As of 1914, there were more than 54 thousand Orthodox churches, 26 thousand chapels, more than a thousand monasteries in Russia. But during the revolution and after it, the objects of the Orthodox Church were massively destroyed and by 1987 there were only 7 thousand churches and about 10 monasteries in the country.
Moscow churches suffered the most: the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, blown up in 1931, was only one of many Russian churches that were destroyed. The fate of the Simonov Monastery is typical for most of the objects of the Orthodox Church. Today, in its place is the zone of the ZIL plant. The monastery has existed since 1370 and many bright pages of the history of Russia were associated with it. This monastery was called "the shield of Moscow" because it was part of the system of repelling the enemy who was trying to seize Moscow. The Monastery of St. Sergius of Radonezh often visited the Simonov Monastery. The fallen heroes of the Battle of Kulikovo were buried on the territory of the monastery. Unfortunately, after the explosion, all the most valuable buildings of the monastery were irretrievably lost. Also, all the graves that the monks of the monastery looked after and protected were subjected to barbaric destruction. Now on this historical site is the factory palace of culture.
But even those few churches that remained in Moscow keep unique secrets within their walls. Walking along the streets of the capital, you can visit different historical eras. Each time is characterized by a special architectural style. Each generation of architects tried to embody the beauty of their time in the architecture of temples.
The Ascension Church, located on the territory of Kolomenskoye, is included by UNESCO in the list of World Heritage Sites. According to legend, it was built in connection with the birth of Ivan the Terrible. It is also believed that the Ascension Church was the first stone structure in Russia. And although the height of the temple of 100 meters is not considered something special today, but at that time such a height was unique. The architect of the temple needed to accurately calculate the frame so that it could withstand the entire load. But among the low-rise buildings of the ancient city, the high temple amazed the imagination of the layman.
On Malaya Dmitrovka there is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Putinki. The snow-white building with noticeable blue domes is the most recent temple to be built using the tent principle adopted in ancient Moscow. The essence of this architectural style: a tent crowned the temple, instead of a dome. This architectural style was used only in Russia and had no analogues.
Everything changed when Patriarch Nikon took over the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church. He began to carry out church reform and signed a ban on the construction of hipped roof churches. The patriarch wanted the Byzantine experience to be used in the construction of churches. But the temple in Putinki was already built, and no one began to change anything in its appearance. The peculiarity of the church was that it was built not according to drawings, but according to drawings, and its external appearance turned out to be light, colorful, with small beautiful turrets. In 1935, the temple was closed and the directorship of the circuses was placed in it. Only in 1990 the temple regained its status.
No one in Basmanka can pass by the church of the Apostles Peter and Paul, so as not to admire it. This temple was built on the personal order of Peter I and at his own expense. And the architectural solution, which the king insisted on, was fundamentally different from the canons adopted at that time. The construction of the church lasted for more than twenty years, since Peter I lost interest in building the church. It is believed that the temple was built following the example of foreign architectural traditions. After the revolution, a research institute was located in the temple. Only after 1990 the temple was returned to the believers.
One of the most mysterious temples is considered the Temple of the Sign of the Virgin in Dubrovitsy. The history of the temple is closely connected with Prince Boris Golitsyn. It so happened that the prince was slandered in the eyes of Peter I and he was forced to resign. When the misunderstanding was cleared up and the prince was returned to Moscow, having bestowed a noble title on him, it was decided, in connection with reconciliation, to begin the construction of the temple. They say that there was a problem with the consecration of the temple, since the then patriarch Andrian did not like its appearance. During the Napoleonic invasion of Moscow, the church did not suffer at all, which, in fact, is very surprising: the French barbarously destroyed churches on the territory of Moscow.
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The history of the Church of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist is very interesting. At the very beginning of construction, this temple was almost a twin of the famous St. Basil's Cathedral. But the majestic historic building on Red Square has been rebuilt many times, and the church in Dyakov looks as if several centuries have not passed. The history of the construction of the temple in Dyakov is very contradictory. According to one version - it was built to commemorate the birth of Ivan the Terrible, according to the second - Ivan the Terrible himself ordered the construction of this temple for his son, who was born in 1554. Services in this church were also held in Soviet times until 1957! For a long time, the abandoned temple was destroyed. Only in 1992 did the believers return to this beautiful temple, which, after restoration in 2009, received a second life.
When Prince Vladimir made a choice of faith for pagan Rus, it was the beauty of the service that caused the choice in favor of the Orthodox faith. Over the centuries, Russian churches have become centers of Orthodox culture, the pride and treasure of the people.