Mtsensk, a small but ancient town 60 km from Orel, has long been famous for its lace. Here came orders, and therefore merchants, from all over Russia. Famous for the city and the temples. The church of Peter and Paul looked especially beautiful on the high bank of the river. The history of the temple is unusual. To begin with, he has 2 names.
According to legend, the Peter and Paul temple was a cathedral temple of the monastery, founded in the 12th century. However, written sources mention it for the first time only in the 17th century. The scribe book states that there were 2 wooden churches in the monastery. One is in honor of the apostles Peter and Paul, and the other is dedicated to the introduction of the Virgin into the temple.
50 years later, at the end of the 17th century, one stone temple was erected on the site of these temples. The construction was paid for by Rogozhin, whose tombstone, along with another 3, was discovered during excavations in the courtyard of the church. The new building had 3 limits: Petropavlovsky, Vvedensky and Ilyin. But people’s memories are strong. The Church continued to be called either Petropavlovskaya or Vvedenskaya.
The cathedral she stayed for a short time — the monastery was transferred to another place and the church became a parish. The bell tower appeared a hundred years later. Therefore, the architectural styles of buildings are different.
History is silent about the masters who built the church. It is made of white brick and as if aimed at the sky. You can see the temple from afar. It is considered the oldest temple in the Orel region.
On the wave of the fight against religion, which peaked in the 30s, the church was closed. It was used as an outbuilding before the war by the local authorities, during the war by the Germans, and after the war, in 1947, again as a church.
The temple is active, it holds morning and evening services.
Charitable Foundation Holy Land
Russian Temples and Monasteries
