Church of St. George the Victorious on the bow. Altar of Victory

St. George's Church on Poklonnaya Hill is located next to the Museum of the Great Patriotic War.

Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow

Poklonnaya Gora is historical place, where many events related to the history of Russia took place. Ambassadors of the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey came here, and Polish troops stopped when approaching the city. Napoleon in 1812 was waiting here for the keys to Moscow to be brought to him. Not far away is the Kutuzov hut, where the meeting of generals was held before the Battle of Borodino.

Previously, the capital was much smaller, and the mountain was higher, it offered a beautiful view of the city.

In the 20th century, Victory Park was founded on Poklonnaya Hill. A memorial dedicated to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War was built for the 50th anniversary. A 142-meter-high stele is installed in front of it, the territory is decorated with fountains. There are exactly as many as the days of the war.

Shrines of Poklonnaya Hill

In 1992, the famous architect A. Polyansky created a project for the St. George Church on Poklonnaya Hill, which was built with some changes and consecrated in 1995 by Patriarch Alexy II.

In the appearance of the temple, traditional forms for ancient Russian architecture are traced, reminiscent of ancient Novgorod churches. Naturally, modern building materials and technologies were used during the construction. The church is very bright inside thanks to the glass walls.

The Church of St. George on Poklonnaya Hill has a magnificent iconostasis and mosaic icons. Famous sculptors Z. Anjaparidze, I. Tsereteli took part in the production of bronze bas-reliefs on the facades.

In 1997, the relics of St. George, which are in the temple on Poklonnaya Hill, were donated from Jerusalem.

In Fili, next to the Kutuzov hut, it was founded in 1910, closed in 1930, and in 1994 it was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church, restored and re-consecrated in 2000.

George the Victorious and Archangel Michael - heavenly patrons of warriors

In memory of the Orthodox who laid down their lives on the battlefields, the St. George Church was erected on Poklonnaya Hill.

George the Victorious himself was a talented military man. He was born in Cappadocia in a believing family, his father was killed during the persecution of Christians. Having entered the service, with his exploits and courage, George soon attracted the attention of Emperor Diocletian, who promoted him and made him governor, which was a very high rank in those days.

However, the fact that Hieromartyr George confessed Christian faith, infuriated his patron when he found out about it. The emperor highly valued his military merits and promised the saint forgiveness if he renounced the faith. He subjected him to the most terrible torture for several days, and then cut off his head.

The fearlessness of George, his fidelity to the faith, the way he courageously endured suffering for Christ, made him one of the beloved and revered saints. He is considered the patron saint of warriors in many Orthodox countries.

Archangel Michael, who leads the angelic host, is also a strong patron of those who fight for truth and justice.

Prayer for those who gave their lives for victory

There are not only Orthodox churches on Poklonnaya Hill.

Part of the complex in honor of the victory in the Great Patriotic War is a memorial synagogue dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. It was opened in 1998 in the presence of the President of Russia.

In 1997, the construction of a memorial mosque in honor of the fallen soldiers of the Muslim faith was completed.

On National Unity Day, November 4, 2014, a Buddhist temple was laid on which will be a symbol blessed memory Buddhist warriors who gave their lives during the Second World War, residents of Kalmykia, Buryatia and other peoples of Russia who follow this religion.

When is the church of St. George open?

Services in churches on Poklonnaya Hill are held as scheduled. Liturgy is served daily.

Baptisms and weddings are often held here, and it has become a tradition for newlyweds to visit St. George's Church on Poklonnaya Hill on their wedding day.

There are a lot of people here on holidays: pilgrims come here to the relics of the Holy Martyr George, military personnel come after taking the oath to pray at a prayer service for future service, veterans. Works Sunday School. Once a year, on Easter week, all the hymns at the liturgy are performed by children.

Poklonnaya Gora is a unique place where everyone can pay tribute to the memory of fallen soldiers and pray for a brighter future for which they fought.

During its history, the village of Fili has repeatedly "roamed" in different areas. Probably her ancient name- hydronym. It appeared from the name of the river Khvilka - in common parlance Filka, which meant a damp, swampy area. The history of the village of Fili began in the 16th century, when Grand Duke Vasily III granted these lands to the boyar F.M. Mstislavsky. For more than a century, Fili remained the possession of the Mstislavsky family. The last owner, Fyodor Ivanovich Mstislavsky, who was the great-grandson of Vasily III, turned out to be a political long-liver, having withstood both Boris Godunov and Vasily Shuisky, then headed the famous Seven Boyars - a government of seven noble boyars in the Time of Troubles, and then became close to the first Romanov.

