Built by order of N. D. Razumovskaya (Razumikha, mother of O. and K. Razumovsky) by architects A. V. Kvasov and I. G. Grigorovich-Barsky in the Baroque style. Restored in 1961-82. Stone, cross, four inside supporting pillars They carry a system of vaults and five domes placed diagonally, as in ancient Russian churches. The cathedral is two-story. On the first tier is the Church of Adrian and Natalia - the tomb of the Razumovskys. Semicircular porches (?) with an open colonnade, completed with tent tops, lead to the 2nd tier on three sides. The refined stucco decoration of the walls combines the forms of Baroque, Rococo and Classicism. The interior is dominated by a central dome and a multi-tiered 18th-century gilded iconostasis carved from linden, created, it is believed, with the participation of the architect V.V. Rastrelli. Nearby there is a four-tiered bell tower. (according to an article from the encyclopedic reference book "Chernigovshchina") There is a belief that if you climb to the very top of the bell tower, then on a very clear day you can see how the golden domes of the Kiev-Pechersk Holy Dormition Lavra shine, and on the opposite side - the domes of the Transfiguration Lavra Cathedral in Chernigov.

In 1752-63. In the town of Kozelets, by order of Natalya Demyanovna Razumovskaya, the mother of Alexei and Kirill Razumovsky, a grandiose temple of magnificent, truly palace architecture is being built. She had her own court professional artist Grigory Stetsenko, who painted portraits and painted the Kozeletsky Cathedral. In terms of the splendor and beauty of its architecture, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Kozelets can truly be ranked among the best architectural creations in Russian Empire mid-18th century. In plan, the building represents a cross, which is a very convenient technique for creating a symmetrical, balanced composition. This is precisely what distinguished Ukrainian architecture of this time.

The mass of the building is clearly divided into 2 main floors and a basement. The windows are located on the floors strictly in a row, as is done in civil buildings. Exceptional attention was paid to the decoration of the cathedral. The combination of painting, sculpture and architecture is executed with amazing skill. The architecture of the building combines Baroque features, turning into playful forms of Rococo, and order motifs of Classicism. On the ground floor there are unusual porches in the form of pavilions with an arched covering. Here you can see the rustication of the first floor, and in contrast to this, the complex and abundant decorative decoration of the second floor, topped with peculiar curved pediments. Above all this are thin, graceful drums and domes reaching towards the sky. On three sides, porches with an open colonnade, ending in low tents, were pressed against the main volume. The most striking impression is made by the interior. Here architecture, sculpture and painting appear in indissoluble unity. This is especially clearly visible in the thoughtful decorative decoration of the walls, supports, vaults and domes, as well as the grandiose gilded multi-tiered iconostasis.

IN recent years There is a widespread opinion among Ukrainian architectural historians that the cathedral was probably built by the famous architect I.G. Grigorovich-Barsky with the participation of A.V. Kvasova. This speaks of some forms characteristic of the buildings of Grigorovich-Barsky, for example, peculiar convex pediments. But there are much more features characteristic of Rastrelli’s brilliant architecture, for example, bunches of paired and built-in columns at the corners of the bell tower. This kind of technique is found in almost all the buildings of Bartolomeo Rastrelli.

After the completion of the cathedral, the architect Kvasov built a bell tower in 1766-1770, which is one of the tallest in Ukraine. Its height is 50 m. The compositional design of the building is traditionally tiered: the lower tier is decorated with rustication, on the second tier there are bunches of columns of the Tuscan order, on the third - Ionic, on the fourth - Corinthian. The bell tower is topped with a hemispherical dome with a spire. The bell tower was rebuilt in 1848 after a fire caused by lightning. The Cathedral in Kozelets is the last building in the history of Ukrainian Baroque temple construction in Ukraine, after which the time of classicism began.

During the Great Patriotic War In the cathedral, the Nazis organized a camp for prisoners of war and a stable. The cathedral was restored from 1961 to 1982.

