Church of the Ascension of Christ in Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street, Church of the Small Ascension (Moscow)
18 Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street, Moscow (tel.: +7 495 629-82-53), Metro stations: "Biblioteka imeni Lenina", "Arbatskaya".
Bolshaya (eng. Big) Nikitskaya Street is really big. It stretches from the Kremlin to the Garden Ring. This is the longest street in Moscow centre. Grandfather of the first Romanov, boyar Nikita Romanovich, founded a convent at the beginning of the street. It was dedicated to his namesake St. Martyr Nikita after whom the street was named.
The convent was demolished after the 1917 Russian Revolution. Thus, the Church of the Christ's Ascension, survived till our days, at the corner of Voznesensky Lane has the most ancient history.
The Church was built in 1584 in honour of the Tzar Feodor I of Russia's coronation. It was a centre of the settlement inhabited by Novgorod and Veliky Ustug people moved to Moscow by Ivan the Terrible.
As usual, the original Church was wooden and then, in 1634, rebuilt in stone. Then, as usual, it was burned down and reconstructed.
The building stands out from other 17th-century Moscow suburb churches for its dimensional design and decorations. Facades of a high double-height rectangular, stretched along the north-south axis, are finished with isometric vertical panels similar to the 16th-century architecture.
From the 17th to the 19th centuries, the building appearance underwent many changes. As early as in 1680, the Church's apse was rebuilt; a southern one-dome side chapel of SS. Procopius and John of Ustyug was constructed. Its facades preserved platbands with triangular knobs widely used in the 17th century.
In 1737 to 1739, a side chapel dedicated to John the Baptist appeared from the north. In 1764, a hipped roof of the Church was replaced with a harmonious baroque octagon decorated by corner pilasters and "eared" platbands with elegant stucco keystones in lintels.
By the early 19th century, an annex was attached to the southern side chapel from the west, and an arch gallery appeared on the refectory's northern facade. Today, both side chapels (facades of the northern one were rebuilt) and the gallery (laid in the late 19th century) are perceived as a whole with the refectory and hide the quadrangle's wall bottom. A small two-storey bell tower of "octagon on square" type is crowned with a tent that was obviously laid in the late 19th century.
Bas-relieves of the facade and walls facing Voznesensky Lane are very interesting. One of them, the only in Moscow, depicts St. Procopius of Ustyug, the Saint of the Church's side chapel. Procopius, who lived in the 13th century, is famous for his predictions and fabled to save Ustyug from stone hail with his prayers. The bas-relief images him with rakes in his hands. If the prophet held them end-up it predicted good harvest; if end-down it meant no harvest.
Memory about the prominent Russian woman Princess Yekaterina Dashkova being in charge of two academies is associated with the Church of the Small Ascension. She owned a demesne and a house designed by herself in the Church's area. Facade of the Moscow Conservatory's Great Hall still retains some features of the house. A requiem service for her was held in the Church. From there, she was transported to her beloved estate near Troitskoye village to be buried there.
After a new Church of the Ascension was built in Nikitskiey Vorota Square in the 19th century and called the Church of the Great Ascension, the smaller church at the corner of Voznesenky Lane was nicknamed as the Church of the Small Ascension. According the Bible, after Jesus resurrected from the dead, he spent 40 days on the earth. He appeared to his disciples over a span of forty days. On the 40th day, he led them to the Mount of Olives. He blessed his followers and addressed them with words of encouragement, "Go you into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature". Saying this, Jesus moved away from them and ascended to heaven.
Ascension Day is traditionally celebrated on a Thursday, the fortieth day of Easter. According to the religious teaching, this is the last day when sinners, being in hell, can see righteous men. On this day, women baked big long pies covered with pastry horizontal bars symbolising a stairway to heaven. People crossed themselves before eating the pie and were careful not to break it. It was thought that those who break the stairs would never go to heaven.
The Church was shut down from 1937 to 1992. In 1990 to 1992, it was reconstructed. The fence dated back to the early 20th century has survived.
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