Church of Zacharias and Elisaveta in Chernomorskoye and how to visit

What to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting

Church of Saints and Righteous Zacharias and Elizabeth is a historical and cultural landmark, a functioning temple. It was built in 1838 on the instructions of Count Mikhail Vorontsov according to the project of architect George Toricelli. It is interesting, first of all, for its unusual architecture, which combined elements of Neo-Gothic and Romanesque style, which was very popular in Europe in the XVIII century and in the first half of the XIX century. There were no domes familiar to Orthodox churches, they were replaced by a bell tower inherent in the English cathedrals of that time and somewhat resembling a Gothic castle.

In 1930, the church was closed by the Soviet authorities, a club was opened here and a cinema was open, dancing was held in the evenings. During the war there was a warehouse here, and after the Second World War the church was reopened. In the 1950s, it was closed again, some of the icons were taken to Yevpatoria, some were taken home by parishioners. In 1981, it was decided to build a two-storey building of a children's and youth sports school nearby, while the church building became a gym. Then it was re-equipped, as a result, the temple completely lost its original appearance.

Only in 1990 it was decided to revive the church in the name of Saints and righteous Zacharias and Elizabeth. Some of the icons that the parishioners took apart at home were returned, but a considerable part was lost.