In Kaluga, there are two cathedrals at once - the Trinity and St. George cathedrals. Tourists who travel along the "Golden Ring" of Russia love to stop by the ancient city and admire the magnificent church in honor of the great martyr George. A beautiful five-domed temple with a high bell tower was built at the very beginning of the 18th century and adorns the historical center of Kaluga to this day.
Temple history
Once on the site of the cathedral there was a wooden St. George Church. Fires were common in medieval cities. After the church burned down, the residents of Kaluga decided to erect a stone building in its place.
St. George's Cathedral from a bird's eye view
The new temple was built from 1700 to 1701 at the expense of the merchants Korobovs. At first, 75 houses belonged to the parish, in which the rich Kaluga merchants Korobovs, Bilibins, Goncharovs, Vyazemsky, Zolotarevs and Nosovs lived. Proverbs was small. The services were conducted by a priest, a deacon and two deacons.
The church has been rebuilt many times. In 1776, a roof was made over the second floor, and at the beginning of the 20th century, the lower church was painted. Of the seven bells that adorned the bell tower, one was cast in 1739 at the Nevyansk plants of Demidov, and the other in 1785 at the Moscow plant of Asson Petrovich Strugovshchikov.
General view of St. George's Cathedral
In 1926, when the authorities of Kaluga closed the Trinity Cathedral, the St. George Church became the cathedral. The changes did not bring prosperity to the priests. After the Kaluga Archimandrite Augustine was arrested in September 1937, the priests of the Nikolo-Kozinsky Church, in particular, Archimandrite Ioanniky, began to serve in the cathedral. However, he was also convicted and sentenced to death.
In February 1940, the temple was orphaned, and for a short time it was closed to believers. In 1950, the builders repaired the dome and renewed the murals. Major repairs were carried out in 1988, to the millennium of Russia.
In 1999, when the Trinity Cathedral again became a cathedral church, St. George's Cathedral has not lost its significance. At the moment, both churches are considered the main cathedrals of Kaluga, and this is a unique case in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church.
View of St. George's Cathedral from Bauman Street
Architectural features and interiors
The five-domed temple "by a half-ship" was built in the best traditions of the Russian Baroque. A two-story quadrangle with an adjoining refectory stands on a high basement, which is surrounded on three sides by a picturesque gallery. Two wide staircases lead to it from the south and north.
The windows are decorated with twisted columns and carved crosses, and the corners of the building are decorated with groups of semi-columns. Above, on elongated faceted drums, rise small domes, which are characteristic of churches of the 18th century. The slender bell tower rises to a height of 43 m.
View of St. George's Cathedral from Pushkin Street
Many shrines are kept in a beautiful and solid building - the icon of the Kaluga Mother of God revered by believers, the image of the Mother of God "Satisfy My Sorrows", the icons of the Savior, St. Nicholas, the great martyrs George and Paraskeva Friday.
On the first floor there is the main altar in honor of the Great Martyr George, and on the second - in honor of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The left side-altar is dedicated to the prophet John the Baptist, the right side - to the icon of the Mother of God "Satisfy My Sorrows"
View of the bell tower of St. George's Cathedral
Useful information for tourists and pilgrims
The doors of the cathedral are open any day from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm, entrance to the church is free. The temple is active, church services are held in it every day. Since 1990, a Sunday school for children has been operating in the cathedral.
The Kaluga temple is often referred to as "riding." This name is associated with the topographic features of the area. In the old days the people of Kaluga called the ravine “on top”, therefore “behind the top” means “located behind the ravine”.
How to get there
The cathedral is located in the historical center of the city - on Baumana Street, 14. From the bus station and from the Kaluga railway station, you need to go by buses or trolleybuses that go to the city center. Get off at the stop "Bauman Street" or "School No. 6" and walk to the church.
Information sources:
- St. George Cathedral in Kaluga
- Wikipedia, Cathedral of St. George the Victorious "behind the horse"
- Tourist Information Center "Kaluga Region", St. George Cathedral
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