Church schedule. Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary: description, history, choir, features
The idea of composer Alfred Schnittke that any of the Gothic cathedrals is a certain model of the world concerns both Catholic and Protestant movements. Any of them must be recognized as a big city. After all, the construction of the temples itself provided for the accommodation of the entire population of the city. In other words, every temple must be huge. This problem was solved by an ingenious solution regarding the construction of vaults.
Catholic Cathedral Art
Each Catholic cathedral seemed much larger inside than outside. Another achievement in the construction of Gothic cathedrals is unity in architecture, interior, and decoration. But on the other hand, a Gothic cathedral always combines art of different types and times.
In the Gothic style itself, such types of art as sculpture, stained glass, decorative design in the form of wood, stone, bone carvings, and all this with musical accompaniment, were incredibly developed. The Catholic one is decorated with sculptural works and compositions from them, various types of ornaments, figures of real and fantastic animals. Special iconography of Christian saints always adorns the western portals of the cathedral. And the main entrance is decorated with sculptures of saints. There are up to eight dozen of them. Decoration of the interior space of the Catholic Cathedral - stained glass windows. The light pouring from them with iridescent shades and a variety of colors creates a feeling of the endless reality of the sky. Sometimes the total area of the temple's stained glass windows reached two and a half thousand square meters. Separately, you should pay attention to the music in the cathedral. Initially, music schools were formed in cathedrals. And these schools produced many famous organists. Their sounding works, combined with the light passing through the stained glass windows, create a feeling of unearthly reality, confirming that the cathedral is truly a prototype of the whole world.
First of three temples
Catholic churches in Moscow coexist peacefully with Orthodox churches and churches of other faiths. The first of the three existing churches was the Church of Peter and Paul.
It was founded in the German settlement by the decision of Tsar Peter I at the beginning of the eighteenth century. But his fate was not long-term. Built with money from the Polish community in Milyutinsky Lane, it existed until the October Revolution. Then the church was closed and rebuilt. Removing the dome and installing interfloor ceilings turned the temple building into an ordinary three-story house. Subsequently, various government institutions began to be located there. Today there is a research institute there. It is difficult to recognize the once majestic church in this simple building. Only a plaque on the wall reminds us that there was a Roman Catholic cathedral here.
Second Cathedral of the city
The second Catholic Moscow Cathedral was the church of the settlers of Moscow - the French. Saint Louis. Built on Malaya Lubyanka at the end of the eighteenth century.
It was rebuilt many times, but is still in operation today. The modern building was built in the mid-nineteenth century. And at the beginning of the twentieth century, a French lyceum was opened under him. It should be noted that this Catholic cathedral was not closed in the seventeenth year, like most churches, and church services were always held there with short interruptions. Already in the nineties of the last century, all the buildings that belonged to it before the revolution were transferred to the church.
Briefly about the most famous cathedral
There is no doubt that the most important among Moscow cathedrals is the Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. Its construction took place from the end of the nineteenth to the beginning of the twentieth century along Malaya Gruzinskaya Street in Moscow. The beauty and monumentality of the structure is amazing.
The church was closed in the thirties of the twentieth century. The church premises survived the Patriotic War without much damage. Therefore, the premises were subsequently used for warehouses. And in 1990 the church was transferred to Catholics.
The need for discovery
In the mid-nineteenth century, the office of the Moscow province received a request for another church for Catholics. The petition described a significant increase in Polish settlers in the city. Soon the community received permission, but subject to certain conditions. It was prescribed to build the temple far from the central buildings of the city, as well as large Orthodox shrines. There should be no tower buildings or various sculptures above the temple. Sculptor Bogdanovich developed and approved the project. The Catholic cathedral accommodated five thousand believers and had external sculptural decorations.
History of the building
The main buildings were erected at the beginning of the twentieth century at the expense of the inhabitants of the Polish nationality of the city and all of Russia. It should be said that at that time there were already about thirty thousand Catholics in Moscow. The building itself cost the Poles up to two hundred and seventy thousand, and additional money was collected for fencing and decoration. The finishing took a long time.
During the first persecution of the church, even before the war, it was closed and converted into a hostel. The war destroyed several temple towers. In the sixties of the twentieth century, a research institute was located in the premises of the temple. To achieve this, the internal volume of the room was radically changed. There are four floors. The ninetieth year of the twentieth century returned the Catholic cathedral in Moscow to the church. After a sixty-year break, the first service was served. Hundreds of believers listened to the service while standing on the steps. Only in 1996, after long negotiations and the eviction of the research institute, the Catholic cathedral was transferred to its intended purpose and consecrated. Malaya Gruzinskaya, a Catholic cathedral, became famous after a worldwide Catholic prayer service through a teleconference and celebrations on the occasion of the centenary of the temple in 2011.
Description of the temple
Legend has it that the prototype of this cathedral was Westminster . The spire of the central tower honors the cross, and the spiers of the side towers are the coats of arms of the founders. At the entrance to the cathedral there is a sculpture with the image. In the central hall there are benches in two sectors with a passage between them. Confession rooms are located to the side. Massive columns are organically arranged in the hall. The ceilings are made in the form of arches with diagonal symmetry, forming cross-shaped vaults. Windows with sharp upper corners and stained glass. Under the windows there are wall bas-reliefs. At a certain height there are choirs designed for fifty singers. There is also an organ there. From a distance, the entire cathedral building resembles the shape of a cross. The architect's idea to display the church as the body of Christ is obvious. Other churches have a similar layout, and it is called cruciform. The altar is made of dark green marble.
On the left side of the temple there are massive bells. There are only five of them, from largest to smallest. The weight of bells starts from nine hundred kilograms with a tendency for the weight of subsequent bells to gradually decrease. The bells are driven electronically.
