The previous wooden church
The predecessor of the Trinity Church was a wooden church, which appeared under Minikh, who was granted the Gostilitsky estate by Peter I. She was in the manor's garden and was considered a brownie. The parish church was located in the neighboring Dyatlitsy.
Construction of a stone temple
*** The stone Church of the Holy Trinity was built in 1755-1764 on the territory of the estate, which by that time belonged to Kirill Razumovsky, field Marshal General and the last hetman of the Zaporozhian Army. Presumably, the architect was A.V. Kvasov.
The building is a work of transition: in a restrained appearance, signs that anticipated classicism are combined (free-standing porticos with triangular pediments, large arched openings of the second tier without architraves, a round drum and a bell tower), and Baroque elements (rounded corners of the building, treated with rusticated blades, figured window frames of the first tier, luxuriant the dome of the bell tower).
The church was consecrated in 1764. The single-altar church received the shape of a cross. A round dome was installed on the roof and on it a head with an iron gilded cross. Above the vestibule is an octagonal stone bell tower, sheathed in iron and topped with a spire with a cross. The ceiling in the church was arranged with arches supported by hexagonal columns. The iconostasis is wooden, the royal gates are carved and gilded.
There were two houses attached to the church: a stone one for the priest and a wooden one for the psalmist and the chapel.
History in the XIX — early XX century
Since 1870, a parish trusteeship has been opened at the church. By 1883, the parish had 1,098 male and 1,191 female parishioners. There were three schools belonging to the church: two in Gostilitsy and one in Michelovo.
In 1908, the church decided to renovate and raise the floors in the pulpit, for this it was necessary to dismantle the old iconostasis. Russian Imperial Archaeological Society member Vladimir Suslov, with his participation, stopped the work, recognizing the iconostasis as "having decisive artistic dignity and in harmony with the architecture of the entire temple."
It is known that the daughter of Nicholas I, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, Duchess of Leuchtenberg, president of the Academy of Arts, loved to pray in this temple.
The Soviet period and the Great Patriotic War
The church was closed in 1939. The entire farm at the temple was nationalized and adapted to the needs of the Krasnaya Baltika state farm organized on the site of the estate. The state farm administration was located in the priest's house, and a vegetable warehouse was set up in the temple.
In September 1941, Gostilitsy found themselves under occupation. A German military unit was located in the village, and the temple was first adapted as a stable, and later as an officer's club. During this period, the iconostasis, which possessed artistic value, disappeared. When the guests were released, only bare walls were found in the mined church.
After the war, the temple remained in a dilapidated state until the collapse of the USSR.
Rebirth
In 1994, the building was returned to the faithful. Worship resumed in 1995. Later, it was possible to restore the exterior of the building, the interior decoration, and reconstruct the temple. The restoration was carried out by the priest Viktorin Kadnikov.
On October 2, 2014, Bishop Mitrofan (Osyak) of Gatchina and Luga celebrated the great consecration of the Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity in the village of Gostilitsy and the Divine Liturgy at the newly consecrated church.