Dmitrievsky Cathedral of the city of Vladimir - museums of the Vladimir region - history - catalog of articles - unconditional love. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir: history and description

built in the 90s. XII century like the palace church of Prince Vladimir. Vsevolod (Dimitri) Big Nest, a monument of Vladimir-Suzdal white stone architecture.

History of the cathedral

The commission list of the Novgorod I Chronicle, reporting on Vsevolod’s buildings in the list “And these are the princes of Russia,” establishes - without mentioning the years of construction - their sequence: 4 tops of the Assumption Cathedral were built, “then Vsevolod erected a stone church in his yard of St. Dmitry in his Name. And then Vsevolod built the monastery of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God..." (1st Novgorod Chronicle... P. 468). Year of construction D. s. indicated in the Chronicler of the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral (known in the collections of the 17th-18th centuries, stored in the cathedral): “In the summer of 6699, Grand Duke Dimitri Vsevolod erected a stone church in his yard in the name of the Great Martyr Demetrius and gilded the top of it” (Shilov. 1910. P. 58).

However, D. s. in the present Time is usually dated differently. The Laurentian Chronicle, reporting about the fire that happened on June 23, 6701 (1193) in Vladimir, when “half of the city was burned, and the prince’s court ... was quickly spared from the fire,” does not mention D. with., which gives reason to assume that the cathedral not yet; Its bookmark is dedicated to the birth of October 25th. 6702 (1194) from the book. Vsevolod's son Vladimir, baptized Demetrius. The end of construction is considered to be the bringing and installation in the cathedral on January 10. 6705 (1197/98) Byzantine icon of the Great Martyr. Dimitri.

Dedication to the book. Vsevolod's council to his heavenly patron (“in his name”) makes the connection to the birth of his son unnecessary. Therefore, the date of 1191 seems more likely, and the use of the word “set” by the chronicler of the Vladimir Cathedral speaks not of the foundation, but of the completion of construction, i.e. D. with. could have been founded no later than 1187/88. The palace princely temple, which upon completion of construction became a reliquary of the common Christ. shrines - icons (“grave boards”) of the great martyr. Demetrius, was supposed to follow the prince’s temple-building plans. Vsevolod for renovation after the fire of the main temple of the principality - the Assumption of the Most Holy. The Cathedral of the Virgin Mary in Vladimir, where other Byzantines were kept. shrine - Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.

The Laurentian Chronicle connects evidence of D. with. with a story about the shrines of the Great Martyr. Demetrius under 6705: “The same winter was brought quickly from Selunya the grave hundred [go] of Demetrius in the month of Genvar on the 10th day” (PSRL. T. 1. Stb. 414) - and under 6720 (1212), in Pokhvala Vsevolod (1st mention of the cathedral in sources): “He created many churches according to his authority, for he created a beautiful church in his courtyard of the holy martyr Dmitry, and wonderfully decorated it with icons and writings, and brought the tomb plaque from Selun of the holy martyr Dmitry, muro constantly striving for the health of the weak, place it in that church, and put the same shirt of the same martyr” (Ibid. Stb. 436-437; T. 7. P. 118).

The idea was to create a new reliquary of the Great Martyr in the Principality of Vladimir. Demetrius, patron saint of the Byzantines. courtyard, turning Vladimir into Second Thessalonica, could mature with the prince. Vsevolod long before his reign in Vladimir - during his stay during the period of exile (1162 - approximately until 1169) in K-field (PSRL. T. 2. P. 521) at the court of the emperor. Manuel I Komnenos. In March 1149, the emperor transported from the basilica in Thessalonica to the Polish monastery of Pantocrator a miraculous cover with the image of the great martyr. Demetrius, and in 1158-1160. sent several Thessalonica shrines as a gift to St. Kng. Euphrosyne of Polotsk. Prince's mother Vsevolod could also bring with her a piece of Thessaloniki shrine as a dowry. Like imp. The shrines of the great martyr could receive a blessing before returning to his homeland. Demetrius from Thessalonica Basilica and Prince. Vsevolod. The addition (“place the shirt of the same martyr”) to the chronicle text about the myrrh-streaming “tomb board” suggests that the shrines came to Vladimir at different times; tribute to special worship of the Great Martyr. He gave the book to Dimitri. Yuri Dolgoruky, who named the city (Dmitrov) in his honor and named his son Vsevolod, was baptized Dimitri.

In D. s. The “grave board” became a temple image. The icon was placed either at the southeast. pillar, or in the south. parts of the altar barrier. After 1380 (probably in 1390-1400) by order of Prince. Dimitri Donskoy it was transferred to the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (now there, under the record of 1701 by Kirill Ulanov).

Dr., located in D. s. the shrine was a “shirt” - a piece of clothing or cloth covering from the body of a martyr, possibly with his sewn image. If this particle was small enough, then the frame for it could be a temple-shaped reliquary, now located in the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin. Perhaps there were other images of the Great Martyr in the temple. Dimitri.

In 1218 Polotsk bishop. Vladimir said “bring it.” book Konstantin Vsevolodovich “here is a portion of the Passion of the Lord... and the relics of St. Login the martyr, the centurion, both holy to his hands, and the relics of St. Mary Magdalene” (PSRL. T. 1. Stb. 441). In a solemn religious procession, the relics were transferred to the D. village. Nothing is known about their further fate.

In 1194-1196. D. s. (together with the prince's palace and the Assumption Cathedral with the bishop's courtyard) was surrounded by the wall of Detinets, which occupied a significant territory in the southwest. parts of the Pecherny (Middle) city. With the loss of political independence by Vladimir, and the loss of princely status by the cathedral, the place of the princely court was taken by the voivodeship court, then by the provincial chancellery. In 1238 D. s. survived the Tatars. ruin, but still in the beginning. XVI century was considered a grand duke. The grant of 1515 (GVSMZ), given by Vasily III Ioannovich to the cathedral clergy, has been preserved: “Behold, the Great Prince Vasily Ivanovich of all Russia has granted his priests, who serve in my cathedral church near St. Demetrius in Volodymyr, inside the city, in my yard ..." During the fire of 1536, the entire roof of the village burned down. The repairs were carried out after the trip (1552) to Kazan of Ivan the Terrible, who visited Vladimir on the way. According to the scribe book of 1625/26, the temple was simply “in the city” (RGADA. F. 1209. Op. 1. No. 71. L. 1).

In the letter ser. XVI century Tsar John IV Vasilyevich on the procedure for remembering the “Vladimir” princes and rulers to priests and deacons D. s. it was prescribed to serve together with all the city clergy: “... to sing vespers, and all-night vigil, and to serve mass at the cathedral” November 23, in memory of St. blgv. book Alexander Nevsky, “18 memorial services for princes and lords of power” in the Assumption Cathedral and especially a “requiem service” in the Vladimir St. George Monastery “for Prince Fyodor Yaroslavich” (Shilov. 1910. pp. 65, 68).

In the 18th century altars were placed in the extensions: the southern one was consecrated in honor of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, northern - in the name of St. Nicholas; 3rd, last the abolished throne - in honor of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. The time of their appearance is correlated with the period of the reign of Ivan the Terrible; in 1647, under Patriarch Joseph (1642-1652), the altars of the temple and its aisles were listed as dilapidated. The southern aisle was heated by a stove, and a tent-roofed bell tower was built above the northern tower.