From the book Tsapenko M.P. Along the plains of the Desna and Seim. Publishing house: "Iskusstvo", Moscow, 1967

Temple of the Nativity Holy Mother of God and a high bell tower

Temple well

Entrance to the upper temple

The luxurious Kozelec Cathedral was built in 1752-1763. like the temple-tomb of the Cossack woman and shinkar woman Natalya Rozumikha,

and at that time already Countess Natalia Rozumovskaya. Fate strangely turned her sons from simple shepherds into Count and Field Marshal Alexei Rozumovsky - the favorite of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and Count Kiril Rozumovsky - President of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, the last hetman of Ukraine. Having spent several years at the St. Petersburg court as a lady of state, Rozumikha realized that this was not her place and returned home. At the same time, an architect was invited to bring to life the desire of a simple village woman to glorify God for what happened to her children. This is how an architectural miracle appeared in Kozelets - the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, built in the baroque style of the St. Petersburg art school, but using elements characteristic of Ukrainian architecture.
For a long time, experts argued about the authorship; they even attributed it to Rastrelli, as evidenced by the memorial plaque on the wall of the cathedral. But documents were found indicating that the cathedral was built by the Russian architect A.V. Kvasov. But since in those days the architecture of the building was determined not only by the architect, but also by the customer, Ukrainian Baroque baths appeared on this temple.
The temple is two-tiered, which is typical for Russian temple architecture. In the first tier, the so-called “warm” church, is the Church of Adrian and Natalia, the tomb of the Razumovskys.

The interior of the second tier is subordinated to the main compositional accent - a giant five-tiered 27-meter gilded iconostasis. Not only the size is impressive, but also the highly artistic carvings and paintings of this masterpiece.
The cathedral, equilateral in plan, with four apses, is crowned with five domes on high drums. This is a Ukrainian nine-chamber temple, which is based on an equilateral Greek cross with additional rooms between the ends of the cross, which resembles the structure of wooden log temples. But unlike the traditional pyramidal composition, this one has an almost square appearance, which enhances the grandeur of the structure.
On three sides the temple is adjacent to three porches with steps characteristic of Ukrainian construction. At the same time, the porch is decorated with a hipped roof - a Russian architectural element.
External and internal decor is made in the latest version of European Baroque - Rococo, with characteristic curved lines and surfaces, playful details. This is how churches and palaces in Paris, Vienna, St. Petersburg were decorated at that time...
After the construction of the cathedral was completed in 1766-1770, the architect Kvasov built a bell tower,

which is one of the highest in Ukraine. Its height reaches 50 m to the bottom of the cross. The compositional solution of the bell tower is traditionally tiered: the lower tier is decorated with rustication, on the second tier there are bunches of columns of the Tuscan order, on the third - Ionic, on the fourth - Corinthian. The bell tower is topped with a hemispherical dome with a spire, which differs from the domes of the temple itself, because it was rebuilt in 1848 after a fire caused by lightning. The cathedral in Kozelets is the last building in the history of Ukrainian Baroque temple construction.

Iconostasis of the lower temple

The lower temple houses the revered miraculous icon The Most Holy Theotokos of Iverskaya. The origin story of the icon is as follows:

The icon remained in the temple until 1934. There is still a prayer that is read only in Kozelets. And when the cathedral was closed and the ogre abili, icons also disappeared from it, including the Iveron miraculous icon.

In 2003, the archpriest of the Kozeletsky district went to Holy Mount Athos. In the Iversky Monastery, where the original Iverskaya icon is located, Archpriest Mikhail Tereshchenko acquired the image and brought it to the Kozeletsk land.

And again the Mother of God became the patroness of Kozelets, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Christians go to the temple, venerate the image of the Mother of God and, by faith, receive what they ask for. The special grace of God is in this cathedral. In one of the tombs in the lower church, the ashes of Natalia Damianivna Rozumovskaya rest.

The most valuable decoration of the upper cathedral is its iconostasis,

which was carried out by Italian woodcarvers according to the designs of V.V. Rastrelli. The artistic painting of the interior and paintings for the iconostasis were done by the artist G. A. Stetsenko. For the iconostasis, he painted not only icons on religious subjects, but also portraits of N.D. Rozumovskaya, Elizaveta Petrovna and the priest K. Tarlovsky, who secretly married the queen and O. Rozumovsky in Kozelets.

A giant five-pointed iconostasis 27 meters high, which was made in Italy for the St. Petersburg Smolny Monastery, but thanks to the efforts of the brothers, it ended up in Kozelets. There were 80 icons in the iconostasis, 50 of which have survived to this day. The iconostasis turned out to be so large that its side parts did not fit inside the cathedral, and they were sent to the church in the Rozumovskys’ native village.