Cathedral organ music
The Third Catholic Cathedral in Moscow has an organ instrument, which has become the largest in the country. It can easily perform works from different historical eras. It is composed of seventy-three registers, four manuals and five thousand five hundred and sixty-three pipes. The organ is a gift from Switzerland. Created by craftsmen in 1955. Transported to Moscow in parts and installed by craftsmen from the German company "Kaufbeuren" free of charge. In 2005, the organ was consecrated.
Festivals and concerts
On Malaya Gruzinskaya Street, the Catholic Cathedral, as a unique architectural monument, is also a concert hall in Moscow. Its walls are filled with music from festivals and concerts. The acoustics of the building create a special sound of sacred organ music. Here the heart of even the most callous person becomes softer.
Observing ancient European cultural traditions, the Catholic Cathedral holds concerts regularly and welcomes everyone who wants to enjoy sublime music. Here, all the vaults of the cathedral are filled with the sound of compositions by various musical geniuses from all over the world. A visit to the temple gives you the opportunity to hear modern jazz music performed by an organ at the same time as medieval music. Visitors are always offered a large selection of performances and concert programs. The whole family can go to a concert during the day, enjoy holiday festivals, evenings of sacred music and medieval mysteries. It is also important that all money for purchased tickets is used for repair and restoration work in the church.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the third Catholic church operating in Moscow before the 1917 revolution. The other two: on Malaya Lubyanka - the Church of St. Louis of France, and in Milyutinsky Lane - the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. By the end of the 19th century, the number of Catholics in Moscow reached 30,000 people and the small Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul that belonged to them could no longer accommodate all the parishioners.
In 1894, it was decided to build another church for Moscow Catholics. After receiving permission from the authorities to build a “branch” church, the parish committee in Milyutinsky Lane began collecting funds. The money was collected by Poles living throughout the Russian Empire and abroad, including workers of weaving factories, railway workers, builders of the Trans-Siberian Railway, exiled to Siberia, the Far East and Asia, as well as many Catholics of other nationalities, including Russians.
In the archives of Moscow (TsGIA Moscow) and St. Petersburg (TsGIA USSR) documents have been preserved telling about the activities of the construction committee, including the Act of purchase of ten hectares of land for 10,000 rubles in gold for a new church in the area of Malaya Gruzinskaya Street and donation collection records, where All donors are recorded, regardless of the amount of the contribution. ...a neo-Gothic cathedral in Moscow, the largest Catholic cathedral in Russia, the cathedral of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God, headed by Metropolitan Archbishop Paolo Pezzi. One of the two operating Catholic churches in Moscow, along with the Church of St. Louis of France (besides the two churches in Moscow, there is also a Catholic chapel of St. Olga).
The temple project was developed by a parishioner of the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, the famous Moscow architect Foma Iosifovich Bogdanovich-Dvorzhetsky, a teacher at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, and the architect L. F. Dauksha. The building was designed in the Gothic style. The prototype of the façade was the Gothic Cathedral in Westminster (England). The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built in 1901-1911. In December 1911, the grand opening of the new church took place. Construction cost 300,000 rubles in gold. Additional sums were collected in 1911-1917 for decoration and purchase of church equipment. In 1938, the temple was closed, church property was looted, and a dormitory was organized inside. During the war, the building was damaged by bombing and several turrets and spiers were destroyed. In 1956, the Mosspetspromproekt Research Institute was located in the temple. The building was redeveloped, completely changing the interior of the church, in particular, the main volume of the internal space was divided into 4 floors.
In 1976, Moscow authorities planned to transfer the Temple building to the Main Directorate of Culture. We developed a project for its reconstruction into an organ music hall. But the idea was not realized due to the resistance of organizations located in the Church. In 1989, Moscow Catholics and the cultural association “Polish House”, uniting Moscow Poles, declared the need to return the Temple to its natural and legal owner - the Catholics and their Roman Catholic Church. In January 1990, a group of Moscow Catholics established the parish of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but on December 8, priest Tadeusz Pikus celebrated the first Holy Mass permitted by the authorities on the steps of the Church. Several hundred people attended the mass.
On April 21, 1991, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, Apostolic Administrator for Latin Rite Catholics of the European Part, issued a decree on the restoration of the Catholic parish of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Church of the same name on Malaya Gruzinskaya Street in Moscow. On May 31, 1991, the Parish's charter was officially registered by the Department of Justice of the Moscow Council. Since June 7, 1991, Holy Masses began to be held every Sunday in the Temple courtyard.
Since November 29, 1991, Salesian sisters have been serving in the Temple, conducting catechesis and teaching the basics of Christianity. At the same time, charitable activities began, in particular helping the sick and needy. In 1993-1995 The Catholic Higher Theological Seminary - Mary Queen of the Apostles - was located on the premises of the Church. On February 1, 1992, the mayor of Moscow, Yu. M. Luzhkov, signed a decision on the gradual, over two years, liberation of the Temple for church purposes. However, the transfer of at least several premises to the Parish never took place. On July 2, parishioners entered the Temple and independently vacated a small part of the premises. After negotiations with representatives of the City Hall, the reclaimed part of the temple remained with the parish.
