In the village of Old Arakchino, not far from Kazan, there is an unusual building - the Temple of All Religions (another name is the Ecumenical Temple), built by the artist, sculptor Ildar Khanov (November 3, 1940 - February 9, 2013). According to the project, there are domes and other elements of religious buildings of 16 world religions - churches, mosques, synagogues, pagodas, as well as disappeared civilizations. It is noteworthy that the Temple of All Religions is not intended for conducting religious rites and services; it is a symbol that emphasizes the possibility of uniting beliefs.
This is how it all began: on April 19, 1994, Jesus appeared to Ildar in a dream, who commanded him to build the Ecumenical Temple, to which Ildar replied that he had no money and funds to build it. Jesus said: "You start building, people will believe in you and help will come." Ildar went out into the yard and began to dig the ground for the foundation. Not even an hour and a half had passed when Ildar's acquaintance appeared and, upon learning that he was building the Ecumenical Temple, promised to send 15 masons. The work was in full swing. The next day, in the middle of the night, Ildar heard a noise in the yard and saw that someone had brought 3 KAMAZ bricks. Who brought the brick remains a mystery. The people around him rendered him all possible help and the work did not stop for a single day.
Let's see what came of it …
In total, it was planned to unite in the complex 16 temples of different religions, not only existing now, for example, Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Bahá'ís, but also disappeared, for example, the ancient Assyrian religion. There is also a temple to Mother Teresa in the complex, this temple is designed to revive the worship of Mother Woman. It was also planned to create a theater in the complex, where performances in different languages will be held, as well as an ecological school, a children's art school, a children's conservatory, a memorial to the fallen, and a rehabilitation center for drug addicts.
Unfortunately, the temple remained unfinished during the lifetime of its creator. Ildar Khanov died on February 9, 2013 in Moscow after a long illness.
The construction of the building began in 1994 and continues to this day. In its completed parts, there are art exhibitions, concerts and literary evenings, in the future it is planned to open children's circles, a yoga club, a rehabilitation center for drug addicts and other similar institutions.
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Here is what the author himself said: “The Ecumenical Temple was not conceived as a place where people of different religions would pray side by side. People have not yet come to Monotheism. I must say that Ildar Khanov was a great humanist. He saw the goal of his life in the humanization of space, so that everything that surrounds a person and he himself radiates harmony and goodness. His biography, spiritual practice and creativity at the limit of possibilities are the best embodiment of his ideals, the crown of which was the construction of the Temple.
Ildar Khanov and Svyatoslav Roerich.
Ildar Mansaveevich Khanov was born in the aforementioned village. He was a Muslim by birth. His childhood fell on difficult war years. In 1943, two of his brothers died and he himself almost died, having experienced clinical death. In 1960, Ildar graduated from the Kazan Art School and entered the V. Surikov Moscow Art Institute.
Over the decades of his creative activity, Ildar Khanov has completed more than 70 sculptural and monumental decorative works, as well as hundreds of paintings. In Moscow, Khanov met the famous artist Svyatoslav Roerich. Together they discussed the idea of creating an Ecumenical Temple - a temple of unity of souls. But in Soviet times, the implementation of this idea was impossible.
Ildar Khanov is not the first who came up with the idea to collect the symbols of the main religions in one place. There is already something similar in the world: for example, the Museum of World Religions in the Chinese city of Xinbei. Here are exhibits that tell about ten major religions of the world. Eliminating prejudices and misunderstandings between representatives of different communities and cultures is one of the main reasons for the creation of the Museum of World Religions.
The area of Five Temples in Bali is an example of how five temples of world religions can peacefully coexist in a fairly small space of 2000 m2. Here, all the churches are functioning, ceremonies and services are held in the usual routine for every believer.
Why go far! In St. Petersburg, back in 1930, the State Museum of the History of Religions was founded, in which the main goal is educational activities. Museum workers strive to convey the history of the era of the formation of religions in an accessible and understandable way even for the most unprepared visitor.
The Ecumenical Temple in Kazan seeks not only to unite all the best that has already been created by past generations, but is clearly capable of giving more.
Also known as the Temple of 7 Religions, located in the village of Old Arakchino near Kazan, it consists not only of a fenced-in cascade of buildings with a functioning museum, a concert hall, and an exhibition gallery. The creative flight of the author's thought also affects the bank of the Volga, which stretches in a wide canvas literally 200 meters from the temple. Here, the artist's imagination drew a whole complex consisting of an ecological school, a nautical club with numerous boats and a submarine, a memorial to fallen soldiers, and an international children's rehabilitation center.
All this remained in the author's imagination. On February 9, 2013, he passed away, not having time to complete his grandiose plan. The construction of the Ecumenical Temple began in 1994 and was carried out mainly through charitable assistance to the temple. It is noteworthy that during the life of Ildar Khanov, construction work did not stop for a single day.
Today, the Temple of Seven Religions in Kazan is an example of the power and strength of a person who carries out a charitable cause. Having no savings, but possessing a pure soul of a believer and an incredible desire to create, Ildar Khanov took a risk and laid a solid foundation for mutual understanding and respect between representatives of different faiths.
Temple of all religions, which is located at the address: Kazan, pos. Old Arakchino, 4, financial assistance and support in any form is required. Charity in the creation of a socially significant object is not only a good deed worthy of respect. With your help, every visitor to the temple, especially the younger generation, will learn: there is no limit to a person's capabilities when he takes the path of good deeds, and the whole Universe helps him in this.