If you decide to explore sights of Simferopol, then be sure to visit Church in the name of Saints Constantine and Helen — the first Orthodox church of the city, where Catherine II herself prayed.
The history of the Church in the name of Saints Constantine and Helen begins a little later than history of Simferopol — in 1785. Simferopol as the main city of the Tauride province was decided to build near the ancient Tatar settlement Ak-Mechet, where the Russian troops were stationed. But there were no Orthodox churches there, and in 1785 commander B.A. Tishchev bought a small house of a Tatar who had moved to Turkey. In this house and was arranged Church in the name of Saints Constantine and Helen.
When the Russian troops left the city, the church was empty for some time, but in 1786 V.V. Kakhovsky — the governor of Tavriz. Kakhovsky — the governor of the Tauride province, ordered the creation of an iconostasis, and the services were opened again. But this was not the only period when the first Orthodox church of the city was abandoned and forgotten. The fate of the Church in the name of Saints Constantine and Helen was not easy.
In 1787 Catherine II herself prayed in this church, then she stopped in Simferopol passing from Bakhchisarai to Karasubazar. The Empress was surprised by the poverty of the church and ordered to build a new cathedral in the city. And in 1794 she made a generous gift to the church — church utensils and two full vestments for the priests.
Catherine’s command was fulfilled only in 1806, after her death. In Simferopol was erected Peter and Paul Cathedral. And the Church in the name of St. Constantine and Helen passed into the possession of General VP Popov and became a house church.
In the 80s of the XIX century, the last owner of the estate — Y.V. Popov conducted a reconstruction of all the houses of the estate, including the church, he greatly changed its architectural appearance: was built decorated with kokoshnikami two-tiered bell tower in the style of Russian church architecture of the XVII century and the dome, crowned with an onion. Then the inscription appeared above the portal of the church: «I will enter Your house and worship the Holy Temple».
But in 1914, the Church in the name of St. Constantine and Helen again became a regimental: the coats of arms of infantry regiments stationed then in Simferopol, and now can be seen on the ceiling of the temple.
Since 1917 the church was assigned to the Peter and Paul Cathedral, and in 1921 was formed a parish. For unknown reasons the church wanted to close in 1924, but then this decision was recognized as wrong. And, nevertheless, in 1929 the church was closed, the building was given to the aeroclub, the upper tier of the bell tower was destroyed, the property was transferred to the Holy Trinity Church. After the aeroclub, a civil registry office was established in the disfigured building.
As a result, up to our days from the church in the name of St. Constantine and Helen reached only some elements of decoration and arched openings. The first Orthodox Church of Simferopol was returned to the Church only in 1991. Now above the church again rises the bell tower with a cross, and the first service after the restoration was held in 2001.
The church in the name of Saints Constantine and Helen together with Svyato-Troitsky and Petropavlovskij-sobor.html»>Petropavlovskij temples now again became the dominant, organizing the space of the oldest district of Simferopol.