Schedule of masses in the church in small Georgian. Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary - history and a short walk

A stone's throw from the Moscow Zoo on the corner of Malaya Gruzinskaya and Klimashkina streets, among residential buildings and narrow streets, is the largest in Moscow and one of the largest Catholic cathedrals in Russia. Today we will visit the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This building was built in 1911 and has been misused for most of its history. Only since 1996, Catholics have been gathering here again.

1. The building with sharp spiers is visible from neighboring streets. Neogothic three-nave cruciform pseudo-basilica in its architecture. They say that the ideas of the facade of Westminster Abbey and the dome of the cathedral in Milan were used in the external design.

2. I was neither there nor there. I hope there are those who will help compare the appearance.

3. There is a cross on the spire of the central tower, and coats of arms on the sides. One - Pope John Paul II, the second - Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, who previously headed the archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow.

4. The territory is surrounded on all sides by ordinary residential buildings. Only from the south is the mansion.

5. Jesus is the good shepherd. Sculpture among flowers.

6. Nearby is a monument to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who was beatified in 2003.

7. The dome of the cathedral separately.

8. For those who enter the cathedral only inside, I advise you to go around it from the outside. There are many interesting things.

9. And it's time for us to look inside.

10. As I said, the cathedral was reopened to believers in 1996. At that time, Pope John Paul II was Pope. Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, whose coat of arms is on one of the spiers, supervised the restoration work.

11. At the entrance there is information for visitors, a donation box and requests to turn off the phone. The place is open to the public. Anyone can book excursions. This is not uncommon in the cathedral.

12. The decoration of the cathedral inside consists of white and yellow flowers. he is very light. In sunlight, even bright.

13. All places from the dome to the far corner are visible. After visiting numerous temples, churches, cathedrals and basilicas in Spain and Portugal, as well as visiting the Vatican, I have seen a lot. For the most part, these were dark rooms. even those that were decorated inside in white seemed darker to me.

14. Is it good or bad? Of course, compared to something very old and used exclusively for its intended purpose for many centuries, it seems empty here. But we are in Moscow, in Orthodoxy. There are very few places for Catholics in our country.

15. The history of the organ is interesting. The date of its creation is 1955, when a completely different organization was located in the cathedral and the premises were divided into 4 floors. It is one of the largest in Russia: 73 registers, 4 manuals and 5563 pipes. This organ is a gift from the Basel Cathedral, dismantled in the old place in 2002 and put in a new place in 2005. All parts except for one register were transported to Moscow.

16. There is also an electric organ.

17. The history of the creation of the Moscow Cathedral began in 1894 with a request to build 3 Catholic churches because of the growing community in Moscow. Permission was obtained on the condition that no towers, external design be created, and that they generally be built away from the center.

18. Malaya Gruzinskaya at that time was far from the center. The place was chosen for the location of the majority of Catholic Poles, who work mainly on the Moscow-Smolensk railway. Trains to Warsaw still depart on this route. 30,000 Poles raised money for the construction. For 10 years, from 1901 to 1911, construction was carried out according to the project of Bogdanovich-Dvorzhetsky. Internal work was carried out until 1917.

19. In 1938 the cathedral was closed.

20. The construction of the building is made in the form of a cross, over the intersection of which there is a dome.

21. In addition to the central nave, there are two side ones. they are separated by two rows of 5 columns, symbolizing the 10 commandments.

22. Initially, according to the project, 5 thousand people were supposed to fit here. I don’t know how it is now, but the number of Catholics is clearly higher.

23. Probably not everyone knows, but in order to see and hear everything they say, you can not leave the house. The cathedral has a webcam.

24. In various parts of the cathedral there are several saints who can be consulted. A lot of people come here for a specific purpose.

25. Of the bells installed in the cathedral, the largest weighs 900 kilograms and is called the "Mother of God of Fatima".

26. Fatima - a place in Portugal, where in the last century the Mother of God appeared three times. By the way, I was in Fatima. You can report from the religious center.

