Nikolaev Church in Dikanka

During the construction of this temple, the double dome system was first used, which greatly improved the quality of the temple acoustics and contributed to the greatest illumination of the church.

Go inside the church. Here you will see the iconostasis that has survived to this day. It was made of fumed oak in 1852. Striking skill Ukrainian serfs, whose hands he was created. Magnificent wood carving, reminiscent of the finest lace, frames icons.

Notice the space between the domes on the third floor. To get to this place you can on a narrow spiral staircase, which is surrounded by beautiful paintings on biblical themes. On the drum of the dome are invisible from inside the window openings, through which the sunlight falls directly into the hall.

Until now, the design of the "air stoves", which are located between the first and second floor of the church, has not been unraveled. They are like modern air conditioners, not only warmed the room, but also maintained a constant level of humidity.

After 1917, a lot of tests fell on the share of the Church of St. Nicholas. In the thirties of the last century around it cut down the entire forest, broke the fence, which consisted of stone pillars with heavy cast iron chains, dismantled the pavement, paved with stone slabs especially for the processions. During the civil war, princely graves were desecrated, and the treasures under the crypt were looted. In 1963 a museum of atheism was organized in the premises of the Nikolaevsky church, and the church itself was transferred to the state museum of local lore. In these years, a huge number of unique icons, candlesticks, crosses and priceless old books disappeared. However, in 1989 the church again opened the doors to the parishioners. In the cellars under the temple there is an ancient tomb of the princes Kochubeyev, built in 1810-1827, in it eight representatives of this ancient family are buried.

Attract attention also Kochubeevskoe ancient oaks whose age is more than eight hundred years. Trees planted at the entrance to the former princely estate.

You can get to the church in Nikolaev by a regular bus that runs from the Poltava bus station to the village of Dikanka.