How gravestones were installed in the old days. Architectural monuments of ancient and medieval Rus'
Finally got around to showing in detail the amazing artifacts found in 1999-2000 during the clearing of the territory of the Luzhetsky Ferapont Monastery in Mozhaisk (Moscow region). The information has already appeared on the Internet; in particular, A. Fomenko and G. Nosovsky wrote about it in some detail.
There is an interesting work by L.A. Belyaeva “White stone tombstone of the Ferapontov Monastery” describing the first artifact of this kind found in 1982. However, I have not yet come across extensive photographic materials, much less a detailed analysis of artifacts.
I'm trying to fill the gap.
We will talk about such stones.
Thanks to an impressive photo shoot done by my brother Andrey, it is possible to look at all this in more detail. I have already written somewhere that I am gradually curtailing my own historical research, focusing exclusively on writing and language, but perhaps the publication will stir up the inquisitive minds of other researchers and we will finally be able to at least partially understand what Rus' was like before the Schism, before the reforms of Patriarch Nikon, and according to some versions, before the real, actual baptism of Rus' in the 17th century and not in the mythical 10th.
This topic is especially dear to me because we are talking about my small homeland. On the ruins of this monastery, we boys played war and told each other legends about black monks, underground passages and treasures, which of course are hidden in this land and walled up in these walls. :)
Actually, we were not far from the truth; this land really did contain treasures, but of a completely different kind. Right under our feet was History, which perhaps they wanted to hide, or perhaps it was destroyed due to thoughtlessness or lack of resources. Who knows.
What can we say for sure - before us are fragments (in the literal sense:)) of the real history of Rus' of the 16-17 (and according to Belyaev, even 14-17) centuries - genuine artifacts of the past.
So, let's go.
Historical reference.
Mozhaisk Luzhetsky Nativity of the Virgin Mary Ferapontov monastery- located in the city of Mozhaisk, has existed since the 15th century. The only one (except for the temple complex on the site of the former Yakimansky Monastery) of the 18 medieval monasteries of Mozhaisk that has survived to this day.
The monastery was founded by St. Ferapont Belozersky, a student of Sergius of Radonezh at the request of Prince Andrei of Mozhaisky. This happened in 1408, 11 years after he founded the Belozersky Ferapont Monastery. The dedication of the Luzhetsky Monastery to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is associated with the decision of Ferapont himself. Apparently the Nativity of the Mother of God was close to his soul, since the Belozersky Monastery was also dedicated to the Nativity. In addition, this holiday was especially honored by Prince Andrei. It was on this holiday in 1380 that his father, Grand Duke of Moscow Dmitry Ioanovich, fought on the Kulikovo field. According to legend, in memory of that battle, his mother, Grand Duchess Evdokia, built the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the Moscow Kremlin.
The first stone cathedral in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary stood in the Luzhetsky Monastery until the beginning of the 16th century, after which it was dismantled, and in its place, in -1547, a new, five-domed one was built, which has survived to this day.
The first archimandrite of the Luzhetsky monastery, the Monk Ferapont, having lived ninety-five years, died in 1426 and was buried near the northern wall of the cathedral. In 1547 he was canonized as a saint of the Russian Orthodox Church. Later, a temple was built over his burial.
The Luzhetsky Monastery existed until 1929, when, according to the protocol of the Moscow Regional Executive Committee and the Moscow City Council of November 11, it was closed. The monastery survived the opening of the relics of the founder, devastation, destruction and desolation (it stood ownerless in the mid-1980s). In the pre-war period, the monastery housed a furniture factory and a workshop for a medical equipment plant. At the monastery necropolis there were factory garages with inspection pits and warehouses. Communal apartments were set up in the fraternal cells and the buildings were transferred to the establishment of a canteen and a club for the military unit.
Vicky
“Later, a temple was built over his burial...”
This short phrase from the wiki prefaces our entire story.
The temple of St. Ferapont was erected in the second half of the 17th century i.e. after Nikon's reforms.
Everything would be fine, but its construction was accompanied by a large-scale collection and placement of gravestones from surrounding cemeteries in the foundation of the temple. This practice is incomprehensible to our minds, but in fact it was quite common in the old days and is explained by the saving of scarce stone. Gravestones were not only placed in the foundations of buildings and walls, but they even paved monastery paths with them. I can’t find the links right now, but you can search online. There are definitely such facts.