On March 7 and 8, 1995, believers rose up for the second time to fight for the return of all other premises of the Temple. The parishioners realized that without decisive action on their part the situation was unlikely to change. On March 7, after a general prayer for the return of the Temple, they went up to the fourth floor and began to take out the junk stored there. At this time, other parishioners dismantled the wall on the first floor that separated the Parish from Mosspetspromproekt. On March 8, parishioners continued to vacate the Temple premises. However, the police and riot police intervened: people were expelled from the Temple, many were injured, a nun was severely beaten, and a priest and seminarian were arrested. On March 9, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz addressed an open letter to Russian President B.N. Yeltsin regarding the situation around the Temple. As a result, the mayor of Moscow, Yu. M. Luzhkov, signed on March 7, 1995, a long-prepared decree on the transfer of Mosspetspromproekt to new premises and the transfer of the Temple to believers by the end of the year.
However, there was no guarantee that this decision would be implemented. The rector of the parish, Fr. Joseph Zanevsky called on believers to pray for the return of the Temple and fast. On Thursdays and Fridays, adoration of the Holy Gifts began to take place in the Temple and a prayer procession around the Temple on Sundays. Finally, on January 13, 1996, the Mospetspromproekt association left the temple. And on February 2, the parish of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary received documents for the eternal use of the Temple. The main burden of the return and restoration of the Temple with the Archbishop and the Rector was also borne by Fr. Kazimir Shidelko, director of the Children's Shelter named after. John Bosco, and many parishioners. The completion of the restoration from August 1998 was led by Fr. Andrzej Steckiewicz.
The general project for the restoration of the Temple and the author's support of the restoration work belong to the PKZ company. The design of the altars, the chapel and the interior as a whole was developed by Professor Jan Taichman (Toruń). Constant financial assistance was provided by the EnergoPol company, director Kazimir Vershillo. All three donors are from the Republic of Poland. The Rodgers organ was donated by the Catholic organization Aid to the Church in Russia, USA. Thanks to donations from charitable organizations and Catholics from many countries around the world, as well as the prayers and selfless help of parishioners, the Temple again acquired all its pristine beauty. On December 12, 1999, the Temple was consecrated by the Legate of Pope John Paul II, Secretary of State of the Vatican, Cardinal Angelo Sodano and became the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
On April 13, 2001, the Cathedral solemnly celebrated the tenth anniversary of the restoration of the structures of the Roman Catholic Church in Russia.
The first Lutherans appeared in Moscow in the 16th century. These were artisans, doctors and merchants invited from Europe. And already in 1694, Peter I founded a Lutheran stone church in the name of the holy apostles Peter and Paul - which was consecrated a year later, in his personal presence. During the Great Moscow Fire of 1812, the temple burned down. And the parish acquired the Lopukhins’ estate near Pokrovka, on Starosadsky Lane. With the funds of the King of Prussia, Frederick William III, as well as with the participation of Alexander I, in June of the following year, the reconstruction of the purchased house into a church began - a dome and a cross were erected. On August 18, 1819, the temple was consecrated. In February 1837, an organ sounded there for the first time. In 1862, a reconstruction was carried out in the neo-Gothic style, according to the plan of the architect A. Meinhardt. And in 1863, a bell, donated by Kaiser Wilhelm I, was raised to the tower.
The church played a huge role not only in the religious, but also in the musical life of Moscow - famous Moscow and foreign performers performed there. It is enough to mention the organ concert of Franz Liszt, which took place on May 4, 1843.
On December 5, 1905, the church was consecrated as the Cathedral of the Moscow Consistorial District. In 1918, the cathedral received the status of the Cathedral of Russia, and then of the entire Soviet Union.
However, in the post-revolutionary years, persecution of religion began in the USSR. The building was taken away from the community. In 1937, the cathedral was converted into the Arktika cinema, and then transferred to the Filmstrip studio. The redevelopment carried out, unfortunately, completely destroyed the entire interior. In 1941, the church organ was evacuated to the Novosibirsk Opera House, where it was partially scrapped and partially used as decoration. And before the World Festival of Youth and Students in 1957, the cathedral spire was dismantled.
In July 1992, by decree of the Moscow Government, the building was returned to the community. And in 2004, after much effort, we managed to find sponsors, both among individuals and among organizations. This made it possible to begin large-scale restoration work. Finally, on November 30, 2008, during a solemn service, the consecration of the revived cathedral took place.
Currently, in addition to divine services, the cathedral hosts numerous concerts - musical instruments sound, amazing voices sing, and magical music comes to life. The SAUER organ installed opposite the altar (built in 1898 by Wilhelm Sauer, one of the largest organ-building firms in Germany) is one of the few romantic organs of the nineteenth century preserved in Russia. The unique acoustics of the Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul makes it possible to fully enjoy its sound.
Rules of conduct in the Cathedral
The Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Starosadsky Lane is a functioning cathedral. Concerts are held here during free time from services, thereby opening up the opportunity for everyone (regardless of beliefs and views) to join the thousand-year-old cultural heritage of Russia and Europe. Here, as in any public place, there are certain rules:
Entry tickets
Entry to most concerts is by ticket. Advance tickets are sold at the theater and concert box office and on the website.
On our website there are discounts of 50% of the full price in any sector except VIP, for preferential categories and for owners of our discount cards who receive the newsletter. These benefits are a pre-sale promotion only. Before the start of the concert, a single preferential price was established for all sectors in the amount of 50% of the price in the central sector.
Return of tickets is possible only on the terms of the selling organization, if this is provided for by their rules. When purchased on the organizers' websites, tickets can be returned no later than 3 days before the concert date with a percentage charge for banking services. Unused tickets are valid for other concerts; they must be rebooked via the contact email on the organizers' website. The organizers have the right to replace the announced concert with another; in this case, tickets may be returned to the place of purchase, or rebooked for another concert.
On the day of the event, payment for attending concerts is accepted by the Cathedral staff an hour before the start in the form of a set donation for the maintenance of the Cathedral in an amount corresponding to the cost of the concert, taking into account available benefits and discounts.