In 1719, the building was again damaged by a city fire and stood for a long time without repair. In 1756, the temple was striking in the dilapidation of the wall paintings, in addition, “on the church the dome and the cross (which were gilded) had darkened and rusted over the years... the entire roof was rotten” (GA Vladimir Region F. 556. Inventory 1. D. 122. L. 1). A fire also occurred in 1760. In 1778, the clergy of the cathedral asked to fix the iconostasis and the brick floor. From the inventory of 1781 it follows that the head of D. s. “upholstered in copper and gilded, a gilded iron cross”, the church is covered with planks, there is no real iconostasis (Ibid. D. 1399. L. 32). The inventory of 1784 mentions a new white iconostasis, without icons, low and ungilded, as well as 6 bells (Ibid. L. 32 vol.). In 1788, icons were painted, the floor of the altar was raised, and the temple was consecrated (Ibid.). In con. XVIII century D. s. was again in need of repair: the roof and the roof had become dilapidated and were leaking, which caused dampness and mold (GVSMZ OR. V-5636/462. L. 233). For centuries, the cathedral remained a church without a parish. According to the Decree of the spiritual government of September 15. 1794 D. p. was placed under the supervision of the archpriest of the Assumption Cathedral. During services, the same bell ringing as the Assumption Cathedral was used, and land holdings were also considered common (Ibid. L. 220).

External appearance of D. s. of this period is depicted in the panoramic watercolors of the “Atlas of the Vladimir Province”, for which he performed drawings from life (1799). architect I. P. Chistyakov. The roof on the cathedral is four-slope, hiding the lower part of the drum, the dome is helmet-shaped, a cross on the dome is with a “crescent” at the bottom and a dove at the top. The cathedral is shown from the west. sides. Middle window The façade, initially narrow, looks like a wide rectangle. Lower tier The façade is covered by a gallery covered with a pitched roof with keel-shaped ends and a portal. The left (north) tower, complicated by an arcature-columnar belt, protrudes beyond the west line. facade. Above it was built a bell tier, rectangular in plan, with a low faceted tent and dome. The right (southern) tower, unlike the left (northern) one, does not protrude beyond the line of the western facade, is covered with a pitched roof, and there is no bell tower above it. It is unclear from the drawings whether the south had. tower carved reliefs.

In 1805, 8 thousand rubles were received for the repair of the cathedral, on which the iconostasis was gilded, painted and varnished, and new carved royal doors were installed. In 1806-1807 2 stone porches were rebuilt (west porch with 8-column pediment); north The bell tower was rebuilt in the form of a spire, facing south. a bell tower was also built symmetrically on its side. The roof of the church, the aisles and both bell towers was covered with iron, the dome was covered with old material, 4 domes were built on 2 aisles and 2 bell towers, staircases were erected “with a turn” to both bell towers, a valance was made around the entire roof, crosses were placed on the domes , the carvings on the outside were repaired and painted. Despite this, D. s. continued to deteriorate and collapse.

Imp. Nicholas I, during his visit to Vladimir in 1834, expressed a desire to bring D. with. into a “primitive form”, which resulted in the destruction of galleries and towers. A preliminary research carried out by a special commission on the antiquity of the galleries was not crowned with success, and the stylistic difference between the galleries and the cathedral suggested their appearance in the 16th century, during the renovation carried out by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible after the fire of 1536. In 1838-1839. the galleries and towers were dismantled, and the intact reliefs from them were used to repair losses in the facades of the cathedral. Mn. the missing reliefs were carved according to old models. The stone work was carried out by the contractor S. Medvedkin, a peasant from the village. Poretsky near Suzdal.

Shortly before the renovation, in 1831, F. G. Solntsev captured the cathedral with galleries and towers in a series of watercolors (GMMK). In the drawings of the south. the tower protrudes beyond the west line. facade, because it has not 1, but 2 spindles, which contradicts the drawing of 1799.

In 1840-1847, after the completion of external work, renovations took place inside the building. The walls were “forged” (late paintings and whitewash were knocked down), ancient frescoes were discovered under the choir. The temple was re-painted, a new iconostasis was installed, an oak spiral staircase to the choir (still exists), the floor in the temple was lowered by an arshin; soil was poured to the same height. He supervised the work first from the lips. architect E. Ya. Petrov (1839), then several. months captain Stanitsky, and from 1840 lips. architect Y. M. Nikiforov. The cathedral was consecrated on August 24. 1847

In 1848-1850 at the expense of the head of the cathedral, merchant of the 1st guild A. N. Nikitin, the dome was covered with new copper with a gilded mesh; old copper sheets with fire gilding remained with the merchant. In 1857 the roof was damaged by a storm.

Divine services in D. s. were performed only in the summer (the temple was closed after October 26, the day of remembrance of the Great Martyr Demetrius). In winter, they served only in the warm aisle (dismantled along with the galleries). In 1883, calorific heating appeared in the temple, which made it possible to perform year-round worship. Near south façade, a small belfry was built, in which a stove was placed. These works were carried out on the initiative of the rector of the cathedral, Rev. V.V. Kosatkina according to the project of academician. architecture by A. M. Pavlinov at the expense of the head of the cathedral V. N. Muravkin.

Until 1883 (or 1896), the reliefs were covered “to protect the stone from weathering” with white paint or whitewash, the walls with colored or dark paint, later the reliefs were painted with dark paint, and the walls with white.

Nothing is known about the ancient necropolis of the cathedral. In 1783, out of respect for his merits and according to his will, Count was buried in the cathedral. R.I. Vorontsov - 1st governor of Vladimir province. In 1804, his sons erected a tombstone. Allegorical figures - a mourner bending over an urn with a cypress branch in her hand and a boy with a pelican (one of the symbols of Freemasonry, to which Vorontsov belonged) - were sculpted from white marble in London. The background for the sculptural group is a pyramid of gray marble - an allegory of eternity. The pyramid, made in the Moscow workshops of I. P. Vitali and S. P. Campioni, was installed during the renovation of the cathedral in 1841 at the expense of Vorontsov’s grandson, Novorossiysk governor M. S. Vorontsov. In terms of style and quality of execution, the tombstone belongs to the best examples of memorial sculpture of the early. XIX century The tombstone stood at the south. walls - where the burial is located under the floor. In 1896 or 1906, when the frescoes on the vault under the choir were renewed, the tombstone was moved to the west. wall, restored in 2003.

In 1919, with the separation of the Church from the state, D. s. came under the jurisdiction of the lips. Collegium for the Protection of Ancient Monuments - at first temporarily, until the formation of a new community of believers. Since the community was not formed, the cathedral remained under the jurisdiction of the state and was used by the Vladimir Museum as a storage facility. In 1945 D. s. came under the jurisdiction of the region. department of architecture. Upon completion of the restoration work, D. s. was again transferred to the museum; in 1955, an exhibition dedicated to Vladimir-Suzdal white stone architecture opened in the cathedral, which was active until the beginning. 70s In 2005, at the end of a large cycle of restoration work, in D. s. A new exhibition of the GVSMZ has been opened: “Dmitrievsky Cathedral of the 12th century - a unique monument of ancient Russian architecture.” The main “exhibit” of the exhibition was the cathedral. It contains copies of 2 icons of the Great Martyr. Demetrius: “tomb boards” and icons painted under Prince. Vsevolod for the city of Dmitrov. The only three-dimensional display case contains fragments of an ancient cross and a dove from it, a charter of 1515, several. archaeological finds of Domong. time. On the day of remembrance of the Great Martyr. Demetrius a prayer service is being held in the cathedral. In 1992 D. s. included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.

