Cathedral large Georgian poster. Tickets to the Roman Catholic Cathedral

"Save me, God!". Thank you for visiting our website, before you start studying the information, please subscribe to communities on social networks:

Music and the cathedral
Regular services are mainly accompanied by organ accompaniment and the singing of the cantor. In addition to the wind organ, there are also 2 electronic ones. Sunday services are accompanied by the singing of a non-professional Liturgical Choir, but festive solemn services are accompanied by the professional Academic Choir at the cathedral.
In addition, since 2009, the course “Western European Sacred Music” has been held within the walls of the temple due to the project of the musical and educational charitable foundation “The Art of Good”. The main task:
playing the organ,
Gregorian chant,
organ improvisation,
vocals.

In addition, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Holy Virgin Maria's concerts are quite a frequent occurrence. Many people can visit them and have a good time.
Even during the consecration of the cathedral in 1999, it was said that this building would not only be a house of prayer, but also a place where music would be heard. It was from that time that sacred music concerts began to be held here. Information about such events began to spread in official sources, thereby giving other people the opportunity to learn about this temple.
Those who attended such events said that this music helped awaken love in the heart and strengthen faith in the Lord. In addition, concerts are also an additional source of income for the temple.
How to get there
The address of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin is as follows: Moscow, Malaya Gruzinskaya street 27/13. You can get to the temple by metro.

The closest stations: Belorusskaya - ring, Krasnopresnenskaya, Street 1905 Goda. Coming out of the subway, ask any passerby how to get to the temple and they will show you the right road.
This Holy place amazes with its beauty and majesty. Many travel agencies include it in their excursion itinerary. Most people note that looking at it, they seem to be transported somewhere to another country. This building is an excellent indicator of how buildings can be built and restored, regardless of religion or nationality.
God bless you!

I have always been interested in the history of culture and religion of different peoples. Moreover, if they are closely intertwined with our history and periodically influenced each other. In this regard, the history of the Catholic Church and everything connected with it is very interesting. I am especially impressed by their temples with their unique, majestic architecture. A church ceremony very interesting and exciting. I knew that there were Catholic churches, and decided to visit the most important one - Cathedral on Malaya Gruzinskaya. I want to tell you how this temple lives, where it is located and what it represents.

Where is the Roman Catholic Cathedral located?

The Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located at the address: Moscow, Malaya Gruzinskaya street, building 27/13.
Phone +74992523911.

How to get to the Roman Catholic Cathedral

To get to the cathedral without delay, you need to go to the metro station "Krasnopresnenskaya". Then walk along Krasnaya Presnya Street in a westerly direction towards Tretyakovsky Val. After walking about 500 meters, turn right onto Malaya Gruzinskaya, and after 600 meters you will reach your goal.
You can also get there by land route transport. Bus number 116 from Belorussky Station is ideal. You need to get off at the stop "Klimashkin Street".
If you are a supporter of traveling by personal vehicle, you should turn from the Third Transport Ring to Zvenigorodskoe Highway. Then turn left onto Krasnopresnensky Val, to Klimashkina Street, and right, after 200 meters you are at your goal.

Operating mode

The cathedral is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The temple is closed to visitors from 12:45 to 15:30 on all days except Sunday.

Schedule of services at the Roman Catholic Cathedral on Malaya Gruzinskaya

Divine services in the cathedral are held daily:

From Monday to Friday: at 8, 9, 18, 19 (except Wednesdays) Holy Mass;
On Saturday: at 8, 9, 17:30, 19 o'clock Holy Mass;
On Sunday, Holy Mass at 8:30, 10, 10:30, 12:15, 13, 14:30, 15, 17:30, 20 o'clock, Holy Mass for children 11:45, Divine Liturgy according to the Armenian rite at 15: thirty.

Divine services in Russian are held from Monday to Saturday at 8, 9 o'clock, on Wednesday at 18 o'clock, from Monday to Thursday, as well as on Friday and Saturday at 19 o'clock, on Sunday at 10, 17:30 and 20 o'clock.

Photo of the cathedral

At night at artificial lighting Gothic architecture The Roman Catholic Cathedral looks especially majestic.

The interior of the cathedral is distinguished by the abundance of columns characteristic of Gothic buildings.

