The village of Ladoga in the Leningrad Region is one of the oldest settlements in northwestern Russia. It was here in the early Middle Ages that Russian statehood was born. In the second half of the XII century, the Christianization of these lands begins. At the initiative of Bishop Nifont, seven churches were built in Ladoga (according to other sources - eight). Only the Church of St. George in Ladoga and the Assumption Cathedral of the outskirts of the nunnery have been completely preserved to this day.
The history of the construction of the St. George Church
The temple was built after the victory of Russian troops over the Swedes on the Voroneg River. The exact date of the start of construction is not defined, it is only known that the church was erected in 1165-1166. In 1445, the walls of the monastery grew around the temple. The founder of the monastery was Novgorod Archbishop Efimiy. Vladyka paid great attention to the repair of the church, as well as the paintings on the walls of the monastery. After so many years, the frescoes needed updating. The artists were faced with the task of preserving the ancient murals and, when creating new frescoes, to follow the previously adopted style and content.
Then the temple was covered with a new roof, the altar wall was replaced, a two-tier iconostasis was placed. In this form, the monastery existed until the beginning of the Time of Troubles (XVI – XVII centuries).
In 1584-1586, the Church of St. George in Ladoga was distinguished by a gable coating of arches and a conical completion of the dome. A two-span belfry was attached above the western facade. During the overhaul of the temple in 1683–1684. the gable coating was replaced by a four-gable one, the drum was raised, four windows were laid, the window openings were weathered. Unfortunately, at this time they did not pay enough attention to the frescoes, many of which were knocked down from the walls and lost under the new floor.
Scientific restoration of the temple
Interest in Old Russian painting revived at the beginning of the 19th century. The Church of St. George in Ladoga, whose history goes back centuries, fell under the auspices of the Imperial Archaeological Commission. Through the efforts of enthusiasts, most of the frescoes were saved. The images were copied by artist V.A. Prokhorov, N.E. Brandenburg Researchers of Russian antiquity V.N. Lazarev, V.V. Suslov studied the artistic features of the frescoes.
In the XX century, work continued on the restoration of the temple, which was consecrated in 1904. By a happy coincidence, the Church of St. George in Ladoga escaped monstrous destruction during the time of militant atheism. Architects, historians, artists of restoration workshops, V.V., contributed to the renovation of the monastery. Danilov, E.A. Dobmrovskaya, A.A. Dredge and others. In 1996, restoration work was completed. As a result, the St. George Church acquired its original form. The walls of the church were freed from foreign strata, and now the attention of parishioners is presented to the works of ancient Russian art preserved to this day .
About St. George
The patron saint of the church is the holy martyr George, who prompted his compatriots to accept the Christian faith. The conversion of the inhabitants of Palestine to Christianity occurred as a result of the victory of the saint over the forces of evil, known as the Miracle of George about the Serpent.
In those days, the inhabitants of the Palestinian city of Gebala were pagans. The townspeople were very afraid of the terrible snake that lived in the lake and ate people. In order to save his subjects, the king ordered daily to give one child to be eaten by a snake. Once there were no children left in the city, and the royal daughter was sacrificed to the monster.
The girl stood on the shore of the lake, resigned to her fate, when suddenly, out of nowhere, a horseman appeared. It was St. George, who rode to the aid of the townspeople. With God's help, in the name of Jesus Christ, the serpent was defeated, bound and given to the Palestinians for reprisal. Seeing the defeated monster, people rejoiced and believed in Christ.
The miracle of George about the Serpent is embodied in the icon of the same name. The face of St. George, defeating the monster, symbolizes the victory of man over the forces of evil, over his weaknesses, passions and doubts about faith. The fight against evil should be not only around you, but also in yourself.
Church of St. George in Ladoga: architecture
As mentioned above, thanks to the fruitful work of many people, the temple was restored in its original form. The building corresponds to the style of religious buildings of the pre-Mongol era. The church is single-headed, has four pillars and three equally high apse. The height of the temple is fifteen meters, and the area of the monastery is seventy-two square meters.
Windows in the north, south and east facades are asymmetrically located. Traditional symmetry can be traced only on the western facade. Thanks to this architectural solution, some dynamics are introduced into the appearance of the temple, while the building does not look classically strict and proportionate.
Asymmetry has a functional meaning: the windows are arranged so that daylight gets into the room. Window openings on the yards of the northern and southern facades are designed in the form of a pyramid. The windows below are opened under the choirs. The rooms of the choirs on the second tier of the western corners of the church are connected by wooden flooring. A staircase leading to the choirs is located in the western wall.
The eastern branches of the side facades of the temple are somewhat reduced in size, the apses are as if pressed into the wall, the drum is noticeably shifted towards the east. The church is not strictly centric, which was characteristic of the Novgorod architecture of those times. The temple was built on the territory of the fortress, so the craftsmen were forced to take into account existing buildings.
Murals of the temple
St. George's Church is decorated with frescoes from the beginning of the XII century. Byzantine art is intertwined with the social needs of Ancient Russia. The purpose of the murals is to educate people, to introduce parishioners to Christian values. Saint Clement of Rome was especially revered on Novgorod land.
The frescoes of the St. George Church are made in the same style. Artists of that time possessed the necessary technical skills, felt the color, knew about the perspective and patterns of interaction of drawings with the space of the temple.
Only one fifth of the frescoes has survived to our time. The painting of the dome and the drum with the composition “Ascension of the Lord” is most clearly seen. Above the altar part are the prophet kings David and Solomon, revered by the Novgorodians for their wisdom and care for Christians. The faces of the elders are addressed to the rulers: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Gideon, Naum, Isekiel. Also preserved are the images of the Mother of God, the archangel Gabriel, Bishop John the Merciful, George the Victorious, angels.
Church location
Church of St. George is located in the village of Staraya Ladoga. This is the oldest settlement in the entire Leningrad region. The first buildings here were discovered in 753. Ladoga is mentioned in the "Tale of Bygone Years" as the possession of Prince Rurik. According to the Novgorod Chronicle, Prophetic Oleg is buried in the village.
In addition to the St. George Church, in Staraya Ladoga there is the museum of the same name, the Staroladozh Fortress, and convents for women and men.