27. Along the walls in simple frames there is information for acquaintance with various saints and not only.

28. Altar part and large cross.

29. The largest crucifix in the cathedral is 9 meters high, and the body of Jesus is 3 meters. On the sides are the Mother of God and the Evangelist John.

30. It is noticeable even from the entrance.

31. On one side of the altar is consecrated water and a bath.

32. Here is the crucifixion of the already deceased Jesus.

33. On the other hand, a small but very rich part. This, if I'm not mistaken, is the chapel of the Divine Mercy with the altar of the Holy Gifts.

34. Very unexpectedly, but on this day the weather cleared up and gave out sunny weather. We can see how the rays, penetrating through the Gothic windows, play on the building.

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38. Under the windows there are 14 bas-reliefs - 14 stations of the way of the cross. Here are the confessionals.

39. Each of them has a memo.

This ended our tour. The visit was interesting. The cathedral was very bright. This did not surprise me after Portugal. My girlfriend, for example, considers it too light. What do you think?

Thanks:
-organizers of the tour from the side of the cathedral- for openness;
-community mosblog - for information about the event;
-fellow bloggers for the company(but it seems not everyone got there): kiki_morok , kis_dikiy , podpolkovnikvvs ,

Unusually beautiful in its architecture, the Catholic Cathedral is located in Moscow on Malaya Gruzinskaya Street. This is the largest church in Russia. The neo-gothic style cathedral is an architectural monument. There is an amazing atmosphere here.

The cathedral building was erected in 1911, but the final finishing work was completed only in 1917. In 1938, the temple was taken from the Catholics. Since then, the cathedral has experienced difficult times. Much was looted and simply destroyed, including the altar and the organ. The gradual revival of the temple began in 1989. In December 1999, restoration work was completed. The temple was consecrated by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the ambassador of Pope John Paul II. Since that time, the temple has officially been the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The territory of the cathedral is very well-groomed. The building itself is beautifully illuminated.

The walls of the cathedral are decorated with frescoes.

Grotto of the Virgin Mary

The cathedral is beautiful not only from the outside, but also from the inside.

The cathedral is the center of spiritual and cultural life. Within its walls, not only worship services are held, but also concerts of sacred and classical music.

Excellent acoustics allows you to enjoy the music to the fullest.

In 2005, the cathedral received a new organ as a gift from the Lutheran Cathedral in Switzerland.

This is one of the largest organs in Russia - 5563 pipes. It can be compared to a huge living organism that comes to life at the touch of human hands. The sounds of the organ fill the entire cathedral. Listening to the organ, you experience unique amazing sensations: an elastic sound wave penetrates through and through, surround sounds penetrate into all your insides. You feel the music with your skin. Organ concerts bring together people from different cultures and religions.

The concerts last for more than an hour, but imbued with beautiful music, you do not feel the time. It seems like only a few minutes have passed. At the end of the concert, silence reigns for a while.

In 1894, permission was obtained for the construction of a third Catholic church in Moscow, on the condition that the church be erected far from the city center and especially revered Orthodox churches, without towers and outdoor statues. The Neo-Gothic project of F. O. Bogdanovich-Dvorzhetsky was approved, despite the deviation from the 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, for the dome - the dome of the cathedral in Milan. The money for the construction was collected by the Polish community and Catholics of other nationalities throughout Russia. The fence of the cathedral 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 hostel was organized inside. Until the closing of the cathedral in 1938, the altar of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Moscow was a three-spired Gothic structure with an Altar, rising to the ceiling of the apse, in which the tabernacle was located. Palm trees stood in the presbytery, he himself was fenced off from the nave with a balustrade. During the war, the building was bombed and several towers and spiers were destroyed. In 1956, the Research Institute Mosspetspromproekt was occupied in the building, redevelopment was carried out, the interior space was divided into 4 floors. In 1976, a project for the restoration of the building into an organ music hall was developed, but not implemented. 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 the Mosspetspromproekt Research Institute was removed from the premises, the temple was transferred to the Church. On December 12, 1999, the Secretary of State of the Vatican, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, solemnly consecrated the restored Cathedral. In its current form, the cathedral has differences from the view before closing in 1938. Lancet window openings are decorated with stained-glass windows. Under the window openings, on the inner surfaces of the walls, there are 14 bas-reliefs - 14 “stays” of the Way of the Cross. There are five bells made at the Felchinsky Polish factory in Przemysl (donated by Bishop Viktor Skvorets of Tarnow). The largest weighs 900 kg and is called the Mother of God of Fatima. The rest: "John Paul II", "Saint Thaddeus", "Jubilee-2000", "Saint Victor". The bells are set in motion with the help of 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 makes it possible to perform organ music from various 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 for the 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 organ of the cathedral is now one of the largest in Russia (74 registers, 4 manuals, 5563 pipes) and allows you to perform stylistically flawless organ music of any era. Since 2009, using the organ, an educational the course "Western European Sacred Music", which gives Russian musicians the skills of Gregorian chant and organ improvisation.