Remember that to visit the Cathedral at other (non-concert) times, invitations are not required. The cathedral is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 19:00. Tickets are also not needed in cases where the event poster or program states that admission is free.
Appearance (dress code)
It is not necessary to select evening dresses: concerts take place within the walls of the existing Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul - you just need to remember this. From strict regulations: clothing should not reveal the neckline, back or shoulders; it should not contain provocative inscriptions or images. For the rest, you can get by with a completely democratic form of clothing (excluding shorts and miniskirts)
Our lovely listeners are free to choose what they want to wear: whether it’s a dress or trousers; Covering your head is not necessary. Men are supposed to be in the Cathedral without a headdress.
Please note that there is no wardrobe in the Cathedral. Visitors enter the temple wearing outerwear, which they can, if desired, take off and keep with them. During the cold season, the Cathedral premises are heated.
Age
Concerts in the Cathedral are open to everyone, including children. Age restrictions for daytime concerts for the whole family and children's events at 15:00 in the stalls from 6 years old, on the balcony from 12 years old. For evening concerts at 18 o'clock in the stalls from 9 years old, on the balcony from 12 years old, for evening concerts at 20 and 21 o'clock in the stalls and on the balcony from 12 years old.
If the child starts crying or being capricious, you will have to go out into the vestibule with him or even leave the concert early.
Safety
Please, we urge you to refrain from coming to the Cathedral for the concert with animals, as well as food, drinks, suitcases and other large, explosive or cutting objects. You will not be allowed into the hall with them. It is not permitted to enter the Cathedral premises on roller skates, skateboards and scooters, to bring in and leave scooters, roller skates, skateboards, bicycles and strollers for storage, or to enter the Cathedral territory in cars. There are no parking spaces on the territory of the Cathedral. Paid parking is available in all alleys around the Cathedral.
BEFORE THE CONCERT
What time is best to arrive?
The hall opens in 30 minutes. To enter the hall you need to go through control of purchased electronic tickets at the registration desk and receive the concert program. It takes a few minutes, but there is a line before you start. Therefore, we recommend arriving 40-45 minutes before. After the start of the concert, entry into the hall is not allowed, so as not to disturb other listeners.
Late arrivals go to the balcony regardless of ticket category. If the balcony is closed for technical reasons, late listeners will enter the hall only during breaks between numbers of the concert program, and visitors are required to occupy the empty seats closest to the entrance (the seats indicated on the latecomer’s ticket lose their relevance)
We ask you to be understanding and not to be late.
I'm thinking of purchasing a ticket just before the concert...
Yes it is possible. Sales begin an hour before the concert. Within an hour before the start of the concert, you can pay for attending the concert in the form of a set donation for the maintenance of the Cathedral in an amount corresponding to the cost of the concert, taking into account available benefits and discounts. In such cases, we highly recommend arriving a little earlier in order to be able to choose the seats according to your preference from those available, because... before starting, they may not stay and just stroll through the beautiful grounds of the Cathedral.
Sobriety of mind and peace of mind
Please remain calm and take your time once the custodians begin allowing students into the hall. This type of behavior is not only inappropriate in church, it is also dangerous to your health. We count on your understanding!
Ticket control
Please be prepared to show your entry tickets to the rangers. If you have a special ticket purchased with social discounts, be prepared to also show a document confirming the fact of the social discount.
Seats in the central and side naves, central and side balconies
Please take your seats in the indicated sector according to your tickets.
If you have chosen seats in the side naves and on the side balcony, you can take a row and place exclusively in these sectors, and not in the central ones. We ask you not to change seats in the central sectors during the concert.
If you have any difficulties, please contact the caretakers for help.
History of the Cathedral
You can learn in detail about how our Cathedral is structured on a guided tour. We kindly ask you not to perform it privately, and not to walk around the Cathedral for such a purpose (“to look”) before the concert. Moreover, we ask you not to enter the altar area or behind the fences. After the concert, if you wish, you can ask our employees any questions about the structure of the Cathedral (they wear name badges).
DURING THE CONCERT
Photo and video
It is possible to take pictures in the Cathedral during a concert, but only without flash and not in front of the performers, so as not to interfere with the concert. Filming of performers is carried out only at their request and with the consent of the concert organizers. If you are going to post photos or videos on a social network, please, if possible, put a geotag (Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul) and the hashtags #fondbelcanto and #LutheranCathedral
About what is unacceptable
Once again we earnestly ask you to remember that the Cathedral is a functioning church. Please follow generally accepted rules of conduct. If you do not comply with them, you may be asked to leave the hall. In the temple, as in other public places, you cannot kiss, behave provocatively, be rude or disturb other people. If the caretaker asks you to leave the hall, you must do so immediately. You can find out the reasons and all the circumstances in the vestibule of the administration.
Applause and flowers
During concerts in the Cathedral, you can express your approval by applauding. Those interested can give flowers to the performers at the end of the concert.
Additionally
In the vestibule of the temple after each concert you can purchase CDs with recordings of performers and religious literature
- After each concert you can sign up for a tour of the Cathedral.
In 1894, permission was received for the construction of a third Catholic church in Moscow, provided that the church would be built far from the city center and especially revered Orthodox churches, without towers and external sculptures. The neo-Gothic project of F. O. Bogdanovich-Dvorzhetsky was approved, despite the deviation from the last condition. The temple was built mainly from 1901 to 1911. The appearance of the temple was different from the design. The cathedral is a neo-Gothic three-nave cruciform pseudo-basilica. Perhaps the prototype for the facade was the Gothic cathedral in Westminster Abbey, and for the dome - the dome of the Cathedral in Milan. Money for construction was raised by the Polish community and Catholics of other nationalities throughout Russia. The cathedral fence was built in 1911 (architect L.F. Dauksh). The temple, which received the name of the branch church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was consecrated on December 21, 1911. Finishing work continued until 1917. In 1919, the branch church was turned into a full-fledged parish.
