Suzdal district is considered one of the most interesting tourist routes in our country. To look at numerous sights in the Vladimir region come not only from all over the vast Russia, but also foreigners, in particular Europeans. And this is not surprising. After all, the Suzdal district can rightly be called a museum working in the open air. Today it is part of the Golden Ring of Russia.
Holy places
On the territory of Suzdal an incredible number of temples, churches and chapels. The Vladimir diocese, of which they are a part, goes back to the thirteenth century. Today, there are twenty-eight monasteries and six temples. The largest of them are the Church of Boris and Gleb (Kideksha), Dmitrievsky and Assumption Cathedrals in Vladimir. On September 7, 2014, the Vladimir Diocese celebrated its eight hundredth anniversary. The celebrations, led by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, were attended not only by believers from all over our country, but also by numerous tourists. Interest in the sights of the Suzdal region is increasing every year. Tourists come here to see this "postcard" Russian corner. I must say that the temples of Suzdal are not only in the city, but also scattered in the picturesque meadows and fields of the region. One of them is the Church of Boris and Gleb (Kideksha).
Description
It was built four kilometers from Suzdal. The village of Kideksha, in which this rare monument of architecture stands, is ancient, pre-Slavic. It stands at the mouth of the small Kamenka River, among vast fields. The Temple of Boris and Gleb is one of the first churches related to the Vladimir-Suzdal white-stone architecture. In the place where Kideksha is located, Kamenka merges with the Nerl - the most important vital artery of the Suzdal Territory. That is why here in the twelfth century, Prince Yuri Dolgoruky decided to build a fortified town. He wanted to take control of the river exit from Suzdal. The temple of Boris and Gleb was erected by his artisan team in about 1152. He was to become the main cathedral in the residence of the prince. The courtyard was built on a high river bank in the form of a fortress. The barriers were more than one kilometer long. It was a fairly large residence, comparable in size to Moscow, founded by Yuri Dolgoruky. Unfortunately, many of its structures did not reach us.
Tradition
The place for construction and the name of the Borisoglebsky church was not chosen by chance. According to legend, it was here that the brothers Gleb and Boris met, later recognized as the first saints in Russia. They arrived here at the call of his father - Prince Vladimir. The Degree Book says that on the river on the Nerl in Kidekshah near the city of Suzdal there was a hillfort. And it was here that Boris and Gleb agreed to meet, who came from different directions to Kiev to their parent - Prince Krasnoye Solnyshko. Later they were killed by their third brother Svyatopolk. This tradition became an occasion to consecrate the main princely cathedral in honor of these two Russian first saints.
History
In Kideksha, the remains of the defensive ramparts of the princely residence are still preserved. According to some reports, the church itself was founded by Yuri Dolgoruky in honor of his two youngest sons - Boris and Gleb, who received the names of patron saints glorified in Russia. Here is the tomb of one of them. It is in the Borisoglebskaya church that the son of Dolgoruky, Prince of Belgorod and Turov, Boris Yuryevich, who died in 1159, is with his wife Maria and daughter Efrosinya.
During the Mongol invasion, Kideksha was hit hard. But already in 1239 the church of Boris and Gleb was renovated and consecrated. According to some reports, it was at this time that an altar carved barrier and a white-stone seat were arranged here.
Architecture
The Church of Boris and Gleb (Kideksha) does not shine with such exquisite craftsmanship, which is inherent, for example, to the Assumption or Dmitrievsky Cathedrals dating from about the same time. However, its simplicity gives the building a special appeal to a certain heroic character. The church of Boris and Gleb (Kideksha), whose architecture is very "severe", has an almost cubic shape. She has three apse protruding by powerful half-cylinders. The church of Boris and Gleb (Kideksha) is practically devoid of carvings. Only the girdle of her curb and the small town ledges erected an incredibly simple white facade.
The desolation of this temple began in the second half of the thirteenth century. The vaults and its head collapsed. And only in the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries the Church of Boris and Gleb (Kideksha) was renovated. In the work, her old white stone was used. However, the four-pitched roof and the small head did not quite reflect the appearance of this ancient temple, which he had originally.
Appearance
The Church of Boris and Gleb is made one-headed, four-pillar, three-apes. It is composed of perfectly hewn and almost dry laid quadras of a very high-quality white stone. The walls of the outer shoulder blades are divided into three unequal beds, the middle of which is wider and higher than the side. An arch is laid out above the western portal. The size of the church, its general proportions and the majority of design features, including the profile of the shoulder blades, are incredibly close to the Transfiguration Cathedral, built almost at the same time in Pereslavl-Zalessky.
Features
The architecture of the Borisoglebskaya Church shows clear parallels with Western European art, in particular, Romanesque art. For example, the characteristic arcature belt, dividing the side chambers into two tiers, attracts attention. A promising portal is also interesting, having a very simple profile in the form of three ledges and with a slightly moved forward castle stone. The drum was equipped with a town belt, as evidenced by its remains found under the roof of the temple. On several stones in the masonry you can see signs identical to the princely craftsmen.
Interior decoration
Built in 1152, the Church of Boris and Gleb (Kideksha) remained unfinished for four decades. In 1947, archaeologists discovered fragments of frescoes, which, according to researchers, belong to the eighties of the twelfth century. The painting, in all likelihood, was made during the time of Vsevolod III on his orders, as evidenced by the numerous depicted paradise trees and birds, characteristic of the white-stone decoration of his era and which are a departure from the canonical system. The church also preserved frescoes from a special niche in the thickness of the northern wall, directly under the choirs.
Temple complex
To the south of the cathedral at the end of the seventeenth century, the Holy Gate was erected, which opened the descent to the river. In 1780, next to a comparatively more ancient cold temple, a "warm" Stefanievsky church was built, resembling a residential building with its gable roof. The complex is completed by a tented bell tower. Thus, the architectural ensemble of Kideksha combines buildings that are separated in time by five centuries, however, despite this, they are incredibly organically interconnected.
If you look at this complex from the side of the Nerl River, you will immediately feel that subtle understanding of the harmony of nature and architecture that was inherent in the ancient architect.
The temple of Boris and Gleb was examined thoroughly by archaeologists. Recent excavations were carried out in 2011. The church has partially restored the floor. Many previously unknown elements of interior decoration were discovered: the base of the iconostasis, the lower part of the throne, omphalia. In ancient Russian architecture, the so-called pink stone located on the floor. Scientists believe that the most unique mosaic specimen is precisely the omphalia, which the Church of Boris and Gleb (Kideksha) had.
Interesting Facts
Masters who performed construction work on the construction of the temple, Yuri Dolgoruky, were previously sent to study in Italy. In Rome, they had to study the European architectural traditions of the time. The fact is that at that time in Russia they still did not work with natural stone. That is why the church turned out to be Romanesque, in the spirit of twelfth-century Europe. Its external decoration was modest, but even in that it was magnificent. Inside, everything was much richer. In addition, archaeologists discovered a pink stone in the floor in the central part of the church - omphalia. This was a special place on which the bishop became, performing a particularly solemn service. Today, the Kideksha Church of Boris and Gleb, listed by UNESCO, is included in the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum Reserve.
Reviews
Many people come to the amazingly beautiful village of Kideksha as part of the Golden Ring tourist route. Borisoglebsky church is striking in scale. It is amazing how in the distant twelfth century it was possible to carry out such a huge monumental construction. The originality of the church and its uniqueness lead tourists here from all over the country. It is hard to imagine that she will soon be a thousand years old. The only thing she lacks is an equipped parking lot for cars, although it will be difficult to solve this issue, because the church does not have a parish and a priest.