Alupka - one of the most popular sites on the southern coast of Crimea. Tourists are attracted by beautiful nature of these places and the famous Vorontsov Palace, which is harmoniously combined with sharp teeth on the top of Mount Ai-Petri. Its northern facade, gray to match the color of the mountains, resembles a medieval castle and the south, facing the sea - fantastic Oriental palace. The portal with a semicircular arch and slender columns by a staircase, adorned with three pairs of marble lions.
Is beautiful and the park around the palace. Here, plants collected from different parts of the world, complemented by ponds, waterfalls, streams. Attractions of the park is the Great and Small stone chaos - piling up of huge boulders from the ravages of time diabase rocks. Markov, visiting Alupka, said: "Nowhere else, except Alupka, I have not seen such a combination of architectural genius with the genius of the landscape".
in the city, not far from the palace is a temple, whose history is very interesting, Population Alupka the end of the nineteenth century, rose, and his church was not. Finally in 1820 the means of Count Mikhail Vorontsov built by the architect FF Elson, an Orthodox church in the form of the Greek periptera - rectangular building, surrounded on all sides by a colonnade. A striking example is the well-known periptera Parthenon in Athens, "Temple of Theseus," so it was called, was destroyed by the strong landslide. The decision of the inhabitants of Alupka to build a new temple was supported by Tauris Spiritual Consistory. Place for the future of the church chosen carefully, to frequent landslides on the South coast are no longer hurt him. Engineer-hydro Y. Semenov, architect OE Wegener (built Massandra Palace) and others have decided to erect a temple in the center of Alupka beside the old cemetery. October 2, 1902 approved a project designed Chrysanth Vasilyev, and began fundraising. Main capital have the money bequeathed Sophia Vyalykh-Flegontova.
October 26, 1903 the solemn laying, but construction proceeded with interruptions due to lack of money, even had to send letters to rich people to donate the missing funds. Letters are not left unanswered, many well-known in the Crimea people willingly sacrificed for the construction. Among them, Vorontsov-Dashkov owners Simeiza Maltsov, Milutin and other individuals. The Emperor gave money to the manufacture gilded dome crosses. Much effort and energy put priest Troepol'skaya to build a church was completed as quickly as possible. Due to lack of funds decided not to build a tower, and erected a wooden bell tower at seven bells. The efforts of so many people succeed, and November 8, 1908 on the day of Archangel Michael church was consecrated.
Holy Archangel Michael is the archangel, that is the main leader of the heavenly powers - the angels who remained faithful to God, not fallen away along with Satan. The holy angels are at God's command to instruct the faithful and pious thoughts and good deeds. Archangel Michael performed many heroic deeds for the glory of the Lord. In honor of him in Russia built many monasteries, cathedrals, palaces and temples of the townsmen. On icons, he is portrayed trample underfoot the devil, with a green date palm branch in her left hand and a spear (flaming sword) in the right. Archangel Michael as the leader of the angelic host pray for deliverance from enchantment, damage and other effects of the demonic forces.
Cruciform church built in Russian style. Five chapters proudly ascended to heaven. For the construction and finishing of the walls used tasprinsky and Inkerman limestone. Inside, they were decorated with murals from the ceiling hung a huge chandelier, made Yalta masters. Iconostasis performed in St. Petersburg in the artist's VS Lapin.
Twenty years in the church were the service. In 1912, this well-known military funeral, a historian and reformer of the Russian Army, General-Field Marshal DA Milutin, After the revolution, many churches were closed, but residents of Alupka in 1923, appealed to local authorities to give them a free and unlimited use of the church of St. Archangel Michael. They pledged themselves to raise money for the necessary repairs, but in 1927 in Crimea, a major earthquake hit. The temple was severely damaged, so his visit was unsafe, and funds for recovery was not. In October 1927 the church was closed, the last abbot of the temple was Nicholas Avksentievich Tsarenko. In 1932, the church decided to make out with the dome removed the crosses, but the building itself will remain, lodged a warehouse. In 1990, the church of St. Archangel Michael was again handed over to the Orthodox Church, began restoration work. In November 1991, rector of the church father Valery Boyarintsev held the first divine service, it is passed directly to the churchyard, then the service performed in the lower part of the church. Finally, the restoration was completed, the right-chapel was dedicated in honor of Saint Nicholas. Another Crimean temple was saved from destruction.
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