T. P. Timofeeva

Clear and his material support

Cathedral clergy at the beginning XVI century consisted of 4 priests and 2 deacons, in the beginning. XVII century - of 2 priests and 2 deacons. In the local books of 1675-1682. "Archpriest and brethren" are indicated. In 1696/97, 2 priests and a deacon served in the church, and there was also a malt pan at the cathedral (Materials for the history of the Vladimir diocese: Vladimir tithe of residential data of churches 1628-1746. Vladimir, 1894. P. 309, 311). The census book of 1715 records 2 priests, a deacon and 2 sextons in the cathedral (RGADA. F. 350. Op. 1. No. 68. L. 18-18 vol.). In 1798, there were an archpriest, a deacon and a sexton (GA of the Vladimir region. F. 592. Op. 1. No. 2. L. 1-1 volume). According to the Decree of the Vladimir Spiritual Consistory of 1847, the cathedral was supposed to have a staff consisting of a priest and 2 clerics, one of the vacancies of the cleric was occupied by a deacon (Ibid. No. 18. L. 2). The composition of the clergy was the same, according to data from 1849 (Ibid. No. 19. L. 4). The real state of affairs did not always coincide with the staffing schedule. Thus, according to the revision of 1858, the cathedral clergy consisted of a priest and a sexton (Ibid. No. 17. L. 1-6). In the clergy register of 1876-1877. it was noted that in D. s. a priest, a deacon on the salary of a cleric and a cleric served (Ibid. No. 19. L. 1). In the beginning. XX century the clergy consisted of a priest and a deacon, who received the salary of a psalm-reader (Kosatkin, 1914, p. 29).

Material support for the clergy D. s. before the beginning XVIII century consisted of income received from inhabited land holdings, local salaries and small memorial contributions. The cathedral's land holdings have always been insignificant. The charter of Vasily III in 1515 mentions various categories of people and servicemen dependent on the cathedral: “banners”, “ugolniki”, “builders”, who apparently lived in Vladimir on the land of the cathedral. According to the scribe book of 1625/26, in the fortified part of Vladimir, not far from the Assumption Cathedral, there was a courtyard of the “Dmitrievsky priest,” apparently under siege (RGADA. F. 1209. Op. 1. No. 71. L. 8 vol.). The courtyards of the cathedral clergy stood on the outskirts of the New Town. 2 priests had 2 courtyards here, 2 deacons - one each, here was the courtyard of the widow of the priest (Mazur L.D. Russian city of the 11th-18th centuries: Vladimir land. M., 2006. P. 23-24). The cathedral had land in the Vetchany city on the banks of the Klyazma, and on its land was located the Lopatnichya settlement, which consisted of 12 courtyards and a courtyard. Peasants and peasants who lived on church land paid D.s. quitrent (RGADA. F. 1209. Op. 1. No. 71. L. 156). The census book of 1646/47 records a settlement of cathedral guards (11 households with a population of 15 people) in Vladimir. The book records the quitrent lands of the cathedral beyond the river. Lybid and behind the Ivanovo city gates with 6 courtyards, in which 7 people lived - peasants engaged in trade and “menial work” (Ibid. No. 12611. L. 88-91). After the reorganization of the city settlement in the middle. XVII century and the associated confiscation of the cathedral land and the addition of the courtyards that stood on it to the tax townsman community for D. s. by 1678, there were 8 courtyards with a population of 9 people left in the settlement: a sexton’s courtyard, 4 watchmen’s courtyards, 2 bobyli’s courtyards and a “beggar’s” courtyard (Ibid. No. 12614. L. 39 vol.).

In the Klekovsky camp of Vladimir district. cathedral in 1636-1647 owned an ancient estate - village. Kerpchino with wastelands (2 yards, 3 people, 1 empty yard) and fishing grounds on the Klyazma (RGADA. F. 281. No. 2024. L. 1-3). In 1678, in the same possession there were 3 farmsteads with a population of 18 people. (RGADA. F. 1209. Op. 1. No. 12614. L. 77).

The charter of 1515 does not report the local salary to the cathedral. In 1675-1682. Archpriest D. s. “with the brethren” he received 30 rubles. 26 altyns per year, as well as 44 cheti without semi-osmina of rye and 53 cheti without semi-osmina of oats. In 1698/99, the clergy were given 52 rubles per year for prayers, memorial services, for candles and bread. 1 altyn 1.5 money. At the same time, there were 75 peasant households behind the cathedral.

The cathedral's income dropped sharply in the 1st half. XVIII century In Vladimir, only personal courtyards were preserved for the clergy. D. s. until 1764 he owned the village. Kerpchino in the Klekovsky camp, receiving in the 20s. XVIII century quitrent for 4 rubles per year (Kosatkin. 1914. P. 15), later - 7 rubles. 92 k. per year. By decree of 1762, peasants were ordered to pay the cathedral a ruble per audit soul (RGADA. F. 280. Op. 3. No. 145. L. 26-28 vol.). Rough salary in the 1st quarter. XVIII century in connection with Russian-Swedish. During the war, the cathedral was not paid. According to the district books of 1737, the clergy were given 3 rubles. 90 k. per year for candles.

From the 2nd half. XVIII century (plans of 1760 and 1770) before the beginning. XX century behind the cathedral there were approx. 160 dec. arable and garden land and hayfields. Cash income to the beginning XX century consisted of income from renting out land, interest on capital, donations and fees - approx. 1600 rub. in year. In the beginning. XX century The Synod allocated 200 rubles for the needs of the cathedral. Every year, since 1908, a salary of 400 rubles was paid. in year.

A. V. Mashtafarov

Architecture

D. s. belongs to tradition. for Russian architecture XII - early XIII century architectural type. This is a small 4-pillar, single-domed, 3-apse church with 3 longitudinal and 3 transverse naves. Width D. s. 14.8 m, total length 19.4 m, internal height 27.2 m, external height to the top of the dome 29.65 m, including the cross more than 34 m, wall thickness from 1.12 to 1.23 m. Size of the dome space 5.3/5.35×5/5.04 m (according to I.A. Stoletov, 5.22×4.88 m).

The greatness of the cathedral is given by its perfect proportions. Its slenderness does not seem fragile, and its geometric clarity does not seem dry and constrained. Half-columns and blades rise to the full height, turning into zakomar arches; the wall is covered by an arched-columnar frieze, under which deep niches of portals stand out. Narrow high windows are cut above the frieze (to illuminate the space under the vaults of the choir on the western façade, the windows are hewn in the lower tier). The roof of the cathedral follows the shape of the vaults. Above the vaults, raised on a square pedestal, rises a cylindrical drum with 8 windows, topped with a helmet-shaped dome with a cross.

The portals, arched-columnar frieze, piers on the sides of the windows, and the drum are covered with carved reliefs. White dense limestone, combining strength with plasticity, made it possible to accentuate structural units with carvings and use the planes of walls for multi-figure subject compositions. In ancient times, the stone of the cathedral was covered, if not with painting, like the arched-columnar frieze of the Assumption Cathedral, then with a protective lime whitewash or coating, possibly of different colors (cf. the chronicle expression “with glaze of whiteness” of 1194, referring to the repair of the Suzdal Cathedral).

The 3-layer masonry of the walls is made using semi-rubble technique. The walls outside and inside are lined with white stone. The space between the outer and inner facing walls was filled with rubble (tuff, crushed limestone) and filled with lime mortar with cement and charcoal. The backfill and facing walls are folded without horizontal ligation, but the white stone squares are carefully fitted to each other and fastened with thin mortar seams. The cross pillars are also folded. The front dimensions of the white stone blocks range from 34-45×40-65 cm, in the pylons up to 55×80 cm. The arches and sails are also made of cut stones, the vaults are made of porous calcareous tuff. Initially, the temple was covered along the vaults with lead sheets, and the helmet-shaped dome was covered with gilded copper. Water cannons protruded from the capitals of the façade pilasters. Probably, they were clamped by the external, non-surviving broken pieces of the zakomari, which rested on the capitals of the semi-columns, just as the external rods of the archivolt of the portal rest on them.

