Just below the Ascension Cathedral was the VvedEnskaya Church, the oldest in the city. The construction of a stone building in the ‘baroque’ style, instead of the wooden one that had fallen into disrepair, began in the 18th century. It was consecrated in 1761, and by the middle of the 19th century the church was completed. Evening services in this church forever remained in the memory of the writer.
‘After my father and mother left… on Saturday evening, I had to go to Vespers, to the VvedEnskaya Church, which was located in one of the back alleys near the gymnasium. I remember so much those quiet and sad evenings of late autumn under its gloomy and low arches!…No, it’s not true what I said about Gothic cathedrals, about their organs: I never cried in these cathedrals like I did in that church in those dark and hollow nights, after saying goodbye to my father and mother, when I was entering its low arches like my parent’s home, in silence, feeling that heat and twilight, standing there in my long overcoat and listening to mournful and humble prayers.
Bunin I.A. “Arseniev”s life”
Each of the YelEts churches had a particularly revered shrine. In Vvedenskaya Church, it was the miraculous icon of the mother of God “Recovery of the dead”.
’… the ancient icon, with ever-burning lampions and always some woman with a dark shawl, standing on her knees and praying, with her three finger tips put on her forehead with mournful eyes looking at the brown-gold frame shining in the lampion light, at the small and the same dark medieval face, humbly and mournfully inclined to the left shoulder under the silver crown sparkling with diamonds, pearls and rubies…’
’… the ancient icon, with ever-burning lampions and always some woman with a dark shawl, standing on her knees and praying, with her three finger tips put on her forehead with mournful eyes looking at the brown-gold frame shining in the lampion light, at the small and the same dark medieval face, humbly and mournfully inclined to the left shoulder under the silver crown sparkling with diamonds, pearls and rubies…’
Bunin I.A. “Arseniev”s life”
The houses located nearby were surrounded with large gardens, making the area look very picturesque and unusual.
“Walking along the Sadovaya street, he came to a cliff at the river, with an ancient low church at the end of the road. It was the dead end, around him there were the gardens behind the fences, the wooden houses with three windows on the facade; the golden cross above the dome glimmers softly, melting in the warm air… the church doors were open, and he crossed himself as he entered. Low arches, nobody around, it is cold inside and there is this old, church smell. The bare, low walls are painted blue like sugar paper, the dome is light, the bottom is bluish, gloomy; the altar is gleaming, and the red silk of the veil can be seen through the slots of the Sanctuary Doors… He climbed the steps of the pulpit and went to the miraculous icon near the north door of the altar. It was made of thick dark wood with a velvet cherry lining, and it was all colorful behind the lamp that flickered in front of it: the dark silver of the cover, on the cover there were a lot of fake precious stones, icon pendants and ribbons, tin hearts, hands and feet, healed body parts… “
Bunin I.A. “April”
The houses located nearby were surrounded with large gardens, making the area look very picturesque and unusual.
“Walking along the Sadovaya street, he came to a cliff at the river, with an ancient low church at the end of the road. It was the dead end, around him there were the gardens behind the fences, the wooden houses with three windows on the facade; the golden cross above the dome glimmers softly, melting in the warm air… the church doors were open, and he crossed himself as he entered. Low arches, nobody around, it is cold inside and there is this old, church smell. The bare, low walls are painted blue like sugar paper, the dome is light, the bottom is bluish, gloomy; the altar is gleaming, and the red silk of the veil can be seen through the slots of the Sanctuary Doors… He climbed the steps of the pulpit and went to the miraculous icon near the north door of the altar. It was made of thick dark wood with a velvet cherry lining, and it was all colorful behind the lamp that flickered in front of it: the dark silver of the cover, on the cover there were a lot of fake precious stones, icon pendants and ribbons, tin hearts, hands and feet, healed body parts… “
Bunin I.A. “April”
