The creation of this extraordinary temple is attributed to the hand of Vasily Bazhenov and the construction dates back to 1789. But there are other opinions - this mysterious monument is too unlike other creations of the great architect (read here). The Vladimir Church in Bykovo stands far away not only from the Ryazan highway, but also from the main path of evolution of Russian Orthodox architecture.
The temple of amazing harmony, beauty and unique style still remains little studied. This two-story church was built in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God on the site where the wooden Church of the Nativity of Christ had been located since ancient times. Experts say that this is our only oval-shaped Temple.
Take, for example, the stairs that greet us at the entrance to the church grounds. Russian temple architecture did not know such staircases. It seems that this ceremonial entrance, outlined by a light parapet, leads not to a temple, but to a palace. And if the crosses are removed from the spiers, then the structure can easily be mistaken for a palace building of a bizarre shape, reminiscent of a Western European medieval castle. The church is completed with a dome surrounded by a number of spiers. The bell towers are also topped with spiers.
There is a bell tower next to the temple. In the 30s of the 19th century, a bell tower was erected next to the Temple according to the design of Bazhenov’s student, architect Tamansky, and so successfully and harmoniously, as if it was conceived by Bazhenov himself.
The main volume of the temple is oval in plan, placed on a high basement; a large rectangular refectory with two bell towers in the corners is attached to it from the west. The main volume ends with a light rotunda with a high spire at the top; it is surrounded by a number of similar spiers. On the sides of the oval of the main volume of the temple there are high lancet windows, between which there are decorative porticoes with columns framing the side entrances. There is a rich carved cornice under the roof. Tall windows with pointed tops also decorate the refectory, the side facades of which are topped with tympanums. On top of the refectory there is a low rotunda with a very small spire with a cross. The refectory was expanded in the first half of the 19th century.
The temple looks very impressive from the west, from the bell towers. A two-way grand staircase leads to the area in front of the entrance to the upper temple, under which is the entrance to the lower temple. One bell tower was built as a bell tower itself, with a platform for ringing, the second - for a clock. The round upper tiers of the towers are cut through by arched openings and end with domes with high spiers, the same as those above the central chapter.
The entire decor of the temple is unusually rich. The variety of details, designed in a single Gothic style, gives the tall building a upward thrust, expressed not only in pointed spiers. In 1884 A separate bell tower was built next to the temple in imitation of the same style. Some sources call it the architect D.A. Gushchin, others - I.T. Tamansky.
The bell tower had seven bells, the largest of which weighed 117 pounds, and the smallest only 70 pounds. The painting of the walls of the Temple is late; it was done at the request of parishioners in 1912, but was not completed. The temple icon of the Vladimir Mother of God appeared here after M. M. Izmailov, and before that there was the Izmailov family icon - the Kazan Mother of God.
The temple in the village of Bykovo is unique in that it has two floors. The lower limit is in honor of the Nativity of Christ, and the upper one was built in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. The church itself was named after the upper limit. The main feature of the upper limit is that artificial marble was used in its design. Over time, its recipe was lost. Modern craftsmen have managed to restore the composition of the white-pink stone, which is difficult to distinguish from the original. Fragments of stucco molding and ancient paintings have been preserved here.
The Temple building is built of brick and faced with white stone on the outside. The plan is based on an ellipse, which was never used in Rus' in church architecture and extremely rarely in secular construction.
This is the only white stone church in the world built in the Russian Gothic (or pseudo-Gothic) style; it is also called the northern Taj Mahal.
The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is the greatest shrine of the Russian land. According to legend, it was written by the Apostle Luke in the first century after the Nativity of Christ. An ancient copy of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is kept in the Temple of the village of Bykovo. The icon streams myrrh, and it is she who is especially worshiped by parishioners. Services here are held not only on weekends, as is customary in the countryside, but every day. In 1937, the Vladimir Temple, like many Temples throughout Rus', was closed and used for economic needs. At present, the restoration of the limit of the Nativity of Christ is almost complete. Experienced specialists recreated icons, gold carvings and paintings. The luxurious three-tier iconostasis in the Russian Baroque style of the 17th century was made based on pre-revolutionary photographs.
