Civil buildings of the Kremlin. Legends and myths of the Kremlin. Wooden architecture of the Russian North

An article published in the collection "Architectural heritage" No. 47 (M., URSS, 2007). I wrote it in 2005, since then there has been a significant increase in materials on this topic. By and large, the article would be redone and supplemented, but this is a whole separate work. So let it be the way it is for now.

Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Tezin (Vichuga). Photo by the author, 2001

A.V. Slezkin
Images of the Moscow Kremlin in the architecture of neo-Russian temples

The role of the cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin as models for the construction of large city and monastic churches in XVI - XVII centuries well known. This corresponded to the medieval method of focusing on the iconographic prototype. With the transfer of the capital to St. Petersburg, the Kremlin shrines lost their former significance only for a short period. Already under Elizabeth, in the wake of the rise of national feelings, St. Petersburg architecture again turns to the traditional forms of Russian church building, focusing primarily on the image of the Assumption Cathedral. The creation of Aristotle Fioravanti was perceived by the culture of modern times as a spiritual and state symbol, the most valuable relic, which continued to fulfill its historical mission. As you know, the Assumption Cathedral, being a treasury of especially revered shrines, remained the place of coronation of Russian monarchs. Under its vaults, power acquired the highest legitimacy. In addition, the main cathedral of Moscow was a monument to the formation of a centralized Russian state.

The combination of these functions made the cathedral a kind of architectural ideal, the recognizable features of which were interpreted throughout XVIII - XIX centuries according to the prevailing artistic styles. Thus, the orientation towards the five domes of the Assumption Cathedral became the program for the Baroque church building of the Elizabethan period. In the era of historicism, imitation of the model takes on more concrete forms - not only at the typological level, but also along the line of reproducing characteristic architectural features. In the context of the Kremlin theme, one of the large churches of the main creator of the Nikolaev "Russian-Byzantine style" K.A. Ton is of interest - the Cathedral of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God of the Zadonsky Bogoroditsky Monastery (1845 - 1853). In general, its architectural appearance is close to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, however, the six-pillar structure, manifested on the northern and southern facades by four whorls and their corresponding zakomaras, clearly dates back to the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin.

From the second third of the XIX V. the theme of Moscow shrines begins to actively sound in the architectural space of St. Petersburg. The isolation of the Europeanized capital from indigenous Russia was painfully felt precisely during this period of intense search for a national style. Since the Nikolaev time, large-scale construction of temples began in St. Petersburg, designed to give the city on the Neva a pronounced "Russian" flavor. Some very important buildings in terms of urban planning and architecture were programmatically likened to the famous Moscow prototypes. In this way, the northern capital seemed to be trying to compensate for its historical youth.

The complex of the Voskresensky Novodevichy Convent is doubly indicative - in addition to the name, which referred to the famous Moscow monastery, there were numerous quotations from pre-Petrine architecture in its appearance. Built in 1892 - 1895. According to the project of L.N. Benois and V.P. Zeidler, the bell tower strengthened concrete historical associations with the Moscow Kremlin, quite closely copying the pillar of Ivan the Great. With the acquisition of the bell tower, the buildings of the monastery formed an integral ensemble with a picturesque play of different-sized domes and a recognizable "Moscow" dominant[i] . The peculiar silhouette and original multicoloredness of St. Basil's Cathedral, compositionally inextricably linked with the Kremlin, are reproduced in the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, better known as the "Savior on Spilled Blood" (1883 - 1907, architect A.A. Parland). Memorial temple marking the place of the death of Emperor AlexanderII , plays a significant role in the urban planning space of the central part of St. Petersburg.

In general, the concept of the Russian style of the end XIX V. assumed an archaeological approach to the stylization of ancient Russian samples. Borrowing was of a compiling nature and elevated the increased decorative effect to the category of main and undeniable advantages. Passion for particulars did not allow to fully convey the figurative side medieval architecture. A fundamentally different method of interpreting the heritage of pre-Petrine Rus' was the basis of the neo-Russian style. The first experiments of the "Abramtsevo circle" in the 1880s. headed by V.M. Vasnetsov, they outlined a new, “artistic” look at their native antiquity. Rationalistic study, "architectural dissection" of the monuments was replaced by a poetically sublime and deep experience of their figurative essence. This change in consciousness was convincingly expressed by N.K.<на нее>not with the dull gaze of an archaeologist, but with the warm gaze of love and delight.”