Under him, a wooden house church appeared in Fili in honor of the Intercession Holy Mother of God, founded in memory of the victory over the Polish prince Vladislav, who was called to the Russian throne in the “stateless time”. On October 1, 1618, on the Feast of the Intercession, the troops of Hetman Sahaidachny stormed the walls of Moscow for the last time and were defeated and driven back from the Russian capital. In that victory, they saw the visible patronage of the Queen of Heaven of Russia and the Romanovs. Then several new Intercession churches appeared in Moscow, including in Fili. Later, this church turned out to be connected with both the Kutuzov hut and the chapel of the Archangel Michael.

After the death of the childless Fyodor Mstislavsky and his sister Irina, a nun of the Kremlin Ascension Monastery, Fili was taken to the treasury, and Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich presented them to his father-in-law Ilya Danilovich Miloslavsky. After the death of Empress Maria Ilyinichna, the property briefly went to her nephew, the famous Ivan Mikhailovich Miloslavsky, one of the instigators of the Streltsy revolt of 1682, initiated against the Naryshkins, relatives of the second wife of the late Alexei Mikhailovich. Then two brothers of the dowager queen were killed, and the third, Lev Kirillovich, who was then only 14 years old, hid in the women's half of the palace, almost in a closet. According to legend, an icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands hung over the door of this closet, and the lad, praying for salvation, made a vow: if he remained alive, he would build a temple in honor of this image.

In June 1689, Peter I presented him with Fili, and he immediately set about fulfilling his vow. Soon there appeared an amazing, worldwide famous church in the Naryshkin baroque style: its lower throne remained in honor of the Intercession, and the upper one was consecrated in honor of the Savior Not Made by Hands. And in 1704, the peasants of the luxurious estate were resettled on the Mozhayskaya road, in the Dorogomilov area, a mile away from their former place - away from the manor houses, where the tsar often visited. The name of Fili remained behind the village, and the estate of Naryshkin became known as the village of Pokrovsky. The resettled peasants did not have their own parish church and remained assigned to the lower Pokrovsky church, while the upper Spassky church remained a brownie for the masters. The church made old Fili famous, but the village was glorified by completely different events.

The new village of Fili ended up near Poklonnaya Gora, which has been revered as a holy place since ancient times: here travelers bowed to Moscow in farewell or before meeting. Although there is another opinion: on this mountain, sovereigns, foreign ambassadors and important guests were met with a bow.

From here it was not far to the Sparrow Hills, where even now (near the observation deck) there is a small Trinity Church, in which Kutuzov prayed before going to the military council in Fili. According to legend, Sparrow Hills have been associated with the Kutuzov family since ancient times. Nearby was the metropolitan, and then the patriarchal village of Golenishchevo, also with the Trinity Church (in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bmodern Mosfilmovskaya Street). It was there, as the legend says, that the ancestor of the commander, the boyar Vasily Kutuz (the surname came from a nickname; a pillow was called a kutuz) received miraculous healing from St. Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow. As is known, he became the first Metropolitan of Moscow, appointed in Moscow by a council of Russian bishops, and not a patriarch in Constantinople, instead of Metropolitan Isidore, deposed by the council, who signed the Union of Florence. The boyar for a long time did not recognize the legitimacy of the authority of the metropolitan, who was “non-canonically” placed. But one day the boyar's teeth ached. Nothing could relieve the excruciating pain. On the feast day, Saint Jonah celebrated divine services in the Trinity Church. At the end of the liturgy, he himself called the suffering boyar, blessed him, gave him prosphora, and suddenly hit him on the cheek with force. The boyar cried out in pain, but ... he felt that his teeth no longer hurt. From that day on, he began to especially revere the saint. Since then, with a toothache, prayers have often been addressed to St. Jonah. The image of St. Jonah with deeds was kept in the Trinity Church, where among the hagiographic hallmarks they saw a miracle about the boyar Kutuz. According to legend, it was after this miraculous healing the descendants of the boyar began to be called Kutuzov-Golenishchev.

