Christmas Chapel-Church Kutuzovo Village
The History.To the west from the Kutuzovo Village not later than XV Century there was Christmas cemetery with church in the name of the Christmas. In Ancient Russia Church Yards existed since X century, after their merging with villages, church yards in Russia became cemeteries maintained at their territory. Probably, during Dark Days church was destroyed and according to census of 1627-28 this place is designated as “wasteland, that was Christmas church yard at the River Malaya Severka” on waste patriarch lands. The Village itself at that time was small, it accounted for five yards of land owners, peasants and landless peasants, and one yard space for village lot that belonged since 1616 to one of ancestors of A.S. Pushkin, Nikita Ostafievich.
Church land was rented by Chudov monastery that also owned neighbor village Lyamtsino. In 1651-1652 on Christmas Church Yard of Kutuzovo Village there was built new wooden church in the name of Christmas. Wooden church was erected by congregation itself whose number gradually increased. However, the prayer congregation remained small by number of people and poor, and it was hard to rebuild the church. By the beginning of 1729 the church became dilapidated, and upon request of the village owner the Captain, Nikita Ivanovich Ushakov, from Novoe Village of Moskovskiy county it was brought a church without divine service purchased by Nikita Ivanovich from the senator, the Count Platon Musin-Pushkin. Meanwhile, the church brought by Nikita Ushakov became dilapidated. In 1785 with benediction from the Metropolitan Platon, landowner S.N. Kazarinov brought to the village and blessed was the church from the Ryazanovo Village of Podolsk county. For completion of works of its improvement the chaplain Prokhor Simeonov even had to borrow 50 RUB. To repay the the debt, with permission of the Metropolitan, dilapidated church was dismounted and the wood was sold as firewood.
Rebellious XX century began. At the end of thirties the Father Superior of church, the Father Alexander was killed, brutally beaten was the bell ringer Vasiliy, who died later on because of beating. For some time the church stood closed and then was demolished to the ground. ...Old-timers recall: during war there still was wooden church, and bell tower was not demolished, and after war it was dismantled, the material was taken to the other end of the village and grain warehouse was built. Also they tell that Kolkhoz chairman Kudrov seen a dream not long before that event, where somebody warned him not to break the church. But chairman paid no attention to that dream. Built from church material grain warehouse did not last for long, once there was a heavy storm, lightning stroke the building and it burned in a moment like a gun powder... And on site where wooden church stood the waste disposal pit occurred. We are used to situation when in former church there is either a pigsty or warehouse, or like here, where the church was demolished to the ground - waste disposal site. In June 2001 in the Kutuzovo Village there was laid a foundation of newly built church, local residents decided to build it.
Initiator and main supporter of construction has become local resident, Gennadiy Shabalkin. On 16 June 2001 there was held a service to call Holy Spirit at the beginning of every good doing, foundation was blessed and first sacred procession over the village. Service was held by the senior priest of the Nikolskiy Church from neighboring village Lyamtsino, the Priest Alexander Trushin who also was appointed the senior priest of newly built church. That Saturday was traditionally a holiday for residents of the Kutuzovo Village, i.e. the day before, 6th, Friday according to Church Calendar was a big day for this locality, i.e. ninth Friday after Easter, transient holiday of the God’s Mother icon “The Omen” of Kursk-Native. Probably, once upon a time in local church that icon was most worshipped, and so, even there was no church for long ago, the memories about that summer big day were kept by people. The High Altar of the church was blessed in honor the Christmas, but also there was side chapel in the name of the Saint Paraskeva Friday, “ninth Friday” from Easter.
But it so happened, that it was exactly the day that was the most favorite big day in the village. In autumn of 2001 there was erected the wooden chapel, where divine services was held every Saturday. In June 2002 there was additionally built to it small vestibule and erection of wooden bell tower crested on 28th of September 2003 at the Big Day of Elevation of the Holy Cross began. At that memorable day the Father Alexander addressed the Residents with following words: “Sometime ago it was a church here, — he said, — then it was demolished, and on its place the waste site occurred. How it is similar to our soul!
With Holy Baptism it is washed and becomes the retreat of the Holy Spirit, but times pass and with our sins we turn it into wastes disposal bit, and only by confession, by washing it with confession we re-create the church in our soul. I wish you God’s help in this good doing, i.e. building the chapel. Those who can help materially - let them help, those who can manually do something - let them do. Who knows, may be this deed will happen to be the major, the only good doing justifying our life to the Lord!”
There were blessed and raised the bells presented to the church by the supporter, Fotinia Koreneva. The Church was decorated for the account of contributions of Alexey Rastvortsev, church attire and liturgical vessels were contributed by the family of Anna Budanova. Alexander Repin also contributed a lot to construction of church and road to it, and not many survived icons were returned after careful keeping by Lidia Trushina.
The address: 142053, Moscow region, Domodedovo district, the Kutuzovo Village. The Father Priest: the Priest, Alexander Trushin. How to reach: from Moscow: from “Domodedovskaya” metro station take bus No. 404 to Aviogorodok, then take bus No. 26 to the Lyamtsino vilage (5th stop), then walk about 1 km to the Kutuzovo Village.