We are interested in the slabs themselves, although their appearance makes us wonder whether they were hidden so deeply only to save resources.
But first, let's get our bearings on the area :).
This is actually what remains now from the temple of St. Ferapont. This is the same foundation that workers stumbled upon when clearing the monastery territory in 1999. The cross was installed at the site where the relics of the saint were found.
The entire foundation is made of tombstones!
There is no ordinary stone there at all.
By the way, for supporters of the catastrophe theory, well, the one when everything fell asleep :)
The part of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (first half of the 16th century) where the red brick is visible was completely underground. Moreover, in this state it underwent later reconstructions, as evidenced by the position of the gate. The staircase of the main entrance to the cathedral is a remake, restored from the excavated remains of the original.
The height of the cathedral masonry freed from the ground is about two meters.
Here's another view of the foundation
But the slabs themselves
Most of the artifacts are designed according to a single principle and contain a patterned edging, a fork-shaped cross (at least that’s how it is usually called in scientific literature) in the lower part of the slab, and a rosette in the upper part. At the branching node of the cross and the center of the rosette there is a round extension with a solar symbol or cross. It is noteworthy that the solar symbols of the cross and rosette are always the same on one slab but different on different slabs. We will touch on these symbols later, but for now we’ll just show their types in large detail.
Branches of the cross
Sockets
Curbs
The slabs can be quite thin, 10 centimeters, medium, about 20 centimeters, and quite thick, up to half a meter. Slabs of medium thickness often have side borders something like this:
“...there are inscriptions in Russian” (c) VSV
It’s somehow hard to believe that the above photographs belong to Rus', and even Christian Rus'. We see absolutely no signs of the traditions to which we are accustomed. But according to official history, Rus' had already been baptized for six centuries at that time.
The confusion is legitimate, but there are artifacts that are even more perplexing.
Some slabs contain inscriptions, mostly in Cyrillic inscription, sometimes of a very high level of execution.
Here's an example.
“On the 7th day of the summer of December 7177, the servant of God, the schema monk Savatey [F]odorov son of Poznyakov, reposed”
The inscription leaves no doubt that a Christian monk is buried.
As you can see, the inscription was made by a skilled carver (the ligature is very good) on the side of the stone. The front side remained free of inscriptions. Savatey died in 1669 AD.
And here's another one. This is a favorite masterpiece. It was this stove that turned my life upside down :), it was from it that I actually “got sick” of Russian script as a unique way of writing, several years ago.
“On the 5th day of the summer of January 7159, the servant of God Tatiana Danilovna reposed in the monastery of the schema monk Taiseya.”
Those. Taisiya died in 1651 AD.
The upper part of the slab has been completely lost, so there is no way to know what it looked like.
Or here is an example where the side with the inscription is laid at the junction of the blocks. It is impossible to read it without destroying the masonry, but it is clear that a great master worked there too.
Already from these three pictures questions arise.
1. Don’t you think such rich tombstones of monks are strange? The schema-monks are of course revered in Orthodoxy, but is it enough to have such last honors?
2. The dates of the burial cast doubt on the version that supposedly only old tombstones were used for construction (there is such a point of view). These slabs went into the foundation very young, which, by the way, is evidenced by their preservation. It's like they were cut yesterday. It’s your choice, but it’s very strange to treat fresh burials this way, and even those of holy brethren.
I can cautiously suggest that... they were no longer brothers to the Nikonian reenactors, but, as it were, people of a different faith. And you don’t have to stand on ceremony with the deceased people of other faiths, then they didn’t take very good care of the living.
A few more slabs with inscriptions of varying quality before we complete this part of the material.
As can be seen from the latest examples, the practice of engraving an epitaph on a patterned horizontal surface of a slab also took place. Apparently in this case the inscription was made in the field between the fork-shaped cross and the upper rosette.
This is clearly visible here. And the border and the rosette and the cross and the inscription coexist quite organically.
So what do we have?
At the end of the 17th century, after the completion of the reform of Patriarch Nikon, the temple of St. Ferapont was erected on the territory of the Luzhetsky Monastery. At the same time, the tombstones that were present in the area at that time are placed at the base of the temple foundation. Those. slabs of different ages are preserved in the foundation for three hundred years. The pre-Nikonian canon of the Orthodox gravestone is also preserved for three hundred years.
It is obvious that the less worn slabs correspond to the time of creation of approximately 1650-1670. The samples presented in this part correspond mainly to this time.