It was a glorious military family of Russia. Their ancestor, the "honest husband Gabriel", left, as the legend says, from Prussia to Novgorod to serve the great Alexander Nevsky. Ivan Ivanovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, the great-grandfather of the famous hero of 1812, was an adjutant to Count Boris Petrovich Sheremetev, a Petrine general. And his father, Illarion Matveyevich, a military engineer, designed the famous Catherine Canal in St. Petersburg to protect against floods, for which he received a gold snuffbox with diamonds from the hands of Catherine II. Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov fought under the command of Rumyantsev and Suvorov, was wounded twice - at Alushta and at Ochakov - in the head right through, and in the same place: the bullet entered below the left temple and exited at the right eye, which is why M.I. Kutuzov lost his sight. The doctor who examined him after the second wound said that, probably, "Providence saves this man for something great, for he remained alive after two wounds, each of which is fatal." Catherine II ordered to take care of Kutuzov, predicting that he would be a great general. When, in August 1812, Kutuzov was appointed commander in chief, he was asked: “Do you really hope to defeat Napoleon?” “I don’t hope to win, I’ll try to deceive,” Kutuzov answered.

The village of Fili lay in the path of the retreating Russian army. Here she stopped and took up combat positions in the area from Poklonnaya Gora to the Vorobyov Mountains, expecting a general battle near Moscow. That is why the field marshal's main apartment was located in Fili. The village of Fili consisted of less than a dozen huts. For Kutuzov, they chose the most spacious one, which belonged to the peasant Andrei Frolov, with three windows to the street and a large porch. On the afternoon of September 1, Kutuzov himself examined the positions of the Russian army from Poklonnaya Gora and found that in the event of a battle, the army could be surrounded, because the conditions for it were extremely unfavorable - it was there that the field marshal decided to leave Moscow in order to save the army. Together with him, the disposition was considered by the generals, who came to the same conclusion. Historians noted that in fact the military council held its first meeting on Poklonnaya Hill. Kutuzov was distinguished by a tough character and intolerance to discussions at such a crucial time, but the decision on further actions should have been made at the military council. According to legend, Kutuzov went to Fili with the words: "Is my head good or bad, but there is no one else to rely on." He appointed a council of war for 5 pm. By this time, generals M.B. had gathered in the upper room of the hut. Barclay de Tolly, N.N. Raevsky, A.I. Osterman-Tolstoy, K.F. Tol, D.S. Dokhturov, F.P. Uvarov, P.P. Konovnitsyn, A.P. Ermolov and L.L. Bennigsen.

The main question was to be decided at the council - whether to accept a new battle in such dangerous conditions, risking losing the army, or to retreat without a fight, leaving Moscow, but retaining the army? Opinions were divided: some, like Dokhturov and Yermolov, advocated a battle near the walls of Moscow, so as not to betray the sacred capital to the enemy and not to plunge the Russian people into panic. Others, like Barclay de Tolly and the hero of Borodin, General N.N. Raevsky, considered the preservation of the army for subsequent battles and the expulsion of the enemy to be the most important. The council lasted three hours. Kutuzov, after the debate, made a decision on his own, taking full responsibility: “With the loss of Moscow, Russia is not lost, but with the loss of the army, Russia is lost. I order you to retreat." In the journal of military operations dated September 1, 1812, it was written: "This day will remain forever unforgettable for Russia."

Kutuzov predicted that Moscow would be a trap for Napoleon - a sponge that would suck in his army. Then, in a letter, he also encouraged his daughter Anna, convincing her that he was full of hope, and asked her not to be surprised at the retreat - "this is in order to strengthen as much as possible." But there was no harder moment for Kutuzov in his entire military biography. On the night of September 2, he spent without sleep, adjutants heard his crying. In the morning the army began to retreat, and the surrender of Moscow was greeted with horror. Then, at the Moscow outpost, Kutuzov told the people that he vouched for the death of Napoleon in Moscow with his head. Further history proved the correctness of his plan: having saved the army, Kutuzov was not only able to liberate Moscow, but also to expel the enemy from Russia and even pursue him in Europe. Napoleon called the field marshal an old fox. Kutuzov, indeed, deceived him by performing the famous Tarutino maneuver, and then forcing the demoralized French army to retreat along the Smolensk road scorched by the French to the very Berezin.

