Chapel of Samuel the Prophet, Orthodox chapel in Voronezh, Russia.
The Chapel of Samuel the Prophet is a small Orthodox church with white walls and traditional religious architectural features located in Voronezh. The building stands near the former Chugunov Cemetery and reflects the design styles common to Orthodox chapels of its era.
Built in 1808 with funding from merchant Samuil Nikitich Meshcheryakov, nicknamed Chugunny (Cast Iron) for his physical strength. The cemetery beside it became known as Chugunovskoye after him. Closed in 1930 and turned into a labour home for homeless children, the church was badly damaged in the Great Patriotic War and housed a glass factory from 1943 to 1951. Returned to the Voronezh diocese in 1993, it now commemorates border guards killed defending the country's frontiers.
The church is now a memorial to border-guard soldiers who died defending the country's frontiers. Its name recalls the merchant Samuil Nikitich Meshcheryakov, nicknamed Chugunny ("Cast Iron") for his physical strength, who helped build it in 1808; the nearby cemetery was popularly called Chugunovskoye after him.
The church stands at coordinates 51.67295, 39.19420 in the historic centre of Voronezh, near the site of the former Chugunov Cemetery, where the Jubileyny sports complex was built in 1960. It is an active Orthodox church and a monument to border-guard soldiers; visitors should dress modestly according to Orthodox custom.
The chapel sits next to the former Chugunov Cemetery, a burial ground dating back to imperial Russia. This placement links the religious site to an older layer of local history that many visitors do not immediately notice.
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