A well-known and slightly different version of the story about the fate of the cathedral: behind the Rastrelli project in the center of Kozelets on the territory of the current central park and the intersection of the real Komsomolskaya and Danevich streets under the leadership of architects I. Grigorovich-Barsky and A. Kvasov at the expense of Natalia Rozumovskaya, the mother of Elizabeth Petrovna’s favorite Alexei , in 1752 - 1762 The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was built. The cathedral was painted by the professional court artist of Natalia Rozumovskaya, Grigory Stetsenko. The iconostasis was made for him by the best woodcarvers in Italy.

According to other retellings, this iconostasis was made in Italy for one of the palace churches in St. Petersburg, and then, by the will of Elizabeth Petrovna, it was donated to the Kozelets Cathedral. The construction of this cathedral was allegedly not yet underway, and its dimensions later depended entirely on the donated iconostasis. In terms of the grandeur and beauty of its architecture, the Kozelets Cathedral ranks among the best architectural works of Russia in the mid-18th century. This unique architectural monument of the Chernihiv region is one of the best in Ukraine. Near the cathedral and bell tower, at approximately the same time (1740 - 1760), a magistrate's house was built according to the design of A. Kvasov.

There are many versions and speculations regarding the cathedral. According to the stories of old-timers, in the Kozelets Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (otherwise in some rural church), Queen Elizabeth secretly married the former shepherd from Lemeshi Alexei Rozum. They say that here, in Kozelets, she allegedly spent and honeymoon. The sacrament of the wedding was performed by priest Kirill Tarlovsky, who was called the “wild priest” - a well-known person in the Zaporozhye Sich. He was interesting and mysterious man. It is known for sure that he comes from Kozelets.

I would like to believe that the cathedral will stand for hundreds of years, shining with golden crosses and domes, like a firefly at night, so that we do not stray from the right path, so that we do not get lost in the darkness of the complex present.

The love of our ancestors is embedded in every brick of the cathedral.

Chernigov region. The temple is recognized as one of the best Ukrainian shrines built in the Baroque era. The Kozelets Cathedral is considered a unique example of temple architecture of the 18th century. The church was erected in 1752–1763 by order of Countess Natalya Razumovskaya, the mother of Kirill and Alexei Razumovsky. To this day, it amazes visitors with its lush decor, as well as its uncharacteristic size and rich decoration for a provincial town.

Information about the temple

All visitors have the opportunity to admire the most valuable decoration of the cathedral - its iconostasis. According to some historians, the iconostasis was made in Italy and was intended for the St. Petersburg Cathedral of the Smolny Monastery. However, after production it turned out that it was too large for Smolny, therefore, at the behest of the Empress, it was donated to the Kozeletsky Cathedral. The height of the iconostasis is twenty-seven meters; the beautiful icons for its decoration were made by the talented Ukrainian artist Grigory Stetsenko. Not only the huge size is impressive, but also the unique highly artistic carving and amazing murals this masterpiece.

The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kozelets is crowned with five domes on high drums. The construction of this temple is based on an equilateral Greek cross; additional rooms are provided between the ends, which enhance the grandeur of the structure.

Over the long years of its existence, the cathedral has faced many trials. Within its walls there were stables, a prisoner of war camp and even a warehouse for fruits and vegetables. But thanks to the efforts of many people and the painstaking work of restorers, the shrine regained its former grandeur and beauty.

The temple is divided into two parts: upper and lower. The lower church, “warm”, consecrated in honor of the martyrs Andrian and Natalia, is the tomb of the Counts Razumovsky.

According to an old legend, in clear and sunny weather from the bell tower, which is located next to the temple, you can simultaneously see and. The architecture surprises her with its originality. Particularly interesting are the concave facade walls, reminiscent of the view in Chernigov. Climbing to the bell tower is possible only by agreement with the rector of the cathedral.

How to get there

The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located in Kozelets, on Family Bogomoltsev Street, 1. Not far from it you can see and.

Getting to Kozelets is very easy, because the village is located right on highway Kyiv–Chernigov. Regular buses and minibuses travel here from the two cities regularly.

Description

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Kozelets- the most important treasure of the city and one of the most famous architectural structures of the Chernihiv region.

The church was built in 1752-1763. designed by architects I. Grigorovich-Barsky and A. Kvasov. Funds for the construction of the temple were allocated by the mother of Alexei and Kirill Razumovsky, Natalya Razumikha.
This is a five-domed cathedral in the late Baroque style with elements of Ukrainian folk architecture, which stands out for its rich decorative stucco molding. Side exits to the porch and ground floor add volume to the already large temple. Beauty connoisseurs will be delighted internal view churches. The interior painting was done by the outstanding artist G. Stetsenko, the carving was done by S. Shalmatov. In the Cathedral you can see an ancient wooden iconostasis, which was designed by the famous St. Petersburg architect V. Rastrelli. The 27-meter iconostasis was made of 80 icons (50 of them have survived in our time).
Next to the Cathedral there is a bell tower, which dates back to 1766-1770.