It is quite natural that for the architecture of the neo-Russian style, the significance of the images of the Kremlin shrines has not only been preserved, but also increased. Monumentality and lapidarity of the architectural language of Moscow XV - XVI centuries turned out to be consonant with the aesthetics of the new direction, though not to the same extent as the style of the Novgorod-Pskov medieval architecture. The balancing of the neo-Russian style on the verge between modernity and retrospectivism resulted in the fact that the stylization of the Novgorod-Pskov prototypes was carried out mainly through the prism of modernity, which loved the grotesque and sculptural forms, while rather static and “correct” Moscow samples were transformed more straightforwardly.

Treating the Kremlin as a stronghold of Russian statehood and an outstanding ensemble national culture on the edge XIX - XX centuries took on a new quality. The approach of the 300th anniversary of the ruling dynasty intensified public interest in domestic antiquities. The image of the Mother See of the capital, the epic city with its traditions and originality architectural appearance has become a hot topic. In the wake of this “poetic-artistic” discovery of Moscow antiquity, for example, the famous series of watercolors by A.M. Vasnetsov arose, vividly depicting the bygone life of Moscow XII-XVII centuries. saved at the beginning XX V. and therefore the well-known temples and monasteries in watercolors seemed to come to life in their once natural surroundings. The bright artistic image of the ancient Russian capital became a fact modern culture turn of the century.

The increased interest in the Kremlin shrines also had more concrete manifestations. In 1894 - 1895. the restoration of the Assumption Cathedral was carried out, which increased the attention of specialists to this architectural monument XV V. The work was carried out under the direction of K.M. Bykovsky. The original forms of window openings were restored, and the first clearings of ancient frescoes were made. The next stage of the restoration of the cathedral took place in 1913 - 1917, when it was possible to restore the plinth, the bases of the half-columns of the portals and the bases of the pillars in the interior. The cleaning of the mural was continued. The beginning of the second stage of work coincides with the celebrations on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. In this regard, it seems significant that in 1913, directly during the celebrations, Nikolai II an offering was made from the retinue - a gilded model of the Assumption Cathedral. It was placed in the St. Petersburg Cathedral of the Feodorovskaya Icon Mother of God, erected according to the project of S.S. Krichinsky in honor of this anniversary.

Model of the Assumption Cathedral - an offering to Nicholas II from the retinue. It was kept in the Fedorovsky Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Photo by K. Bulla, 1913

Late XIX - early XX V. architects are developing a new modification of the typology of the five-domed cathedral church. This is no longer a cruciform volume of Empire proportions with a large central light drum and four small belfries that often served as bell towers (a type of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior), but a slender cubic structure with a monumental five-domed top on top of semicircular (and not "Ton" keeled) zakomaras. The head drums are set quite closely, and, as a rule, all of them are illuminated. From the east - three powerful semicircular apses, from the west - a lowered narthex. In the process of evolution, the idea of a five-domed cathedral acquired more and more concrete outlines of ancient Russian cathedrals. XII - XVI centuries, ascending to the Assumption line in Vladimir, continued by another landmark building - the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

The first in a series of gradual departure from the Ton tradition is the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery near Moscow, built in 1880-1894. according to the project of A.S. Kaminsky.[v] Its walls, heavily recessed between the shoulder blades, and its well-assembled five domes refer to the Kremlin prototypes, or, rather, to a generalized type of cathedral.XVI century (the time of Basil III and Ivan the Terrible), in turn also oriented towards the Assumption Cathedral.

Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral of the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery. Photo by the author, 2002

The Cathedral of the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery is largely imitated by the Assumption Cathedral of the Resurrection-Fedorovsky Monastery in the village of Sergeevo near Shuya (1897 - 1905), designed by the Vladimir architect P.G. Begen. Despite the fact that its side domes are decorative, the resemblance to the main cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin is enhanced by the introduction of an arcade-columnar belt between the windows of the first and second windows. This motive, as you know, Moscow took from the Vladimir-Suzdal architecture.XII V. In the examples given, attention is drawn to the generalization and enlargement of forms and details. This is a completely new feature for domestic architecture of the end XIX century, who loved the verbose "patterned XVII century”, highly approved by Alexander III.

L.N. Benois went even further in the direction of the creative interpretation of ancient Russian samples, designing the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Warsaw (1894 - 1912) . His plan corresponded to the imperial idea of establishing Russian power in the rebellious Polish lands. The forms of this imposing temple came out more plastic, and the details are more refined than those of the Kaminsky Cathedral. To the south-west of the temple there was a free-standing pillar-shaped bell tower, close to another already mentioned work by Benois - the bell tower of the Novodevichy Convent in St. Petersburg and also reproducing in detail the architecture of the Ivan the Great Kremlin bell tower (but decorated much richer than the prototype). The overall composition of the ensemble, when the monumental five-domed temple and the pillar-shaped bell tower were located at a distance from each other, should undoubtedly be considered a Kremlin allusion. In decorative terms, the architecture of the Warsaw Cathedral is closer to the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir than in Moscow. The variety of finishing materials, the widespread use of mosaics, the “stylishness” of the silhouette are completely new qualities that make it possible to attribute the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral to the circle of landmark buildings for the formation of the neo-Russian style.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Warsaw. Photo around 1920

