Tuesday
May172022

« Bishop Matthew of Sourozh headed the patronal celebration in the Church of Holy Venerable Boris and Gleb in Zyuzino, Moscow »

Date17-05-2022
On May 15, 2022, on the 4th Sunday after Easter, about the paralyzed man, patronal feast was celebrated in the church of the Holy venerable princes of Russia, passion-bearers Boris and Gleb, in Zyuzino, Moscow.
With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, the Divine Liturgy on the 950th anniversary of the transfer of the relics of the Holy Martyrs Princes Boris and Gleb was officiated by His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, temporary Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and Canada. His Grace was assisted by the Rector of the church, archpriest Sergiy Zvonarev, guests and the clergy of the church.
At the end of the Liturgy, a festive procession took place, after which the Archpastor addressed the clergy and parishioners with words of sermon and spiritual edification.
The two-storied church was built in the Moscow baroque style in 1688 by boyar B. Prozorovsky (architect Yakov Bukhvostov).  The lower warm church was consecrated in 1688 in honour of St. equal to the Apostles Vladimir, the upper temple - in 1704 in honour St. Boris and Gleb.  The bell tower was added in 1879.
During the communist persecution, the last two priests of the church, father and son Kharyuzovs, demonstrated a feat of confession: on September 14, 1937, Fr.  Alexander Kharyuzov was arrested (shot on January 9, 1938).  Despite threats of reprisals, his son, priest Nikolai Kharyuzov, took his place.
In November, authorities arrested him and sentenced to 10 years in labor camps.  Father Nikolai survived the repressions and died in 1963, being a clergyman of the diocese of Vladimir.
In these terrible times, priest Alexy Speransky (canonized by the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000), who served in the church of St. Boris and Gleb as a psalm reader in 1902-1909, showed an example of a feat.
In the end of thirtis, the church was closed and abandoned.
In 1940-1941 the building was left without locks and guards.  As a result, all wooden parts in the church were broken, starting with the ancient carved iconostasis and ending with window and door frames.  The bell tower was destroyed.  Miraculously, the Royal Doors, several icons and carved columns have been preserved.  Now they are in the Kolomenskoye Museum - reports the website of the Church of St passion-bearers Boris and Gleb, in Zyuzino, Moscow.