Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces
Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces | ||
---|---|---|
Главный храм Вооружённых сил России Glavnyy khram Vooruzhyonnykh sil Rossii | ||
Style Russian Revival | | |
Specifications | ||
Length | 79 m (length-width)[1] | |
Height | 95 m (top cross) | |
Nave height | 75 m (interior) | |
Dome diameter (outer) | 19.5 m |
The Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces (Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ;
The cathedral was built with donations and budget funds from the Moscow city government and the Moscow Oblast. It was consecrated as part of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Soviet victory on the Eastern Front of World War II, known as the Great Patriotic War in Russia.[5] An exhibition dedicated to the history of the Russian state and its armed forces will be located on-site.[6]
The construction of the cathedral was completed on 9 May 2020, on the annual Victory Day. It was consecrated on 14 June.[7] It was opened on 22 June 2020, on the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow, the day Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, by the head of the Russian Orthodox Synod’s new Armed Forces Liaison Department, Father Oleg Ovcharov.[8]
Design
According to the official website, "the church was designed in a monumental Russian style, organically incorporating modern architectural approaches and innovations unique to the Orthodox church creation". The façades of the building are finished with metal, the arches are glazed.
The walls of the church, decorated with murals, include battle scenes from Russian military history and Bible scripture texts. The decoration of the lower (small) church is made of ceramics and is decorated with Gzhel painting, with pieces of glass smalt used in the manufacture of the mosaic panels. The central apse dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ is metal relief.
The decor of the church, the
Glass mosaics
Stained glass mosaics in the cathedral's
On September 5, 1943, a historical meeting in the
The following orders are depicted in the mosaics: The Order of Alexander Nevsky (First Class), Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky (First Class), Order of Ushakov (First Class), Order of Nakhimov (First Class), Order of Suvorov (First Class), Order of Kutuzov (First Class), Order of Victory, Order of the Red Banner, Order of the Red Star, and the Order of the Patriotic War (First Class).
Sizes
Some of the sizes are symbolic. The height of the church along with the cross is 95 metres. The diameter of the
Bells
The bells were made at the Voronezh Foundry. The decoration of the bells repeats ornaments decorating the cathedral. The bells reflect the theme of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, icons of patrons of the Russian Army. The main bell-evangelist was decorated with bas-reliefs depicting key events of the Great Patriotic War. Work on the manufacture of the bells was carried out for six months. The ensemble weighs more than 20 tonnes, which includes 18 bells, the largest of which weighs 10 tonnes.[9] 17 of the 18 bells are dedicated to the types and arms of the troops. On one side a military emblem is applied to the bell, on the other, the image of the patron saint.[9] In August 2019, the bells were installed in the belfry of the cathedral.
Dome
In November 2019, an 80-tonne central dome was erected on the cathedral, the height and diameter of which are 12 metres.[10] The cathedral has six domes, four of which are identical, each weighing 34 tonnes. The central one is the largest, and one is on the belfry. The design has a high alloy steel frame with a strength factor of 300 to 1,500 years.
Floor
The floors of the cathedral are metal. The metal is from melted-down Nazi trophies, such as weapons and tanks that were seized from Wehrmacht forces. The act of walking on the floors of the cathedral is intended to symbolise "delivering a blow to the fascist enemy”.[11]
Main icon
The central icon of the Main Church of the Russian Armed Forces is the "Holy Saviour" in the main dome. The Icon of the Saviour Not Made by Hands is a canonical image of the Holy Face of Jesus Christ, miraculously imprinted on a piece of material and transmitted by the Saviour himself to King Abgar V of Osroene. The central image is surrounded by smaller icons of the Most Holy Mother of God of Kazan, of Vladimir, of Smolensk and of Tikhvin, placed on artistic reliefs that depict significant events in the history of the Russian state.
In the ark, which always accompanies the icon, there are eight particles of other saints important to Russia and its military: the great martyr
The image of the Savior is placed in a bronze fold and weighs about 100 kg. The icon itself without a fold has dimensions of about 98 × 84 × 10 cm.
Controversies
The cathedral is said to contain Adolf Hitler's cap and personal clothes, which were described as trophies and religious relics by Russian Deputy Minister of Defense.[12][13]
In April 2020, photos were leaked showing a partially completed mosaic of Russian President
The church, and the imagery within it, have been linked to the 'Russkiy mir' or '
Gallery
See also
- List of large Orthodox cathedrals
- List of tallest domes
References
- ^ "Храм Христа Спасителя".
- ^ Главный храм Вооруженных сил РФ получил статус Патриаршего собора РПЦ
- ^ "Главный храм Вооруженных Сил России". Минобороны России. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
- ^ "Макет Главного храма Вооружённых Сил РФ". Департамент информации и массовых коммуникаций МО. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
- ^ Помнить истинные уроки истории / Газета «Красная звезда», 5 февраля 2020
- ^ "Главный храм Вооруженных Сил России построят в парке "Патриот"". Звезда. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
- ^ Помнить истинные уроки истории Archived 2020-08-03 at the Wayback Machine // Красная звезда : газета. — 05.02.2020.
- ^ "Vatican casts doubt on papal meeting with Patriarch Kirill".
- ^ a b "Колокола с изображением покровителей видов и родов войск установили". Департамент информации и массовых коммуникаций МО. 23 August 2019. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
- ^ "Главный храм Вооруженных сил РФ украсили центральным куполом весом в 80 тонн". Интерфакс. 2019-11-15. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
- ^ Walker, Shaun (20 October 2020). "Angels and artillery: a cathedral to Russia's new national identity". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ "Сергей Шойгу и реликвии Гитлера. Соцсети о храме Вооруженных сил". Радио Свобода (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-05-12.
- ^ "Символизм, трофейная техника и фуражка Гитлера. Как Патриарх Кирилл освятил главный храм Вооруженных сил РФ — фото и видео". Спектр-Пресс (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-05-12.
- ^ "Russia inaugurates cathedral without mosaics of Putin, Stalin". Reuters. 14 June 2020.
- ^ В РПЦ объяснили ситуацию с мозаикой с Путиным в храме Вооруженных сил
- ^ Times, The Moscow (2022-03-15). "Orthodox Christian Unity Broken by 'Russian World' Heresy". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
- ^ "The Kremlin's 'holy war' against Ukraine". Financial Times. 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
- ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
External links
Media related to Main temple of the Russian Armed Forces at Wikimedia Commons