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Warsaw. Photo from the 1910s

The line of the Benois Cathedral is continued by the new Cathedral of the Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery (now consecrated as the Transfiguration Cathedral). Built in 1905 - 1917. according to the project of A.E. Antonov, it stands closer to the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir than to the Moscow one of the same name. In the decorative design of the facades of this large temple, the motif of the arcade belt prevails. The small scale of the arcade emphasizes the massiveness of the cathedral, and the complication of its composition with extensive vestibules gives the building dynamism. At the same time, the solution of five domes, when the side domes are much smaller than the central one, is typical for temple building in the 1830s - 1890s. (projects by K.A. Ton, V.A. Kosyakov), and not at all for the neo-Russian style. A clear confirmation of this is the silhouette similarity of the cathedral in question with the nearby Trinity Cathedral, designed by A.I. Rezanov entirely in the spirit of his teacher Ton.

Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral of the Serafimo-Diveevsky Monastery. Photo by the author, 2005

The Assumption Cathedral of the Pyukhtitsky Monastery in Estonia (1907 - 1910, architect A.A. Poleshchuk) is distinguished by a simpler composition with a schematic decor. Eclectic conventionality and rigidity of forms are also noticeable in the design of the church of St. Prince Vladimir in the city of Dalniy (China), dating back to the early 1900s. Widely spaced five chapters make us recall, again, some of the works of K.A. Ton (Catherine's Church in St. Petersburg, churches in Tsarskoe Selo and Peterhof). It is also symptomatic that the arched belt "slid" to the base of the building, turning into a purely decorative continuation of its basement.

Slender in proportions, the Assumption Cathedral of the community "Joy and Consolation" in the village of Dobrynikha near Moscow (1900 - 1904, architect S.U. Soloviev) already without any reservations belongs to the neo-Russian style. The outlines of zakomaras became smoother, vast surfaces of smooth walls and details appeared, gleaned from the Novgorod-Pskov architecture so beloved at the beginning of the 20th century. The small western vestibule has a keeled end, which is a common motif of the neo-Russian style. At the same time, the architectural image of the building is devoid of grotesque, which is typical for all the works of S.U.Soloviev.

Assumption Cathedral of the community "Joy and Consolation" in the village. Dobrynikh. Photo of the beginning 20th century

Examples of the developed neo-Russian style, in which the theme of the Kremlin cathedral architecture sounds, is the project of the church in the estate of A.M. Maltsev Balakovo, Samara province, made by I.I.[x] . In the image of a monumental temple, the features of the two main five-domed cathedrals of antiquity are combined - the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow and the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir. The orientation towards the latter is more definite, both in the overall composition and in the nature of the decor.

I.I. Nivinsky. Church project in Balakovo. 1908

It is necessary to mention the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on Miusskaya Square in Moscow (project 1899, construction 1914 - 1917, architect A.N. Pomerantsev)

The architecture of the Moscow Kremlin allows you to get a complete picture of how the center was originally arranged Russian capital. includes temples, squares, chambers, buildings. Today, all these are sights, which guests and tourists come to see from all over Russia and from abroad.

Kremlin construction

The architecture of the Moscow Kremlin was formed at the end of the 15th century. The main towers and walls were built in 1485-1495. Red brick was used and White stone in lime mortar. It is worth noting that local craftsmen were not sufficiently qualified for such work. Therefore, foreign experts were invited. Ivan III hired architects from Italy to build the Moscow Kremlin.

However, some towers were nevertheless erected by Russian masters. The fact is that their shape resembles characteristic wooden structures. As you know, at that time carpentry in Rus' reached its perfection, which was facilitated by the universal material itself, and work was constantly required, since periodically large fires destroyed all buildings. To avoid this, stone was used in the construction of the Moscow Kremlin.

Assumption Cathedral

One of the main buildings of this architectural ensemble is the Assumption Cathedral. It was erected on the site of the first stone cathedral in Ivan Kalita in the first half of the 14th century. The architecture of the Moscow Kremlin is largely determined by this building.

The cathedral began to be erected in 1475. The sample was similar place of worship in Vladimir in the 12th century. Thus, the continuity of Moscow in relation to Vladimir, which was previously considered one of the main cities of Rus', was once again emphasized.

For the next 400 years it was main temple in Rus'. It was here that all the rulers were crowned to the kingdom. Main entrance located on the side of the Cathedral Square. The entrance to this Kremlin is, as it were, guarded by the Archangel Michael, whose figure is depicted above the arch. Still higher is the Virgin and Child.

