Interesting day off. Part 1: Kozelets
Summer is in full swing, it's time to dilute a lazy and pleasant weekend in nature with a short trip. And what could be better than a day trip to the ancient city, located just 150 km from Kyiv? So, we are going to Chernihiv.
Halfway to the final point in the town of Kozelets, the majestic domes of the temple are visible directly from the road - it's a sin not to stop by. The complex consists of a very beautiful church and a bell tower, whose architecture is reminiscent of St. Sophia of Kiev and the Vydubetsky Monastery. The temple was built for the secret wedding of Empress Ekaterina Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great, and Alexei Razumovsky. The fate of Alexei deserves a separate story. He was born into the family of a Cossack Grigory Rozum, who had a rather tough temper. The boy was quiet, prone to reading and creation, which his father did not like very much. After another quarrel, Alexey runs away from home. He was sheltered by a priest from a neighboring town, and Alexei, who has excellent vocal abilities, becomes a chorister at a local church. Some time later, Colonel Vishnevsky was struck by his voice, who takes the 22-year-old youth to St. Petersburg, where he becomes the chorister of the Court Choir. Tsesarevna Elizaveta Petrovna noted the beauty and charisma of Alexei. Soon he became the manager of not only her estate, but also the heart of the empress. The couple wanted to get married in Kozeltse, for which Alexei's mother began the grandiose construction of the temple. Unfortunately, the construction lasted more than 10 years, so Elizabeth and Alexei got married in the village of Perovo near Moscow. Here, in fact, is the whole background of construction.
And some personal feelings. First, the temple is very, very beautiful. Secondly, it does not fit into the lens due to its gigantic size. Thirdly, its highlight is the 30-meter lime iconostasis, custom-made by Italian craftsmen. As expected, the atmosphere is very peaceful. There are flower beds on the territory, there is a source with "living water". Recently, a descendant of the famous Tereshchenko family has become the rector of the temple. He contributed to the reconstruction of the building, which was significantly damaged during the years of Soviet power, and now the temple is open to both believers and tourists.
Historical background:
The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an Orthodox cathedral in Kozelets, Chernihiv region, a prominent architectural monument in a style that combines signs of Ukrainian and Elizabethan baroque. Built in 1752-1763 by order of Natalia Demyanovna Razumovsky ("Razumikha"), the mother of Alexei and Kirill Razumovsky. The architects of the temple were Andrey Kvasov and Ivan Grigorovich-Barsky.
The stone cross cathedral has four supporting pillars inside, which carry a system of vaults and five domes set diagonally. In the first tier of the two-story temple is the tomb of the Razumovskys. Semicircular porches with an open colonnade, completed with tent tops, lead to the second tier from three sides. The refined stucco decoration of the walls combines the forms of baroque, rococo and classicism. The interior is dominated by the central dome and a multi-tiered carved gilded linden iconostasis of the 18th century, created, according to local legend, with the participation of the architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Next to the temple is a four-tiered bell tower.