The central facade of the cathedral greets its visitors, as if soaring upward.

Gate of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Gothic style of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Moscow.

Mosaic in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Icon on the wall of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary - video

Let's watch a short video about this cathedral. Enjoy watching!

In 1894, permission was received for the construction of a third Catholic church in Moscow, provided that the church would be built far from the city center and especially revered Orthodox churches, without towers and external sculptures. The neo-Gothic project of F. O. Bogdanovich-Dvorzhetsky was approved, despite the deviation from last condition. The temple was built mainly from 1901 to 1911. The appearance of the temple was different from the design. The cathedral is a neo-Gothic three-nave cruciform pseudo-basilica. Perhaps the prototype for the facade was the Gothic cathedral in Westminster Abbey, and for the dome - the dome of the Cathedral in Milan. Money for construction was raised by the Polish community and Catholics of other nationalities throughout Russia. The cathedral fence was built in 1911 (architect L.F. Dauksh). The temple, which received the name of the Branch Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was consecrated on December 21, 1911. Finishing work continued until 1917. In 1919, the branch church was turned into a full-fledged parish.

In 1938, the temple was closed, the property was looted, and a dormitory was organized inside. Before the cathedral was closed in 1938, the altar of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Moscow was a three-spire Gothic structure with an Altar, rising to the ceiling of the apse in which the tabernacle was located. There were palm trees in the presbytery, and it itself was separated from the nave by a balustrade. During the war, the building was damaged by bombing and several towers and spiers were destroyed. In 1956, the building was occupied by the Mosspetspromproekt Research Institute, redevelopment was carried out, and the interior space was divided into 4 floors. In 1976, a project was developed, but not implemented, to restore the building into an organ music hall. On December 8, 1990, on the occasion of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Father Tadeusz Pikus (now a bishop) celebrated Mass for the first time on the steps of the cathedral.

Regular services have been held since June 7, 1991. In 1996, after being removed from the premises of the Mosspetspromproekt Research Institute, the temple was transferred to the Church. On December 12, 1999, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, solemnly consecrated the restored Cathedral. In its current form, the cathedral differs from its appearance before its closure in 1938. Lancets window openings decorated with stained glass windows. Under the window openings, on internal surfaces walls, there are 14 bas-reliefs - 14 “stations” of the Way of the Cross. There are five bells made at the Polish Felczynski factory in Przemyśl (donated by Bishop Wiktor Skvorec of Tarnów). The largest weighs 900 kg and is called “Fatima mother of God" The rest: “John Paul II”, “Saint Thaddeus”, “Jubilee 2000”, “Saint Victor”. The bells are driven using special electronic automation.

There is an organ (th. Kuhn, ag. Mannedorf, 1955), which is one of the largest organs in Russia (73 registers, 4 manuals, 5563 pipes), which allows you to perform organ music from different eras. The Kuhn organ was received as a gift from the Evangelical Reformed Cathedral Basel Münster in Basel. It was built in 1955; in January 2002, work began on dismantling the organ and all parts, except register No. 65 Principal bass 32", were transported to Moscow. The work was carried out by the organ-building company "Orgelbau Schmid Kaufbeuren e.K." (Kaufbeuren, Germany - Gerhard Schmid, Gunnar Schmid). The cathedral organ is now one of the largest in Russia (74 registers, 4 manuals, 5563 pipes) and allows for stylistically flawless performance of organ music of any era. Since 2009, educational programs have been conducted using the organ course “Western European Sacred Music”, giving Russian musicians the skills of Gregorian chant and organ improvisation.

There are several Catholic churches in Moscow. The church on Malaya Gruzinskaya Street is perhaps the largest of them. The decision to build it was made in 1894. In those days, there were simply a huge number of Catholics living in Moscow. These were French, Poles, etc. (30 thousand people). The two Catholic churches (St. Louis and St. and Paul), which already existed in the capital in the 19th century, were simply not enough. The parishioners themselves collected money for the new church - both Muscovites and residents of other regions of Russia. Donations also came from abroad. For example, 50 thousand rubles were sent from Warsaw.