The inside of the temple is decorated in a classic style. The vaults rest on four groups of columns with Corinthian capitals, the decoration is made of artificial marble, with wooden carvings. The interiors were badly damaged during Soviet times: in 1937. the church was closed and destroyed. Crosses were knocked off the spiers, the bell tower was left without bells, and many church utensils and books were destroyed. The temple building housed a garment factory. Later it was replaced by a warehouse for the cinema department. In 1989 The temple was again handed over to believers, restoration work and services began.
Parishioners consider their Temple to be prayed for. The unusually warm atmosphere is conducive to deep thought.
Two stories are told about the church: 1. During Bolshevism, a stable was built in it. After the horses died, they decided not to use it for these purposes anymore. 2. A certain brave Bolshevik decided to remove the bell. He was warned not to. Many were afraid, but he was not afraid. As a result, while trying to remove the bell, he fell and... died. They said that there were several attempts...
Directions:
- from Kazansky station a) to the station. Specific, transfer to bus. Art. Udelnaya - Vereya, or b) to the station. Rest, transfer to bus. Art. Rest-Vereya, or c) to the station. Ilyinskaya, then walk 4 km, or d) to the station. Bykovo, then walk 1-2 km or minibus 22P, walk 1 km
Driving by car: From Moscow along the Ryazanskoe highway to the turn to Bykovo (via Zhilino) - 8 km, then turn left. Next - travel not to the airport, but to the cities of Bykovo and Zhukovsky. Drive through Bykovo, at the border between Bykovo and Zhukovsky, turn right at the traffic light, then after 200m. turn right again onto the street. Highway, and drive along it to the church.
From the Vykhino metro station by buses 424, 430, 431 metro station "Vykhino" - Zhukovsky to the "Temple" stop, or from the Kazansky station to the Bykovo stop, then by bus to the "Temple" stop
The exact coordinates of the church are N55°36.6537" E38°03.4989". You can also get there by taking the 23rd autoline. Tell them to drop you off in the village of Bykovo near the church, since you will never guess where to go (the church is not visible from the road).
Vladimir Church and estate in Bykovo January 28th, 2014
The Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God (Nativity of Christ) in the Bykovo estate was built in 1789. According to one, the most widespread and authoritative version, its project belongs to V.I. Bazhenov, according to others - to M.F. Kazakov or A.N. Bokarev.
Bazhenov (possibly together with Kazakov) is credited with creating the entire ensemble of the estate of the senator and governor of Moscow and the Moscow province M.M. Izmailov, who was founded in 1762. a village near Moscow was granted.
The church in the palace village of Bykovo has been known since the beginning of the 17th century, when it was wooden, of the cage type. In 1704 here, with palace funds, a stone church was built in the name of the Nativity of Christ. The new owner of the estate, Mikhail Mikhailovich Izmailov, decided to build a new church in Bykov, and in 1789. fulfilled this intention.
The white stone church in the Russian Gothic (or pseudo-Gothic) style has no worthy analogues in the temple architecture of the Moscow region, and, perhaps, in the temple architecture of Russia in general. There are two churches in the building - the upper one in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God and the lower one in the basement - the Nativity of Christ. The main volume of the temple is oval in plan, placed on a high basement; a large rectangular refectory with two bell towers in the corners is attached to it from the west.
The main volume ends with a light rotunda with a high spire at the top; it is surrounded by a number of similar spiers. On the sides of the oval of the main volume of the temple there are high lancet windows, between which there are decorative porticoes with columns framing the side entrances. There is a rich carved cornice under the roof. Tall windows with pointed tops also decorate the refectory, the side facades of which are topped with tympanums. On top of the refectory there is a low rotunda with a very small spire with a cross. The refectory was expanded in the first half of the 19th century.
The temple looks very impressive from the west, from the bell towers. A two-way grand staircase leads to the area in front of the entrance to the upper temple, under which is the entrance to the lower temple. One bell tower was built as a bell tower itself, with a platform for ringing, the second - for a clock. The round upper tiers of the towers are cut through by arched openings and end with domes with high spiers, the same as those above the central chapter.
The entire decor of the temple is unusually rich. The variety of details, designed in a single Gothic style, gives the tall building a upward thrust, expressed not only in pointed spiers. In 1884 A separate bell tower was built next to the temple in imitation of the same style. Some sources call it the architect D.A. Gushchin, others - I.T. Tamansky.
