In the heart of Zamoskvorechye stands one of the most unusual Moscow churches — the Church of St. Nicholas of Myrlik in Pyzhy. The five-headed cube, girdled with waves of kokoshniks, and a slender tent bell tower are a silhouette that cannot be confused with any other.
Sagittarius and Pyzhov
The first wooden church here appeared at the end of the XVI century, when Strelets Sloboda appeared at the Serpukhov Gate. The stone temple began to be built in 1657-1672. The main throne was consecrated in honor of the Annunciation, but the chapel of St. Nicholas gave the temple a national name. In 1668, the Strelets regiment was commanded by Bogdan Klimentevich Pyzhov — his name was fixed in the name.
Architecture
The temple is built in stylerussian— with unrestrained decorativeness. The pillarless five-headed four is set by the “ship”: the refectory and the bell tower are lined up in one line. Each element of the decor is cut by hand. On the northern facade there are almost no repetitive window frames — each has its own unique pattern. The tent bell tower with 16 auditory windows is one of the best examples of this type in Moscow architecture.
Trials and revivals
In 1812, during the fire of Zamoskvorechye, the entire courtyard of the temple burned down, but inside the main values were saved. In the second half of the XIX century, the temple was renewed at the expense of the headman Ivan Lyamin and his widow.
In 1922, gold and silver items were seized from the temple, and in 1934 they were closed. The building was transferred to the Academy of Construction and Architecture, the ceilings were arranged inside. The icons went to the funds of the Tretyakov Gallery. One of the bells came to the Bolshoi Theatre, then to the Elokhov Cathedral.
In 1990 the temple was returned to the Church. In 1992, Patriarch Alexy II consecrated the Nikolsky chapel. New iconostases were created in 1992-2003 according to the canons of the Moscow icon painting school.
Shrines
In the temple there is a relic cross with particles of relics of more than 70 saints, a myrrhic image of the Passion-Bearer Tsar Nicholas II, an icon of the Royal Passion-Bearers with a relic, where the milk tooth of the Prince Alexei is stored.
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Russian Temples and Monasteries
