Book review: “Church of the Nativity on Peski: history pages” by A.S. Melkov and M.V. Shkarovsky

Church historians A.S. Melkov and M.V. Shkarovsky have recreated an amazing and dramatic history of the Church of the Nativity on Peski, which was destroyed in the 30s of the 20th century in St. Petersburg and has only just been revived. On the pages of the book the authors describe in detail the history of the church construction in the 18th century, the creation of its interiors and their decoration with temple restorations in the 19th century, as well as the stages of the revival of the church nowadays. The book tells about charitable projects that were successfully implemented with the participation of clergy and parishioners of the church in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. This is the history of a Brotherhood shelter and a Parish school, a Community of Sisters of Mercy and a Church Poorhouse organization, as well as other good works of the priesthood and parishioners in ministering to the Lord and neighbours. The book contains detailed biographies of the parish clergy, who suffered for the Faith in Christ during the Bolshevik persecution of the Church. A special place in the monograph is given to the life history and pastoral works of Priest Alexander Gumilevsky, known as the founder of parish charity in St. Petersburg.