Church of St. John the Baptist in Tolchkovo

The whole appearance of Yaroslavl seems to be permeated with the unique charm of antiquity inherent in many Russian ancient cities of Russia. There are more than 800 monuments of culture and history, among which one of the main places is the Church of St. John the Baptist in Tolchkovo.

History of creation

Another name for this temple is the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist. It represents the top of the school of architecture of Yaroslavl of the seventeenth century.

Tradition says that in the place where today is the Church of St. John the Baptist, in Tolchkovo once housed a nunnery. In 1609, he was devastated by the Poles.

The earliest evidence of the church is contained inliteracy, written by the Metropolitan of Rostov for the erection and consecration of the church. Originally it was a wooden structure. However, the settlement needed a warm temple, and therefore in 1658 the parish received permission to build a warm church.

However, a misfortune happened, and the structure was destroyedfire. And then the parishioners build a new church, just as small. But the residents of the settlement wanted to have a more grandiose structure in their parish. And they decided to build a temple that was not yet in town. They became the Church of St. John the Baptist (Yaroslavl).

Description

The architectural ensemble of the temple consists ofseveral main buildings. This is the Church of John the Baptist in Tolchkovo, the Holy Gate and the bell tower. It is the main temple of the settlement. Grandiose in size, fantastic in silhouette, this ensemble looks very unusual. And this gave rise to many legends, for example, that the temple was built by masters from Bukhara or Holland. But the Church of St. John the Forerunner (Yaroslavl) does not have any details that would not be typical of Russian architecture.

It was built in the likeness of the church of St. John Chrysostom (Cowsheds). Nevertheless, the builders succeeded in surpassing the analog, both in terms of layout and compositional solutions.

Interior

For the interior decoration of the residents of the settlement wereinvited the best masters in "wall writing". The Church of St. John the Baptist in Tolchkovo is painted by an artel of Yaroslavl artists. She is considered a true encyclopedia of biblical and evangelical subjects. Mural paintings of the temple are considered the highest point in the development of the decorative style of the school of Yaroslavl painting of the XVII-XVIII centuries. Particularly revered is the icon of the icon of St. John the Baptist of ancient Greek letters. They resort to it to heal a headache. The icons of the Passion of the Lord and the Fedorovskaya Mother of God contain particles of holy relics. But the most rare shrine is the satin white antimins, consecrated in 1704 by St. Demetrius.

The Holy Gates

Exceptional picturesque silhouette of the temple attachedits elegant entrance. The Holy Gates were built at the same time as the temple. They are located along the central axis of the ensemble, forming with it a single composition.

On the quadrilateral, which has a wide arched passage,intended for solemn processions of believers, set octagon. Cutting through high apertures, it ends with one more, but smaller. The holy gate is crowned with a head and a cross.

Bell tower

The Church of John the Baptist is credited with the title of thehigh church in Yaroslavl. At the end of the seventeenth century, a six-tiered bell tower was built next to it. It belongs to the style of the Moscow Baroque. Its four upper tiers of the bell tower cut through the arches of the ringing. The height of the building is forty-five meters. In the outline of the bell tower and in the selection of its decorative elements, experts note the West European influence.

Traditions

From the first day of its existence, the Church of JohnForerunners, whose address is the 2nd Zakotarosolnaya embankment, building 69, gave shelter to many poor people. With her there was an almshouse. In 1892, she built a special house with a tea and library, which housed a society of sobriety. Since 1898 the rector Theodore Uspensky began publishing a unique magazine called "Parish Life" - the only one of its kind in the province. The Church of St. John the Forerunner (Yaroslavl) is under the auspices of UNESCO.

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