The Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior (russian: Церковь Спаса Преображения) is a Russian Orthodox church in the village of Olkhovchik,

Chertkovsky District Chertkovsky District (russian: Чертко́вский райо́н) is an administrativeLaw #340-ZS and municipalLaw #170-ZS district (raion), one of the forty-three in Rostov Oblast, Russia. It is located in the northwest of the oblast. The ar ...

Rostov Oblast Rostov Oblast ( rus, Росто́вская о́бласть, r=Rostovskaya oblast, p=rɐˈstofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the Southern Federal District. The oblast has an area of and a populati ...

, Russia that was built in 1873. It belongs to Chertkovo-Kalitva Deanery of the Diocese of Shakhty.

History

The сhurch in the village of Olkhovchik, dedicated to the transfiguration of Jesus, was built and consecrated in 1873 with the active participation of local residents. In 1888, on the funds collected by parishioners, a

parochial school A parochial school is a private primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathematics and language arts. The ...

was built, in which, according to 1912 data, more than 100 children were studying. The walls of the church were made brick, and the roof was covered with iron, though the

bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tower ...

was not. Prior to the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...

, the church had a choir. In 1926, during the anti-religious campaign launched by the Soviet authorities, the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior was closed. In 1942, former parishioners appealed to the authorities for the church to be reopened, but were refused on the grounds that the church building had been used as a granary by that time. However, it also saved the building from destruction. Today the church is open again. As of 2015, works on restoration of the building were being carried out.

References

1873 establishments in the Russian Empire 19th-century Russian Orthodox church buildings Churches completed in 1873 Churches in Rostov Oblast Russian Orthodox church buildings in Russia {{Russia-EO-church-stub