The building is very original; the façade walls concave inward look especially interesting. Architectural appearance building similar to the bell tower of the Trinity Cathedral in Chernigov. They say that from the bell tower there is a wonderful view of the surrounding area (you can even see two great cities at the same time - Kyiv and Chernigov).
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Kozelets)
Throughout history, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary has repeatedly experienced difficult times. Most of all he suffered at the hands of the fascists and Bolsheviks. The temple managed to endure all the hardships. He was much luckier than the rest of his “colleagues” - the cathedral was not dismantled or destroyed. Is it true, for a long time it was not used for its intended purpose: first there was a camp for prisoners of war, then a stable, and a procurement office. Just a few years ago, the majestic cathedral had a “very unpretentious appearance.” It was dirty, cracked and peeling.
After restoration, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary again took its place of honor among the masterpieces of Ukrainian architecture. Is valid.

Address: Kozelets village, st. Komsomolskaya, 9

The cathedral preserves a crypt with the ashes of Natalka Demyanovna Rozumovskaya- mothers of Alexei and Kirill. Near the cathedral, as of 2004, two granite pillars remained, almost untouched by centuries and events, not far from each other on the eastern side. On one of them there is an inscription: “Captain Petr Ivanovich Afendik, born 1804, December 21, died 1864.” On the second tombstone we read: “Here lies the ashes of Konstantin Stanislavovich Mitarnovsky, lieutenant colonel of the 17th Arkhangelsk Infantry Division, born 1834, died 1883.”

Afendik Pyotr Ivanovich was the son of Afendik Ivan Antonovich. Afendik Pyotr Ivanovich (12/21/1804 - 02/20/1863), participant in the suppression of the Polish uprising of 1831, was born in the village of Staraya Basan, Kozeletsky district. He began his service in the Narva Dragoon Regiment. From 1819 - ensign, from 1825 - lieutenant, from 1831 - staff captain. Awarded the Order of St. Anne, IV degree, for bravery. 3 1832 - retired captain. He served in the Narva Dragoon (later Hussar) Regiment (1819-1832). He was elected as a deputy from the nobles of the Kozeletsk district commission (1882).

The second tombstone looks like this: on a black granite cube there is a white marble stele with artistic carving, narrowed at the top, on which an epitaph is minted.

Mitarnovsky Konstantin Stanislavovich, lieutenant colonel, participant in the Russian-Turkish war (1877 - 1878), officer since 1852, major since 1974. For bravery in the Russian-Turkish war he was awarded the rank of lieutenant colonel (1883) and awarded the order Saint Vladimir with swords and bow. He had orders: in 1877 - St. Stanislaus III degree, in 1882 - St. Anne III degree. It was no coincidence that these two military men were buried near the cathedral.

By that time, there was a cemetery on the territory of the cathedral, where not only military personnel were buried, but also other people of position, whose names were associated with the life of Kozelets.

There were several dozen such burials in the cathedral cemetery. Confirmation of the existence of the cemetery is the materials of local historians of Kozelets, the stories of old-timers and workers who Soviet times worked on the restoration of this temple and found the bones of people buried here. Unfortunately, only two tombstones have survived. All others were destroyed either over time or during the war of 1941 - 1945. True, between these two burials there was a third granite pillar approximately 130 cm high with the inscription: “Peace be to your ashes, sufferer.”

Also buried near the cathedral: Bilanovsky Vasily Nikitovich (1810 - 01/13/1889) - retired major general, participant in the Russian-Turkish war of 1828 - 1829; Bocharov Mikhail Ivanovich (1820 - 03/21/1869) retired lieutenant colonel; Kichko Kalina Vlasovich (1827 - 06/05/1877) - retired captain; Lesovsky Grigory Andreevich (1824 - 04/04/1864) - staff captain; Mordovsky Mikhail Yakovlevich (1837 - 04/03/1917) - colonel.

The construction of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is considered to be the work of the architect I. Grigorovich-Barsky in collaboration with A. Kvasov in 1752-1763. commissioned by N.D. Rozumovsky as a related temple-tomb.

