Church of Maria Magdalene in Setun
In the 19th century, there was a cottage of the Nikolaevsky Institute in the area of modern Setunsky passages. At the end of the 19th century, a church in the name of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene was built at the cottage. There is information about this church in the well-known publication “Forty Sorokov” edited by Pavel Palamarchuk: “… in the 19th century, there was a country courtyard of an Orphanage here, behind the Dorogomilovskaya outpost, on the banks of the Setuni River near its mouth. The cottage stood on the right bank of the Setuni River, later lost its economic importance, and the pupils of the Mykolaiv Orphan Institute spent their summers here. The church at the cottage was built by the merchant Shcherbakov, who cost 11,000 rubles. It was made of wood. It was directly adjacent to the dining room, built by architect Prygov. It was consecrated on July 11, 1893. She lived to see the revolution.” After the revolution, the temple was destroyed. Nowadays, the idea of recreating the temple has been supported by many residents of the Potylikha neighborhood. In 2016, a preliminary design of the future temple was developed, and in January 2023, the temple building was put into operation.
The Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene is one of the most revered saints in Christianity, a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, who was the first to receive the honor of seeing the Risen Savior. According to the Gospels, she was from the city of Magdala, followed Christ, was present at His crucifixion, participated in the burial, and became one of the myrrh-bearing wives who brought fragrant oils to the Holy Sepulchre. It was to her that Jesus appeared first after His Resurrection and instructed her to proclaim this good news to the apostles. The Scriptures also mention that Mary Magdalene was healed by Christ. However, in the Western tradition, since the sixth century, Mary Magdalene has been mistakenly identified with the sinner who washed Jesus’ feet with tears, and with Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus. This image has become entrenched in popular consciousness and art, especially thanks to medieval legends such as the Golden Legend. In the Orthodox tradition, Mary Magdalene is revered exclusively as a myrrh-bearing saint and equal-to-the-Apostles preacher who devoted her life to the service of Christ. According to legend, she ended her earthly journey in Ephesus, and according to the Western version, she retired to the Gallic desert to repent. In the 20th century, the Catholic Church officially abandoned the distorted view of it.
Address: Moscow, 2nd Setunsky ave., 7, building 1