Construction of the church

Construction of the Roman Catholic Cathedral began at the beginning of the twentieth century. - in 1901. The project was developed by one of the most famous architects of the capital and the whole country - Bogdanovich-Dvorzhetsky. Thomas Iosifovich was a parishioner of the Church of St. Peter and Paul and taught painting, architecture and sculpture at the Moscow School. In order to build a new temple, believers had to apply for permission from Nicholas II and the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. 10 hectares of land were purchased for the cathedral. Its construction cost about three hundred thousand rubles in gold.

Church after the revolution

The opening of the new church took place in December 1911. Masses were held in the temple both before and after the revolution. In 1937, the church on Malaya Gruzinskaya was the first of all that operated in Moscow to be closed. After this, almost all church paraphernalia disappeared without a trace. Even the organ and altar were taken away. Beautiful facade was disfigured. Various secular organizations began their work in the church. A huge number of partitions were erected inside the temple and redevelopment was done, as a result of which the interior changed beyond recognition.

Church after the war

During World War II, a bomb hit the Roman Catholic Cathedral. However, the building did not suffer too much damage. In the first days of the war, the church turrets were dismantled, since they could serve as a good reference point for German pilots. As a result, the building completely lost its charm. After the war, the main spire of the church was also destroyed.

In 1976, they wanted to turn the temple into an organ music hall. However, these plans were not destined to come true. At that time, about 15 secular organizations operated within the walls of the church. Of course, no one wanted to move to a new place.

Until the 90s, the church was also used as a warehouse. The need for its return to believers began to be discussed in 1989. On December 8, 1990, a mass was celebrated on the steps of the church by priest Tadeusz Pikus. Despite the frost, a huge number of believers came to the church. They all prayed for the temple to be returned to them. The first official mass after 1937 was held in the cathedral on June 7, 1991.

Church on Malaya Gruzinskaya today

In 1992, Yu. M. Luzhkov signed a decision on the gradual transfer of the temple premises to Moscow Catholics. However, it was not possible for a long time to evict the Mosspetspromproekt Research Institute that occupies the temple. In 1995, believers independently dismantled the wall separating this secular institution from the parish and tried to free the premises from office furniture. However, the intervention of riot police ruined the plans of the Catholics. The believers were expelled from the church. Some of them were even injured.

After this incident, Catholic Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz turned to Boris Yeltsin with a request to resolve the conflict between the parish and the research institute. As a result, Mosspetspromproekt was transferred to another building. By the end of 1995, the temple was completely handed over to believers. It was consecrated on December 12, 1999 by the legate of the Pope, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano. By the end of the century, the cathedral was completely restored. The parishioners collected money for the reconstruction, as during the construction of the temple. The work was supervised by Andrzej Steckiewicz. As a result, the cathedral became a real decoration even for such a rich city as Moscow. The Church on Malaya Gruzinskaya looks great these days, you can see this from the photographs posted in the article.

In 2005, the Basler Munster Cathedral (Basel, Sweden) donated an organ to the church. This instrument allows you to perform absolutely flawlessly musical compositions from different eras.

Today, as in the past, masses are held in the temple in Armenian, English, Polish, French and other languages. Priests marry newlyweds, baptize newborns, and see off the dead on their last journey. As in all Catholic churches, there is an organ in the church.

Temple interior

Entering the Roman Catholic Cathedral on Malaya Gruzinskaya, a believer immediately sees a cross decorated with flowers hanging on the wall. There are no icons in the church, as in all Catholic churches. But there is an altar, near which masses are held. The interior of the church is incredibly beautiful. Stained glass windows - colored panels assembled from pieces of glass - give it a special charm. Darkness, high arches, flickering candles and organ music set the believers in the appropriate mood.

Architectural features

The building was built of red brick in a neo-Gothic style. This architectural direction can be considered to some extent traditional for Catholic cathedrals. It originated in France and very quickly spread throughout Europe. Main it distinctive feature are monumentality and the upward striving of all elements. Many Catholic cathedrals, including the church on Malaya Gruzinskaya, are decorated with a huge number of turrets with thin spiers. The main axis of the temple is located strictly on the North-South line. This is one of the differences between the church and the Orthodox Church, in which the main entrance is usually located in the west.

