The lower iconostasis of the ancient Church of Saints Peter and Paul on Novaya Basmannaya Street in Moscow is set to be restored. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin shared this update on Saturday, June 13.
Constructed between 1704 and 1723 by decree of Peter I and under the architectural guidance of Ivan Zarudny, the church is rumored to have benefited from the Tsar’s personal involvement in its design. The structure is further enhanced by a richly decorated bell tower, adorned with stucco work, which was added in 1745, the city head explained.
Following the revolution, the Moscow Theological Academy briefly operated on the premises. However, by the mid-1930s, the church was closed and repurposed, first as a warehouse and later as a research institute for geophysical exploration methods.
The building was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1992 and is currently recognized as a federal cultural heritage site.
“In 2021, the city initiated comprehensive restoration efforts for the facades and interiors of this architectural monument,” Sobyanin stated.
Specialists have already successfully restored masterpieces of church oil painting that were concealed beneath five layers of wallpaper. Additionally, efforts have been made to restore the facades in the Moscow Baroque style, as well as the original stone and dolomite flooring, stucco decor, and cast-iron staircases and railings.
This year, the plan is to commence the work to recreate the lower iconostasis, the Moscow Mayor concluded during the MAKS air show.