But! There are also older slabs in the foundation and there are inscriptions on them too.
But more on that in the next part.
The first detailed historical information about the life of our ancestors, the Eastern Slavs, dates back to the 9th - 10th centuries. There is also more ancient evidence, but it is so vague that scientists are still arguing whether it is talking about the Slavs or some other people. Of course, this does not mean that in the 9th century. our ancestors did not have their own history. It’s just that the natural and social conditions in which they lived were not conducive to the preservation of information. The Slavic lands are mostly fertile and humid, forested plains. There's not a lot of stone here, but a lot of wood. So, for centuries, wood served as the main building material. Stone buildings appeared in Rus' only with the adoption of Christianity, at the end of the 10th century. It is from this moment that the story about East Slavic architecture should begin. Of course, there is every reason to believe that even before baptism, Slavic builders erected magnificent structures, but wood is a very fragile material, and we have almost no information about the architecture of pre-Christian Rus'.
Reconstruction of St. Sophia of Kyiv
Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral in Chernigov
Tithe Church in Kyiv. 989-996 Attempt at reconstruction by Yu. S. Aseev
The first stone building known to us in Rus' was the so-called Tithe Church, erected in 989 - 996 by order of Prince Vladimir the Saint in Kyiv. Unfortunately, it has not been preserved, and now we can only see the lines of its foundation and reconstructions made by scientists. The church was created by Byzantine builders and almost completely repeated the classical Byzantine cross-domed design.
The oldest Russian Christian temple that has survived to this day is the famous Sophia of Kiev, erected in 1037 - 1054 by order of Yaroslav the Wise. Byzantine churches also served as a model for it, but here unique national features are already evident, and the surrounding landscape is taken into account. Over the centuries since the reign of Yaroslav, Sofia was rebuilt several times, and its original appearance was changed. We will talk about it in more detail in an article specifically dedicated to the architectural monuments of Ukraine. One of the oldest architectural monuments of Kievan Rus is also the Transfiguration Cathedral in Chernigov, built by Prince Mstislav Vladimirovich.
Spaso-Reobrazhensky Cathedral in Chernigov
The next stage in the development of Russian architecture is no longer associated with Kiev, but with Novgorod, a large trading city on the northwestern border of the Slavic lands. Here in 1045-1055 its own Sophia was built. The basics of its design are similar to Byzantine prototypes, but the appearance and general impression that the temple produces are far from these prototypes. The main volume of the building is close to a cube in shape, but each of the five naves has its own rounded ceiling. The church is crowned with six domes; at first they were helmet-shaped, and then were replaced with a bow-shaped one. The helmet-shaped dome is the oldest in ancient Russian architecture. Later, hipped and onion-shaped domes appeared. The massive walls of Sofia Novgorod are devoid of any decoration and only in a few places are cut through by narrow windows. The temple is the embodiment of strict and courageous beauty and is in amazing harmony with the northern landscape.
Apse of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral in Chernigov
Church of St. Nicholas on July near Novgorod. 1292 rub.
In the 12th century. A republican form of government was established in Novgorod. This political event was reflected in the development of architectural style. Instead of large monumental cathedrals, relatively small churches are beginning to be built. At this time, a type of single-domed church emerged, which later became classical.
A typical example of such an architectural structure is the Church of the Savior - Nereditsa, built near Novgorod at the end of the 12th century. It is a simple cubic volume topped by a single dome on an octagonal drum. Such churches were built in Novgorod in the 14th century. The architecture of the neighboring Pskov Principality is very similar to that of Novgorod, although its monuments are more massive.
Sofia Novgorodskaya
Novgorod. St. George's Cathedral of the Yuryev Monastery
Pskov. Cathedral of the Ivanovo Monastery. First half of the 12th century.
All this time in Rus' they continue to build not only from stone, but also from wood. This is indicated by the fact that in the development of stone architecture styles, a noticeable influence of wooden architecture is obvious. However, most of the wooden monuments that have survived to this day were built later, and will be discussed separately.
After the fall of Kyiv in the 12th century. stone construction also actively developed in the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. During the reign of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, who made the city of Vladimir his capital, many wonderful monuments were erected there. Vladimir cathedrals served as models for Italian masters when in the 15th century. built the cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin.