The iconostasis, which we can see today in the Assumption Cathedral, was completed by the icon painters of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in the middle of the 17th century.

During the Patriotic War of 1812, the buildings of the Moscow Kremlin were looted and devastated. This cathedral was no exception. Part of the loot from the French was later recaptured by the Russian Cossacks.

Blagoveshchensky cathedral

The architecture of the Moscow Kremlin cannot be imagined without the Cathedral of the Annunciation. It is located in the southwestern part of Cathedral Square. It was built at the end of the 15th century. The work was carried out by Pskov masters.

During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, a porch with a high porch made of white stone was added.

This temple of the Moscow Kremlin was built in the traditions of early Moscow architecture. Today, the murals of the cathedral, which appeared at the beginning of the 16th century, are of great interest. The main merit belongs to the artel of artists, which was led by Theodosius and his son Dionysius. Lots of stories about the Apocalypse. You can also find secular motifs. For example, Russian princes and Byzantine emperors.

The floor of this cathedral is unique. It was laid out with a special tile of precious agate jasper.

Cathedral of the Archangel

This cathedral within the walls of the Moscow Kremlin appeared at the beginning of the 16th century. It was erected by the invited Italian architect Aleviz Novy. At the same time, he followed the traditions of Russian architecture. The features of the Italian Renaissance are visible only in the rich decoration of the temple.

Its construction was carried out on the site of the ancient Archangel Cathedral, which was erected by Ivan Kalita in the 14th century, in memory of the deliverance of the capital from general famine. It was dismantled due to tightness, making room for a more spacious temple.

The cathedral is crowned with five domes. The central one is gilded, and the side ones are simply painted with silver paint. Carved white stone portals are made in the style of the Italian Renaissance.

During the capture of the capital by Napoleon, a wine warehouse was located here. The French set up a kitchen on the altar, and stole all the valuables.

Church of the Deposition of the Robe

notable and not big church, built by domestic craftsmen at the end of the 15th century. It appeared on the site of the old wooden church of the Deposition of the Robe, which was built after the Tatars retreated from Moscow.

In 1451, they came close to the city, but did not storm it, but retreated, leaving behind all the loot. The Orthodox Church gave this religious significance, considering it a miracle. In reality, the Tatars retreated due to political differences between the military leaders.

The new church was seriously damaged by fire in 1737. It was restored by the architect Michurin.

Armouries

The chambers of the Moscow Kremlin today are of great interest to tourists. The first mention of the valuables that are today in the Armory can be found in 1339. Even during the time of Ivan Kalita, the formation of princely treasures began. Among them were jewelry, dishes, church vessels, expensive clothing and weapons.

At the end of the 15th century, one of the centers of Russian art crafts was located here. In addition, gifts from foreign embassies were brought here. Pearls, ceremonial horse harness.

By 1485, the treasury had grown so much that it was decided to build a separate two-story stone building between the Cathedral of the Annunciation and the Archangel. It was called the Treasury.

Faceted Chamber

The Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin is one of the few parts of the palace that have been preserved since the time of Ivan III. This was his grand throne room. This is the oldest civil stone structure in Moscow.

It was built in 4 years masters with the help of invited Italians - Pietro Solari and Marco Ruffo.

The chamber is a square hall in which they rely on a pillar in the center of the room. The hall, 9 meters high, is illuminated by well-placed 18 windows, as well as by four massive chandeliers. total area The Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin is almost 500 square meters.

At the end of the 16th century, its walls were painted with church and biblical scenes. For centuries, the most important events in the history of the Russian state were celebrated here. Foreign embassies and delegations were received here, the Zemsky Sobor met. The victories of Russian weapons were regularly celebrated in the Palace of Facets. For example, Ivan the Terrible and Peter I celebrated the victory at Poltava over the Swedes.

Red Square

The Red Square of the Moscow Kremlin appeared in the 15th century. Today it is one of the symbols not only of the capital, but also of the country, its calling card.

It was laid by Ivan III, who ordered to demolish all the wooden buildings around the Kremlin. Since they seriously threatened him with a fire. This place, by his order, was taken under trade. Therefore, Red Square was originally called Torg. True, this did not last long.

Already in the 16th century it was renamed Troitskaya. Due to the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity. Later, St. Basil's Cathedral appeared in its place. Judging by the documents, in the 17th century the square was called Pozhar. At the same time, one should not forget an interesting toponymic feature Ancient Rus'. At that time, the same object could have several official names at the same time.

Red Square officially became known as such only in the 19th century. Although in some documents this name is found as early as the 17th century. The meaning of this name, according to Vladimir Dahl's dictionary, is that our ancestors used the word "red" to mean beautiful, excellent.