For the salvation of the Fatherland, Kutuzov was given great honors: he became the first full Knight of St. George in Russian history. And farewell to the deceased field marshal was only the first milestone of his posthumous veneration. As you know, he died of a stroke on the morning of April 16/28, 1813 in the Silesian town of Bunzlau (Bolesławiec), where his next headquarters was. Shortly before his death, Alexander I visited him and asked for forgiveness. For several days, the death of the commander was hidden from the army, so as not to plunge it into despondency.

Kutuzov should have been laid to rest in Russia. To take the body home, he had to be embalmed - that's why the legend was born, as if the field marshal's heart was buried in Europe at the place of death. In fact, he was brought to St. Petersburg in a silver vessel and buried in the same grave as the body. The funeral procession reached the capital by the end of May, and when it crossed the border of the Petersburg province, an eagle suddenly soared over the coffin, appearing from nowhere. The whole city came out to meet Kutuzov.

The commander was buried, according to his last will and with the consent of the emperor, in the Kazan Cathedral, where in August 1812 he prayed on his knees at the Kazan Icon Mother of God before leaving for the army. The day of the burial on June 13 turned out to be cloudy, but when the coffin was brought to the Kazan Cathedral, the rays of the sun brightly illuminated the grave. Most of all, the famous word of Archimandrite Filaret, the future Metropolitan of Moscow, pronounced over the coffin of Kutuzov, touched everyone. Referring to the late commander as a man who never lived for himself, but always for the Fatherland and Providence, who died in a Christian way, the saint ended his speech thus: “Russians! You all unanimously wish that the spirit given to Smolensky would not cease to walk in our regiments and rest on our leaders. There is no better praise for this departed, there is no better instruction for the remaining sons of the Fatherland. Amen".

Kutuzov hut

Grateful Moscow has not forgotten Kutuzov. Memorials dedicated to the Patriotic War were erected in it, and in them, of course, a place was allocated to perpetuate the memory of the commander. So, on the southern facade of the thanksgiving Cathedral of Christ the Savior there is a high relief "The Appearance of the Archangel Michael to Joshua". It recalls the famous victorious battle for ancient city Jericho, testifying to Divine help to the faithful, is allegorically connected with the Patriotic War: Archangel Michael was not only the head heavenly powers who helped the Russian warriors, but also the heavenly guardian of the commander-in-chief M.I. Kutuzov.

The name of Kutuzov is also imprinted in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, built on the site of the old one, desecrated by Napoleon. St. George's Hall - the largest in the palace - was the first memorial of the glory of the heroes of 1812: on the wall marble plaques, as in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the names of the Knights of St. George are minted.

In 1814, for the solemn meeting of the winners, a wooden Triumphal Arch was installed at the Tverskaya Zastava. Nicholas I ordered to erect in its place a stone one, in the image of ancient Roman arches: the solemn laying with the participation of St. Philaret took place on August 17, 1829. It was erected not only "as a sign of the memory of the triumph of Russian soldiers" during the capture of Paris, but also "as a sign of the resumption of historical Moscow, burned by Napoleon." In Soviet times, after long ordeals, the Triumphal Arch was moved to Poklonnaya Hill, which turned out to be more suitable place. After all, it was there in pre-revolutionary times that the main Kutuzov memorial was formed, the center of which was the chapel of the Archangel Michael, and nearby were the commander’s museum, the Kutuzov hut and the Dorogomilovskoye cemetery, where 300 Borodin soldiers who died of wounds were buried: in 1849, at the expense of the manufactory adviser Prokhorov A memorial obelisk was erected over their grave. The local memorial church was the Church of the Intercession in Fili, consecrated after restoration by St. Philaret. Every year on August 31, a memorial service was performed in it for the Russian soldiers who fell on the battlefields of the Patriotic War, and on September 1, on the day of the military council in Fili, a liturgy and memorial service were held, at which Alexander I, Field Marshal M.I. Kutuzov and their associates. Then from the Church of the Intercession set off procession to the Kutuzov hut.

Until the middle of the 19th century, the hut was not a museum. It still belonged to the peasant Frolov, then passed to his son Ivan (or another peasant), but the owners tried to keep the situation in the upper room the way it was during the historic military council, and took care of the things of that time: icons, a wooden table, an inkwell , the bench on which Kutuzov was sitting. In the days of memory of the heroes of the Patriotic War, crowds of pilgrims flocked here, but the rest of the time there were many who wanted to look at the historical relic.