In 1938, the temple was closed, the property was looted, and a dormitory was organized inside. Before the cathedral was closed in 1938, the altar of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Moscow was a three-spire Gothic structure with an Altar, rising to the ceiling of the apse in which the tabernacle was located. There were palm trees in the presbytery, and it itself was separated from the nave by a balustrade. During the war, the building was damaged by bombing and several towers and spiers were destroyed. In 1956, the building was occupied by the Mosspetspromproekt Research Institute, redevelopment was carried out, and the interior space was divided into 4 floors. In 1976, a project was developed, but not implemented, to restore the building into an organ music hall. On December 8, 1990, on the occasion of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Father Tadeusz Pikus (now a bishop) celebrated Mass for the first time on the steps of the cathedral.
Regular services have been held since June 7, 1991. In 1996, after being removed from the premises of the Mosspetspromproekt Research Institute, the temple was transferred to the Church. On December 12, 1999, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, solemnly consecrated the restored Cathedral. In its current form, the cathedral differs from what it looked like before it was closed in 1938. The pointed window openings are decorated with stained glass. Under the window openings, on the inner surfaces of the walls, there are 14 bas-reliefs - 14 “standings” of the Way of the Cross. There are five bells made at the Polish Felczynski factory in Przemysl (donated by Bishop Wiktor Skvorets of Tarnow). The largest weighs 900 kg and is called “Our Lady of Fatima”. The rest: “John Paul II”, “Saint Thaddeus”, “Jubilee 2000”, “Saint Victor”. The bells are driven using special electronic automation.
There is an organ (th. Kuhn, ag. Mannedorf, 1955), which is one of the largest organs in Russia (73 registers, 4 manuals, 5563 pipes), which allows you to perform organ music from different eras. The Kuhn organ was received as a gift from the Evangelical Reformed Cathedral Basel Münster in Basel. It was built in 1955; in January 2002, work began on dismantling the organ and all parts, except register No. 65 Principal bass 32", were transported to Moscow. The work was carried out by the organ-building company "Orgelbau Schmid Kaufbeuren e.K." (Kaufbeuren, Germany - Gerhard Schmid, Gunnar Schmid). The cathedral organ is now one of the largest in Russia (74 registers, 4 manuals, 5563 pipes) and allows for stylistically flawless performance of organ music of any era. Since 2009, educational programs have been conducted using the organ course “Western European Sacred Music”, giving Russian musicians the skills of Gregorian chant and organ improvisation.
If you walk along Malaya Gruzinskaya Street, you will certainly pass by a building in the neo-Gothic style. This is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary - the main Catholic church in Russia. 
Looking at the arrow-shaped spiers with silver crosses reaching into the blue sky, it is difficult to imagine that this was not always the case. But our temple had a very complex and tragic history.
It was built at the beginning of the twentieth century for the Russian Catholic community, which included mainly Poles. Consecrated in 1911 in the name of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but, in general, served as a branch of the now closed church of St. Peter and Paul, which could no longer cope with so many parishioners (more than 30,000). Donations for construction were collected from all over the country and even from abroad. The temple was built from 1899 to 1911, but decoration was carried out until 1917.
The design of the temple was developed by a parishioner of the Church of St. Apostles Peter and Paul, a famous Moscow architect, Pole by birth, Tomas (Foma) Iosifovich Bogdanovich-Dvorzhetsky, teacher at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. The building was designed in the neo-Gothic style (i.e., the “new Gothic” style, the distinctive features of which are red brickwork, high black roofs, lancet windows). The prototype of the facade was the Gothic Cathedral in Westminster (England). 
This is the facade in the year of consecration, and on the right is the old-style altar, which was lost.
The revolution broke out, and with it years of persecution of any religion. The temple operated until 1937, then it was closed, and then in 1938 it was completely taken away from Catholics. But the attack on the temple began even earlier. In 1935, part of the territory was taken away from him for the construction of a school.
After the closure, the gradual destruction of the cathedral began. Church property, including the altar and organ, was plundered and destroyed, and the façade was disfigured. The temple was given over to various organizations, which disfigured it beyond recognition, dividing it into 4 floors with ceilings. The temple continued to be destroyed - during the war, the spiers were demolished, supposedly to remove a dangerous target for bombing, then the spire from the dome was demolished and the remaining territory was taken away for a residential building. 
Towards the end of the twentieth century, in 1976, they remembered the temple and decided to transfer it to the main department of culture for reconstruction and organization of an organ music hall there. But it didn’t work out due to the resistance of the organizations located there.
And in 1989, Moscow Catholics demanded that the temple be returned to the Catholic Church - to its rightful owners. Thus began the slow process of reviving the temple.
In 1990, the first mass was celebrated on the steps of the temple. The parish of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary was established, and the struggle began to return the temple to the believers. 
Since June 1991, Mass began to be celebrated in the church courtyard every Sunday. In July 1991, Salesian Father Joseph Zanevsky was appointed rector of the church, who still holds this post. In the same year, charitable activities and catechesis began in preparation for the sacraments. In 1993-1995, the building housed the Higher Theological Seminary - Mary Queen of the Apostles, and for some time the Catholic College of St. Thomas Aquinas. I remember its graduates told how during the break they ran to venerate the Holy Gifts in the basement, and then rushed back to class. Now both institutions have their own buildings. The Catholic seminary moved to St. Petersburg, and now the university is located somewhere on Baumanka, it seems.
