Church of the Ascension of the Lord over the Tomb of Isidore the Wonderworker / Church of Isidore the Blessed on the Ramparts

The Church of the Ascension of the Lord on the ramparts in Rostov was built in 1566 by decree of Ivan IV the Terrible. It was built in honor of the first blessed saint in Russia, Isidore of Rostov, which is why it is often called the Church of Isidore the Blessed.

The story of the blessed one is described in the life. He was born into a Catholic family in the vicinity of the German city of Brandenburg. Isidore accepted the feat of foolishness and walked to Rostov. Here he led an ascetic lifestyle, built himself a hut made of wooden rods and became famous as a miracle worker.

After the death of the blessed one, a wooden church was built on the site of his grave. And already Ivan the Terrible ordered the construction of a stone building here. The relics of Isidore of Rostov are still kept in the Church of the Ascension of the Lord.

The church was built by architect Andrey Maloy, who is known for his designs for Ivan the Terrible in Moscow. Therefore, the temple resembles the ancient metropolitan churches. At the same time, it is characterized by symmetry, a feature of Italian architecture of that era. There is also a fresco painting from the 1720s. In the temple you can see images of Rostov buildings, scenes from the life of St. Isidore. At the end of the XVIII — beginning of the XIX century, a refectory and a bell tower in the classical style were added to the church.

In Soviet times, the temple was closed and turned into a warehouse. Already in 1930, the church was transferred to the Rostov Kremlin for the construction of a museum. In the 1950s, the building was renovated by architect Lev David. In 2000, the church was returned to the faithful and work continued on its restoration.