In 1850, the owner Filey E.D. Naryshkin made a new transfer of the village of Fili - closer to the family estate, since the sparsely populated and remote village did not generate income, but he was asked to leave the Kutuzov hut in its original place. He agreed and ordered to repair it, surround it with an earthen rampart, hang portraits of the members of the military council, maps in the upper room - that is, he created a semblance of a museum. He also appointed a watchman - a retired soldier who lived in one of the rooms of the hut and played the role of a guide. In May 1856, Leo Tolstoy visited here.

Further, the versions of historians seriously diverge. According to some, in 1864 E.D. Naryshkin sold part of his land near Poklonnaya Gora along with the hut to Kozma Terentyevich Soldatenkov. According to other, more reliable data, in 1867 Naryshkin donated the hut to the city. The watchman was fired, a new one was not appointed. We decided what to do with the monument. The hut was boarded up for a while, and in the same 1867 it was robbed through the window. As the bailiff of the Khamovniki unit reported, almost everything was removed from there. And on June 7, 1868, the "ownerless" hut burned down - only the icon of Archangel Michael and the Kutuzov bench were taken out (they were not taken by the thieves who robbed the museum a year ago). These relics were handed over to the Moscow City Duma for safekeeping. And it was after the fire, according to third historians, that Naryshkin wished to donate the remains of the hut along with the land plot to the city, or the Duma itself expressed a desire to purchase this memorial. However, it turned out to be difficult to accept the monument as a gift, and in order to avoid bureaucratic red tape, the burnt ruins of the hut were bought from Naryshkin for a symbolic sum of 200 rubles, which he immediately transferred to the construction of the monument to Kutuzov.

The fate of the Kutuzov izba excited the Muscovites, and the Duma appointed a commission to determine its future fate. It was impossible to lose such a monument, especially since after the release of the epic "War and Peace", the fame of Fileya increased even more. The Duma decided to immortalize this place. It was then that the first thought about the chapel appeared. It was proposed to recreate the hut in its original form and build a chapel with it at the expense of the city or collected by subscription, and next to arrange a military almshouse for several disabled soldiers who would look after the chapel and act as guides. Every year, on the day of the military council, it was supposed to serve a memorial service in the chapel and then hold a folk festival in Fili.

Other Duma members considered it expedient to build only a chapel on the site of the hut and two more - on the memorial Borodino bridge across the Moscow River, built in 1847 in honor of the 35th anniversary of the victory, and to attribute these chapels to the Spaso-Borodino Monastery, built on the Borodino field on place of death of General Tuchkov. The Duma also discussed the simplest idea - to put a granite monument-obelisk in place of the hut.

It all came down to funding. That is why the Duma commission rejected the idea of ​​a “remake”, believing that The best way honoring the memory of the Patriotic War - to give this money for the maintenance of hospitals and schools. The remote monastery had neither the means nor the opportunity to maintain the chapels. The Duma accepted the third proposal as the cheapest - to erect a monument on the site of the burnt hut. The architects presented a dozen projects, and quite expensive ones, such as a giant obelisk decorated with busts of the generals of the military council, or even an altar with a fire and the coat of arms of Moscow, "brought as a burnt offering." Fortunately, nothing came of all this. The Duma never found funds for the Kutuzov memorial, although all the ideas discussed were later implemented. In the meantime memorial place overgrown with grass.

And then, in 1883, the officers of the Grenadier Regiment came to the rescue, having visited Fili for summer field practice. Seeing the deplorable state of the "shrine for every Russian heart", they proposed a temporary, but sensible solution - they moved the old milepost of Catherine's times from the Smolensk road, which was a witness of both the military council in Fili and the retreat of the Russian army. It was erected on the site of the Kutuzov hut, signs with explanatory inscriptions were placed on it, surrounded by a fence and presented to the Duma. The city authorities rejoiced, but the problem of the Kutuzov hut remained.

Just three years later, the Duma received a petition from the Society of Banner Bearers of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior to recreate the memorial hut on the site of the one that had burned down at the expense of funds raised by subscription: their concern for Moscow’s wartime shrines was quite understandable. This time the Duma did not object.