The Cathedral on Malaya Gruzinskaya Street in Moscow belongs to the Roman Catholic Church and is the main temple of this religious trend in the capital.

Since the middle of the 18th century, a direction arose in Europe that revived medieval Gothic architecture and was called "Neo-Gothic".

Aiming upwards, lancet lines, as if palms folded in prayer, vaults of intersecting arcs, openwork structures, windows with multi-colored stained-glass windows, high, but long and narrow halls - all these characteristic Gothic features are inherent in the cathedral, built in the late XIX - early XX century .

Description of the Catholic Cathedral

A sculpture depicting the crucifixion of Christ greets visitors at the entrance. The temple has three naves separated by columns. Confessionals are located in the side naves. In the central one there are places for parishioners, separated by a passage. Under the windows you can see wall bas-reliefs depicting the Way of the Cross of Jesus.

The altar of the temple, like the pulpit, is made of dark green marble; the relics of saints are kept in it.

Above the back of the central nave are the choir stalls. On Sundays, services are accompanied by the Liturgical Choir, and on church holidays, by the professional Academic Choir.

This cathedral houses the largest organ in Russia. It is made in Switzerland, has 4 manuals and 74 registers. The temple also has two digital organs.

Mass Schedule

Divine services in the cathedral are held in Russian, Polish, Latin and five more languages. Masses in Russian and Polish are held daily, in other languages ​​- on certain days.. Worship of the Most Holy Gifts takes place regularly, on Sundays they serve the Holy Mass with a sermon for children. There are also themed events., for example, masses for getting rid of various ailments or conversations about the family and the upbringing of children.

Schedule of masses in the church on Malaya Gruzinskaya:

• On weekdays, except Wednesday, the Holy Mass is held at 8.00, 9.00 (in Russian), 18.00 and 19.00 (in Polish).
• Saturday mornings and 5:30 pm.
• On Sunday, Holy Masses take place all day.

Services are also held in the cathedral in the form of the Roman rite: every third Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Divine Liturgy according to the Armenian rite - on Fridays and Sundays at 13.00 and 15.30.

Everyone can attend worship, regardless of their religion.. However, only baptized Catholics can confess and partake of the Holy Gifts.

The activities of the church are not limited to masses and liturgies. In order to attract young people, various events are held here:

• meetings, conversations, consultations;
• catechism classes;
• preparation for confirmation;
• there is a children's and youth center named after John Bosco. The public cultural organization "The Art of Kindness", located in the premises of the temple, closely cooperates with the clergy and believers. This foundation organizes and supervises sacred music concerts, provides assistance to young talented musicians and orphanages.

Concerts in the Cathedral

This building is not only a monument of Gothic architecture, but also a popular concert hall. Concerts in the Catholic Cathedral on Malaya Gruzinskaya attract many lovers of classical music. The abundance of niches, arches, domes creates a special acoustics, similar to stereophonic sound (in the light of modern technologies - 3D). Not without reason, since the Middle Ages, organs were placed exclusively in temples.