The inside of the temple is decorated in a classic style. The vaults rest on four groups of columns with Corinthian capitals, the decoration is made of artificial marble, with wooden carvings. The interiors were badly damaged during Soviet times: in 1937. the church was closed and destroyed. Crosses were knocked off the spiers, the bell tower was left without bells, and many church utensils and books were destroyed. The temple building housed a garment factory. Later it was replaced by a warehouse for the cinema department. In 1989 The temple was again handed over to believers, restoration work and services began.
To the side of the street on which the church stands, in the depths of the ancient park, is the Bykovo estate itself, or rather, what has remained of it. Of the huge number of buildings, only the main house survived, rebuilt in the 19th century and placed on the plinth of an old house built according to Bazhenov’s design, and a small round gazebo on the island.
In the 18th century, the estate belonged to Mikhail Izmailov, a Turk by origin, who went over to the Russian side in one of the battles, converted to Orthodoxy and became the head of the Moscow Reconstruction Commission. To build the palace in the then fashionable neo-Gothic style, Izmailov commissioned one of the most fashionable architects of that time, Vasily Bazhenov.
Simultaneously with the palace, Bazhenov created the entire architectural and park ensemble, including a church, a park, ponds, a winter garden, a grotto and the Hermitage. All that remains of Bazhenov’s palace are the foundation and ramps at the main entrance: in the mid-19th century, when Bykovo came into the possession of Count Illarion Vorontsov-Dashkov, the house was rebuilt by the Swiss architect Bernard Simon. The result was a magnificent two-story red brick palace with a tower in the style of English castles. The house has retained English-style decoration, and in general it has been well preserved, apparently largely due to the fact that a tuberculosis sanatorium has been located here since Soviet times.
No less impressive is the huge, uncrowded park with ponds, the smell of rotting leaves, centuries-old trees and flocks of crows. In the center of one of the ponds there is a gazebo built by the architect Bazhenov.
How to get to the Bykovo estate:
By public transport: from Kazansky railway station you need to get to Udelnaya station. Then take buses 23 or 39 to the “Temple” stop. Or from metro station Vykhino by bus 424 to the Khram stop. Here you will see the Vladimir Church, and to the main house you need to walk among the fences of private buildings and then through the park.
Before this, we had already visited Bykovo twice - and for some reason we were always unlucky with the weather. On the eve of the trip, we looked at the forecast - Gismeteo promised a clear sunny day.
We wake up at 8 am, look outside - the sky is overcast, and the snow is falling in large flakes without stopping. At the same time, all forecast sources have been updated and show clouds and snowfall throughout the day, only optimistic Yandex claims that it is supposedly sunny in Moscow now. I was already thinking about staying at home, but Yulia still wanted to go. In order not to argue, they planted an old “pocket” from 1991, which I took with me to exams in school (and at the institute too) in order to get an “excellent”. :) The coin made it clear that we had to go. Well, we went - and we were not disappointed!
The Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Bykovo was built in 1789. According to one, the most widespread and authoritative version, its project belongs to V.I. Bazhenov, according to others - to M.F. Kazakov or A.N. Bokarev.
The white stone church in the Russian Gothic (or pseudo-Gothic) style has no worthy analogues in the temple architecture of the Moscow region, and, perhaps, in the temple architecture of Russia in general. There are two churches in the building - the upper one in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God and the lower one in the basement - the Nativity of Christ.
The main volume of the temple is oval in plan, placed on a high basement; a large rectangular refectory with two bell towers in the corners is attached to it from the west.
The main volume ends with a light rotunda with a high spire at the top, surrounded by a number of similar spiers.
The entire decor of the temple is unusually rich.
On the sides of the oval of the main volume of the temple there are high lancet windows...
...Between which there are decorative porticoes with columns framing the side entrances.
The temple looks very impressive from the west, from the bell towers. A two-way grand staircase leads to the area in front of the entrance to the upper temple, under which is the entrance to the lower temple. One tower was built as a bell tower with a platform for ringing, the second - for a clock.
Let's take a closer look at the decor.
The round upper tiers of the towers are cut through by arched openings and end with domes with high spiers, the same as those above the central chapter.
In 1884, a separate bell tower was built next to the temple in imitation of the same style. Some sources call it the architect D. A. Gushchin, others - I. T. Tamansky.