The cross-domed frame of the building was reinforced along the perimeter with a rigid connection: at the floor level of the choir, oak beams lay in a layer of backfill. Similar beams crossed the interior of the building, intersecting in pillars. Unlike other white stone churches in D. village. No 2nd level connections were found in the heels of the girth arches. The basement part below the profiled belt has a plinth - 2 rows of masonry, now hidden under the bulk soil. Strip foundations up to 1.2 m deep protrude from the outside in the form of a platform from 50-58 to 70 cm. Like other foundations of buildings of the book. Vsevolod, they have a stepped profile with a widening downwards.

The dome pillars correspond to external pilasters with powerful half-columns and blades on the internal walls. The facades are divided by pilasters into sections. Semicircular girth arches connecting the pillars with each other and with the walls set the shape of the box vaults, which form a calm line of zakomara on the facades. The work of the structure is expressed on the facade by a smooth reduction of tiers. The lower tier with a developed base profile, bearing the static weight of the stone masses and restraining the forces of the horizontal thrust of the girth arches and vaults (primarily along the axes of the pillars), rises to a height of approx. 9 m, where there is an arched-columnar frieze corresponding to the position of the choir. Above the frieze the wall is thinner (1.02 m), which made it possible to deepen the profile of the pilasters and zakomara. The height of the 2nd tier was reduced by 1 m. The thickness of the wall in the zakomari was reduced to 0.97 m. The last tier - a drum on a square pedestal - was also reduced by 1 m, the walls of the drum were thinned to 0.74 m. Corner pilasters revealed a noticeable slope of the walls inside the room. These techniques and proportions give rise to a feeling of smooth, rhythmically ascending movement.

The relationship between the constructive logic of the building and its decoration is manifested in the choice of forms of the leading architectural motif - the arch. In the portals, the arches are calm and elastic, the decorative arches of the arched-columnar frieze on the border of 2 tectonic zones are given a tense horseshoe shape, the high-lying arches of the zakomari are elongated vertically, taking into account the view from below. The carved headdress is organically fused with the architectural form.

The interior of the cathedral has partially survived: the choir (“sunrise floors” in the western part of the building) without a parapet, frescoes under the choirs, 10 pairs of carved reclining lions at the heels of the girth arches. The floor was laid with glazed ceramic tiles. Cross on the dome of D. s. (a lining made of slotted sheets of gilded copper stretched over an iron frame) was replaced with a new one in 1957 (fragments of the ancient cross are stored in the GVSMZ). In 2002, a copy of 1957 was placed on display, and a new cross was installed on the dome of the cathedral, modeled after the previous one (an iron frame with a gilded steel lining).

Lost in the 19th century. galleries (3 m wide with keel-shaped endings) surrounded the village village. on 3 sides, covering the consoles and the lower part of the columns of the frieze with arches. North The gallery was built simultaneously with the construction of the walls of the cathedral. From the south on the side there was an independent white-stone building, simultaneous with the cathedral or earlier. To Domong. Over time, it was dismantled and a gallery was built in its place. The vaults of the galleries adjacent to the central beams went around the archivolts of the portals without damaging them. The walls and ceilings of the extensions were not tied to the masonry of the cathedral, but were attached to it. North-west the corner of the extensions was a 2-tier tower protruding beyond the west line. facade so that to the north. The tower had 2 spindles on its façade. Inside it was probably a staircase to the choir of the cathedral; the threshold of the doorway of this passage coincided with the floor level of the choir. In the southwest In the extension, unlike the northwestern one, the tower rose 2 tiers only at the west. spun the south facade, a single-tier gallery volume protruded beyond its line. A measuring drawing of the plan, made before the destruction of the galleries (1836), shows the outer wall of the southwest. The extension is thickened, which indicates the presence of an internal staircase here. To the west the facade of the gallery was adjacent to all 3 spindles; The windows of the lower tier looked inside them. This composition of galleries and towers, also lost in the 19th century, is confirmed by holes in the white stone masonry located at the same height on all 3 facades. These are the nests of beams for circles, on which the vaults of the galleries rested during construction. North-west the tower was covered with carved reliefs. The towers connected the court temple with the palace, the wings of which could extend both to the south and to the north. South the tower served as a transition to the choir of the temple from the princely chambers. South the wing of the palace could have been made of plinth, which is indirectly confirmed by its fragments found to the south of the cathedral; from the north sides - with small white stone scrap and crushed stone.

Judging by the drawings depicting the reliefs of the extensions, and by the surviving carvings found in the masonry of the facades of the D. s. after the demolition of the towers and galleries, they were executed in a manner characteristic of the 13th century. This could be due to the existence of various craft groups in the construction team, but most likely, the extensions arose later than the cathedral - immediately after the fire of 1193 (Voronin. 1961. P. 423), or in 1222-1225, in the period between the construction D. s. and the Nativity Cathedral in Suzdal (Timofeeva. 1988. pp. 205-206), or approx. 1220 (Novakovskaya. 1981. P. 50), or after the fire of 1229 (Stoletov. 1975. P. 121).

Archaeological research

In 1945, in connection with the study of the Vladimir restoration workshop of the foundations of the cathedral and the underlying soil, N. N. Voronin laid 2 exploration pits in the south. and sowing facades at junctions of extensions. Laying the foundation of the north. The extension was chosen during the demolition (1838) of the extension. The stratigraphy of the section, according to Voronin, indicated that the extension was almost contemporary with the cathedral. The foundation of the southern extension turned out to be intact, but the stratigraphy here did not give a clear picture.

At the same time, exploration work was carried out in order to search for the palace of the prince. Vsevolod. In 1852, V.I. Dobrokhotov wrote about white stone fragments found when planting trees north of D. village. (between the cathedral, Borisoglebskaya Church, the governor's house and the parade ground). Voronin made 2 trenches north of the cathedral: along the west axis. facade and perpendicular to it. The excavations revealed a layer of white stone rubble from the 12th century. In one of the pits from the south. side turned out to be an undisturbed layer of the 12th century. with a single white stone fragment and a large number of slab-like bricks and floor tiles without mortar. Based on these excavations, Voronin suggested that a white stone wing of palace buildings adjoined the cathedral from the north, and a brick one from the south.

In 2003-2004 in connection with the preparation of a project for improvement of the site around the village. Research was carried out with the participation of GE archaeologists. In 2003, 3 pits were laid (at the south-east, north-east and south-west corners of the building), a trench near the south. facade; in 2004 - 4 pits (at the western corner of the northern facade, at the western and northern portals and inside the cathedral, near the south-eastern pillar), it was established that the foundations were arranged in 2 zones. The lower zone is laid in a ditch 1 m deep and consists of roughly hewn blocks of white stone and boulders, the upper zone is 80 cm high and has an indentation of approx. 70 cm and made of carefully hewn and well-fitted white stone squares. This area was erected above the ground surface and covered with soil. North The gallery was built simultaneously with the construction of the walls of the cathedral. From the south on the side there was an independent white-stone building, simultaneous with the cathedral or earlier. To Domong. Over time, it was dismantled and a gallery was built in its place.

History of restoration

After the demolition in 1838 of the galleries that played the role of buttresses, the cathedral began to collapse: in 1903, the iron ring at the base of the drum burst, in 1915, cracks were discovered in the southwest. corner of the building. With the change of power in the country in 1917, the cathedral did not lose its significance as an ancient Russian monument. art. In 1918, the Commission for the Preservation and Disclosure of Hand Painted Monuments worked here. I. E. Grabar. In 1919, the temple was closed and came under the jurisdiction of the Board for the Protection of Ancient Monuments, and services ceased. The temple began to be used as a storage facility for the Vladimir Museum. The heating was inactive, wall paintings suffered from dampness, and structures were destroyed.

