Menshikov Tower, Church of the Archangel Gabriel on Chistye Prudy in Moscow

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

Many beautiful sights are located in Moscow. Walking around the city center, you can often observe various cultural monuments. Each object keeps a lot of secrets and stories that are always interesting to know. Separately, it is worth paying attention to the temple located in the center called the Menshikov Tower. It is located in the historical center of Moscow, in the area of Chistye Prudy. This site is definitely worth a visit, as it is truly unique and has a very unusual style, which attracts a lot of attention from both tourists and locals.

Small description of the temple

So, for starters, it's worth getting to know this unusually beautiful architectural monument in more detail. The object has another name - the Church of the Archangel Gabriel on Chistye Prudy. This is an Orthodox church, it is located in the Basmanny district of Moscow. It is interesting that the building is made in the Baroque style, to be more precise - Peter's Baroque. In Moscowthere are not many buildings built in this style that have been well preserved to this day. The same building is the earliest, its construction falls on 1707. However, some time later, already in the 1770s, the church was noticeably rebuilt. It is interesting that she acted only in the summer.

Why did the temple get its name?

Besides the fact that the temple is named after the Archangel Gabriel, you can often hear its second name - the Menshikov Tower. Many people ask why is this so? The answer to this question is very simple. The church was erected by order of one person, who was Alexander Menshikov (his personality will be discussed a little later). Thus, it becomes clear where the temple got its second name from.

Personality A. D. Menshikov

As you know, Menshikov played a big role in the construction of the temple. Therefore, it is worth considering his personality separately in order to better learn about his projects and other activities. So, this is a well-known Russian figure in the state and military sphere. Menshikov had several titles such as count and prince. For a long time he was a favorite of Peter I. After his death, he participated in the accession to the throne of Catherine I. At this time, he actually becomes the ruler of Russia. We can say that his career began with the Northern War, where he commanded various types of troops.

Building a temple

Now it's time to move on to the history of the church as itincludes many events that took place during the existence of this temple. It should be noted that the first mention of the Church of the Archangel Gabriel appears in 1551. They are found in documents related to the census. By the middle of the 17th century, the temple was somewhat rebuilt and enlarged due to this. Somewhat later, in 1701, Alexander Menshikov organized the reconstruction and repair of the church, but 3 years later, in 1704, it was decided to demolish the church. In its place, it was planned to build a new temple, the construction of which was carried out by I. P. Zarudny. The Church of the Archangel Gabriel was gradually revived. Foreign craftsmen were also involved in the construction, among which Domenico Trezzini can be mentioned. By 1707 the building was completed. It is worth noting that its height at that time was just over 84 meters. After some time, Menshikov was appointed to the post of governor of St. Petersburg, in connection with which he ceased to engage in many Moscow projects, and work in the temple was slowed down, if not completely suspended.

Menshikov Tower - further history

The further fate of the temple was also quite difficult. Lightning struck the church, in connection with which the upper part of the tower almost completely burned down, the interiors of the premises were destroyed, and the bells also fell. This unpleasant event happened in 1723. The tower stood in this state for quite a long time, but in 1773 its restoration began. She walked for several years from 1773 to 1779. For herthe restoration was undertaken by the famous Freemason G. Z. Izmailov. However, the church did not return to its original form; in the new version, it was a different building. Since then, the building has been used for various Masonic ceremonies. In 1863, the temple was nevertheless restored on behalf of Metropolitan Filaret. It was closed in the 30s of the XX century. So, the history of the temple was considered, and now it is worth saying a few words about the style in which the Menshikov Tower was built. This style is a true reflection of its time, so getting to know it will be very educational.

What style is the temple built in?

Thus, having familiarized yourself with history, you must also find out in what style the church was built. The Menshikov Tower is a real example of "Peter's Baroque". It is also believed that this temple is one of the earliest examples of this style preserved in Moscow. It is worth understanding what are the distinctive features of this style, and what is its peculiarity.

Basically, this term refers to the architectural style that was approved by Peter I. Many examples can be seen in St. Petersburg, where this solution was actively used in the construction of buildings for various purposes. It is worth noting the time frame - from about 1697 to 1730

This style was mainly based on examples of German, Dutch and Swedish architecture. Petrine baroque can most often be distinguished by some characteristic features, such as the simple execution of three-dimensionalelements, clear lines. In this style, unlike other areas of the Baroque, the connection with the classical Byzantine style was broken. This is a very important point, since such a tradition has existed in Russian architecture for over 700 years.

Characteristic features of the Petrine Baroque

Thus, this style was defined, and its time frame was also considered. Now it is worth talking directly about its characteristic features. One of the most important features of this trend in architecture is the coloring of buildings, which includes 2 colors, the use of high spiers, as well as the planar execution of decor details.

Palace and park ensembles built in this style deserve special attention. An example is Peterhof, the Summer Garden and many other wonderful parks. Another famous example of this style is the Hermitage Palace.

Where is the temple - how to get there?

So, the history of the temple, the stages of its construction and much more were considered. Now it's worth talking about where it is and how to get to it. In general, Moscow Orthodox churches are very popular among both tourists and local residents. Of course, you should definitely visit the Church of the Archangel Gabriel.

It is located, as mentioned above, on Chistye Prudy. This place is located in the center of Moscow, getting here is not difficult. It is located at the address: Arkhangelsky lane,15a. The most convenient way to get here is from the Chistye Prudy metro station.