EXPLANATORY NOTE

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   One hundred years ago, with the October Revolution, the Soviet era began of global changes in the lives of the inhabitants of Russia. She brought irreparable troubles and destruction in religious life. The Chapel village was renamed to Chapaevka. The chapel of Elijah the Prophet of God that was standing on the road was demolished in 1938. Priest Alexander (Tsitserov) was killed in 1937. The wave of repressions of 30's continued into the post-war years, and it continued until the 60's on religious people. Finally, in the 80's and 90's, the returning of lost spiritual values was realized. In 1996, in the Chapaevka village, was installed memorial cross near to the place where the chapel was destroyed. In 2011, the administration of the Moscow region allocated a place for the construction of the church complex. Priest Pavel (Kartashev) is appointed as a rector of the future church of Elijah the Prophet of God. The decision to rebuild the church is not always enough. Little by little, the funds collected are not enough for a large project, so it was decided to build a small church for a start.

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CHURCH OF THE SAVIOR WHO HEALED THE BLINDBORN

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   The re-creation of architecture is always connected with genuine material values. In our case, everything is lost, disappeared in time, dissolved. Therefore, those small artifacts of history that can be found are so important. Only a small drawing of the facade and plan of the destroyed church was found in the historical archive of Moscow. The image and style of this church served as the basis for our design. The new church is slightly larger. It retains the octagonal structure of the main space, but an altar is attached. The dome is also necessary for the church, but in general, architecture, style and details are very similar to the original.

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Ilya Utkin

 

 

CHAPEL VILLAGE

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  In November 1872, the construction department of the Moscow Provincial Government considered the project for the construction of a stone chapel in the name of the prophet Elijah in the Chapel village, and approved on December 2, 1872. The project was made at the request of the peasants of the Chapel village by the bricklayer Ivan (see. fig.). Presumably, the chapel was built in 1873. Judging by the project, it was very small: the internal area was 4 x 5 arshins (2.84 m x 3.56 m, approximately 10 m2), and 4.5 arshins in height (3.2 m).
   The Holy Gates of the chapel fence, as local residents recall, were 'crowned' with the image of St. Nicholas. Especially honored icons were: the image of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow", St. Nicholas, Elijah the Prophet of God, St. Savva Storozhevsky.
   From the recollections of local residents, confirmed by archival documents, it follows that the chapel was stone, white, with red arches, a golden head, a porch; octagonal in plan. Eight of its faces were emphasized by 16 flat, arriving columns, two by a corner. The roof is 4-gable, on 8 slopes. Four pediments had icons, looking at 4 cardinal points. The chapel had only 2 small windows - one on the north and south sides, and the light was entering through them.
   Some old-timers claim that the walls inside were painted. Others remember the clean white walls and many icons in front of which lamps and candles burned. The chapel was surrounded by a low stone fence - in the form of columns fastened with a forged lattice, and with openwork gates painted in green. Small grass grew in the fence, and linden and poplar around the fence. At the same time, no more than 40 people could be inside the chapel, but this happened only on big holidays. Usually the chapel remained open to passing travelers and pilgrims, but not every day.

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Ekaterina Abrosova