Over the centuries, on the example of Red Square, one can trace how the Moscow Kremlin has changed. In the 15th century, there appeared famous towers- Senate, Spasskaya and Nikolskaya. In the XVI century St. Basil's Cathedral and the Place of execution. In the 19th century - the Historical Museum, the Upper Trading Rows, which are now called GUM, a monument to Minin and Pozharsky. The 20th century brought the Mausoleum and the necropolis near the Kremlin wall to Red Square.

St Basil's Church

This temple was built in the middle of the 16th century. It was erected in honor of the capture of Kazan by Russian troops. The building is a grandiose structure of 9 pillars that rise above the basement, connected by a gallery. The composition is united by a central pillar, which is crowned with tents with a decorative cupola at the top. Many specially come to Moscow to see this temple with their own eyes.

The central tent is surrounded by eight pillars. All the others end with onion-shaped heads.

From the side of the Spasskaya Tower, two porches lead to the terrace of the temple. From there you can get to the bypass gallery. Tourists and residents of the capital are still impressed by the coloring of the temple, even though it was made several centuries ago. St. Basil's Cathedral was painted by real masters. They used exclusively natural colors in combination with white stone and red brick. Of the latter, the smallest details are made. The bright painting was made in the 17th century. When later extensions appeared, they placed a bell tower and a chapel of the temple in the northeast. The names of the architects who built this iconic religious building have come down to our time. Their names were Posnik and Barma.

These styles can not only be called "Russian", but also say that they influenced the international scene. Good opportunity remember our architecture, perhaps update the school itself... well, get rid of the complex of losers in architecture.

Wooden architecture of the Russian North

Time: from time immemorial - until the XIX century

Location: Russian North

Now no one will say where this architecture came from: hipped churches, similar to space rockets; huts-yards the size of half a five-story building; silvery aspen "scales" - plowshares on roofs and cupolas. Something, of course, was forged by the harsh northern climate - at least the same house-yards, where everything, from housing to a barn, was removed under one roof to protect it from snow and frost. Something, probably, was borrowed from the neighbors in ancient times: the Klet churches vaguely resemble the Varangian stave churches, and the Tatars are trying to challenge the invention of the tent. Be that as it may, all these types of buildings are more than a thousand years old, and for example, the first Sophia of Novgorod, cut down in the year of the Baptism of Rus', was a tent temple. Born from the land where they stand, its nature and history, these buildings are as natural as the surrounding groves, hills and rivers.

Seven bright examples

Pogost and Kizhi Museum in Karelia - the most perfect (Preobrazhenskaya) and the oldest surviving (Resurrection of Lazarus) wooden churches in Russia.
Kimzha and other villages of the Mezen River are the most solid and authentic wooden Rus'.
Small Korely near Arkhangelsk is the largest Russian museum of wooden architecture.
Chapels of Kenozersky national park- the most convenient for recreation and excursions reserve of wooden antiquity.
The Sretensko-Mikhailovskaya Church on the site of the disappeared village of Krasnaya Lyaga is the most enchanted place.
Varzuga and other villages of the Tersky coast in Murmansk region- the northernmost old Russian villages.
The Nevsky forest park near St. Petersburg is a recreated church of the Vytegorsky churchyard, the largest and most complex of those that survived until the 20th century, but burned down in the 1960s.

Moscow baroque and pattern

Time: XVII-XVIII centuries

Location: Central Russia, Russian North and Volga region

When you hear the phrase "Russian Church", you most often imagine samples of this particular style. These are neither gingerbread nor toy churches with magnificent forms, indispensable white and red colors, fireworks of kokoshniks above the roof, multi-colored cupolas and elaborate crosses. In Moscow and surrounding cities in the middle of the 17th century, this style replaced the harsh, cold Byzantine architecture, which has dominated since the time of Ancient Rus'. Earlier patterns are identified with mannerism, but it is not so easy to draw a line between it and the Moscow baroque itself - one style smoothly grew out of the other. Merchants stood at their origins. They went to trade in Europe and saw new trends there ... but they created something completely different. Most likely, they just wanted something new.

Seven notable examples:

The Trinity Church in Nikitniki (Moscow) is the very first example of the style.
The Assumption Cathedral in the Ryazan Kremlin is the most impressive example of the style in size.
The Terem Palace in the Moscow Kremlin is the largest patterned palace.
The Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery in Moscow is the most complete ensemble of Russian Baroque.
The Church of John the Baptist in Yaroslavl is the most bizarre example of the style, and besides, it is depicted on the 1000 ruble bill.
The Peter and Paul Cathedral in Kazan is the most perfect example of style.
Trinity Cathedral and other churches in Solikamsk ( Perm region) is the best ensemble of this style far from Moscow.

