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Video: What secrets are kept in the cave temple in the Moscow region, which reminds of the resurrection of Lazarus: Bethany
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
The monastery in which this interesting cathedral is located was named Spaso-Bethany in honor of one of the most important evangelical events - the resurrection of righteous Lazarus by Christ, which took place in the city of Bethany. It is described that by the will of Jesus Lazarus was resurrected on the fourth day after death, after which he lived for another thirty years. The monastery, based on the land near Moscow, four kilometers from Sergiev Posad, reminds of this event. This place is often called for short: Bethany.
The symbolism of the cathedral
At the end of the 18th century, the rector of the Trinity-Sergius Seminary, Metropolitan Platon, began to equip the monastery here, on the site of the skete.
The pearl of the monastery was a very small, but simply amazing in its design cathedral - the Transfiguration of the Savior. It was built in the 1780s as a two-tiered "oval" building. Its diminutiveness, roundness and architecture itself should have reminded of early Christian temples. Inside, this resemblance was reinforced by the colonnade supporting the upper tier choir, which was later replaced by consoles.
As conceived by Father Plato, the cathedral has two thrones. The upper one reminds of the Transfiguration of the Lord and, accordingly, is called that, and the lower one personifies the place where Lazarus was resurrected. The wise Metropolitan saw symbolism in this: "Thus, leaving the grave by the resurrection, we ascend into the temple of glory, being transformed from corruption to incorruption." He explained that a person cannot be rewarded with transformation until he has been rewarded with resurrection, and he called this "a mysterious union."
Plato embodied his plan in an absolutely incredible interior decoration of the temple, which, most likely, has no analogues on Earth.
The lower throne, located in the altar, looks like a cave thanks to the appropriately decorated wall. As stated in the Gospel, it was in the cave that the righteous Lazarus was buried (such was the ancient Jewish custom). And since Mount Tabor towered over the cave, inside the cathedral they recreated it too - the "model" was covered with moss and decorated with flowers, on the mountain you can see artificial plants. According to Plato's idea, the mountain is crowned with the altar of the upper temple.
In pre-revolutionary times, such an arrangement of the cathedral helped parishioners, not all of whom read the Gospel (many were illiterate), to learn and visualize those distant events.
As in the time of Father Plato, modern believers in this church receive communion in a special way: in order to receive the Holy Gifts, one has to climb the steps to the upper tier - as if to Mount Tabor.
In the 19th century, more modern annexes appeared near the cathedral; a new bell tower and tower were erected here.
Soviet and modern years
After the revolution, the monastery was seriously damaged. The monastery was abolished, and the monks were offered to remain as employees of the agricultural cartel created here, however, it was also abolished a few years later.
An orphanage was placed in some buildings of the monastery, and exhibits from the local museum were brought to the metropolitan building. And in the early 30s, a poultry plant was opened on the lands of the monastery.
The Transfiguration Church, the house of Father Platon, the Holy Gates of the monastery, the bell tower, the fence were dismantled. Even the monastery necropolis was destroyed. And in the Tikhvin church located on the territory of the monastery, they set up an incubator, having previously beheaded the church. Later, dances were held in the building. And the corps of seminarians was given to the dermatovenous dispensary.
The Savior-Bethany monastery was returned to the jurisdiction of the Sergius Lavra and began to be restored only by the beginning of the 1990s. The restorers had to recreate the almost completely destroyed buildings bit by bit. These works are still going on.
The Savior Transfiguration Cathedral was also revived. Now everything looks here again as it was planned by Father Plato. The upper iconostasis has been restored relatively recently.
Read in continuation of the topic about 10 most extravagant and creative Orthodox churches that break the mold
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