Local travel guides say that foreigners who come to the City of Craftsmen for the weekend often ask: “Where is the Church of Peter and Paul?” In this case, guests should clarify which of the two churches they are interested in: Orthodox or Catholic. Considering that there are more than a billion Catholics in the world, and tourists often come from abroad, they are most likely interested in the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, which is located at 85 Lva Tolstogo St.
The story of the temple begins in 1864, when an uprising was suppressed in Poland by the forces of the Russian Imperial Army. The decision was made to disperse Polish nationalists, instigators, insurgents, gentry and other rebel sympathizers through other provinces of the Empire. This is how a certain group of people of the Catholic faith appeared in Tula. It became necessary to build a church in the city so that Poles and other representatives of this branch of Christianity could attend the Mass, receive communion, and confess.
Unfortunately, the construction began only 30 years after the resettlement. The Church of Peter and Paul in Tula was consecrated in 1896. In the 1930s, the church suffered the same fate as other churches in Russia. The sculptures of the apostles were lost, and the editorial office of the Tula Kommunar newspaper opened in the church building. Only in 2008, the church was consecrated again, restored and transferred to believers.
Like many other Catholic churches in Russia, the Church of Peter and Paul uses elements characteristic of the Neo-Gothic architecture of the 19th century. The church was built from red brick according to the project of Ewarist Skowroński, the creator of many Orthodox churches in Tula. The small one-nave church with five gabled domes is relatively well preserved.
Today the church opens its doors to everyone who wants to attend Holy Mass on Sundays at 10:00 a.m., and on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 5:00 p.m. The Church of Peter and Paul is “hidden” in the courtyards of residential buildings in Lva Tolstogo St., so before visiting it, you should take a look at the map.
