The times of Ancient Russia, the cultural monuments of which are 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 found expression in written, archaeological and architectural sources.
General characteristics of the era
The foundations of the state of government took shape in the time of Ancient Rus. The cultural monuments of this era are interesting in that they reflected the ideological foundations of the young Russian society, which had just adopted Orthodoxy. An important role in their creation was played by the initiative of the princes, who very often contributed to stone construction, writing chronicles, erecting civil and defensive buildings. Subsequently, the initiative passed to the population, primarily to urban residents, who very often erected churches and temples at their own expense. Of great importance in this cultural process was Greek influence. Byzantine masters became builders of many monuments, and also taught many Russians, who, adopting their rules and traditions, soon began to create their own unique structures.
Type of temples
The times of Ancient Russia, the cultural monuments of which are mainly represented by church building, are traditionally dated from the pre-Mongol period, from the 9th to the beginning of the 13th century, however, in a broader sense, later centuries are also applicable to this concept. Russian architecture adopted Byzantine traditions, so the cross-domed churches of Ancient Russia, in principle, repeat their features. However, in our country, the construction of white-stone rectangular churches was mainly spread, and the semicircular dome was replaced by a helmet-shaped one. Masters very often created mosaics and murals. Four-pillar churches were especially widespread, less often met with six and eight columns. Most often they had three naves.
Early church
The times of Ancient Russia, the cultural monuments of which are inextricably linked with baptism and the adoption of Orthodoxy, became the heyday of stone temple construction. In the list of these buildings, the most basic ones should be singled out, 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 the Tithe, as the prince specially allocated a tenth of his income for it. It was built under Vladimir Svyatoslavich Holy, who baptized Russian land.
Features
Archaeologists find it difficult to restore its original appearance, nevertheless, some surviving data, such as Greek hallmarks on bricks, marble ornaments, mosaic floors, suggest that the construction was carried out by Greek masters. At the same time, the preserved inscriptions in Cyrillic and ceramic tiles make it possible to talk about participation in the construction of the Slavs. The church was built as a cross-domed structure according to the traditional Byzantine canon.
Temples of the 11th century
The times of Ancient Russia, the cultural monuments of which 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 St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev. It was built during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise and was to become the main religious center of the new state. Its feature is the presence of large choirs. It has thirteen domes with windows. The main one is located in the center, four smaller ones below, and then there are even smaller eight domes. The cathedral has two stair towers, a two-tier and a single-tier gallery. Inside there are mosaics and murals.
The cross-domed churches of Ancient Russia were widely used in our country. Another important building was the Assumption Church of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. She 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 diverse in style and structure. Novgorod temples and churches have their own unique features that allow us to highlight this tradition as special in the history of Russian architecture. Separately, the St. Sophia Cathedral, which for a long time remained the main religious center of the republic, should be highlighted in the list of old Russian buildings. It has five domes, a stair tower. Domes have helmets. The walls are built of limestone, the interior is similar to the Kiev church, the arches are elongated, however, some details underwent a slight simplification, which later became a characteristic feature of the city's architecture.
At first, the masters imitated the Kiev models, but later the Novgorod architecture got its distinctive look thanks to its unique and easily recognizable features. Their temples are small in size, squat and easy to design. One of the most famous churches in this style is the Transfiguration Church on Nereditsa. It is very simple, but it has a very magnificent appearance. It is small in size, it has no external decor, the lines are very simple. These features are characteristic of Novgorod churches, the appearance of which is even distinguished by a certain disproportion, 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 holy prophet Elijah. It was erected in the 16th century to commemorate the deliverance of the city from the invasion of the Tatars and Nogais. At first it was wooden, but then, in the middle of the 17th century, it was rebuilt in stone. In the 19th century, the church from one-domed was rebuilt into a five-domed church, which gave the name to a street in the city.
Monuments in Nizhny Novgorod occupy a prominent place in the history of Russian architecture. One of the most famous is the 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 specific principalities also became centers of active architectural construction. Their traditions are distinguished by their original and unique features. The Church of Nikola 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 on the city's landing.
The initiator was the merchant Nadia Svetechnikov, after which many merchants and artisans began to build churches. The base of the temple was raised on a high base, at the top there were five domes on thin drum necks. The Church of Nikola Nadein has a unique iconostasis. It is made in the Baroque style and replaced the older one in the 18th century.
Value
Thus, Old Russian architecture is unique in its features, style and interior. Therefore, it occupies a prominent place not only in Russian culture, but also in world art as a whole. In this regard, the protection of historical and cultural monuments is currently particularly important. Many of them did not reach our time, some were destroyed during the war, so modern archaeologists and restorers attach great importance to their reconstruction and renovation.