In 1922, it was planned to repair the building: it was necessary to restore at least the gutters and pipes, install fans in the windows of the drum, and lay a new roof. In 1928, they began to break out slabs from the panels around the building; in 1932, they washed off the gilding from the 1843 iconostasis and dismantled it.

Repair work began only in 1937 under the guidance of. postgraduate student of the All-Union Academy of Architecture. P. S. Kasatkina. In 1939, the building was erected on primary scaffolding according to the drawings of the Academy of Architecture under the supervision of. architect I. L. Belousova. The building was saved by engineering fortification: according to the project by architect. I. P. Sukhanov in 1940-1941 replaced a burst ring at the base of the drum, in 1941 according to the architect's project. A.V. Stoletov, the cathedral was strengthened with metal and reinforced concrete ties, the main work was to strengthen the structure - sails, arches, vaults, zap. pillars, the top of the cathedral - were carried out in 1947-1953. under hand Stoletova.

In the 70-80s. restorers dealt with the problems of preserving white stone and creating an internal microclimate. Previously, the outer surface of the building began to be cleaned of the multi-layer paint coating, which played a protective role. This led to the rapid destruction of the structure of white stone, subject to the harmful effects of wind, moisture, frost, bioorganisms, hydrogen sulfide in the atmosphere, etc. Reliefs were especially affected. The final stage of work was carried out in 1999-2004. (SUE “Vladspetsrestavratsiya”). The white stone is reinforced and covered with a protective plastic mixture of lime plaster and white stone chips. To remove moisture, ordinary drainpipes were installed, which turned out to be more reliable than the white-stone water cannons installed in 1974. A copper roof was installed, and the cross on the dome was replaced. The building has a stable microclimate with slight heating.

Sculptural decoration

According to the message of the Resurrection Chronicle under 1212, “Chudno velmi from outside that stone was cut near the entire church” (PSRL. T. 7. P. 118). White stone carvings with a precious chasuble cover the head and upper tier of the temple; the main volume is “girdled” with a wide carved frieze. Dense carvings on the arches of the portals as well. In total, on the facades of D. s. more than 1 thousand carved stones are placed; of these, in the 2nd tier there are 563 solid carved stones: 98 reliefs were transferred from the dismantled towers, 412 reliefs were preserved from the 12th century, 53 were carved anew in 1838. From among the reliefs of the 12th century. more than half is located in situ (the chronology of the reliefs was determined by S. M. Novakovskaya-Bukhman and M. S. Gladka). The reliefs are arranged in regular rows according to the masonry.

Sculptural decoration of D. s. belongs to the unique phenomena of world artistic culture. In the façade sculpture of the Middle Ages, there are no other examples of complex multi-tiered ensembles of reliefs connected into a single whole by internal logic and composition.

In the original design of the sculptural decoration, the theme of power became the leading one. Three times in the central reliefs King David is depicted on the throne (before the inscription was cleared in 1974: “DAV” (David) above the central reliefs of the D. village there was an opinion (N. P. Kondakov, N. V. Malitsky, G. K. Wagner) , that King Solomon is depicted here).

All creation in heaven and earth gathers to the throne of the psalmist king: angels and birds, people and animals, trees and grass. On the main, zap. facade, an angel hovers above the head of King David, placing a crown on him (scene “Coronation of David,” according to Novakovskaya-Buchman’s attribution). On the relief south. façade, the Holy Spirit descends on King David in the form of a dove. David has a scroll or tablet in his hand - he is not only a psalmist and shepherd, but also a legislator. To the west On the facade, David is depicted twice: as a king and as a hero in single combat with a lion (previously it was believed that this was the Old Testament Samson). Dr. the relief was attributed to the theme of the labors of Hercules; later it was noticed that such images in the front Psalms illustrate the stories about David, who in his youth tended sheep, protecting them from predators (the scene “David’s pursuit of a lion with a club” - attribution to Novakovskaya-Buchman). 2 reliefs zap. facades are still considered (V.P. Darkevich) to be images of Hercules (scenes of the hunt for the Lernaean hydra (in the form of a bird) and the Stymphalian bird).

The theme of a good ruler is continued by the image of Tsar Alexander the Great. To the south facade to the east The composition “The Flight of Alexander” was placed in the village (attribution to A. S. Uvarov). Alexander is depicted sitting in a basket, which is lifted by griffins tied to it with their tails. The griffins are reaching for the bait - leopard figures in Alexander's raised hands. Birds fly from above to Alexander. Among the scenes of flight (ascension) of Alexander the Great known in world art, only in the composition on D. p. birds are depicted.

To the north On the facade, symmetrically to this composition, there is a large sculptural group: a man seated on a throne in princely clothes with a youth on his left knee, on either side of the throne there are 2 youths in a pose of worship. According to Voronin and most researchers, this is the temple builder Vsevolod the Big Nest with his sons (the first assumption was made by Archpriest V.V. Kosatkin). Book Vsevolod, unlike King David, is presented without a crown. The sculptural portrait is worn by an unofficial. character, although the remaining characters in the composition, his children, are addressed to Vsevolod, sitting in a relaxed position, with a ritual gesture of greeting, as the saints approaching Christ or the Mother of God were usually depicted on icons. One of the princes. Vsevolod holds in his arms (according to Voronin, Vsevolod (Dimitri)). Probably the book. Vsevolod is depicted in this composition as the head of the clan. There are options for interpreting the composition: “The Mother of God with the Child and the coming shepherds” (Kondakov), “Joseph with his brothers” (F. Kaempfer), “David with Solomon” (A. M. Lidov), “The Tree of Jesse” (Gladkaya).

The reliefs on the theme of power are associated with scenes of confrontation: a dragon-man; Nikita defeating the demon; lion clawing doe; a boar tearing a deer; figures of 2 wrestlers; lions with intertwined necks; geese in the same pose. To the north On the facade, between the paws of 2 lions with one head, a human face is placed: this is an anthropophagous lion, symbolizing the soul of a sinner in the clutches of the devil (according to Darkevich and Wagner).

The ancient arcature-columnar belt survived only in the west. spinning sev. facade; the images of the first Russians are recognizable. saints - princes Boris and Gleb. Other columns and figures of saints were carved mainly in the 19th century. The exception is 13 columns and several. seated saints (west façade), taken from the towers. Blocks with spreading “trees” under the figures of saints were also rearranged from the towers. The reliefs are executed in a graphic, decorative manner. Reliefs from the 19th century more primitive. Here, in the columnar belt of the west. facade, there are also reliefs from the 18th century, marked by the influence of Baroque art. These include “St. Trinity" with the evangelists (the central section of the arched-columnar frieze).

Dr. The belt is turned to the south. and zap. facades with a cycle depicting 12 St. mounted warriors, including the Great Martyrs George the Wonderworker (with an inscription), Theodore Tiron and Theodore Stratilates (attribution to Wagner), Demetrius of Thessalonica (Gladkaya sees 2 images here), St. princes Boris and Gleb (attribution to V. A. Plugin). The medallions and frames feature half-length images of saints, including the apostles Peter and Paul to the north. facade (with inscriptions). The images of saints on the arcature belt, in medallions, and the “equestrian cycle” reveal the New Testament theme.