Church of the Intercession on the Nerl. Vladimir - Suzdal Principality
Church of Fyodor Stratilates on the stream in Novgorod (1360-61)
The architecture of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality was not as severe as northern Russian architecture. The facade here could be decorated with thin semi-columns connected by small arches and complex ornaments. The most ornate temple of the style is considered to be the Dmitrievsky Cathedral in Vladimir. Among his decorations we see stylized leaves, and even fantastic animals, griffins.
Moscow Kremlin and its famous cathedrals
Vladimir. Golden Gate
In the 15th century The East Slavic lands are gradually gathering under the rule of the princes of Moscow. From a provincial fortress, Moscow turns into the capital of a huge state, and the prince begins to be called a tsar. In this regard, extensive construction is taking place here. It was at this time that the Kremlin was erected, the walls and towers of which are familiar to us all from childhood from numerous drawings and photographs. The famous Kremlin cathedrals were also built at the same time. As already mentioned, they used the churches of Vladimir and Suzdal as models. However, Moscow architecture of this period is not just similar to its predecessors. New motives were also introduced. Yes, it was during this period that bell towers began to be built, standing separately from the main church building. In the first half of the 16th century. Stone churches with a tent roof, that is, crowned with a dome that has the shape of an elongated pyramid, have gained popularity. Until now, such covering was typical only for wooden architecture or secular construction. The first stone tented church was the Church of the Ascension in the village of Kolomenskoye near Moscow; it was erected by Tsar Vasily III in honor of the birth of his son, the future Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Now this monument is located within the city.
Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir
Moscow. Bell tower Ivan the Great. 1505-1508
Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin
1475-1479 RUR. Architect Aristotle Fioravanti
A special place among the architectural monuments of Muscovite Rus' is occupied by the Intercession Cathedral, better known as St. Basil's Cathedral, built in the 16th century, but already during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. It is located on Red Square in Moscow, and everyone has seen at least a picture of it. The cathedral consists of nine pillars that rise from the ground floor, surrounded by a single gallery. Each of them has a coating that is different from the others. Above the central pillar there is a tent covering, the others are topped with onion-shaped domes. Each of the domes has a unique outline and is painted in its own way. The bright temple gives the impression of a painted, patterned toy, but at the same time seems majestic. After all, St. Basil's Cathedral was erected in honor of the great military victory of the Moscow state - the capture of the capital of the Kazan Khanate.
Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. 1475-79 Plan and analysis of proportions
Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. 1484-1489
Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye
During the 16th century. The Moscow state waged a constant armed struggle with the neighboring Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In addition, it was threatened from the north by the Swedes, and from the south by the Crimean Tatars. Therefore, many fortifications were erected during this period. Monasteries located in strategically important areas of the country often took on the role of military fortresses. Such monasteries-fortresses include the Trinity Monastery near Moscow,
St. Basil's Cathedral
Kirillo - Belozersky monastery in the Vologda region, Solovetsky monastery on the White Sea.
Moscow. Trinity Church in Nikitniki (1631-1634) General view and plan
The 17th century was a time of economic and political decline of the Moscow state. It is torn to pieces by internal wars, in which external enemies willingly participate. Therefore, no major construction is currently underway. But small buildings are erected, the modest size of which is compensated by a large number of decorations. To decorate them, special figured bricks are made, from which decorative details are laid. Small protruding parts are painted white, and they stand out brightly against the background of red brick. The structure is surrounded on all sides by small pediments, piled on top of each other. The decoration covers the walls so thickly that this style is often called "patterned". Such monuments include the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Putinki and the Trinity Church in Ostankino. In the second half of the 17th century. A decree was issued by Moscow Patriarch Nikon on the fight against too worldly decoration of churches. In this decree, by the way, the tent covering of religious buildings was prohibited, as borrowed from secular architecture. According to the patriarch, Orthodox churches should be crowned with traditional onion-shaped domes. After the order, tented churches disappeared in the capital, but they continued to be built in provincial cities and especially in villages. In the second half of the 17th century. There is a partial return from the “patterned frequency” to a more strict Old Russian style. An example of such architecture can be the Kremlin ensemble in Rostov the Great.
Yaroslavl. Ensemble in Korovniki
Yaroslavl. Church of St. John Chrysostom in Korovniki. Plan
Tiled panel around the window of the middle altar (late 17th century)
But this time the artificially introduced severity did not last long in the architecture of the Moscow state. A new impetus for the development of an elegant, bright style was the annexation of Ukraine, where Western European baroque was already widespread and a distinctive national version of this style was born. Through Ukraine, Baroque came to the Russians.