However, this is not at all the case. To begin with, let us turn to the phenomenon of the Rozumovsky family using the example of the book “The Razumovsky Family” (A. A. Vasilchikova, vol. 1, St. Petersburg, 1880), where the preface already says: “The Razumovsky counts belong to the second era of temporary workers. They owed their rise only to chance. They did not play a prominent role in the chronicles of our fatherland, they were not distinguished by special, extraordinary talents during the six reigns of Elizabeth, Peter III, Catherine II, Paul I, Alexander I and Nicholas I with a little over a hundred years. There is a family of Razumovskys and does not represent a single commander, not a single quite remarkable statesman. The last sons of the hetman died abroad, where they spent most of their lives.

The Razumovskys, without a doubt, next to the Sheremetyevs, remained the people's favorite nobles of the last century. Even during their lifetime, they, at least Counts Alexei and Kirill Grigorievich, enjoyed public sympathy. Catherine responds in them that she “never knew a family of temporary workers more beloved by everyone.” The reason for this love is not difficult to guess: the Razumovskys, not shying away from enlightenment, lived the life of the people, loved everything domestic."

Have you noticed, dear reader, that even in this short quotation there are already several contradictions, for example: “They did not play a prominent role in the annals of our fatherland” and “not shying away from enlightenment, they lived the life of the people”? And that’s not what we’re talking about now. Let us return to “The Razumovsky Family” and to the first chapter of the book “Origin and Rise.” It says that in the Chernigov province, Kozeletsky district, in the village of Lemekha there lived a registered Cossack Grigory Yakovlevich Rozum. The village of Lemekha was a farm until 1765 and is located on the old postal road from Kyiv to Chernigov between the stations Kozelets and Chemer. Grigory Yakovlevich was named Rozum, as the retelling goes, by neighboring Cossacks from a saying that he loved to repeat: “Hey! What a head, what a rozum!”;

Rozum was a grumpy and scandalous person, his wife Natalia Demyanovna, on the contrary, was sensible and intelligent, she was loved and respected by all her fellow countrymen. They had six children: Danil, Alexey, Kirill, Agafya, Anna, Vera.

One day Natalia Demyanovna dreamed that the sun and stars were shining on the ceiling in her house. She recounted the dream to her neighbors, who just started laughing at her. Three days later, at the beginning of January 1731, on a holiday, Colonel Fyodor Stepanovich Vishnevsky passed through Chemer, returning from Hungary, where he bought wine for the Empress. Vishnevsky entered the church, was fascinated by the voice and appearance of Alexei Rozum and persuaded the sexton to let his pupil go with him to St. Petersburg. Alexey happily accepted Vishnevsky’s proposal and rode off with his well-wisher to the northern capital. There Vishnevsky introduced Alexey to the then Chief Marshal Count Reinhold Levenvold, who immediately placed the young Ukrainian in the court choir.

After the expulsion of the sergeant of the Semenovsky regiment of the chamber-page Alexei Nikiforovich Shubin, who was the first person at court, Elizabeth turned her attention to the young Rozum. Some time later, it was no longer Rozum, but Rozumovsky, who was appointed manager of one of the royal estates. Following this, Alexei Grigorievich receives the title of gofintendant and begins to manage all the property of Elizabeth Petrovna’s court, and so skillfully that the empress herself in her letters calls him “unhypocritical.” At this time, Alexei Rozumovsky’s mother began to live better, started a tavern...

Soon Rozumovsky becomes a count and enters into a legal marriage with Empress Elizaveta Petrovna (they got married secretly in the fall of 1742 in the village of Peru near Moscow). After such a successful marriage, Alexei Grigorievich’s influence at court becomes enormous. He did not forget about his benefactors: he made Vishnevsky a general, and appointed a sexton as an overseer in one of the empress’s gardens. He did not forget his distant homeland: he achieved the restoration of the autonomy of Ukraine. His brother becomes hetman.

One day Elizaveta Petrovna was planning to visit Ukraine. Roads were repaired and expanded, bridges were strengthened. The Empress liked Kozelets; there she met her husband’s sisters. Perhaps it was then that, out of the diplomatic “suggestion” of Alexei Rozumovsky, Elizaveta Petrovna’s desire arose to build the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin.

