Prince Vladimir Temple

A very unusual church, vaults reaching upward, white walls, rubber stone floor. Nearby are old buildings that once belonged to the monastery, a beautiful park. Everything is imbued with a special energy, as if it were in another world.

In 1887, the Irkutsk merchant of the first guild Vasily Andreevich Litvintsev turned to the City Public Administration with a request to allocate 5723 square fathoms of land near the Kashtakovsky stream in the Craft settlement for the construction of a new church. Such permission of the Irkutsk City Council was given on April 16, 1887. The project of the church in the name of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir in 1887 was completed by the architect V.A. Kudelsky. The project provided for the erection of a stone four-altar church using forms of Old Russian architecture. This church attracted attention with an original solution to the general layout of volumetric elements of its design. The project was approved by Archbishop Benjamin and approved by the construction commission of the Main Directorate of Eastern Siberia. July 15, 1888, on the day of the 900th anniversary of the baptism of Russia, a liturgy was served in the Cathedral, after which a procession and consecration of the site of the construction of a new church took place. The work contract was given to the contractor N. Ivanov. For the needs of construction, a brick factory was built. On July 16, 1895, Archbishop Tikhon and His Grace Nicodemus consecrate the main throne of the Prince Vladimir Church in memory of the 900th anniversary of the baptism of Rus. Then, with a short period of time, two additional chapels. Old Prince Vladimir Church Old Prince Vladimir Church In the year of consecration, August 24, V.A. Litvintsev dies, leaving his sister Agrippina capital in the amount of 420 thousand rubles for the construction and maintenance of the church. Of this amount, the Spiritual Department decides to allocate 170 thousand rubles for the additional construction of buildings for a three-year church-teacher’s seminary and for a two-year church-parish school under it. In addition, a stone house with a mezzanine for the abbot, an icon painting workshop, a refectory and other outbuildings were built near the temple. At the temple, an almshouse for the homeless for 10 people was built and operated. The Irkutsk residents called the new church "Litvintsevsky" in memory and gratitude to its organizer. On May 20, 1903, the Holy Synod decided to establish a dormitory monastery under the Prince Vladimir Church with such a number of brethren that the monastery is able to maintain at its own expense. On the territory of the monastery housed a church-teacher seminary for 50 students and a two-class model school with 75 students. In 1922 the monastery was abolished. Further, the church acted as a parish, but in 1928 it was finally closed. The building of the temple housed the cavalry regiment of the NKVD, later an orphanage, then the building was transferred to the Geological Administration. Over all these years, the temple was gradually being destroyed, and by the time it was transferred to the Irkutsk Diocese, in 1997, its condition was very poor. Ruined Prince Vladimir Temple Restoration work is ongoing here to this day.

The church is not gorgeous, but it does not look shabby. Its pure white exterior has a soothing atmosphere, and it is reverent. It is not well known to travelers, but it is worth a visit. A few tram stops from Kazan Church. Above all, the torch of the last Russian emperor Nikolai II was impressive.

A blessed place! Thank God that the churches are being restored!

Until 1917 The Prince Vladimir Cathedral was founded in 1888 in honor of the 900th anniversary of the baptism of Russia by Prince Vladimir at the expense of the merchant Vasily Litvintsev. The people of this temple was called "white" or "Litvintsevskim." The project of the temple was made according to the desire of the builder (Vasily Litvintsev) according to the design of the architect Vladimir Kudelsky. The monastery was opened July 28, 1903 in the territory of the Znamensky suburb of the city. During the Russian-Japanese war of 1904-1905, the monastery housed the Red Cross Hospital. At the monastery there was a men's poorhouse, a church-teacher's seminary and a men's school. On the device of these institutions Litvintsev bequeathed 400 thousand rubles in silver. The opening of the church teaching school was held in 1900. Graduates of parochial schools were admitted to the school with a three-year course. In 1905, a school for 50 students was transformed into a seminary and housed in a newly rebuilt building. In addition to the seminary at the monastery there was a two-year exemplary school for 75 students. The school regime was very strict, corporal punishment was practiced. The almshouse operated at the monastery. Thus, the activity of the monastery under the Prince-Vladimir church was enlightening, as well as a noble character. Schoolchildren, schoolteachers, artists studied there, the suffering people found shelter. The monastery gave shelter to injured soldiers. On the ground floor, at the expense of Sister V.A. Litvintsev, Agrippina Andreevna organized a church in the name of the Holy Martyr Agrippina. Icons for this church were written in Kiev, copying the icons of the Kiev Vladimir Cathedral. Here, in the lower floor of the church, its founder, V.A. Litvintsev. After 1917 The monastery in the Prince-Vladimirsky church existed until 1922. Its premises were adapted for other needs. Since 1928 it housed the regiment of the NKVD. In 1928 the building housed the orphanage. In the 1960s, a laboratory of geological management was set up in the church. Only in 1990 the church was put on state protection. By this time, the state of the temple was terrible. Trees grew on the domes, the facades covered with grass. In the late 1990s, the monastery buildings were transferred to the Irkutsk diocese. In April 2001, crosses were erected on the domes of the temple. In September 2002, the restoration of the Prince-Vladimir Church was completed. The building of the church has a huge number of extensions, which once housed: former Almshouse (ul. Kashtakovskaya, 55) abbot's brotherly corps (now DYUSSH) Church teacher's seminary (Kashtakovskaya St., 53) church gymnasium (secondary school number 51 of Irkutsk). During the reconstruction of the Prince-Vladimir Church, a mysterious manhole was discovered by the workers. The underground passage is located at a three-meter depth right under the emergency exit of the church. To understand what it is intended for is the task of historians.