Cathedral on the territory of the Rostov Kremlin
Despite the progress in our time and the constant discoveries being made, very few facts have reached us about the architecture of the ancient Slavs. All this is because in those days, basically all buildings were built from wood, and since this material is short-lived, the main historical monuments have not been preserved.
The ancient Slavs had good construction skills. And with the establishment of Christianity in Rus', many stone structures began to be built, such as temples and churches. The construction of cross-domed cathedrals was very developed at that time. All this is due to the fact that Christianity came to us from Byzantium, and accordingly, the construction of temples was carried out on the basis of Byzantine design schemes.
Story architecture of ancient Rus' began with the creation of the Kyiv state and this stage ended only with the advent of the Russian Empire. The first churches are considered to be Novgorod, Kyiv and Vladimir. The reign of Yaroslav the Wise (12th century) is considered to be the heyday of architectural architecture. In the 13th century, the development of church architecture in Rus' slowed down, this is due to the emergence of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. And in the 15th century, already during the reign of Ivan III, the rapid development of architectural architecture began again.
Hagia Sophia in Novgorod
The history of this cathedral is very interesting. It was built in honor of the Novgorodians, who at one time helped Yaroslav the Wise sit on the throne of the Grand Duke. It took seven years to build and the temple was consecrated in 1052. The son of Grand Duke Yaroslav, Vladimir, who died on October 4, 1052, is buried in the Kyiv Church of St. Sophia.
It is worth noting that the cathedral was built from mixed materials - stone and brick. Its design is strictly symmetrical, and there are no galleries. Initially, the walls of this cathedral were not whitewashed. This is due to the fact that Slavic architects primarily focused on Byzantine designs, in which preference was given to mosaic and marble cladding. A little later, mosaics were replaced by frescoes, and marble by limestone.
The frame of the composition looks like a cross-domed church with five naves. This type of construction is characteristic only of temples built in the 11th century.
The first cathedral painting was carried out in 1109, but most of the frescoes could not be preserved to this day, with the exception of “Constantine and Helena”. Many frescoes were lost during the Great Patriotic War.
Several iconostases were constructed in the Hagia Sophia Cathedral, or rather, there were three of them. The main icons located in the cathedral: the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign”, Euthymius the Great, Anthony the Great, Saint Savva the Sanctified, the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. It was possible to preserve the remains of holy books, of which the most surviving are six books: Princess Irina, Prince Vladimir, Princes Mstislav and Fyodor, Archbishops Nikita and John.
The cross of the central dome is decorated with a figure in the form of a dove, which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
Hagia Sophia in Kyiv
The history of this cathedral begins in 1037, when it was founded by the Kyiv prince Yaroslav the Wise. Sophia of Kiev has been very well preserved to this day; even picturesque decorations, such as frescoes and mosaics, have survived. These are two types of painting, combined not only in the Hagia Sophia, but also in almost all architectural monuments of Ancient Rus'. Now the church contains 260 square meters of mosaics and almost three thousand square meters of frescoes.
The temple contains a huge number of mosaics with images of the main saints. Such works are made on a golden background, which helps to highlight the richness of these masterpieces. Mosaics include more than 177 shades. But the names of the creative masters who created such beauty remain unknown to this day.
The main cathedral mosaics: Our Lady of the “Unbreakable Wall”, Annunciation, John Chrysostom, St. Basil the Great.
In addition to frescoes and mosaics, a large number of graphic images (graffiti) have been preserved. There are more than seven thousand graffiti on the walls of the cathedral.
Five princes are buried in the St. Sophia Church: Yaroslav the Wise, Vsevolod, Rostislav Vsevolodovich, Vladimir Monomakh, Vyacheslav Vladimirovich.
Church of the Intercession on the Nerl
One of the outstanding architectural monuments of Ancient Rus'. The church is entirely made of stone and is considered the pinnacle of white stone architecture. It was built in 1165, by order of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, in honor of his deceased son, who was killed by the Bulgars. The temple was erected in the Vladimir region, on the interfluve of the Nerl and Klyazma rivers.
This is the first monument in the history of architecture of Ancient Rus', which is dedicated to the Feast of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The design of the church is quite simple. It consists of four pillars, a cruciform dome and three apses. This is a one-domed church with exquisite proportions, due to which from a distance it seems as if the temple is floating in the air.
The Church of the Intercession on the Nerl is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir
The date of foundation of the cathedral is considered to be 1197. This temple is famous among other architectural monuments of Ancient Rus' for its execution technique - white stone carving.