On June 21, 1887, a liturgy was celebrated in the Church of the Intercession in Fili, and then the procession went to the place of laying, where a prayer service with water blessing was served. A month and a half later, the log hut was ready: the architect N. Strukov created it according to the previous drawing, probably using A. Savrasov's sketch, written before the fire. The opening was timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Patriotic War. On the day of the celebration, August 3, Bishop Misail of Dmitrov, vicar of the Moscow diocese, served a liturgy in the Intercession Church, after which the procession went to the memorial, and the bishop consecrated the Kutuzovsky hut. It opened as a museum. The facade was decorated with a memorable inscription: "The hut of the military council, which was on September 1, 1812." The hut itself consisted of two rooms separated by a vestibule, as was the case under the Frolovs. In one half, retired soldiers of the Pskov Infantry Regiment named after M.I. Kutuzov, who acted as watchmen and caretakers. The memorial chamber was decorated with portraits of Russian emperors, heroes of 1812 and a bust of the field marshal, made according to his death mask, and the place where Kutuzov was sitting was marked with a special inscription.

The archimandrite of the Danilov Monastery sent an ancient icon of St. Simeon the Stylite to the hut - on the day of his memory, a military council was held. Archimandrite of the Sretensky Monastery presented Vladimir icon Mother of God - in memory of the Battle of Borodino, which took place on the feast of the miraculous image. The abbess of the Novodevichy Convent presented the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God - this way they blessed the Russian army before the Battle of Borodino.

• Temple of George the Victorious was built and consecrated in 1995, to the 50th anniversary of the 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. Anjaparidze. On the belfry there is a beautiful panel "Deesis".
• In interior decoration of the temple, the central place is occupied by a three-tiered iconostasis with 48 images of saints.
• Visit Poklonnaya Gora and Church of St. George the Victorious can be in the evening to admire how reflecting the evening sky 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 it 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 whole 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 a particle of the relics of St. George.

The history of the creation of the temple

From ancient times in Rus' there was a tradition to perpetuate patron saints on banners and dedicate churches being built to them. The image of St. George in the form of a horseman piercing a snake with a spear was often depicted on the coats of arms of Russian princes and generals. Today it adorns the emblems of Russia and Moscow.

The Church of St. George the Victorious was built and consecrated in 1995, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The date and place of the construction of the temple were not chosen by chance: George the Victorious is considered the patron of both Moscow and Russian soldiers. The famous architect A. Polyansky (1928-1993), one of the leading architects of the era of communist construction, 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 adopted to create such an important religious shrine. But Polyansky so successfully combined modern motifs with traditions, and conciseness with monumentality, that his project was realized, albeit with some changes made after the death of the author.

temple architecture

There are bronze bas-reliefs by Z. Tsereteli and Z. Anjaparidze on the walls. On the belfry you can see the most beautiful panel "Deesis" (author - E. Klyucharev). These elements are a vivid 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 impresses with its harmony and harmoniously fits into the architectural ensemble of Poklonnaya Gora. On a clear summer day, you can admire the majestic building through the fountains of Poklonnaya Gora and see how the sun's rays play in the magnificent stained-glass windows.

The interior and shrines of the temple

In the interior 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 George the Victorious (Cappadocia). It was presented to the temple by the Patriarch of Jerusalem Diodorus in 1998. Among other shrines is an icon Reverend Nikita Stylite, considered a healer; an icon and a particle of the relics of one of the most revered saints, the Blessed Matrona of Moscow, who, according to beliefs, helps all those who suffer; ark with relics Reverend Seraphim Sarovsky, who is addressed with prayers for health and family well-being.

Behind short story The temple has already developed traditions associated with those who are patronized by St. George. These are servicemen, cadets and students of military schools who take the oath here. The fallen soldiers are also commemorated within the walls of the temple.

Chapel of the Archangel Michael

A chapel-museum of the Archangel Michael, located near the Kutuzovsky hut in Fili (Kutuzovsky proezd, house 3), is assigned to the church of St. George the Victorious. This is a memorial Orthodox church, founded on September 1, 1910 in honor of heavenly patron Russian army of the Archangel Michael and in memory of the legendary commander of the XIX century Mikhail Kutuzov. The chapel-museum contains personal belongings of Kutuzov, weapons and samples of uniforms from the time of the Patriotic War of 1812. The chapel was built in the picturesque Russian-Byzantine style.

After ruthless destruction in the Soviet years, the chapel has recently experienced a second birth. From the temple of St. George the Victorious, you can walk to it in 10-15 minutes. Another nearby attraction associated with 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 lights turn on in the fountains, and the area is completely transformed. It is worth recognizing that this is indeed 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.

