 72-47-60
Address: Moscow region, Serpukhov, Chernyshevsky street, 52
Thoroughfare: from Kursky railway station to "Serpukhov" station, than by bus #5, 11 to the stop "school #5"
Historical reference
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XIX century, the 2nd half — Zanarski cemetery of Serpukhov appeared at the town's pastured acres far away from habitable constructions near Borovskaya Road. Before 1896 there was no church near the cemetery. Its building in the name of the Saviour not Made by hands began in 1893.
22 May, 1893 — The Certificate from the town council of Serpukhov for execution "...of the presupposed building at Zanarski town cemetery in Serpukhov — a stone church and a stone hospice with a lodge near it" was given to Astapov V.F., a merchant of Serpukhov of the 2nd guild, for his own account.
1893, 11 June — Astapov V.F submits an application for the permission to build a church at Zanarski cemetery in Serpukhov with the main altar in the name of the icon of the Saviour Not Made by hands and with the side altars in the name of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin and the Three Saints to the Dmitrov bishop Alexander, the vicar of Moscow, applying the plan of the church to the letter "that had been viewed and approved be the Building Department of the Province's Government" of Serpukhov.
1893, 16 July — "the place chosen for building a church at Zanarski cemetery of Serpukhov is situated at the town's meadow acres, near the cemetery, ... it is not occupied by anything and is far from country habitable constructions..." (The rural dean of Serpukhov, the church of Epiphany, archpriest Vasily Rozanov, to Moscow Clerical Consistory)
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1893, 21 August — the new building of a stone church at Zanarski cemetery of Serpukhov is maintained and the execution of work is begun.
1896, 9 January — the building of the church in the name of the Saviour Not Made by hands at Zanarski cemetery in Serpukhov that is certified by the civil council engineer Shubensky in his report.
1896, 30 April — the consecration of the church came about.
1893-1896 — the building of the bell-tower, the hospice and the lodge near the cemetery church in the name of the icon of the Saviour Not Made by hands.