Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker

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Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
View from the north, 2012

The Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker ( Estonian Püha Nikolause kirik ) is a Russian Orthodox church in the Estonian capital Tallinn (Reval). It is consecrated to Saint Nicholas of Myra , who is also known as the “miracle worker” ( Thaumaturgos ) in Orthodox churches .

location

It is located on the eastern side of Rußstrasse (Estonian Vene tänav ) in the old town of Reval at the address Rußstrasse 24. Immediately to the east of the church is the city wall of the Reval city fortifications .

Architecture and history

The first Russian Orthodox church in Reval was built for merchants from Novgorod near Brokusberg ( Sulevimägi ) near the city wall. In the 15th century, the community then moved to Russstrasse. In the first half of the 15th century, a previous building was erected at the current location.

The current church was built between 1825 and 1827 according to plans drawn up by the architect Luigi Rusca in 1807 . The demolition of the old church was the Russian Tsar Alexander I been arranged. The classical church, designed as a central building, was the first domed building in Reval's old town. There are colonnades to the west towards Russstrasse . The side facades are provided with half columns. The church has two squat north and south arranged towers.

In the simpler side aisles there are icons from the 18th and possibly also from the 17th century. The church is decorated with wall and panel paintings and has many side altars. In the 19th century the interior was partially redesigned.

The church repeatedly received gifts from Russian rulers in the form of liturgical items. The oldest probably date back to the 16th century. The metropolitan of Rostov , Arseni Mazewitsch , was buried in the chancel of the central nave in the 18th century. He had died a prisoner in Reval.

The church has eight church bells, the oldest dating from the 17th century. The oldest bells were probably foundations and were made in Stockholm in 1642 and 1651 by Jurgen Putensen . The oldest bell bears the Latin inscription SOLI DEO GLORIA M. JURGEN PUTENSEN ME FECIT A. 1642 (German: God alone honor. Jurgen Putensen established me in 1642 ). Three bells were cast in Reval in 1690, 1735 and 1796, the master of another bell from 1661 is unknown. The largest bell in the church was built in 1888, while a smaller bell is more recent.

The building was registered as a monument on September 20, 1995 and is registered in the Estonian Monument Register under number 1248 .

literature

Web links

Commons : Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Sophie Dehio: Reval then and now . Verlag von Franz Kluge, Reval 1910, p. 82.
  2. Sophie Dehio: Reval then and now . Verlag von Franz Kluge, Reval 1910, p. 82.

Coordinates: 59 ° 26 ′ 20.5 ″  N , 24 ° 44 ′ 56.3 ″  E