But no matter how it was, in the 63rd volume of the monthly historical magazine “Kiev Antiquity” for December 1898, we find that the cathedral was built at the “funds of the then omnipotent Count Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky... with the close participation of the well-known priest Kirill Nikolaevich Tarlovsky, a native of the city of Kozelets, known as the “wild priest.” The builder of the cathedral was the famous architect of that time, Rastrelli.”

It was then that an iconostasis was ordered in Italy for the imperial church in St. Petersburg. But after it was delivered to the place, it became clear that it was too big in size. “At this time, Count Razumovsky came up with the idea of ​​​​building a cathedral in Kozelets. Empress Elisaveta Petrovna decided to donate this iconostasis for the future cathedral. It was then that the architect Rastrelli was instructed to draw up a design for the cathedral according to the size and size of the iconostasis. Soon the cathedral was built “To the amazed gaze of the simple-minded inhabitants of the city of Kozelets, such a miracle appeared in the form of a cathedral that everyone simply gasped and unanimously decided that not only in Chernigov, but even in Kyiv itself there is no such cathedral,” states “Kiev Antiquity.”

But what the magazine wrote about almost 100 years ago can be completely attributed to our days. As if they were talking about us, let’s read it carefully: “The iconostasis, it seems, has not been repaired since the very foundation of the cathedral, i.e. for almost 150 years, which is noticeable to a fairly significant extent: time takes its toll - the paints and stucco decorations are cracking, some of the latter disappears, the gilding is coming off. The time is not far distant when the majestic iconostasis and icons need repair."

Let me point out again - this was written almost a century ago. And if we add to this that during the Great Patriotic War, the fascist occupiers kept horses in the cathedral and it was not repaired for decades after the war, one can only imagine what kind of restoration it now needs...

By the way, the fact that the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was built by Rastrelli was written in "News of the XIV Archaeological Congress in Chernigov on August 1-15, 1908."

And only in " General history architecture" in the sixth volume we find a statement that the authors of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin were (primarily) A. Kvasov and I. Barsky. "General History..." issued in Moscow in 1968. After all, judge for yourself...

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Orthodox cathedral in Kozelets Chernihiv region, a prominent architectural monument in a style combining features of Ukrainian and Elizabethan baroque. Built in 1752-1763 by order of Natalya Demyanovna Razumovskaya (“Razumikha”), mother of Alexei and Kirill Razumovsky. The architects of the temple were Andrey Kvasov and Ivan Grigorovich-Barsky.

Stone Cross Cathedral It has four supporting pillars inside, which support a system of vaults and five domes, placed diagonally as in ancient Russian churches. In the first tier of the two-story temple there is the tomb of the Razumovskys. Semicircular porches with an open colonnade, topped with tent tops, lead to the second tier on three sides. The refined stucco decoration of the walls combines the forms of Baroque, Rococo and Classicism. The interior is dominated by a central dome and a multi-tiered 18th-century gilded iconostasis carved from linden, created, according to local legend, with the participation of the architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Next to the temple there is a four-tier bell tower.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Germans organized prison camp and a stable. Restored in 1961-1982.

The main temple of Kozelets is conventionally divided into two parts - the upper and lower churches, each of which has equal holiness.

The upper part of the cathedral is the central one, named in honor of the Nativity of the Mother of God. The central chapel of this church also bears the name of the Nativity of the Mother of God.

In the area of ​​the holy apostles, on the right side of the Royal Doors, there is an icon of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. This image was painted and presented to the cathedral by local artist Yuri Grigorievich Prilipko.

The left aisle of the cathedral is named in honor of the prophet Zechariah and righteous Elizabeth, the parents of St. John the Baptist. The righteous marriage lived according to God's wills. It suffered from infertility, which in those days was considered a great punishment from God.

Now in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, four altars have been resurrected and consecrated, on which the service of God is performed: the central one - in honor of the Nativity of the Mother of God; the right one - in honor of the apostles Peter and Paul; left - in the name of the saints prophet Zechariah and righteous Elizabeth; in the lower church - in honor of the holy martyrs Adrian and Natalia.

Until 1934, the miraculous Iveron Icon was located in the cathedral. There is still a prayer that is read only in Kozelets. And when the cathedral was closed and robbed, the icons disappeared from it, including the Iveron miraculous icon.

In 2003, the Mother of God blessed the archpriest and dean of the Kozeletsky district to go to the holy Mount Athos. In the Iversky Monastery, where the original of the Iverskaya icon is located, Archpriest Mikhail Tereshchenko acquired the image, attached it with tears to the miraculous one and brought it to the Kozeletsk land.