Church of the Prophet of God Elijah in Northern Butovo
The Prophet Elijah, a biblical prophet of the Kingdom of Israel in the 9th century BC, is one of the most revered saints of the Old Testament in the Christian tradition. His name, meaning “My God is the Lord,” fully reflects the essence of his ministry – a fiery struggle for the worship of the One God. Elijah was a zealous champion of the purity of faith and a formidable denouncer of idolatry and unrighteousness of his time. From a young age, devoting himself to the One God, he led an ascetic life in the desert, practicing strict fasting, prayer, and contemplation. The prophet boldly denounced King Ahab, calling him and the people to repentance and conversion to the True God. For his zeal for God’s glory, Elijah was taken up to Heaven alive, ascending in a fiery chariot. Later, during the Transfiguration of the Lord, he conversed with the Savior on Mount Tabor. In Slavic folk tradition, the image of the prophet Elijah merged with ideas of the ruler of thunder, heavenly fire, and rain, becoming the patron of harvest and fertility. In Rus’, his veneration was established early: at the beginning of the 9th century, during the reign of Prince Askold, a cathedral church in the name of the holy prophet was erected in Kiev. His memory is celebrated in the Orthodox Church on August 2 (July 20, Old Style), and in the Catholic Church on February 16. In honor of this great saint, the foundation stone for a new church in Severnoye Butovo was laid in 2005. A temporary church was consecrated with a minor rite in the summer of 2007, and by 2018, the construction of the main building was completed, with its minor consecration taking place on July 27. The great consecration rite was performed by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia on September 21, 2020. Today, the church actively conducts missionary, catechetical, and youth work. A Sunday School, a preschool division “Ladushki”, an Evangelical Circle, a Server’s School, a Film Club, and various creative, educational, and sports sections operate, including singing, fine arts, handicrafts, a patriotic club, an archaeological club, the study of local nature, biology, and technophysics. Special attention is given to social ministry: ongoing guardianship work is carried out with veterans and former underage prisoners of Nazi concentration camps in the Severnoye Butovo district.
Address: Moscow, Kulikovskaya St., 16A