Between the columnar belt, a line of horsemen and reliefs of kings and heroes, the entire created world is represented. Animals, birds, trees and grass listen to King David at the foot of the throne. Lion, leopard, griffin, eagle - metaphors of royalty and patronage. There are 125 large images of a lion on the facades. The doe and the dove are the embodiment of the humility and meekness of a Christian. Also presented are images of deer, ram, onager, centaurs, pheasants, peacocks, and geese. Dense “animal” carvings entwine the arches of the portals with garlands and friezes. To the south on the portal, David sits on the backs of 2 lions (the inscription above David is almost lost; for a long time it was believed that this was Solomon). To the north The portal has a miniature 3-figure Deesis carved with inscriptions.

Lush vegetation in D.'s reliefs. creates an image of the Garden of Eden: lily-crin, spreading trees, sometimes with birds and animals under their canopy, a fertile fig tree, a shoot of a grapevine. One of the reliefs shows a tree growing from Adam's head. According to the apocrypha, a cross was made from its trunk for the Crucifixion of Christ. Tree-like plants go back to the ancient image of the tree of life. Palm trees symbolize the righteous. Trees in the shape of a flourishing cross are not uncommon.

In the plastic painting of D. s. modern researchers see an example of the structure of the world, a transformed world, the Heavenly City, the temple described in the Book of the Prophet. Ezekiel's Garden of Eden. The plastic richness of the cathedral is perceived as an appeal to the inner world of man, a conversation about the spiritual meaning of human life.

Book E. N. Trubetskoy in his lecture “Speculation in Colors” noted that this “architecture is at the same time a sermon... It expresses that new world order and harmony, where the bloody struggle for existence ceases and all creation, with humanity at its head, gathers in temple... The ancient Russian temple in idea is not only a cathedral of saints and angels, but a cathedral of all creation... What unites a temple is not walls or architectural lines: the temple is not an external unity of a general order, but a living whole, brought together by the Spirit of love... Creation It becomes here itself the temple of God.”

Utensil

Perhaps the sacred vessels of the construction period include a dove made of gilded copper, hollow inside, with eyes carefully crafted, as if to insert precious stones, which later ended up on the outer cross as a weather vane. The dove could hang inside the altar canopy as a tabernacle (now on display at the GVSMZ).

In the beginning. XX century Among the memorable or remarkable church objects in the cathedral were an ancient gold-embroidered banner that came to the church from Suzdal, a wooden candlestick from 1604, a Gospel of 1658 from the Vladimir Zolotovorotsky Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, which was abolished in 1764, a silver chalice and paten, granted by the sister of Peter I, Tsarevna Maria Alekseevna in 1714, silver and gilded, made according to ancient models, a chalice, paten, star, spoon, 2 plates, a spear and a ladle for warmth, placed in the cathedral. book Alexander Nikolaevich (later Emperor) and his wife Maria Alexandrovna in 1845, kept the original letter of grant. book Vasily Ivanovich 1515 on parchment (now in the GVSMZ).

Arch.: RGIA. F. 797, 1488; GA Vladimir region. F. 14, 40, 445, 556, 564, 592, R-1826, R-8; GVSMZ OR. Collection documents related to the Vladimir diocese. Inv. No. В-5636/462; GVSMZ OR. Charter of 1515 Inv. No. В-4125; Report on archit.-archaeol. studies of the adjacent site to St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir in 2003, Vladimir; St. Petersburg, 2003 // Scientific. GVSMZ archive; Preliminary report on archit.-archaeol. research Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir in 2004 Vladimir; SPb., 2004 // Ibid.

Lit.: Stroganov S. G . Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir (on Klyazma). M., 1849; Matsulevich L. A . Chronology of reliefs of the Dmitrov Cathedral in Vladimir Zalessky // Ezheg. RIII. Pg., 1922. T. 1. Issue. 2. P. 253-297; Malitsky N. IN . Late reliefs of St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir. Vladimir, 1923; Stoletov A. IN . Engineering strengthening and restoration of St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir // Practice of restoration work. M., 1958. S. 35-62; aka. Constructions of Vladimir-Suzdal monuments and their strengthening // Cultural Monuments: Research. and restoration. M., 1959. Issue. 1. P. 190, 192, 194-203; aka. On the history of architectural forms of the Dmitrievsky Cathedral in Vladimir // Issues of protection, restoration and propaganda of historical and cultural monuments. M., 1975. Issue. 3. P. 114-156; Kazarinova V. AND . Architecture of Dmitrievsky Cathedral in Vladimir. M., 1959; Afanasyev K. N. Construction of the ancient Russian architectural form. by architects. M., 1961. S. 160, 161; Voronin N. N. Architecture North-East. Rus' XII-XV centuries. M., 1961. T. 1. P. 396-437, 472-480, 484-492; Darkevich V. P . The Labors of Hercules in the decoration of St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir // Sov. Arch. 1962. No. 4. P. 95; aka. The image of King David in Vladimir-Suzdal sculpture // KSIA. 1964. Vol. 99. P. 53; Wagner G. TO . Sculpture Dr. Rus: Vladimir, Bogolyubovo. M., 1969. S. 233-435; Novakovskaya S. M. On the issue of late reliefs in the carvings of the Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir (arcature-columnar frieze) // Sov. Arch. 1978. No. 4. P. 128-141; she is the same. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir: Later reliefs of the 2nd tier and drum // Sov. Arch. 1979. No. 4. P. 112-117; she is the same. On the issue of galleries of white-stone cathedrals of the Vladimir land // KSIA. 1981. Issue. 164. pp. 47-50; she is the same. [Novakovskaya-Buchman] . Reconstruction of the original location of the sculpture of the Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir // Ikhm. 2000. Vol. 5. P. 40-66; she is the same. The feat of David in the sculpture of St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir // Ikhm. 2001. Issue. 6. pp. 22-27; she is the same. King David in the reliefs of St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir // DRI. St. Petersburg, 2002. [Issue:] Byzantium, Rus', West. Europe: art and culture. pp. 172-186; Rappoport P. A . Rus. architecture of the X-XIII centuries: Cat. monuments. L., 1982. S. 53-54; aka. Construction production Dr. Rus' (X-XIII centuries). St. Petersburg, 1994. P. 71, 80, 83, 84, 87, 93, 100, 103, 121; Gladkaya M. S., Skvortsov A. AND . About three groups of reliefs of St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir // Monuments of history and culture. Yaroslavl, 1983. Issue. 2. pp. 184-207; they are . Periodization of reliefs of St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir // DRI. M., 1988. [Issue:] Artist. culture of the X-XIII centuries. pp. 307-329; Ioannisyan O. M. Architecture North-East. Rus' XII-XIII centuries. // Dubov I. IN . Cities shining with majesty. L., 1985. P. 156; Timofeeva T. P . On the issue of the ornament of frieze columns of Vladimir-Suzdal white stone monuments of the 12th-13th centuries. // Sov. Arch. 1988. No. 1. P. 205-206; she is the same. Tombstone of R.I. Vorontsov in the Dmitrievsky Cathedral of Vladimir // PKNO, 1995. M., 1996. P. 468-474; she is the same. To clarify the date of the Demetrius Cathedral // Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir. 1997. pp. 38-41; she is the same. About the experience of maintaining the Demetrius Cathedral in the 18th - early years. XX century // Ibid. pp. 280-283; she is the same. Architectural and restoration history of St. Demetrius Cathedral in the 20th century. (1919-2000) // Materials and research: Sat. / GVSMZ. Vladimir, 2003. Issue. 9. pp. 131-142; Gladkaya M. WITH . Restoration of the facade carvings of the Demetrius Cathedral in 1838-1839. // Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir: To the 800th anniversary of its creation. M., 1997. P. 60-80; she is the same. Materials from the catalog of relief sculptures of the St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir. Vladimir, 2000. (Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir: Materials and research; Issue 1); she is the same. Images of lions in the carvings of the Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir. Vladimir, 2002. (Ibid.; Issue 2); she is the same. Cat. white stone carving of St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir: Center. sowing spinner facade. Vladimir, 2003. (Ibid.; Issue 3); she is the same. Catalog of white stone carvings of St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir: Center. spinning and east spun the south facade. Vladimir, 2004. (Ibid.; Issue 4); she is the same. Reliefs of St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir: Questions of iconography. programs. Vladimir, 2005. (Ibid.; Issue 5); Lidov A. M. On the symbolic design of the sculptural decoration of Vladimir-Suzdal churches of the 12th-13th centuries. // DRI. St. Petersburg, 1997. [Issue:] Rus', Byzantium, Balkans, XIII century. pp. 172-184; Popov G. IN . Decoration of the facades of the Dmitrievsky Cathedral and the culture of the Vladimir Principality at the turn of the XII-XIII centuries. // Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir: To the 800th anniversary of its creation. M., 1997. S. 42-58; Smirnova E. WITH . Temple icon of the Demetrius Cathedral: The holiness of Thessalonica basilica in the Vladimir church // Sterligova I. A . Byzantine. reliquary of Dmitry Solunsky from Moscow. Kremlin // Ibid. pp. 255-272.

