St Clement's Church, Moscow
Encyclopedia
St. Clement's Church is one of the two Orthodox
churches in Moscow
dedicated to a Roman Pope, St. Clement I
. The massive five-domed two-storey church used to dominate the skyline of Zamoskvorechye
. It was built between 1762 and 1769 on the site of a church erected in 1720.
The church is considered a major example of Elisabethan Baroque, but the architect is unknown. It has been often attributed to Pietro Antonio Trezzini
, the architect of St Sampson's Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The belfry and refectory were designed by either Aleksey Yevlashev or Ivan Fyodorovich Michurin
for the earlier church building in the 1750s.
The church is renowned for its glittering Baroque
interior and iconostasis
, as well as a set of gilded 18th-century railings. The parish was disbanded in 1934 and the original free-standing gate was demolished. The Lenin State Library stored its books in the building throughout the Soviet period. It was not until 2008 that the building reverted to the Russian Orthodox Church
.
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
churches in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
dedicated to a Roman Pope, St. Clement I
Pope Clement I
Starting in the 3rd and 4th century, tradition has identified him as the Clement that Paul mentioned in Philippians as a fellow laborer in Christ.While in the mid-19th century it was customary to identify him as a freedman of Titus Flavius Clemens, who was consul with his cousin, the Emperor...
. The massive five-domed two-storey church used to dominate the skyline of Zamoskvorechye
Zamoskvorechye
Zamoskvorechye District is a district of Central Administrative Okrug in Moscow, Russia. Population: The district contains the eastern half of historical Zamoskvorechye area , and the territories of Zatsepa Street and Paveletsky Rail Terminal south of the Garden Ring...
. It was built between 1762 and 1769 on the site of a church erected in 1720.
The church is considered a major example of Elisabethan Baroque, but the architect is unknown. It has been often attributed to Pietro Antonio Trezzini
Pietro Antonio Trezzini
Pietro Antonio Trezzini was a Swiss architect from the Trezzini family who worked primarily in St. Petersburg. After several years of training in Milan, Trezzini arrived in St...
, the architect of St Sampson's Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The belfry and refectory were designed by either Aleksey Yevlashev or Ivan Fyodorovich Michurin
Ivan Fyodorovich Michurin
Ivan Fyodorovich Michurin was a Russian architect whose designs marked a transition of Russian architecture from early Muscovite Baroque to mature Rastrelliesque style....
for the earlier church building in the 1750s.
The church is renowned for its glittering Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
interior and iconostasis
Iconostasis
In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church...
, as well as a set of gilded 18th-century railings. The parish was disbanded in 1934 and the original free-standing gate was demolished. The Lenin State Library stored its books in the building throughout the Soviet period. It was not until 2008 that the building reverted to the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
.