In preparation for the celebration of the 1100th anniversary of the baptism of Alania, which is scheduled for 2022, in North Ossetia they intend to restore the Zruga church of the X-XI centuries, the ruins of which are located near the village of Khozita at an altitude of 2122 meters above sea level, on the pass leading to the Caucasus.
'In the first half of 2007, the technical condition of the monument was examined by a commission, which included an engineer-restorer of the highest category I.G. Strelbitsky (Moscow). The catastrophic state of the object was recorded. The destruction of the temple, which lasted for centuries, became inevitable,' quoted by the state procurement site TASS.
It is not yet entirely clear what kind of work will be done to restore the historic church. The hill on which the temple was erected is crumbling towards the Zrugdon River. This led to the collapse of the vaults and part of the walls of the historic temple. At the same time, the altar part of the church survived. The church has preserved a painting of the twelfth century and fragments of a carved altar barrier. Among the images that have survived to this day are the Gospel scenes of the meeting of Mary with Elizabeth, the Crucifixion of Christ, the Myrrh-bearing women at the Sepulcher, as well as a plot on the theme of the miracle of St. Eustathius.
As a reminder, during the celebration of the anniversary of the Baptism of Alania, a number of important events will take place, including, in particular, the opening of the largest Orthodox church in the North Caucasus, St. Prince Alexander Nevsky.
