The first mention of the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, which adorns the picturesque village of Barvikha in the Odinstova region near Moscow, is from the twelfth century. The exact date of its construction is unknown. In the early 1930s, the church was closed by the communists. During the years of soviet rule, the church was defaced unrecognizably. In 1995, the first moleben was served before the altar in the ruined building. The church’s restoration was preceded by a search for old photographs and work in the archives, because it was impossible to ascertain in any other way what the church looked like before it was so thoroughly vandalized. In 2001 the church regained its original appearance. Until 2008, work continued on restoring the iconostasis, interior décor, and wall paintings. In 2009, the Great Consecration of the Church was performed.
Pravoslavie.ru Photo correspondent Dmitry Kiriukhin recorded how the parish—and nature all around it—prepared to meet the Resurrection of Christ.