The temple was built personally for Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest and his family. Later, the church was consecrated in honor of the heavenly patron - Dmitry of Thessalonica.
The composition is based on the typical designs of Byzantine churches (four pillars and three apses). The dome of the church is gilded and topped with a neat cross, the weather vane of which is depicted in the form of a dove. The construction of the temple was carried out exclusively by Russian architects, but the decoration was carried out by Greek craftsmen, which is why in the cathedral you can find features characteristic of Western basilicas. Elements of Romanesque architecture are clearly expressed in the masonry technique and decoration.
The walls of the cathedral are decorated with various mythical images, horsemen, psalmists and saints. The temple houses a sculpture of David the musician. His miniature symbolizes the idea of a god of a protected state. Also in the church there is an image of Vsevolod the Big Nest and his sons.
Although Demetrievsky Cathedral does not have external beauty, its interior is quite rich inside. Unfortunately, of the frescoes, only “The Last Judgment” has survived to this day.
Golden Gate of the city of Vladimir
The composition was erected in Vladimir, the basis for the construction of which was the order of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky in 1164. A total of 5 gates were built, of which only the Golden ones have survived to this day. They served as the entrance to the princely part of the city, which was considered the richest. The construction of the gate was carried out by Vladimir craftsmen.
There are rumors that at the end of the construction work, they fell on twelve people involved in construction. The townspeople thought that the masters had died, and then Bogolyubsky decided to turn with prayers to the icon of the Mother of God. When the collapse was cleared, the people littered with the remains of the gate were pulled out safe and alive. After this incident, a white stone chapel was built above the gate.
The height of the triumphal arch of the Golden Gate reaches fourteen meters. The main purpose of the structure was to protect the city of Vladimir from raids. The design was based on a combat platform from which enemies were fired upon. The remains of the site are still in the gate. It was possible to enter and exit the site using a stone staircase adjacent to it.
The Golden Gate is a symbolic image of princely power and greatness.
During the Mongol-Tatar invasion, many monuments from the Golden Gate were hidden by the townspeople. Most of them are included in the UNESCO list and are recognized as destroyed monuments. In 1970, a group of Japanese archaeologists came to the Soviet Union with the goal of clearing the bottom of the Klyazma River. At the end of the expedition, many objects that archaeologists considered lost were found. Among them were precious doors taken from the Golden Gate of Vladimir. Although this version is still more perceived as a legend. Since historical facts indicate that the residents of Vladimir did not have enough time to hide the relics, much less take them out of the city. If the doors were found, the location of the gold plates is unknown to this day.
Tithe Church
This is the first Russian church that was built of stone; it was consecrated in 996. The church is illuminated with the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its name is due to the fact that Grand Duke Vladimir allocated a tithe of the state budget, that is, a tenth, for the construction of the church.
The history of the church is directly related to the baptism of Rus'. The fact is that it was erected on the site where a clash between pagans and Christians took place. The building itself is a symbol of religious strife.
Kiev-Pechersk Lavra
Another unique architectural monument of Ancient Rus' is the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. This monastery is included in the list of the first ancient Russian monasteries. Its construction was carried out in 1051, during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise. Its founder is considered to be the monk Anthony, whose roots came from Lyubech.
The location of the monastery is the city of Kyiv (Ukraine). Located on the coast of the Dnieper, on two hills. At first, on the site of the monastery there was an ordinary cave, into which the clergyman Hilarion came, but when he was appointed Metropolitan of Kyiv, the cave was abandoned. Around the same time, monk Anthony arrived in Kyiv, he found Hilarion’s cave and stayed in it. A little later, a church was erected over the cave, and already in 1073 it was lined with stone. In 1089 it was consecrated.
The frescoes and mosaics decorating the church were made by Byzantine masters.
Kirillovskaya Church
It is considered the oldest monument in the history of architecture of Ancient Rus'. The date of its foundation is considered to be 1139. The name of the church is associated with the names of Saints Athanasius and Cyril. The church is one of the main components of the composition of the Kirillov Monastery, which is located near Chernigov, in the village of Dorogozhychi. The Kirillovskaya Church was built under Prince Vsevolod Olgovich and subsequently became the tomb of the Olgovich family. Vsevolod’s wife, Maria, who was the daughter of Mstislav the Great, was buried there. Prince Svyatoslav was also buried in this church in 1194.
