The UOC-MP’s lease agreement for the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir has expired, but the rector of the temple refuses to leave it.
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On July 1, believers gathered in the cathedral and performed a prayer service so that they would not be kicked out of the temple. The rector refused to sign the commission’s conclusion and is not going to leave the cathedral, writes BUG.
Employees of the State Historical and Cultural Reserve “Ancient Vladimir” and law enforcement officers arrived at the scene.
The commission left the cathedral, refusing to comment to journalists.
What is known about the Assumption Cathedral
The temple was built during the time of the Volyn prince Mstislav II Izyaslavich in 1160. The walls of the temple are harmoniously divided by arches on semi-columns; had fresco paintings; rebuilt in the 18th century.
The princes prayed here, asking for heaven’s blessing for successful campaigns, begging the Lord for protection from the Tatar-Mongol invasion, and found their eternal peace in the crypts of this temple. The Assumption Cathedral is the oldest landmark of Volyn from pre-Mongol times. It was built in the middle of the 12th century. Prince Mstislav Izyaslavich – great-grandson of Vladimir Monomakh. Therefore, the townspeople have long called it the Mstislav Temple.
For many centuries, the cathedral was the “step” temple, that is, the burial vault of the Volyn-Galician princes. Within its walls, Prince Mstislav Izyaslavich, the founder of the church, Princes Vasilko Romanovich and Vladimir Vasilkovich, the brother and nephew of King Daniel of Galicia, found their eternal rest. Representatives of the nobility and clergy of the Volyn region are also buried in the cathedral.
In ancient times, the Assumption Cathedral was not only the main shrine of Volyn, but also the center of culture and education. There was a parish school and an art workshop attached to the church. Interstate agreements were concluded here, in observance of which the rulers swore an oath on the Gospel. Princes were crowned and married in the cathedral. Most likely, the Volyn part of the Galician-Volyn Chronicle was written here.
In ancient times, the walls of the cathedral were covered with frescoes – drawings that were made with mineral paint on the walls and wet plaster. High-quality acoustics are still preserved here thanks to clay jugs-voiceboxes (resonators), which are walled up in the walls and vault of the temple.
During the Mongol-Tatar invasion (1241), the strong walls of the Assumption Cathedral became the last defense for the city’s defenders and civilians. As the chronicler says, after the Horde left, there were no living people left in Vladimir, and the church was filled with corpses.
The cathedral preserves not only the memory of the princes, but also many ancient monuments. Among them is an ancient monument of sacred painting – a cross with a Crucifix of the 15th century. Local legend says that it was from this cross that the spark fell on the future saint of the Greek Catholic Church, Ivan (Josaphat) Kuntsevich. And the parishioners of the cathedral are convinced that a special spiritual atmosphere is felt next to it.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.