To the side of the street on which the church stands, in the depths of the ancient park, is the Bykovo estate itself, or rather, what has remained of it. The current manor building was built in 1856 by the architect de Simon on the basements of the previous manor house. Currently, it houses a functioning tuberculosis clinic. In 1704, Peter I granted this village to the Rostov governor Illarion Vorontsov “for services to the Fatherland.” Vorontsov was not rich, he owned only two hundred peasant souls. Almost no one remembers Illarion Vorontsov himself now; his descendants became much more famous.
The great-grandson of the voivode, Prince Mikhail Semenovich, was entrenched in history not only because he showed himself brilliantly as the tsar’s viceroy, but also because it was about him that young A.S. Pushkin, who had tender feelings for his beautiful wife, wrote a rather evil and unfair epigram .
“Half my lord, half merchant.
Half sage, half ignorant,
Half-scoundrel, but there is hope
What will be complete at last."
In 1775, Catherine II visited many estates near Moscow, including the estate in Bykovo. The estate looked extremely modest and did not make any impression on the empress. The count could not tolerate such shame. He immediately invited the chief architect of Russia, Vasily Bazhenov, to redevelop the estate and park.
Bazhenov eagerly set to work. He set himself a goal: to radically change the appearance of the master's estate. The Bazhenovs decided to build a new palace in the western part of the estate on oak piles. The hill on which the palace now stands was created artificially. The peasants carried the earth for the hill on themselves in wicker baskets from the places where three ponds were dug.
The walkway, located in front of the portico, is framed by a balustrade - a railing made of figured posts. To the left of the palace, a high tower was erected, on which a telescope and a sundial were installed. Above the balcony is the coat of arms of the Vorontsov-Dashkovs.
The southern façade was built in a classical style. Its decoration is a portico with columns in the form of beautiful female figures, on which the balcony rests.
There is a romantic legend that one of the Vorontsov-Dashkovs, in the absence of his wife, arranged a friendly dinner in the palace.
His beloved was invited to it, to whom he allegedly promised to give the palace.
Having learned about this from the servants, the wife demanded to sell the estate. And the old-timers recalled how they once saw the failed owner of the estate, who lived in Moscow until the war, walking with a small knapsack...
The coat of arms of the Vorontsov-Dashkovs is a combination of the count coat of arms of the Vorontsovs and the noble coat of arms of the Dashkovs.
Let's take a closer look at it. Below you can still make out the motto: “Semper immota fides”, which translated from Latin means “Eternally unshakable loyalty”.
The name of V.I. Bazhenov is also associated with the pavilion-gazebo preserved on one of the islands of the pond in the park. The snow-white gazebo is truly proportional and harmonious. Three circular pylons and Corinthian columns support a wide cornice and dome. Unfortunately, the elegant bridge to the island no longer exists, and you can now only get to the gazebo in the summer by boat. But in the cold season you can try to walk to it on the ice, but we didn’t dare then.
Let's return to the palace. Inside it was decorated in English style. The walls of the double-height dining room were lined with oak; under the ceiling there was a frieze of portraits of the Vorontsov family. The Vorontsov library of the 18th century and a portrait of the famous Princess Dashkova (friend of Catherine II) by Levitsky were kept here. Everything melted and was carried away in a whirlwind of time, like the Bazhenov house itself...
Addition from our readers: How to get to Bykovo?
From Moscow to the Bazhenov Church, it is better to go along the Novoryazanskoye Highway (Volgogradsky Prospekt), and then along the highway to Zhukovsky (there are several turns from the Novoryazanskoye Highway to Zhukovsky, any one is suitable).
In the village of Ostrovtsy, at the traffic police post, turn left (signpost to Zhukovsky and Bykovo airport). There have already been turns with these signs before (they also lead to the goal, so if you turn earlier, there will be no mistake). From the bridges over the Pekhorka and Bykovka rivers, to the right along the way, you can see the park rising along the slope of the bank and the palace tower. The church is not visible, it is to the east, behind the park. Next, in order not to get confused in the numerous streets of the village, it is better to get to the highway to Zhukovsky and turn right along it (all access options converge at this point).
On the right, along the highway, one-story houses of the village stretch, and behind them you can already discern the spiers of the Bazhenov temple. At the point where the one-story buildings end (further - multi-story buildings), you need to turn right from the highway and then right again, onto a street parallel to the highway (but in the opposite direction). This street leads almost directly to the church (it will be visible on the left at the end of the short transverse passage).
The time is an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the traffic congestion towards the region, IMHO.
The Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God (Nativity of Christ) in the Bykovo estate was built in 1789. According to one, the most common version, its project belongs to V.I. Bazhenov, according to others - to M.F. Kazakov or A.N. Bokarev.
Bazhenov (possibly together with Kazakov) is credited with creating the entire ensemble of the estate of the senator and governor of Moscow and the Moscow province M.M. Izmailov, who was founded in 1762. a village near Moscow was granted.
The church in the village of Bykovo has been known since the beginning of the 17th century, when it was wooden, of the cage type.
In 1704 here, with palace funds, a stone church was built in the name of the Nativity of Christ. The new owner of the estate, Mikhail Mikhailovich Izmailov, planned to build a new church in Bykovo, and in 1789 he realized this intention.
Entrance to the second floor of the Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. Four years ago it was possible to climb these beautiful steps to the top, see the church library, beautiful decoration, but now this is impossible due to the dilapidation and destruction of the stairs.
A panel has been preserved above the entrance to the lower church.
The white stone church in the Russian Gothic (or pseudo-Gothic) style has no worthy analogues in the temple architecture of the Moscow region, and, perhaps, in the temple architecture of Russia in general.
There are two churches in the building - the upper one in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God and the lower one in the basement - the Nativity of Christ.
The main volume of the temple is oval in plan, placed on a high basement; a large rectangular refectory with two bell towers in the corners is attached to it from the west.
Different crosses???
There are two churches in one temple.
The main volume ends with a rotunda with a high spire at the top; it is surrounded by a number of similar spiers. On the sides of the oval of the main volume of the temple there are high lancet windows, between which there are decorative porticoes with columns framing the side entrances. There is a rich carved cornice under the roof. Tall windows with pointed tops also decorate the refectory, the side facades of which are topped with tympanums.
On top of the refectory there is a low rotunda with a very small spire with a cross. The refectory was expanded in the first half of the 19th century.
The temple looks very impressive from the west, from the bell towers. A two-way grand staircase leads to the area in front of the entrance to the upper temple, under which is the entrance to the lower temple. One tower was built as a bell tower, with a platform for ringing, the second - for a clock.
The round upper tiers of the towers are cut through by arched openings and end with domes with high spiers, the same as those above the central chapter.
The entire decor of the temple is unusually rich. The variety of details, designed in a single Gothic style, gives the tall building a upward thrust, expressed not only in pointed spiers.
In 1884 A separate bell tower was built next to the temple in imitation of the same style. Some sources call it the architect D.A. Gushchin, others - I.T. Tamansky.
Inside the temple, the vaults rest on four groups of columns with Corinthian capitals, the decoration is made of artificial marble, with wooden carvings.
In fact, the interior space is very small and low, daylight is almost invisible, only candles are burning. In front of the altar, on the ceiling there is a beautiful painting of “The Birth of Christ” - you can’t take your eyes off it.
The interiors were badly damaged during Soviet times: in 1937. the church was closed and destroyed. Crosses were knocked off the spiers, the bell tower was left without bells, and many church utensils and books were destroyed. The temple building housed a garment factory. Later it was replaced by a warehouse for the cinema department.
In 1989 The temple was again handed over to believers, restoration work and services began.
In the depths of the ancient (or rather neglected park), the Bykovo estate itself is located, what has been preserved from it.
Bazhenov gazebo on an artificially created island.
Of the huge number of buildings, only the main house survived, rebuilt in the 19th century and placed on the plinth of the old house, built according to Bazhenov’s design, and the gazebo mentioned above.
Palace in the Bykovo estate.
Still, in the Moscow region there is no such beauty as this ensemble from a manor house and especially a Gothic church.
You can get here by train from Kazansky station to the station. Udelnaya, then minibus to the "Temple" stop.
Bykovo is a village in the Ramensky district of the Moscow region, part of the rural settlement of Vereiskoye. The village is located in the northeastern part of the region, on the left bank of the Pekhorka River, 11 kilometers from Ramenskoye and 20 kilometers from the Moscow Ring Road. The Bykovka River flows near the village.
Bykovo History.
The village of Bykovo was first mentioned in the 14th century in the spiritual charter of Prince Dmitry Donskoy. Before the Battle of Kulikovo, he bequeathed the village to his younger sons Vasily and Ivan. Presumably the name comes from the times when cattle were fattened on local meadows before being sent to Moscow. The further history of the village is inextricably linked with the estate. In the 18th century the village was donated to governor M.M. Izmailov by Catherine the Great herself.