At the beginning of 1992, the mayor of Moscow signed an order to transfer the temple to believers. But it was not possible to evict the Mospetspromproekt Research Institute, which has occupied the Temple since 1956. The parishioners, with their own efforts, cleared several rooms in the basement of debris and began to hold services there. 
It was cramped and dark, but there was no way out.
On May 9, 1995, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz addressed an open letter to Russian President B.N. Yeltsin regarding the situation around the Temple. As a result, Moscow Mayor Yu.M. Luzhkov signed a decree on the transfer of Mosspetspromproekt to new premises and the transfer of the Temple to believers by the end of 1995.
However, there was no guarantee that this decision would be implemented. The rector of the parish, Father Joseph Zanevsky, called on believers to pray for the return of the temple and to fast. On Thursdays and Fridays, adorations of the Blessed Sacrament began to take place in the temple, and prayer processions around the Temple began to take place on Sundays. Believers even had to seize premises, which led to clashes with the police. Finally, on January 13, 1996, the Mospetspromproekt association left the Temple building. And on February 2, 1996, the parish of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary received documents for indefinite use of the building. But it was more likely a memory of the cathedral that once was, and not the cathedral itself. 
All that was left of it were dilapidated walls. It is not appropriate to celebrate the Eucharist in such a place. 
The gradual restoration of the building began, donations were again collected from all over the world, as during construction. 
On December 12, 1999, the Vatican Secretary of State, Legate of Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Angelo Sodano solemnly consecrated the restored Temple, which has since become the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 
Not long ago we celebrated the eleventh anniversary of the re-consecration of the cathedral. And this year we will celebrate its centenary. “And I say to you: you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18.) The temple was reborn like a phoenix from the ashes. And I hope it will last for many, many centuries.
The photographs in this part, except for the modern ones, are naturally not mine. Found on the Internet and taken from the parish website catedra.ru. However, they are also hanging out all over the network. So it’s difficult to say what and where it was taken from, but the main thing is the essence.
After restoration, the temple and parish began to live a full life. 
The cathedral has turned into a real cultural center, where classes on the basics of Christian doctrine are held, charitable activities are conducted (an orphanage, a Caritas center operates, donations are collected for various needs), sacred music concerts and various meetings are held.
Sometimes our cathedral reminds me of a densely populated city. :) 
You enter these cast-iron gates, crowned with a Latin cross, and find yourself in a place of coolness, peace and quiet. 
Yes, it’s always calm there, even despite the fact that a lot of children from surrounding houses are running around the territory, and on Sundays it’s actually a multinational kindergarten. Local residents love to come here because no one will drive them away and there is no danger here. There is no playground, but the children always find something to do. 
In place of the construction trailer, a statue of the Good Shepherd with sheep was erected. You can argue endlessly about its artistic value, but children simply adore it.
This is what she usually looks like. The children race sheep and try to climb up the staff and into the arms of Jesus. This year they decided to break them off and planted them all around with flowers and fenced them off, but in my opinion it was a waste. Let them play for themselves.
I love watching the children, the well-fed pigeons roaming around the area in large numbers, and just admiring the towers going up into the sky. 
I also look at the stained glass windows from the outside, trying to guess which is which. 
But it's not that simple. The inside of the glass looks completely different.
I never get tired of all this, because at any time of year and day the cathedral is always different. 
In the deepening twilight, only a black outline can be discerned, and in the darkness the backlight turns on, causing the entire building to glow orange, as if glowing from within.
I really enjoy walking around the area, which looks quite well-groomed and landscaped. There are spruce trees that are decorated before Christmas, and the rector started greenhouses and planted a bunch of flowers. 
Sometimes you go out into the yard, and he’s walking around with a garden hose and watering his flower garden. 
Last year, luxurious red roses bloomed near the church kiosk. 
The grotto of the Virgin Mary of Lourdes near the Curia building is now also buried in flowers. 
And the administration itself is not lagging behind. 
There are flowers in almost every square centimeter. :) 
Whatever you say, winter is much more boring. 
Although it depends on how you look at it. Amazing encounters happen all year round. In this photograph, two Franciscan monks suddenly materialized. Then I only saw them on the display. You can't make it up on purpose. And this is our church kiosk, where there is a good selection of Christian literature, you can buy candles, icons, crucifixes, crosses and everything that is necessary for the external expression of faith. 
This is the cathedral rose. There are Latin letters VMIC (Virgo Maria Immaculata Concepta - Virgin Mary Immaculately Conceived). The eleven steps symbolize the 10 commandments + the commandment of obedience, necessary to enter the gates of heaven, which in this case symbolize the doors of the temple. 
Christ yesterday, today and always... Only following this motto will lead us to the Father's house.
Having entered the doors of the temple, you find yourself in the vestibule or narthex, as it is sometimes called.
There are parish notice boards, a concert program and announcements for the oratory - a youth center. There are also tables where they place the program of concerts, the Living Word (reflections on the Gospel readings for the week), various newspapers and magazines (for example, Light of the Gospel or the Salesian Bulletin). However, not only that. You can find a lot of interesting things if you check regularly. 
There are also four doors. The right door near the entrance leads to the emergency exit from the temple, where the toilet is located on the landing, and it is also where the stairs leading to the choir are located. On Sunday mornings, it is from there that our choir members descend.
The left door near the entrance leads to the ground floor, where there are also many different useful rooms, but more on them later. The door near the notice board leads to the hall of Mary Help of Christians - one of the classrooms where, in fact, for almost a whole year I received, so to speak, an initial theological education, in other words, I underwent catechesis before Communion. The hall itself is almost no different from a school class or university auditorium - desks, a blackboard, a window. Except it’s a little cramped there and there’s a crucifix hanging on the wall. Where would we be without him?