In 1786, the lands of the church were confiscated in favor of the state, and this was the end of the history of the Kirillov Monastery. The church was converted into a hospital church.
Church of the Savior on the Nereditsa River
The cathedral was built in the city of Novgorod and the date of its construction is 1198. The style of construction stands out for its unusually simple design and strict motifs; it is worth noting that all Novgorod buildings are made in this style. The church is in perfect harmony with the landscape due to the simplicity of the composition. The Cathedral of the Savior on the Nereditsa River, like most buildings of that time, is white stone. The interior of the church fully matches the external style.
The execution of paintings is of a strictly strict nature, with a predominance of clear forms. In the images of saints, open views can be traced; one gets the impression that the images are not simply depicted on the walls of the temple, but are, as it were, boarded up in them. Overall, the cathedral is a symbol of power and strength.
Novgorod Kremlin
The basis of every ancient Russian city was considered a strong Kremlin, which could protect the townspeople and withstand the defense from enemies. The Novgorod Kremlin is one of the oldest. For the tenth century he has been decorating and protecting his city. It is worth noting that, despite the fact that the Kremlin of the city of Novgorod is an old building, it still retains its original appearance. The Kremlin is made of red brick. On the territory of the Kremlin there is the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral, which is also included in the list of architectural masterpieces of Ancient Rus'. Its exterior and interior are designed in a sophisticated style. The floor is decorated with mosaics, which were worked on by the best craftsmen of that time.
The Novgorod Kremlin is an ensemble of the best architectural monuments that city residents can be proud of even today.
In the eleventh – twelfth centuries there was an upsurge in the development of the culture of the Kyiv state. Large cities that, due to reforms, acquired the status of European centers (Kyiv, Galich, Novgorod) become cultural centers.
Excavations carried out in these lands showed scientists that the people living at that time were, for the most part, literate (at least at a basic level). Conclusions were drawn about this based on surviving business receipts, petitions, orders on economic affairs and other documents.
In addition, it is known for certain that even before Christianity was adopted, Rus' knew writing. The first handwritten books preserved from that time are unique works of art. They were written, as a rule, on very expensive parchment, which was made from processed goat, calf or lamb skin, and they were decorated with excellent colored miniatures.
Most of the books that have come down to us, which relates to this period, has religious content(out of one hundred and thirty books, about eighty contain basic knowledge of Christian morality and doctrine). However, along with this, there was also religious literature to read.
“Physiologist” is perfectly preserved- a collection of short stories about legendary and real-life stones, trees and birds (at the end of each story there was a religious parable associated with a given creature or object). To the same time, researchers attribute such outstanding literary church monuments as the “Sermon on Law and Grace,” attributed to the pen of Metropolitan Hilarion, as well as the sermons of Cyril of Turov. There were also “apocrypha” (from the Greek word “hidden”) - stories that unconventionally interpreted biblical stories. The most popular of them is considered to be “The Virgin’s Walk through the Torment.”
The “Teaching” of Vladimir Monomakh is also considered an outstanding literary monument, which is a teaching to princely children and contains teachings on how the offspring of warriors should behave in the world.
And finally, most A significant colossus of ancient Russian literature is “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, the basis of which was the campaign undertaken by Igor Svyatoslavich against the Polovtsians. It is considered a huge loss that the only manuscript of this text burned in a fire in Moscow (1812).
The times of Ancient Rus', the cultural monuments of which form the subject of this review, are the most important period in Russian history, since it was then that the foundations of statehood, social, political, economic and social structures were laid, which was expressed in written, archaeological and architectural sources.
General characteristics of the era
The foundations of the state government were formed during the times of Ancient Rus'. The cultural monuments of this era are interesting because they reflect the ideological foundations of the young Russian society, which had just converted to Orthodoxy. A major role in their creation was played by the initiative of the princes, who very often contributed to stone construction, the writing of chronicles, and the construction of buildings for civil and defensive purposes. Subsequently, the initiative passed to the population, primarily to city residents, who very often built churches and temples at their own expense. Greek influence played a great role in this cultural process. Byzantine masters became the builders of many monuments, and also taught a lot to the Russians, who, having adopted their rules and traditions, soon began to create their own unique structures.