"False Gothic"

Time: late 18th - early 19th century.

Location: suburbs of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

... Tired of the severity of classicism and the madness of the Baroque, Europeans in the 18th century suddenly remembered Gothic, the first architectural style that they invented themselves, without looking back at the Greeks and Romans. European cities, and in Russia - the estates of the most enlightened merchants and aristocrats were then decorated with numerous stylizations for that era. But it turned out the same as with the baroque a century and a half earlier: Kazakov, Bazhenov, Felten, most likely without noticing how, created a completely Russian architectural style, which is now called not even "neo-Gothic", but "false Gothic". In essence, this is just Russian baroque successfully disguised as gothic. It is also indicative that the Old Believers, the guardians of Rus' of Dopetrovskaya, to whom Catherine II granted a short thaw in those years, built their churches in this style, preferring it to "Latinian" classicism.

Seven notable examples:

The Tsaritsyno estate in Moscow is the very first and largest ensemble in this style.
The Petrovsky Palace in Moscow is less famous than Tsaritsyno, but no less beautiful.
The Nikolskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin is the most famous example of the style, as it stands right on Red Square.
The Rogozhsky and Preobrazhensky monasteries in Moscow - as "false Gothic" were loved by the Old Believers.
The Chesme Church in St. Petersburg is the most beautiful church in this style.
Novo-Nikolsky Cathedral in Mozhaisk is the largest church in this style.
Station New Peterhof - and this, for comparison, is classical, not "false" neo-Gothic.

Siberian Baroque

Time: XVIII - early XIX century.

Location: Siberia

Russia also has its own gothic style, and it is necessary to look for it in Siberia. In general, the "Moscow baroque" was not close to the merchants of the Russian North - the most businesslike and patriarchal - and they created a completely different style. Northern churches - white, thin and tall - resemble sailing ships. From city to city they differed in order, and the churches of Totma cannot be confused with the churches of Ustyug and Vyatka, and the churches of Vyatka with the churches of the Urals. The farther to the east, the more original their appearance was, reaching its apotheosis somewhere between the Urals and Baikal. Siberian churches are unforgettable. Their aspiration to the sky, flaming silhouettes of roofs and architraves, small cupolas, similar to the lights of candles - among the squat wooden cities, to which the taiga came close in the old days, they seemed to be a frozen radiance.

Seven notable examples:

Trinity Cathedral in Verkhoturye ( Sverdlovsk region) is not yet Siberian baroque, but its prototype.
The Transfiguration Church in Verkhnyaya Sinyachikha (Sverdlovsk region) is the most western and most original example of the style.
Churches of Podgora (Tobolsk) - several mostly abandoned baroque churches look amazing among the wooden old town at the foot of the Kremlin mountain; but the Kremlin itself is still Moscow, not Siberian, architecture.
The Resurrection Church in Tomsk is the most beautiful example of the style.
The churches of Irkutsk are, among other things, decorated with Buddhist (!) ornaments.
Odigitrievsky Cathedral in Ulan-Ude is the heart of the city, the most eastern example of the style and the first earthquake-resistant building in Russia.
The Assumption Church near Nerchinsk is more of a pattern, but almost on Far East! The furthest Russian church from Moscow of the 18th century.

Wooden Art Nouveau

Time: late 19th - early 20th century.

Location: all of the former Russian Empire.

And, in fact, not only Art Nouveau - and eclecticism, and echoes of classicism: half a century before the revolution, Russian wooden architecture experienced a real renaissance. Moreover, if in pre-Petrine times wooden churches set the tone, in the 19th century the leadership passed to mansions. The most different: city houses, estates, dachas ... Often - with wooden lace. As happened in Russia more than once, merchants and industrialists from among the liberated peasants were the legislators of this style, and only then this fashion that came from the depths of Russia was accepted by the capital's intellectuals. Huge districts-ensembles of carved wooden houses are one of the most unique sights of Russia.

Seven notable examples:

Dachas of the early twentieth century in the vicinity of Moscow and especially St. Petersburg.
Wooden quarters of Vologda, primarily Nizhny Posad and Zarechye.
Kozmodemyansk on the Volga is the most abundant and elegant carving.
Soligalich in Kostroma - the most solid and authentic wooden Old city where from the chopped even shopping arcades.
The wooden quarters of Astrakhan, which is especially surprising if you remember that there is a desert around.
The wooden quarters of Tomsk, primarily Tatarskaya Sloboda and Voskresenskaya Gora - perhaps the best reserve this style.
The wooden quarters of Irkutsk - together with Tomsk and Vologda completes " big three Russian wooden cities.