Between the two doors there is a Crucifix. On both sides of it there are donation boxes - the left one is intended for the repair of the temple, and the right one is for those in need. 
In the last days of Great Lent, the Crucifix and, in general, all the crosses in the temple are covered with purple cloth. This is a symbol of the fact that God sometimes hides His face from us, but He is still here, suffering for our sake. 
Since last spring, the Polish flag with a mourning ribbon stood there for a long time - in memory of the deceased Polish delegation. The parish has historically always united Poles, although now many Russians have appeared. But many priests and nuns are from Poland, so this directly concerns them. 
This is what the porch looked like on the day the plane carrying the Polish delegation crashed. 
And finally, the fourth door leads to the main room - the worship hall. On both sides of the door there are bowls of blessed water or crypts. 
To go inside, you need to put your hand in the water and make the sign of the cross over yourself. Catholics of the Latin rite and those simply living according to the Latin rite perform it in the following way: the fingers are folded into a boat (symbol of the five wounds of Christ), then the hand is on the forehead, then on the chest somewhere in the area of the solar plexus, on the left shoulder, on the right shoulder. They all end differently. I put my hand on the area of my heart, someone makes a gesture as if they are going to squeeze a cross on their chest in their hand, someone simply lowers their hand, I once saw someone bringing their fingers closer to their lips. This gesture seems to imitate kissing a ring with a cross, if I'm not mistaken. However, they may fold their fingers a little differently. There are as many as five options, it seems, but in Russia the one I described is the most common. By the way, it is not forbidden to be baptized as Orthodox Christians. No one will beat you, because firstly, Catholics of the Byzantine rite are baptized in the same way, and secondly, it makes no difference how you are baptized - the most important thing is the symbol of the Cross of the Lord. Catholics of the Armenian rite generally cross themselves under their armpits, and no one looks at them askance.
After you have crossed yourself, you can enter. 
Upon entering, we find ourselves in the central nave, which ends with an altar, where the most important thing is celebrated - the Eucharist, followed by the Crucifixion (9 meters high).
When entering, you usually need to bow your head to the Cross, but most parishioners kneel on their right knee. In general, this gesture is prescribed to be performed when passing by the Tabernacle. Previously, it was in the altar, in many old churches this is still the case, but after the Second Vatican Council there was a tendency to move it somewhere to the side. In our country, the Holy Gifts are kept in the Chapel of Divine Mercy, so it is not necessary to kneel at the entrance, but most people do it anyway.
To the left is the gatekeeper's table, where our grandmothers take turns on duty. They keep order, the donation box is monitored and questions can be answered. On both sides of the entrance there are confessionals, where there is a priest during each mass. There the sins of those who repent are absolved. 
They look something like this, but in the photo they are closed, which are located closer to the sacristy. They are almost never used, except on major holidays, when there is a long queue, so I’m not very familiar with its structure - I’ve never been there. It is clear that in the center there is a place for the priest, and on the sides for the confessor, but that’s all. The open one is almost the same, only there are no doors. The priest sits in a booth in the center, and you must come up from the side, kneel down on a special board and, in fact, say everything you need through the bars and listen to the instructions. For those who are particularly nervous or ignorant, a piece of paper with the rite of confession, which nevertheless has a certain liturgical form, is specially glued at eye level. Although it is recommended to know it by heart, since it is not glued everywhere. 
While you walk around the temple, you can admire the stained glass windows. Ours are very beautiful. 
Purple prevails everywhere, because the photograph was taken during Lent, and purple is the color of repentance.
I usually turn into the left aisle, since I’m used to sitting on the left side and my favorite place for prayer is there. 
Bas-reliefs depicting scenes of the Passion of Christ are hung along the walls of the cathedral. During Lent, a special Way of the Cross service is held on Fridays, during which the faithful walk in procession with a cross and candles, stop at each of the fourteen images (or stations) and reflect on these episodes prayerfully. This is the twelfth - the Crucifixion. 
And this is the most sacred place of the temple - the Tabernacle. On the left is the chapel of the Virgin Mary of Fatima, and in front is the Chapel of Divine Mercy. The yellow circle is the door behind which is the Holy Sacrament. A lamp is always burning near them - the only light that is not extinguished at night. When you cross this passage or want to enter or leave the chapel, you need to bend your right knee and you can cross yourself, saying silently or out loud 3 times: “May the Most Holy Gifts - the true Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ - be glorified.” But the minimum obligatory for a Catholic is kneeling and full kneeling, and not some kind of kniksen, as some do. It’s better then to do nothing at all than to imitate for show. 
In the left aisle there is a statue of the Virgin Mary of Fatima, after whom it is named. There are benches with gene reflections - you can sit down, you can kneel. There is also a gene reflection room near the statue itself. Usually the most personal intentions are exalted there, at least that’s how I see it. Near the statue there are candle holders where you can leave a burning candle. In general, in the Latin rite there is no such large-scale tradition of placing candles everywhere, but, in principle, they can be left as a sign of prayer or as a sacrifice to the temple. You can do it right here. Candles are bought at the store, but you can bring your own. 
Nearby there is a box for notes with requests to the Virgin Mary, which are read every Wednesday during the Novena to the Mother of God Helper of Christians.