The temple on Malaya Gruzinskaya is a basilica built in the shape of a Latin cross. The eastern facade of the church is very similar to the facade of the famous Westminster Cathedral in Great Britain. There are exactly 11 steps leading to the main gate of the temple. This means the 10 commandments, plus the symbol of Christ himself. Only by observing the instructions of Jesus can one enter the kingdom of heaven.

What is the difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy

Temples are built by both Catholics and Orthodox. The difference between these two directions of Christianity, however, is quite significant. But first, let's talk about their similarities. Both of these churches are distinguished by the presence of a rigid hierarchical structure, their own laws, as well as religious and cultural traditions. Of course, the main object of worship in both places is Jesus Christ, as well as the one God the Father. Both Catholics and Orthodox Christians especially venerate the Virgin Mary and all the apostles. Both of these directions have their great martyrs and saints.

What's the difference? The division of Christianity into Catholicism and Orthodoxy occurred a very long time ago - in the 11th century. In 1054, the Patriarch of Constantinople representatives of the Pope, who answered him in kind. Since then, Catholics and Orthodox services they don't spend time together. The unification of these two directions of Christianity seems extremely problematic in our days. Too many changes to the original traditions have occurred over the centuries of schism.

Catholicism is, first of all, a holistic church. All its members and components are strictly subordinate to the Pope. does not differ in such monolithicity. In this regard, it is more democratic. There are Constantinople, Russian, Georgian, Serbian and others orthodox churches. There are also differences in religious canons. For example, Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit can come from both the Father and the Son. The Orthodox believe that only from the Father. There are also differences in the way churches treat their parishioners. In Catholicism, for example, divorce is strictly prohibited. The Orthodox Church sometimes allows them.

What other Catholic churches are operating in Moscow at the moment?

The Church on Gruzinskaya is not the only Catholic church in the capital. There are others:

Church of St. Louis. This church was founded back in 1791. early XIX century (1827-1830), a new one was built in the style of a basilica on the site of the old building. The church was erected according to the design of the architects D.I. and A.O. Gilardi. After 1917, this church did not close, and masses continued to be celebrated there. In 1992, all buildings that belonged to the church before 1917, including the lyceum building, were returned to the believers.
and Pavel. This is another church in Moscow, founded a long time ago - in 1817. The new building was built in 1903-1913. designed by architect V.F. Valkot. After the revolution, the temple was closed, and various secular organizations were located in it. Today this church has again been handed over to believers.
Anglican Church of St. Andrey. This church was founded in 1814. The current building was erected in 1882-1884. The temple project was developed by the Englishman R. K. Freeman. In 1920 the church was closed. At the moment it has been handed over to believers.

Churches of Moscow. Addresses

Catholic churches in the capital can be visited at the following addresses:

Roman Catholic Cathedral: st. Malaya Gruzinskaya, 27.
Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul: trans. Milyutinsky, 19, apt. 18.
Church of St. Ludovika: M. Lubyanka, 12.

Nowadays, when the Orthodox and Catholic churches, represented by their primates, have extended their hands to each other in search of ways to serve the Lord together, Special attention attracts attention to the Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary located in Moscow, the history of which is in many ways similar to the fate of numerous Orthodox churches in Russia.

The Catholic community of Moscow at the end of the 19th century

The end of the 19th century became a period of rapid development of capitalism for Russia. Countless joint stock companies, banks, as well as industrial and commercial enterprises. All this caused an intensive influx of a large number of foreigners into the country, including from Catholic countries. They opened their own business here and, gradually adapting to new conditions, nevertheless remained adherents of their faith.

There had previously been a community of them in Moscow, which held services in two cathedrals that belonged to them, but by the end of the century it had grown so large that its representatives were forced in 1894 to turn to the city authorities with a request to consider the construction of a new church. The Moscow governor met them halfway and signed a document on the basis of which the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built.

Development of the temple project

Giving his consent to the construction, the governor set a condition: the location chosen for it must be located at a distance from the city center and its main Orthodox shrines. He also introduced restrictions on the appearance of the future building, prohibiting the construction of towers and the installation of outdoor sculptures. Despite the fact that Moscow has always been characterized by religious tolerance, in this case it showed a certain amount of caution.