1) On January 21, thanks to a successful day off, I rode from the very morning to Mozhaisk. If on weekdays it is extremely difficult to get up at 7.00 or 7.30, then on weekends, as according to the law of meanness, you wake up yourself, you feel vivacity, mood, energy. I had to drive 80 km, I set the route, but the navigator brought me to a now non-existent car crossing, which made it necessary to look for workarounds (and the navigator stubbornly urged me to return to that crossing, converted to a pedestrian one). Having slightly circled around the private sector, without the help of technology, I myself found the highway, along which I drove to Mozhaisk Highway and continued on my way.

2) Frame from the film by Sergei Bondarchuk "War and Peace" 1965-1967. filming on the eve of the scene of the Battle of Borodino.

3) Photo of 1912 by Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky.

4) The purpose of the trip was the Novo-Nikolsky Cathedral in pseudo-Gothic style on the site of the Mozhaisk Kremlin that existed until the 17th century, from which a fragment of an earthen rampart and 11 meters of the fortress gate remained.

5) The inhabitants of the deaf Moskvoretsky forests, located on the border of Smolensk, Chernigov and Rostov lands, were almost not affected by political, economic and spiritual processes Kievan Rus. Back in the first half of the 11th century, pagan antiquity reigned here, attracting everyone who fled from Christianization. Gradually, a recalcitrant, mobile and armed people, known as the Moskvoretsky Vyatichi, developed in these places. They did not know cities, did not build fortresses. The forest served them both as a home and a fortress. Everything changed after 1073, when the sons of Yaroslav the Wise began to fight for the throne of Kiev.
In 1097, the Lubech Congress was held, according to which Monomakh got his father's fatherland - the Principality of Pereyaslav and recognized the territorial losses of Chernigov, Smolensk and Rostov. Chernihiv land after Lubech was between Pereyaslavl, Smolensk and Rostov-Suzdal principalities. And if the belonging to Vladimir Pereyaslavl was protected by paternal law, then the absence of a common stable border between the disputed northern territories could lead to the loss of control over Smolensk and Rostov.
At the end of the 10th - beginning of the 11th century, there was only one way from Rostov to Smolensk - through the Volga to the Dnieper, bypassing the forest country of the Vyatichi. The situation with the roads changed after Monomakh’s campaigns “through the Vyatichi”, and despite the fact that it was not possible to completely conquer the Vyatichi, a second path was beaten to bypass them, now from the south. In 1097, with the loss of the Chernigov and Muromo-Ryazan principalities, Vladimir Monomakh was deprived of the southern route from Smolensk to Rostov. And the northern route along the Volga was still not reliable, since it went beyond the boundaries of the Rostov land. Under these conditions, there was only one thing left to do - to again push the path "through the Vyatichi", now along the Moscow River. However, this time Monomakh had neither the strength nor the time to conquer the Vyatichi. Therefore, the only political means was the "row" - an agreement between the prince and the Vyatichi. Attempts to reach an agreement with them were carried out both by the Smolensk principality and by Rostov from 1097 to 1113. It was during this period in 1108 that the city of Vladimir Zalessky (aka Vladimir) was founded, and also, following this hypothesis, two more fortresses, one of which later became Moscow, and the other Mozhaisk.
According to another theory, Mozhaisk owes its appearance to the ancient portage, one of the options for the route from the Varangians to the Greeks. It is in the Mozhaisk region that the narrowest section of the watershed of the Protva and Moscow rivers is located.

6) After 1113, nothing threatened the routes connecting the Smolensk and Rostov-Suzdal principalities. The first fortified citadel on Cathedral Hill existed already in the 12th century, in the area of the Novo-Nikolsky Cathedral. The fortifications were similar to the early fortifications of Moscow. They were a mound of wood and humus structured with log oak structures and covered with a layer of clay. The cladding of the shaft was a "hack" design: horizontally laid logs were held with wooden beams with hooks. The beams were driven into the rampart and held there by piles. A complete analogy of this find is the design of the shaft, discovered in 1959 in the Moscow Kremlin. This fact reinforces the hypothesis of a unified urban development program on the path “through Vyatichi”, within the framework of which Moscow and Mozhaisk were founded. On the top of the rampart was built a wooden wall, made up of log cabins. Towers on the walls for fortresses of this time were not envisaged.

7) By the end of the 1130s. the function of the settlement changes from a princely manor-"place" to a graveyard, which played an important role in the process of feudalization, reigning and Christianization local population. In addition to the permanent garrison and the voivode, a population appears here serving the process of collecting tribute, and the princely court was also periodically held.
Mozhaisk was first mentioned in chronicles (beginning with the Moscow Academic Chronicle and including a number of later chronicles, including Novgorod IV, Voskresenskaya and Nikonovskaya chronicles) in 1231. In that year, Prince Yaroslav of Pereslavl unsuccessfully tried to capture the fortress during an internecine conflict with the Chernigov Grand Duke Mikhail.
In 1237-1238. the settlement was afraid to avoid the invasion of Batu, in 1277 it was mentioned in the annals as part of the Smolensk principality - from that time Mozhaisk became a city.