Here previously stood a bust of blessed Pope John Paul II and a statue of Judas Thaddeus, one of the apostles. On the side of the bust of the Pope is an announcement of Benedict XVI's intentions for the current month. For July they are as follows:
· that in every country in the world, elections to government bodies are carried out fairly, openly and honestly, with respect for the free decision of every citizen;
· that Christians everywhere, especially in large cities, strive to contribute fruitfully to the causes of education, justice, solidarity and peace.
There is a pious duty of every Catholic to pray as often as possible in accordance with the intentions of the Pope. To make it easier, they are announced.
And now the bust has been moved to a small shelf near the altar.
In the same chapel there is another confessional and another emergency exit, which is used on days when a musical concert is breathing down the neck of the evening Mass. Then the parishioners are let out through this door so that there is no crowd.
There is also an electric organ very close by, which is used on weekdays. 
And a large organ, donated by the Lutheran Cathedral in Germany, stands in the choir. It is played only on Sunday mornings, on holidays and during concerts.
If you are going to the right side chapel of St. Joseph, then, when passing by the altar, you need to bow to the Cross. 
Here is a statue of St. Joseph with the Baby Jesus. Previously, these chapels were intended for separate prayers for men and women. There were men on the right and women on the left, but now this tradition has long died out. 
There is also a particle of the relics of St. Therese of Lisieux, a young Carmelite nun who is considered the patroness of missionaries. There is also a gene reflection room here, so you can pray at the relics. 
There is also another donation box, as well as a statue of the Salesian saints - St. John Bosco and St. Dominic Savio, his student. 
A little further on the left is the door to the sacristy, where the nun on duty sits, who writes information in the parish register, accepts donations for masses in personal intentions, and there is also a room for priests and ministers who put on liturgical vestments here. Here you can also talk to the priest, ask for confession at odd times, or consecrate some objects.
Nearby there is a kind of warehouse for church utensils - a font that is brought to the altar only during baptisms, a cross that is worn during ceremonial processions, a carpet that is used only on special occasions (for example, during weddings), portable reflectors for those getting married, and more The icon of the Virgin Mary of Fatima, especially revered by Russian Catholics, is carried in a solemn procession around the temple every 13th day of the month in memory of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in the Portuguese town of Fatima, which directly concerned Russia.
There is also a tank with blessed water, which you can drink or take home. 
The right side aisle is sometimes used to reconstruct Gospel events. At Easter there is the Holy Sepulcher, and at Christmas time there is a nativity scene.
At Christmas, in my opinion, the temple looks most beautiful. 
There are Christmas trees and garlands everywhere. 
Both the altar and the pulpit look festive. 
After morning mass on New Year's Day it is quiet and calm. 
And the sun shining through the stained glass windows. 
To leave the hall, you need to perform the same actions as when entering, but in reverse order.
Now you can walk to the ground floor or to the crypt. To do this, you need to dive into the door to the left of the main entrance to the temple. There will be stairs to the basement. 
On the first landing there will be such a wall of memory, where the names of Catholics who suffered for their religious beliefs during the years of persecution are listed. 
The history of the Catholic Church in Russia was not easy, sometimes there were very tragic pages, but this is a topic for a separate post. I heard a lot of chilling stories from old women. 
The staircase ends in a hallway with a counter where concert tickets are sold. Some people don’t pay attention to the fact that there is still something there. 
If you go deeper, you find yourself in a hall where there is a sofa, and there are also wall newspapers about the history of the Salesian order and its activities in Russia. And there is also table football, which is often played by children and young people.
If you go up the steps, you find yourself in a rather long corridor with many doors. The first door on the left is the library, where you can borrow a book or rummage through a file of old newspapers. 
The first door on the right is the oratory, a youth center where some of the guys from the parish spend a lot of time. There you can chat, pray together, drink tea and watch a soulful film, for example. 
Nearby is a large statue of the Virgin Mary, almost human-sized. I really like her. 
After the oratorio there is a hall. Blessed Laura Vicuña. I don’t know its exact purpose, but there is something like an altar inside and sometimes some meetings are held there. For example, a draw for Missionary Lottery prizes. 
The second door on the left is the hall of St. Maria Dominica Mazzarello. This is a classroom. Catechesis, meetings, circles, and meetings of prayer groups are held there.
Next is the Hall of the Holy Angels, also educational and for various meetings, and on the right is the Hall of St. Joseph for large-scale meetings - for example, for the Living Rosary once a month or for registering for catechesis, which traditionally attracts a lot of people. This hall is the largest, so it is ideally suited for such events. 
On the wall there is a crucifix and there are images of the Mysteries of the Rosary, one of the most popular Catholic prayers - all four parts, 20 mysteries in total. 
You can't do without a bulletin board either.
Next there is a door, behind which the corridor continues. To the right will be the choir room where choristers rehearse, and to the left is Caritas, a charity. Afterwards the corridor widens and you can see several doors. If you go to the right, you will find yourself in the anteroom, where the door leads to the Catechist School and Bible Study School, and the far door leads to the chapel, which is traditionally occupied by the Korean community. 
During last year's renovation, masses were held there on weekdays. There are two altars in the chapel. 
This is where the Tabernacle is located and where the Tridentine Mass is celebrated twice a month. 
I don’t understand this old rank at all. I only know that it is much longer than the new one, everything is in Latin and the priest serves with his back to the people.
I don't really like the chapel itself. The Asian flavor is too pronounced - even images with an Asian face type are very distracting.
The chapel has another altar on which Mass is celebrated in the usual manner. There is another door through which the priests enter and exit. It is completely transparent, so you can see everything that is going on in the corridor, and this is not very cozy, because there is a camp confessional there. There are no overlaps, so everything is perfectly visible. There is also a mini-sacristy and another exit from the temple. This is a short walk through the cathedral, lifting the veil of mystery. :)