Type of temples
The times of Ancient Rus', whose cultural monuments are mainly represented by church construction, are traditionally dated to the pre-Mongol period, from the 9th to the beginning of the 13th century, but in a broader sense, later centuries are also applicable to this concept. Russian architecture adopted Byzantine traditions, so the cross-domed churches of Ancient Rus', in principle, repeat their features. However, in our country, the construction of white-stone rectangular churches became widespread, and the semicircular dome was replaced with a helmet-shaped one. Masters very often created mosaics and frescoes. Temples with four pillars were especially common; those with six and eight columns were less common. Most often they had three naves.
Early Church
The times of Ancient Rus', whose cultural monuments are inextricably linked with baptism and the adoption of Orthodoxy, became the heyday of stone temple construction. In the list of these buildings, we should highlight the most basic ones, the construction of which became a landmark event in history and served as the beginning for further construction. One of the first largest and most significant churches was the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was also popularly called Tithe Church, since the prince specially allocated a tenth of his income for it. It was built under Vladimir Svyatoslavich the Saint, who baptized the Russian land.
Peculiarities
Archaeologists find it difficult to restore its original appearance, however, some surviving data, such as Greek marks on bricks and marble decorations, indicate that the construction was carried out by Greek masters. At the same time, the surviving inscriptions in Cyrillic and ceramic tiles suggest the participation of the Slavs in the construction. The church was built as a cross-domed structure according to the traditional Byzantine canon.
11th century temples
The times of Ancient Rus', whose cultural monuments prove the rapid spread and establishment of Orthodoxy in our country, became a period of active construction of churches, different in size, composition and structure. The second most important temple on this list is It was erected during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise and was supposed to become the main religious center of the new power. Its peculiarity is the presence of large choirs. It has thirteen domes with windows. In the center is the main one, below are four smaller ones, and then there are even smaller eight domes. The cathedral has two staircase towers, two-tier and one-tier galleries. There are mosaics and frescoes inside.
Cross-domed Russias have become widespread in our country. Another important building was the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. It had three naves, a spacious interior and one dome. It was blown up during the Second World War and subsequently restored in the traditions of Ukrainian Baroque.
Novgorod architecture
Monuments of Russian culture are varied in style and structure. Novgorod temples and churches have their own unique features, which make it possible to distinguish this tradition as special in the history of Russian architecture. Separately in the list of ancient Russian buildings, it should be highlighted which for a long time remained the main religious center of the republic. It has five domes and a staircase tower. The domes are shaped like helmets. The walls are built of limestone, the interior is similar to a Kyiv church, the arches are elongated, but some details have undergone slight simplification, which later became a characteristic feature of the city's architecture.
At first, the masters imitated Kyiv models, but later Novgorod architecture acquired its original appearance thanks to unique and easily recognizable features. Their temples are small in size, squat and simple in design. One of the most famous churches in this style is the Transfiguration Church on Nereditsa. It is very simple, but has a very majestic appearance. It is small in size, has no external decoration, and the lines are very simple. These features are characteristic of Novgorod churches, the appearance of which is even somewhat disproportional, which makes them unique.
Buildings in other cities
Monuments in Nizhny Novgorod are also included in the list of the most famous ancient Russian buildings. One of the churches is dedicated to the saint. It was erected in the 16th century in memory of the deliverance of the city from the invasion of the Tatars and Nogais. At first it was made of wood, but then, in the mid-17th century, it was rebuilt in stone. In the 19th century, the one-domed church was rebuilt into a five-domed one, which gave its name to the street in the city.
Monuments in Nizhny Novgorod occupy a prominent place in the history of Russian architecture. One of the most famous is St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral, built in the 13th century. It was a white stone church with 4 pillars and 3 apses.
So, the cities of other lands and appanage principalities also became centers of active architectural construction. Their traditions are distinguished by their original and unique features. The Church of St. Nicholas Nadein in Yaroslavl is a unique temple of the 17th century. It was erected on the banks of the Volga and became the first stone church in the city's suburbs.
The initiator was the merchant Nadya Sveteshnikov, after whom many merchants and artisans also began to build churches. The base of the temple was raised on a high base, on top there were five domes on thin drum necks. The Church of St. Nicholas Nadein has a unique iconostasis. It is made in the Baroque style and replaced an older one in the 18th century.
Meaning
Thus, ancient Russian architecture is unique in its features, style and interior. Therefore, it occupies a prominent place not only in domestic culture, but also in world art in general. In this regard, the protection of historical and cultural monuments is now especially important. Many of them have not survived to this day, some were destroyed during the war, so modern archaeologists and restorers attach great importance to their reconstruction and renovation.