Construction of an estate in Bykovo.
Since on official business he was familiar with the architects who were involved in the construction of the royal estate of Tsaritsyno, V.I. Bazhenov and M.F. Kazakov, he also attracted them to build an estate on his estate in Bykovo. The manor's house was built on an artificial hill, for which the peasants carried the earth in baskets. And they took this land from the park when they dug ponds there. Later, under the new owners, the Vorontsov-Dashkovs, the main house was rebuilt and took on the outline of an English castle. All that remains of Bazhenov’s creation is the foundation and a snow-white balustrade at the entrance to the house.
History of the estate.
The next owners of the estate were representatives of the Ilin family, who owned Bykovo until the revolution. Later, the estate was nationalized; it housed an orphanage and then a tuberculosis sanatorium. During all this time, numerous valuables of the manor's house were stolen, the greenhouse and the Hermitage palace were destroyed, and the park fell into disrepair. Now there is a red brick building on the hill, with a balcony supported by columns with images of girls. Above the balcony is the coat of arms of the Vorontsov-Dashkovs. The palace balustrade has already been destroyed in places.
The main attraction of the village is the Vladimir Church. The Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God (Nativity of Christ) in the Bykovo estate was built in 1789. According to one, the most widespread and authoritative version, its design belongs to V.I. Bazhenov, according to others - to M.F. Kazakov or A.N. Bokarev . The church in the palace village of Bykovo has been known since the beginning of the 17th century, when it was wooden, of the cage type. In 1704, a stone church in the name of the Nativity of Christ was built here using palace funds. The new owner of the estate, Mikhail Mikhailovich Izmailov, planned to build a new church in Bykov, and in 1789 he realized this intention.
Vladimir Church in Bykovo.
The white stone church in the Russian Gothic (or pseudo-Gothic) style has no worthy analogues in the temple architecture of the Moscow region, and, perhaps, in the temple architecture of Russia in general. There are two churches in the building - the upper one in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God and the lower one in the basement - the Nativity of Christ. The main volume of the temple is oval in plan, placed on a high basement; a large rectangular refectory with two bell towers in the corners is attached to it from the west. The main volume ends with a light rotunda with a high spire at the top; it is surrounded by a number of similar spiers.
Vladimir Church in Bykovo.
On the sides of the oval of the main volume of the temple there are high lancet windows, between which there are decorative porticoes with columns framing the side entrances. There is a rich carved cornice under the roof. The entrance to the upper temple is completed with the refectory, the side facades of which are topped with tympanums. On top of the refectory there is a low rotunda with a very small spire with a cross. The refectory was expanded in the first half of the 19th century. A two-way grand staircase leads to the area in front of the entrance to the upper temple, under which is the entrance to the lower temple. One bell tower was built as a bell tower itself, with a platform for ringing, the second - for a clock. The round upper tiers of the towers are cut through by arched openings and end with domes with high spiers, the same as those above the central chapter. The entire decor of the temple is unusually rich. The variety of details, designed in a single Gothic style, gives the tall building a upward thrust, expressed not only in pointed spiers. In 1884 A separate bell tower was built next to the temple in imitation of the same style. Some sources call it the architect D.A. Gushchin, others - I.T. Tamansky.
Vladimir Church in Bykovo.
The inside of the temple is decorated in a classic style. The vaults rest on four groups of columns with Corinthian capitals, the decoration is made of artificial marble, with wooden carvings. The interiors suffered greatly during Soviet times: in 1937 the church was closed and destroyed. Crosses were knocked off the spiers, the bell tower was left without bells, and many church utensils and books were destroyed. A garment factory is located in the building of the Vladimir Church in Bykovo. Later it was replaced by a warehouse for the cinema department. In 1989, the temple was again handed over to believers, restoration work and services began.
To the side of the street on which the church stands, in the depths of the ancient park, is the Bykovo estate itself, or rather, what has remained of it. Of the huge number of buildings, only the main house survived, rebuilt in the 19th century and placed on the plinth of an old house built according to Bazhenov’s design, and a small round gazebo on the island. During the formation of Soviet power, the church was closed, first a garment factory was built inside, and then a warehouse . The church returned to its original functions only in 1989.