T. P. Timofeeva

painting

History and restoration

During the 800-year existence of the fresco by D. s. (late 90s of the 12th century) were significantly damaged by fires, reconstruction and repairs. No more than 38 square meters have survived. m of ancient painting (Sychev. 1976. P. 324), concentrated ch. arr. in zap. parts (on the large and small vaults under the choir) and in the drum of the dome. It is generally accepted (but not proven) that a significant part of the ancient painting was lost during the barbaric restoration of 1843 (Lazarev. 1986. P. 96; Plugin. 1974. b/n). Most likely, the process of destruction and destruction of ancient paintings occurred gradually as the building deteriorated, and the renovation of 1843 did not make significant changes to the current situation. Thus, information about the destruction of paintings is available already in 1756, when “the wall icon paintings faded and fell off, and fell off the walls, and other, although small, works did not fall off in parts and are listed on the walls, and they were dilapidated and faded, and fell away from the walls” (GA Vladimir region. F. 556. Op. 1. D. 122. L. 1). Cited by Prop. V.V. Kosatkin data on the renovation of 1843, during which the Construction Commission “knocked down the old plaster in the altar, church and choirs in all places, trimmed uneven stones where necessary and ground all the walls as needed for painting "(Sychev. 1976. P. 324), can be considered as an indication of the cleaning of the walls from the previous plaster that covered the bare walls of the cathedral, since the frescoes of the 12th century discovered at the same time. under the choir were preserved intact by the “restorers” (the walls of the temple prepared for painting were painted by September 30, 1843).

Information about the discovery of ancient frescoes in 1843 and their restoration in the summer of 1844 was preserved in the files of the archives of the Holy Synod. According to the report sent to the Synod by Archbishop. Vladimir and Suzdal Parthenius (Vasiliev-Chertkov), commission established by imp. Nicholas I to restore the cathedral to its original form, discovered, when removing double plaster from the walls, “on the primitive plaster in the vaults under the choirs, images of ancient Greek writing.” Attached to the report were copies of the frescoes, taken during the process of its unveiling by Palekh icon painter M. L. Safonov. The Synod decided to “preserve the painting that was accidentally discovered in the Vladimir St. Demetrius Cathedral on the walls and vaults under plaster so that it could be investigated exactly to what time it can be attributed” (RGIA. F. 796. Op. 121. D. 547).

Clearing of ancient paintings that underwent repeated restoration in the 90s. XIX century, produced in 1918 by the All-Russian Restoration Commission under the direction of. Grabar: 19th century copybooks, dirt and cement from cracks were removed. To complete the “Last Judgment” composition, there are fragments of 19th century painting on certain sections of the walls. were saved.

Throughout the 30s - early. 50s XX century during the systematic removal of D. from the walls. 19th century painting a search was made for the ancient pictorial layer. In 1937/38 and in 1940. reconnaissance in the drum, sails, apse and to the south. the wall above the choir was made by Kasatkin and P.I. Yukin; in the southwest part of the cathedral, Kasatkin discovered (1938) a small area of ​​fresco soil with faint traces of ancient ornament (Sychev. 1976. P. 325). Several fragments of ancient ornaments were found (1952) during work under the guidance of. Stoletova in the north-west. and southeast drum windows. The fragments are described in detail by N.P. Sychev (Ibid. pp. 328-330). In 1948-1950 The cathedral was almost completely freed from 19th century painting.

Restoration (late 20th - early 21st centuries) of monumental painting by D. s. is aimed at preventing the destruction of the paint layer of ancient frescoes. The results of a technological study of the painting confirmed the assumption that it was executed on a plaster base with the addition of a carbonate filler (crushed limestone and charcoal), and not cement, which is typical for the monumental painting of Greece, Rome and the Crimean Greeks. colonies, in fresco a secco technique. Lime white, natural ultramarine, cinnabar, yellow and red ochre, green earth, glauconite were used as pigments (Balygina, Tseitlina, Nekrasov. 1997. P. 120-127).

Compound

The most significant areas of the original painting, located on the large and small vaults under the choir, were part of the composition “The Last Judgment”. To the north and south On the slopes of the arch of the central nave, 12 seated apostles are depicted (6 figures per slope), behind them are figures of standing angels. To the south on the slope (from west to east) the apostles Peter, John, Luke, Andrew, James, Thomas are represented; on the north - the apostles Paul, Matthew, Mark, Simon, Bartholomew, Philip. The central figure of Christ flanked by the Mother of God and St. John the Baptist, once located in the lunette of the west. the wall above the entrance has not survived.

Placement of the composition “The Last Judgment” in the app. parts of the temple should be Byzantine. iconographic tradition. The surviving fragments of the frescoes make it possible to reconstruct the missing parts of the original composition, focused on the figure of Christ, which was occupied by the central lunette to the west. walls (Pivovarova. 1997. P. 129, 137). Thus, in the small (northern) vault scenes related to the theme of hell were presented: “Angels drive sinners into a river of fire,” “Satan with Judas on his knees,” “The Torment of Sinners,” etc.

Judging by the composition “The Last Judgment” and rare for the 12th century. compositions (images of righteous souls in the scene “The Bosom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” and the procession of wives led by the Apostle Peter to the gates of heaven), the closest predecessors of the frescoes of D. s. among the partially surviving paintings of Vladimir-Suzdal Rus' are the paintings of the Transfiguration Cathedral of Pereslavl-Zalessky (c. 1157), described by the provincial architect. N. A. Artleben.

Frescoes D. s. create a clear idea of ​​the working method of the Middle Ages. masters In the large vault, the markings of the central part of the composition “The Last Judgment”, executed by the leading master of painting, have been preserved: deep graffiti, scratched on the damp plaster, marks the lower and upper borders of the fresco, the backs of the seats of the apostles and their halos.

Questions of dating the painting and the origin of the artists

Fresco style D. s. allows us to consider them as a Byzantine monument. monumental painting con. XII century According to V.N. Lazarev, mural painting arose between 1194 and 1197. or ok. 1194, according to T.P. Timofeeva, - approx. 1189 Invitation to the Greeks. masters (or craftsmen) to Vladimir to paint the princely temple fits well with the historical situation of the reign of Vsevolod the Big Nest and his Grecophile sentiments. At the same time, all researchers noted the isolation of D.'s frescoes. from works of late Komnenian monumental painting, characterized by increased expression and emotionality of images. The classical structure of the painting of the house, manifested in the proportions and placement of the figures, the correctness of the faces, and the logical clarity in the arrangement of draperies, brings it closer to the paintings of the previous time. The origins of her style are seen in the works of the early - mid. XII century, in the mosaic ensembles of the Kyiv Golden-Domed Monastery (1111-1112), the cathedral in Cefalu, Sicily (1148), etc.

