“On 12 November God’s servant Maximus, fool for Christ’s sake, passed away.” Thus read the ancient chronicle. Today we stand before the Church of Maxim the Blessed on Varvarka. It is more than just a building. It is a testament to faith and history in Moscow’s Kitay-Gorod.
The Church of Maxim the Blessed on Varvarka is an Orthodox church. It stands on Varvarka Street. The church is part of the Patriarchal Compound of churches in Zaryadye. It is named after St. Maxim of Moscow. He was a famous figure in the early 16th century.
Originally a wooden church dedicated to SS. Boris and Gleb stood here. It was likely a house church for wealthy merchants. The first mention of it was in the 1434 chronicle. This mention was due to Maximus’s burial there. Maximus was a Moscow holy fool. He was buried near the church by Fyodor Kochkin. Kochkin was a blessed man.
In 1568 a stone church replaced the wooden one. Vasily Bobr and his brotherhood built it. This church was damaged in the fire of 1676. Tsarina Natalia Kirillovna renovated it. She was Peter the Great’s mother.
The current Church of Maxim the Blessed was built in 1698-1699. Two rich merchants funded it. They were Maxim Sharovnikov from Kostroma and Maxim Verkhovitinov from Moscow. The main chapel was consecrated in honor of St. Blessed Maximus.
After another fire in 1737 the church was renovated. It took on a Baroque style. This was unusual for Old Moscow’s Kitay-Gorod. In 1827-1829 a new bell tower was added. It was in the Empire style with two tiers and a spire.
Inside the Church of Maxim the Blessed are unique features. The temple is pillarless and rectangular. It has a light drum and onion-shaped head above the central altar. The three-apse lower floor once stored citizens’ property during disasters. Internal window slopes with corners sloping at the top are rare in Russian architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries.
In the late 1920s monk Platon served as regent. He later became Patriarch Pimen of Moscow and All Russia. In the 1930s the Soviet government closed and ruined the church. Restoration took place in 1965-1969. Since 1970 the building belonged to the All-Russian Society for Nature Conservation. Divine services resumed after 1994. They are now held on holidays.
The Church of Maxim the Blessed on Varvarka has seen much. It has been a place of worship for centuries. It has survived fires and Soviet rule. It stands today as a symbol of Moscow’s enduring spirit. Take a moment to appreciate its beauty and history. Remember the story of St. Maxim the Blessed. His legacy lives on in this sacred place.