Organ and choral concerts are held regularly in the church. Here you can listen to classical organ music - Bach, Handel, Mozart, Vivaldi and others; choral works by great composers performed by magnificent choirs, symphonic music and even jazz performed by organ. The Art of Kindness Foundation keeps in touch with the world's leading organists and some of them give concerts and even give classes to young musicians. In addition, a project has been developed, within the framework of which, there is an opportunity to take a course, which includes teaching polyphonic vocals in the style of Gregorian chant.

These concerts are very popular among fans of serious music and their organizers have already drawn up a schedule for six months. The program poster offers, in addition to organ music performed by Russian and foreign organists, performances by ensembles with the most unusual combinations of instruments:

• lute, lyre, cithara;
• organ, oboe, flute;
• organ and harp;
• organ and saxophone;
• organ, saxophone, duduk, flute, harp;
• organ and pipe;
• organ and orchestra;
• string quintet and guitar;
• organ and vocals (solo and ensemble).

The Concert Hall also presents fairy tales "The Hobbit" and "The Little Prince" with sand animation.

Location, transport

How to get to the cathedral on Malaya Gruzinskaya, how to get to this street - such a question often arises among visitors, and sometimes even Muscovites. The address of the cathedral is Presnensky district, Malaya Gruzinskaya street, 27/13.

To get to the temple for worship or a concert, it is best to use the subway, and then walk a little. The nearest station is Ulitsa 1905 Goda.

The Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a true stronghold of spirituality and culture. It is visited by people of different faiths, and this interpenetration of cultures and religions blurs the lines between them and, no doubt, serves the cause of peace.

Were at an organ concert (organ + violin + oboe) - great! Amazing acoustics, very friendly attitude. I advise everyone to admire the grandeur of the cathedral and listen to the concert.

Beautiful cathedral, wonderful concerts. Famous musicians often perform. An amazing atmosphere, the music seems to envelop and rise to the vaults.

Gothic Celebration! The cathedral is amazing, especially when illuminated. It looks like a magic castle, you can’t even believe that it is real, a real Middle Ages.

The Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the largest Catholic church in Russia. It rises in Moscow, on Malaya Gruzinskaya Street and adorns it with its pointed neo-Gothic towers. The building was erected in 1911 by the Polish community in Moscow.

In prayer and good deeds

The Roman Catholic Cathedral has not held services since 1938. And only in 1999, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who arrived from the Vatican, consecrated it and gave his blessing. Now services are held in the cathedral according to the Roman Catholic rite, not only in Russian and Polish, but also in English, Spanish, French, Vietnamese, Korean and Latin. In addition, divine services and holy masses are held according to the Armenian rite.

A lot of attention is directed to charitable events, including music concerts to raise funds. On the territory of the cathedral there is a library, the editorial office of the church magazine, a church shop and offices of charitable organizations. The temple organizes youth meetings to attract the younger generation to the Roman Catholic Church. In the cathedral, those who wish are taught Gregorian chant and improvisational playing the organ.

Organ music

Not only Catholic believers visit the Roman Catholic Cathedral. Many people are attracted to classical organ music. The organ in this cathedral is the largest in Russia, it includes 5563 pipes. Just imagine this number. This is a huge musical organism, coming to life from contact with a person.

The concerts feature Handel, Mozart, other great composers and, of course, Bach, the inimitable master of organ music. In addition to amazing sensations, there is surprise at the mastery of the composer. What kind of computer in his head should be in order to harmonize almost six thousand different voices into one amazing melody that speaks so clearly to the listeners? The sound fills the whole cathedral, carries up, fills the person. The elastic wave of sound becomes tangible, it can be felt by the skin. Incredible, amazing feeling.

Tears welled up in the eyes of many listeners. Others listen with their eyes closed, others hold their breath, afraid to move. After the last chord, there is complete silence for a while. People do not believe that the music has died down and will not resume. After all, the concert lasts more than an hour, and according to the perception of the listener, it seems that only a few minutes have passed ...

One can speak of organ concertos only in superlatives, they evoke sensations of unprecedented strength. This example clearly shows that the interpenetration of cultures and religions can enrich the worldview of all peoples without exception, make their spiritual life a little richer.