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). On May 9, 1994, the foundation stone of the temple was laid by the Patriarch of All Rus' Alexy II.

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

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

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

06.05.2005
Patriarchal Liturgy

George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill was 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 (he died on 06/07/1993) and with some changes.

Polyansky sought to create something completely new while observing the basic canons of temple architecture, therefore, despite the fact that the temple was built, as it were, in the Russian style, it has many details characteristic of modernism and alien to Orthodox perception. This is the absence of small architectural decorations, and conciseness and at the same time the largeness of details, the emphasis on the use of modern structures and materials.

Iconostasis of work
A. Chashkina

In an effort to enhance the dynamism and airiness of the building, to add “slimness” to the temple, the architect somewhat “overdid it”. So, as a result of the rejection of the corner zakomar in the silhouette of the temple, the “shoulders” turned out to be chopped off, which somewhat “hurts the eye”. And the volumetric bas-relief compositions on the facade do not correspond church canon: in Orthodoxy it is rare to find sculptural images of Christ, the Virgin or saints, this is rather typical of Catholicism. Nevertheless, it is the giant bas-reliefs by Z. Tsereli and Z. Anjaparidze that adorn the facades of the temple.

Mosaic Deesis
works by E. Klyucharev
on the belfry

The use of glazing of large sections of the walls can also be attributed to modernist trends, thanks to which the temple is flooded with natural light from the inside. The facades, in addition to bronze bas-reliefs, are also decorated with large mosaic icons made by the artist E. Klyucharev. 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 temple 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, dead soldiers are commemorated and prayers of thanksgiving are performed. The parish community of the temple provides care for the children's psycho-neurological boarding school.

From time immemorial, it has developed into Orthodox Rus' the tradition of erecting temples to remind posterity of glorious milestones in history. They were built in gratitude to God for His persistent help and as an edification to the youth who have 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 perpetuated the memory of all those 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. Numerous temples were built and consecrated in his honor throughout vast Rus'. From the end of the XIV century, he became a prayer book for our capital before the Throne of God.

Today, 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 George the Victorious appeared on Poklonnaya Hill, the thrones of several Moscow churches were consecrated in honor of George the Victorious by the Moscow Patriarchate. Everyone who wants to bow to this defender of the Russian land gathers in them.

The erection of the temple

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

The Church of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill was built at an unusually fast pace and exactly one year later it was consecrated. The author of the project was the well-known architect A. Polyansky in Soviet times. To many he is remembered for his most famous work? building of the WWII Museum. Regrettably, but having created a wonderful project, the author never saw its implementation. The architect passed away in 1993. The temple became his posthumous monument.

Temple decorators

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. This trend is visible in many modern temples, the construction of which took place in last years, but in this case She received the most striking incarnation. Undoubtedly, its further development will encourage the creation of new interesting projects.

Bronze bas-reliefs were installed on the walls of the temple, the author of which was Z. Tsereteli. They give general view temple expressiveness and spirituality. On the western facade of the belfry there is a mosaic panel "Deesis". It was also laid out by the famous master Evgeny Klyucharev. These images, just like the entire building as a whole, bear the imprint of the fusion of modern artistic trends with the traditional canons of Christian art that have been established over the centuries.

The interior decoration of the temple does not leave indifferent visitors, the main element of which is a three-tiered iconostasis created at the Sofrino production association, consisting of forty-eight icons of various sizes. All of them were painted by Moscow painter Alexander Chashkin. The interior painting, completed eight years later, includes, in addition to the traditional Orthodox church plots, 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 George the Victorious are his precious shrine. Since they became the property of the temple, the flow of pilgrims to them does not dry out. Before reaching Moscow, they spent a long time in Jerusalem, and there are many records testifying to their miraculous work. Currently, free access is open to them for everyone who wants to pray in front of them.

For two decades now, every morning, the Church of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill opens its doors to its parishioners. The schedule of divine services performed in it informs visitors to the temple that they begin at 9 in the morning with the reading of the hours, and then at 10 the liturgy follows. Evening services usually continue from 17:00 to 19:00, after which the temple is closed. To everyone who is going to visit it for the first time, we inform the address: Moscow, Poklonnaya Gora, the Church of St. George the Victorious. Every Muscovite will point it out to you.