The Church of St. Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg belongs to the Moscow Patriarchate of the Voronezh Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church and is part of the temple complex and is its main temple. Daily services are held here, prayers are offered for the living and the dead, as well as for the slain soldiers who laid down their souls for the Fatherland and faith.
Historical sketch
The temple complex is located on the site of the so-called "Grove of the Heart". Fierce battles for the city of Voronezh were fought at this place during the Great Patriotic War, many fighters died defending our Homeland. The grove was so named because it resembled the shape of a heart and was located about a kilometer from the city. Among the soldiers, another name for the grove was fixed - the grove of death. Our soldiers called this place the "grove of death" among themselves.The central cathedral of the complex was built in honor of St. Xenia of St. Petersburg and resembles a ship in its shape.
The Orthodox Church celebrates the memorial Day of St. Nicholas.Xenia on February 6th. This saint, who lived in St. Petersburg in the middle of the XVIII century, is known for her feat of foolishness: she devoted the rest of her life to a single task: to beg God's forgiveness for her husband, who suddenly died without repentance. To do this, she disguises herself in her husband's uniform and for 45 years wandered around the city in such an outfit, posing as her dead husband, posing as his name Andrei Fedorovich. Many considered her insane, but the examination did not reveal any abnormalities in the unfortunate widow. She distributed her husband's remaining belongings to the suffering. The feat of Blessed Xenia is a model of sacrificial love, humility and meekness. It is no coincidence that Xenia of St. Petersburg is one of the most revered and beloved saints in Russia.
Architectural features
The church was created in the traditional Old Russian style by architect A.B. Logvinov. It is crowned by nine gilded domes. The height of the temple is about 30 meters.
The lower church was consecrated in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the upper one in honor of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg with side chapels in honor of the Vladimir and Pochaev icons of the Mother of God.
Spiritual significance
St. Xenia's Church is loved by Voronezh residents and pilgrims coming from other cities.
People who visit or once visited this church note its majesty, beauty, magnificent decoration, well-groomed and landscaping of the nearby territory, surrounded by greenery and flower beds in summer, on which monuments to Saints Xenia and John of Kronstadt are located. Pilgrims speak positively about the staff and clergy of the monastery.
Divine services, rites and sacraments
The Liturgy is celebrated daily at 7 a.m., the beginning of the evening service at 15.30. The current schedule of services can be found on the official website of the temple complex here.
The sacraments of Baptism, Wedding, Unction (Unction), as well as the funeral rite are performed in various temples of the complex: Baptism on Saturdays and Sundays at 11.00 in the church of the Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, Unction in the lower church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (during Lent they are unction on Saturdays (March 30, 6, 13, 20, 27 April) and on Great Wednesday (May 1) at 17.00). The wedding takes place in the church of Blessed Xenia. For all questions, please contact the church shop.
Before the Baptism, conversations are held with the child's future godparents and his parents (on Thursdays at 5.30 pm in the Sunday School building), before the Wedding - with the bride and groom.
Community life
The temple implements the project "Social Assistance Center". There is a canteen where the needy are fed free of charge, a bakery is also open where bread is baked and distributed to people on weekends, training is organized for children from large and low-income families who want to learn baking skills. Within the framework of the project, there is a sewing workshop, which also provides charitable services for sewing various products. Here you can also learn the basics of sewing for families in need: children and their mothers.
In the social network in contact there is a page of the complex where you can find not only information about the services, but also the latest news. The youth community "Youth Group of the Church of Xenia of St. Petersburg" has been created separately, which contains up-to-date information regarding participation in Orthodox events (conferences, forums, festivals, etc.), holding various meetings with clergy, interesting speakers.
There is a Sunday school "Rodnik" at the temple. Classes are held on Saturdays from 15.00 (for preschoolers) and Sundays from 9.00 (for middle and high school age children). The children study the Law of God, the Old and New Testaments, Hagiography, Orthodox worship, the Basics of spiritual morality, the Basics of choral singing and the Church Slavonic language.
The clergy of the temple participate in missionary activities: they hold various thematic talks in secondary and higher educational institutions of the city (about family, spiritual and moral values), take part in conferences, competitions, and in the defense of research projects.
Temple visit
How to get there
Address: 48/1 Vladimir Nevsky str., Voronezh, Voronezh region, Russia.
You can get there by public transport (to the Temple stop (the nearest one) or Oreshnik by buses 15, 27, 54, 58b, 59a, minibuses 15a, 18) or by private vehicle.
Opening hours and visiting rules
The temple is open daily from 6.00 to 19.00. When visiting the temple, parishioners should look modest and neat:
- Women should have their heads covered and wear a skirt or dress;
- Male persons must wear trousers (not shorts) and without a headdress.
Pilgrimage and tourism
When visiting the church of St. Xenia, do not forget to visit other buildings of the complex:
- Temples of the Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker,
- Chapel of St. John of Kronstadt,
- The Annunciation Cathedral, located 7 kilometers from the temple complex.
How to get involved
Those who wish can make a donation for the statutory activities of the complex, for the development of charity and other needs. Currently, the temple needs to purchase new seedlings for planting on the temple grounds. You can contribute to a good cause by donating any amount you can.
Conclusion
The Church of St. Blessed Xenia, located on the territory of the temple ensemble, is one of the spiritual and architectural attractions of Voronezh, a favorite place of prayer for Orthodox pilgrims and parishioners. When coming to Voronezh, be sure to visit this wonderful complex.