The development of documentation was entrusted to the architect F. O. Bogdanovich-Dvorzhetsky, and soon his project, made in the neo-Gothic style, was approved. Despite the fact that the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to the author’s plan, did not meet the requirements put forward earlier (the ban on the construction of towers was violated), the governor agreed to its construction.

Solving construction financing problems

In those years, on Malaya Gruzinskaya Street lived a large number of Poles who served in railway. Their religious community was very numerous, and included about thirty thousand people. It was there that the site for the future cathedral was purchased, and the Poles themselves, who later formed the parish of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, collected a significant amount for its construction. The missing funds were provided by Catholics of other nationalities who inhabited Russia.

Construction work lasted until 1911 and was completed with the installation of a decorative fence. The total amount required to pay off all expenses was three hundred thousand rubles, which was quite a lot at that time. However, for another six years, until the revolution, finishing work continued. interior spaces temple. Of course, this required additional funds.

Years of total atheism

In the first years after its consecration, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary had the status of a branch church and only in 1919 it was transformed into an independent parish, after which services there continued for almost twenty years. But the wave of general atheistic madness that swept the country in those years did not escape Catholic cathedral. At the end of 1938, it was closed, the community was dissolved, and the property acquired with donations from thousands of people was looted.

During the war, when hundreds of thousands of enemy bombs and shells rained down on Moscow, the former Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary was also damaged. During one of the air raids, it lost several towers and spiers, but, fortunately, the building itself survived. Already in the post-war years, it was transferred to the disposal of one of the Moscow research institutes.

Before moving into the building provided to them, the leadership of the scientific organization reconstructed its interior, finally destroying the remains of the church interior. In particular, the entire space former cathedral was divided into four floors. Changes also affected the external appearance, mercilessly distorting the harmony of its architectural forms.

Attempts to return the cathedral to the sphere of spiritual life

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built taking into account the laws of acoustics, thanks to which the magnificent sound of the organ and church choir was noted in its premises. It was an unforgivable mistake to ignore such unique features of the building.

In 1976, representatives of the capital's creative intelligentsia approached the Ministry of Culture with a proposal: after appropriate reconstruction, use the cathedral as a concert hall for the performance of organ music. Their initiative was approved, a corresponding project was even developed, but its implementation was never realized.

The difficult path of returning the cathedral to parishioners

The Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary found its new life already during the period of perestroika, when in 1989 the association, which united Moscow Poles in its ranks, turned to the Moscow government with a request to transfer the temple building to them.

The return of the cathedral to believers, which took place in 1996, was preceded by many years of bureaucratic ordeals associated with the eviction of the institution that had settled there. Despite the trends of new times, the thinking of many officials remained at the same level, which developed in the dark times of stagnation. This caused many annoying delays.

However, even before the arrival of the desired day, in December 1990, the current bishop, and in those years an ordinary priest, Janusz Wilski, celebrated a mass on the steps of the cathedral, which then belonged to a civil organization. Co next year cathedral services became regular, but they were held outside the building.

Consecration of the restored cathedral

After completing all the formalities, it took another three years to give the temple its original appearance, eliminating all the deposits. long years changes. This affected both the façade and the layout of the interior, which had to be refinished. It should be noted that it was not possible to achieve complete resemblance to what the temple was in the year of its first consecration due to a number of technical reasons. However, comparing the result of the restorers’ work with the sketch of the cathedral, stored in the archive along with other documents related to the project at the end of the 19th century, it should be noted that they managed to restore the style and return to the building the indescribable spirit laid down by the author.

On the occasion of the solemn consecration of the newly opened cathedral, a Vatican delegation headed by its Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, arrived in Moscow.

A unique and unusual event for parishioners of Orthodox churches was held in this cathedral in 2002. That day, with the help of a teleconference, a joint prayer of its rector with the Pope and the heads of some Western European Catholic parishes took place.

Liturgical Cathedral Choir

For a long time, it has become a tradition to organize concerts of sacred music in Moscow, timed to coincide with certain church holidays, where the choir of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception enjoys particular success. His active concert and liturgical activities began in 1999 with the blessing of Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz.

Today, choir group classes are held weekly on Wednesdays in a specially equipped classroom. ground floor building.