The earliest mention of a church with the high altar in the name of the Protection of the Holy Virgin in the city of Belozersk dates back to the 1670s. At this time the church was ‘outside the city and beyond the suburbs’, apparently on the western edge of the city. The church was wooden, with a refectory and a high open porch -- parvis. The bell tower had four bells totaling 15 poods or 245 kilograms.
The stone building of the PokrOvskaya Church appeared in the 18th century on the outskirts of the city on the meadow, ‘near IlyInskoye lower field’, to the west of the ancient settlement. Opinions vary on the date of the construction: some say it was 1740 and some say -- 1752. It is possible that the dates reflect the beginning of the construction and the time of the consecration of the temple. Judging by the decor, the church was built in several stages.
Probably the church was repaired in the first half of the 19th century: 2 window openings with radial crosspieces, as well as window openings, were enclosed in flat rectangular niches and decorated with classical crosspieces. At the same time, a cornice appeared, going along the top of a rectangular part, the facades of which were most likely redesigned.
There is a protrusion - the apse - adjoining the rectangular temple from the east, from the west - a rectangular room of the refectory with asymmetric southern side-altar. The northern facades of the temple and the refectory form one line, while the southern wall of the refectory protrudes and from the east ends with a semi-circular perch.
The main part of the temple was built according to a common scheme: an octagonal part was elevated above the quadrangal part. And the bell-shaped roof was crowned by a small dome on an octagonal base.
From the west the temple was adjoined by a high four-tier bell tower. The bell tower tiers narrowed upwards and ended with a bell-shaped head with a spire. Currently, only one tier remains.
In the 20th century the appearance of the temple was significantly changed. The upper tiers of the bell tower were lost, the decorative interior was lost. The windows on the northern facade of the refectory were also changed, the was another window made in the western wall of the temple, a flat ceiling was installed. In the second half of the 20th century temporary wooden annexes were added to the northern wall of the temple and to the western wall of the bell tower. Until 1995, the building was used as a production facility for making felt snow boots -- valenki. The building is currently empty. In 2018, repairs to the roof were carried out.
The stone building of the PokrOvskaya Church appeared in the 18th century on the outskirts of the city on the meadow, ‘near IlyInskoye lower field’, to the west of the ancient settlement. Opinions vary on the date of the construction: some say it was 1740 and some say -- 1752. It is possible that the dates reflect the beginning of the construction and the time of the consecration of the temple. Judging by the decor, the church was built in several stages.
Probably the church was repaired in the first half of the 19th century: 2 window openings with radial crosspieces, as well as window openings, were enclosed in flat rectangular niches and decorated with classical crosspieces. At the same time, a cornice appeared, going along the top of a rectangular part, the facades of which were most likely redesigned.
There is a protrusion - the apse - adjoining the rectangular temple from the east, from the west - a rectangular room of the refectory with asymmetric southern side-altar. The northern facades of the temple and the refectory form one line, while the southern wall of the refectory protrudes and from the east ends with a semi-circular perch.
The main part of the temple was built according to a common scheme: an octagonal part was elevated above the quadrangal part. And the bell-shaped roof was crowned by a small dome on an octagonal base.
From the west the temple was adjoined by a high four-tier bell tower. The bell tower tiers narrowed upwards and ended with a bell-shaped head with a spire. Currently, only one tier remains.
In the 20th century the appearance of the temple was significantly changed. The upper tiers of the bell tower were lost, the decorative interior was lost. The windows on the northern facade of the refectory were also changed, the was another window made in the western wall of the temple, a flat ceiling was installed. In the second half of the 20th century temporary wooden annexes were added to the northern wall of the temple and to the western wall of the bell tower. Until 1995, the building was used as a production facility for making felt snow boots -- valenki. The building is currently empty. In 2018, repairs to the roof were carried out.
