Troitskaia cemetery church

The Holy Trinity cemetery church It appeared on the cemetery in 1772. For economy purposes they’ve decided not to build a church on cemetery and transported one of wooden cemeteries of abolished Holy Trinity Monastery. This temple became stony with the money of merchant of I guild F.G. Chernov. In 1828 first project of stone cemetery “out-of-town” church in Elabuga was approved. But the project was rejected by church people because of insufficient capacity of the designed temple. New project took into account wishes of church people and was approved by Vyatka spiritual consistory at the end of 1829.

In 1930 Ivan Dyachkov started building with merchants’ money. The church was two-storied, with galleries. In 1832 construction of belfry was completed, two side chapels were sanctified, they were placed on the lower floor of the church, and were named after the Dormition of Our Most Holy and Glorious Queen , and the Beheading of St. John, Glorious Prophet, Precursor and Baptist. The upper, Holy Trinity temple was sanctified in 1840.

Church of the Holy Trinity was a distinctive facility in style of late classicism: the main volume in shape of two-storey cupola rotunda, surrounded in the lower circle by a colonnade, connected narrow refectory with mezzanines, illuminated with semicircular windows, and three-level belfry with round upper level and high broach. Ionic colonnades of the rotunda carried entablature, a parapet of open arcade of the upper temple rose above it. Under the colonnade arched vaults were arranged. Well chosen proportions, clear by style decoration of facades and finishing of interiors “marbling” gave this small temple, isolated in space, some grace, lightness and lyricism.

Here members of merchants dynasties were buried: Girbasovy, Staheevy, Ushkovy, Chernovy; first student of local history priest P.N. Kulyginskiy, heroine of the Patriotic War of 1812 N.A. Durova, famous psychiatrics of Vyatka province Stelmahovich, Nevostruevy, I.V. Shishkin.

Supposedly in the period since 17 till 22 September 1930 he church was blown up. During clearance of ruins vaults and tombs of famous townsmen were found. Partially remained foundation and basement of the church, according to opinion of workers of Elabuga historic-architectural museum-reserve, is a fount for archaeologists. This place is also interesting for tourists, that’s why it is planned to close down the ruins of the Holy Trinity church. Most likely, they will be closed by a glass cowl. So, they will be available for viewing at any season.


Elabuga-City (?)