8) In 1303, after the capture of the fortress by Moscow Prince Yuri Danilovich, the city became part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The earthen defensive rampart, which has come down to us, was poured no earlier than the 14th century. During the reign of Boris Godunov, a white-stone fortress was erected at the behest of the tsar in 1603-1605, destroyed during the Polish siege in 1618 on the eve of the Deulino truce with the Commonwealth. According to the peace treaty with Poland, which allowed the Russian kingdom to begin restoration National economy after the Troubles, Mozhaisk became a border town due to the loss of Smolensk. Architects Ivan Izmailov, John Thaler, Bazhen Ogurtsov (author of the Terem Palace of the Moscow Kremlin) in 1624-1626. a powerful Kremlin is being created in the city, modeled on Kitay-Gorod Moscow, as a counterweight to the Smolensk fortress wall then controlled by the Poles. In the 30s. In the 17th century, even Dmitry Pozharsky himself managed to stay as a governor of the fortress.

9) After the conclusion of the "Eternal Peace" with Poland, according to which the Left-bank Ukraine, Kiev, Zaporozhye, Smolensk and Chernigov-Seversk land with Chernigov and Starodub retreated to the Russian kingdom, the fortress began to gradually fall into decay. Its walls cracked and collapsed. Needless to anyone, the neglected Kremlin attracted only local residents (brick and white stone). In 1802, the Mozhaisk Kremlin was completely dismantled.

10) Simultaneously with the analysis of the Kremlin, in 1802-1814. under the leadership of the architect Alexei Bakarev, the St. Nicholas Cathedral, which we are considering in this report, is being built in the pseudo-Gothic style and partially including the walls of the white stone fortress that has ceased to exist.

11) However, the surviving fragment of the Mozhaisk Kremlin in the form of a fortress gate.

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16) View of private sector and the entrance to the city from the western side of the Old Smolensk road - the historical "autobahn" that connected the Moscow Kremlin and the Smolensk fortress. Russian troops retreated along the Old Smolensk road under the onslaught of Napoleon's army in the Patriotic War of 1812. Along this road, Napoleon with the remnants of the army fled from Moscow and Maloyaroslavets to the west.
Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 left more marks on the history of the Old Smolensk road than its entire long history. Repeating the events of 1812, the exhausted Red Army retreated to Moscow, fiercely resisting the onslaught of the Nazi troops. Until 1943, the front line passed in the area of the village. Uvarovka, and the German troops, finally bogged down in resistance Soviet soldiers, began to prepare for defense in the Durykino area, mentioned in the geography of the Old Smolensk road. In 1943, following the path of Napoleon's army, German troops began to retreat along the entire front line as a result of the Rzhev-Vyazemsky operation.

17) Mass grave of soldiers of the 5th Army of the Red Army who fell in the battles for Mozhaisk in November-December 1941. In December 1941 - January 1942, the army launched a counteroffensive, as a result of which they liberated Mozhaisk and entrenched themselves on the outskirts of Gzhatsk.
In March 1943, the army took part in the Rzhev-Vyazemsky offensive operation, during which the cities of Gzhatsk and Vyazma were liberated, in August - September 1943, during the Smolensk operation of 1943, it participated in the liberation of Smolensk.
In 1943-1944, the army as part of the 3rd Belorussian Front participated in the Orsha, Vitebsk, Belorussian and East Prussian offensive operations. Completed 2 world war 5th Army on the Far Eastern Front against the Kwantung Army of Japan, in the same place to this day and is stationed in Primorsky Krai.

Dear visitors! We draw your attention to some changes in the opening hours of the Museum

In connection with the repair and restoration work, the entrance of visitors to the territory of the Kremlin is carried out through the Trinity Gate, exit - via Spassky and Borovitsky. Passage of visitors to the Armory and exit is through the Borovitsky Gate.

October 1st to May 15th The Moscow Kremlin Museums are switching to winter mode. Architectural ensemble open for visits from 10:00 to 17:00. The Armory is open from 10:00 to 18:00. Tickets are sold at the box office from 9:30 to 16:00. Day off - Thursday. Exchange electronic tickets produced in accordance with the terms of the User Agreement.

October 1st to May 15th the exposition of the bell tower "Ivan the Great" is closed to the public.

In order to ensure the preservation of monuments under adverse weather conditions access to some museum-cathedrals may be temporarily restricted.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused.