Consecration of the Temple of the
Saint Nicholas – Uleiminsk Monastery

On 20 August Metropolitan Cornelius of Moscow and all Rus’ came to make an archpastoral visit to the Saint Nicholas-Uleiminsk Women’s Monastery in the Eparchy of Jaroslav and Kostroma. The Superior of the Monastery, Hegumenissa Barsonuphia (Kilina), welcomed the Metropolitan and his companions with bread and salt. On 21 August the Metropolitan and his companions as well as the Nuns of the monastery prayed in the Holy Trinity Church. After Orthros and the Hours, the Metropolitan led the chanting of the Moleben to the Venerable Holy Fathers Zosimus and Sabatius of Solovki who are venerated on this day. Later in the day, in the Monastery Temple of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Church, the evening service began as prescribed in the Order for the Consecration of a Temple.

Several guests came to the Nicholas-Uleiminsk Women’s Monastery from different places in the Eparchy of Jaroslav and Kostroma. The clergy present included Father Valentine Novozhilov, Father Hieromonk Evagrius (Podmazov), Father Hieromonk Manuel (Chibisov), Father Michael Vitushkin, Father Anatole Poteriaiev, Father Basil Terent’iev, Father Timothy Ovcharov, and Father Protodeacon Victor Savel’iev, In the course of the Vigil there was festal Orthros with the Canon of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Church. This feast was established in the ancient Church in memory of the entry of the Virgin Mary into the Temple in Jerusalem, which was the fulfillment of the ancient prophecies.

In the morning of 22 August, Metropolitan Cornelius headed the festal Divine Liturgy in the Monastery Temple of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Church. After the reading of the Hours the Order of the Consecration of a Church was done, and then Pontifical Divine Liturgy. After the divine services, the Metropolitan congratulated those who had assembled for the consecration of the Church and gave a sermon, appropriate for the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
On 23 August the Metropolitan and his companions departed for Moscow.

Setting the Cupola on the
Temple of the Nativity of Christ

On the post-feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord the framework of the Cupola of the Temple of the Nativity of Christ (in the premises of the Rogozhskoie Cemetery in Moscow) was restored. The Cupola had been absent from this church for more than 70 years. Until the 1917 revolution the Temple of the Nativity of Christ had been one of the largest places of worship in Moscow and was the “winter church” of the Rogozhskoie Cemetery.

The Temple was built in 1804. Inside the building there were two separate sanctuaries, one consecrated in the name of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, and the other consecrated in honor of the Archangel Michael. The Temple was adorned was adorned with frescoes in the old style. The Temple was adorned with many ancient icons. From the first half of the nineteenth century there took place in this Temple, besides the services, there were Church councils and consultations. In 1929 the Soviet government expropriated the temple. The Iconostasis was destroyed, although some of the icons were preserved. Now these icons are in the Holy Protection Cathedral and the icon-treasure of the Metropolia. In the nineteen-twenties the Cupola and rotunda suffered a fire and were destroyed. Under Soviet administration the church was transformed into a secular building, in which there were various shops and a cafeteria. In 1995, the structure of the Temple was returned to the Russian Orthodox Old-Ritualist Church. Until recently this was the last large temple in Moscow awaiting the work of restoration. From the beginning of 2008 there was active work for the reconstruction and restoration of this majestic Catholicon. Work is proceeding on the strengthening of the foundation, the walls, and the decorative elements of the building. Work proceeds on the reconstruction of the rotunda. The work following the original plans of the building, the replacement of the windows, all has continued. The work of painting has begun. The work of reconstruction of the Temple is in the care of the “Vozrozhdenie” firm.