According to the main versions, the origin of the leading master of painting D. s. considered either Constantinople or Thessalonian. Lazarev examined the frescoes of D. s. like a Byzantine monument. metropolitan monumental painting and put them on a par with the frescoes of Ts. Vmch. Panteleimon in Nerezi, Macedonia (1164) (Lazarev. 1986. P. 96). Sychev was inclined to the version about the connection of the masters with Thessalonica. O. S. Popova pointed out a related version of the style of painting in the church of the Hosios David monastery in Thessalonica (between 1160 and 1170, according to E. Tsigaridas) and the frescoes of D. s. (Popova. 1997. P. 93).

Questions about the number of masters participating in the painting and the distribution of work between them are resolved differently. The problem is considered in most detail by Lazarev. In an article devoted to the Byzantine method of cooperation. and Russian masters (Lazarev. 1970), and generalizing works (Lazarev. 1973, 1986, 2000), the researcher substantiated the hypothesis about the participation of the leading Greek in the painting. artist, 2-3 Russian. fresco painters who were inferior to him in skill, and several. rus. apprentices. The leading master was assigned the figures of the 12 apostles and the right group of angels to the south. the slope of the large vault, the 2nd - images of angels on the left side of this slope and the “Procession of the Righteous to Paradise” in the small (south) vault, the 3rd - figures of angels on the north. slope of the large vault. The remaining frescoes in the south were attributed to the work of the 4th, least gifted master. nave. Lazarev was justly criticized by the conclusions of Grabar and Sychev about the participation of several masters in painting the figures of the apostles (Lazarev. 1986. P. 226. Note 61).

Arch.: Grabar I. E. Diary of restoration work on the painting of St. Demetrius Cathedral // Tretyakov Gallery OR. D. 360.

Lit.: Stroganov S. G . Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir (on Klyazma). M., 1849; Pokrovsky N. IN . Wall paintings in ancient Greek temples. and Russian // Tr. VII archaeol. Congress in Yaroslavl, 1887. M., 1890. T. 1. P. 203-204; Tolstoy I. I., Kondakov N. P . Rus. antiquity in monuments of art: Monuments of Vladimir, Novgorod and Pskov. St. Petersburg, 1899. Issue. 6. P. 62-65; Kosatkin V. V., prot. Dmitrievsky Cathedral in the province. Vladimir. Vladimir, 1914; Grabar I. E. Frescoes of the Dmitrov Cathedral in Vladimir // Rus. art. 1923. No. 2/3. pp. 41-47; idem. Die Freskomalerei der Dimitrij-Kathedrale in Wladimir. B., 1926; aka. Diary of work on uncovering the frescoes of the Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir on the Klyazma // Same. Oh ancient Russian. art. M., 1966. S. 67-74; aka. Frescoes of the Dmitrov Cathedral in Vladimir on Klyazma // Ibid. pp. 47-67; Alpatov M. IN . [Rec.:] I. Grabar. Die Fresken der Dimitrij-Kathedrale in Wladimir. B., 1926 // Slavia. Praha, 1928. Roč. 6. Seš. 4. S. 820-821; aka. Questions of study and interpretation of ancient Russian. art // Art. 1967. No. 1. P. 66. Ill. 66-67; Anisimov A. AND . Domong. Old Russian period painting // AKA. Oh ancient Russian. art: Sat. Art. M., 1983. S. 283, 286-290; Artamonov M. AND . One of the styles of monumental painting of the 12th-13th centuries. // Sat. graduate students of GAIMK. L., 1929. Issue. 1. pp. 56-57; R é au L . Les fresques de la Cathédrale St. Dmitrij à Vladimir // L"art byzantine chez les Slaves: Deuxième recueil dédié à la mémoire de Th. Uspenskij. P., 1932. Vol. 1. P. 68-76; Lazarev V. N. Painting of Vladimir-Suzdal Russia / / History of Russian art. M., 1953. T. 1. P. 444-457; aka. On the method of cooperation of Byzantine and Russian masters // Aka. Russian medieval painting: Articles and research. M ., 1970. P. 144-149; aka. History of Byzantine painting. M., 1986. T. 1. P. 96-97. Note. 61; T. 2. Ill. 312-317; aka. The art of Ancient Russia: Mosaics and frescoes. M., 2000. P. 97-100, 270. Ill. 23, 24, 37-40; Galassi G. La pittura di Vladimir e i differenti angoli visuali degli storici d "arte // Arte veneta. 1956. Vol. 10. P. 19-24; Karger M. TO . Old Russian monumental painting of the 11th-15th centuries. M.; L., 1964. S. 4-5. Il. 32-41; Filatov V. IN . Artistic and technological features of the painting of the Dmitrievsky Cathedral in Vladimir // DRI. M., 1972. [Issue:] Artist. Domong culture. Rus'. pp. 141-161; Plugin V. A . Frescoes of St. Demetrius Cathedral: An outstanding monument. painting of ancient Vladimir. L., 1974; Sychev N. P . On the history of painting of the Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir // Izbr. tr. M., 1976. S. 323-382; Orlova M. A . On fragments of ornament and certain decorative techniques in the paintings of churches of the Vladimir principality // Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir: To the 800th anniversary of its creation. M., 1997. S. 147-155; Pivovarova N. IN . “The Last Judgment” in ancient Russian monuments. monument. painting 2nd half. XII century // Ibid. pp. 130-132. Il. 89; Popova O. WITH . Frescoes of the Dmitrievsky Cathedral in Vladimir and Byzantium. painting of the 12th century // Ibid. pp. 93-119; Balygina L. P., Tseytlina M. M., Nekrasov A. P . Research and restoration of wall paintings of the 12th century. in Dmitrievsky Cathedral // Ibid. pp. 120-127; Gordin A. M. Monumental painting North-East. Rus' XII-XIII centuries: Dis. St. Petersburg, 2004. Section. 5. 3: Frescoes of St. Demetrius Cathedral.

N. V. Pivovarova

Vladimir city. Macedonian, as a symbol of Christianity on the bas-reliefs of the St. Demetrius Cathedral of the city “Owner of the World”. David as Savior.

There is one amazingly beautiful Orthodox church in the center of old Vladimir, old with beautiful and original bas-reliefs. It immediately catches your eye with its unusualness. And everything seems to be known about him, written and republished (although here I’m not entirely right - after the next restoration, no, no, a new fresco will be revealed. Author.), all the mysterious bas-reliefs have been examined to the smallest detail, everything seems to be explained, several have been issued interpretations. But the feeling that all the mysteries have been revealed is NOT! Although it is felt that the authors and archaeologists have come as close as possible to the solution, they cannot cross any barrier. And they convinced themselves that everything had been solved and explored. In this sense, the study of the temple reliefs is interesting from the point of view of the “new chronology”. This is St. Demetrius Cathedral .

It is officially believed that the Dmitrievsky Cathedral (late 12th century) was the central building of the ensemble of the palace of Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest, which has not survived to this day. Grand Duke Vsevolod (baptized Dmitry) dedicated the cathedral to his heavenly patron, the Holy Great Martyr Dmitry of Thessalonica. In 1837-1839, a “restoration” of the cathedral was carried out to give the cathedral a “primitive appearance”. As a result, it is believed that the cathedral was defaced to such an extent that it lost any semblance of its original appearance and began to collapse. And only later restoration work partially returned the temple to its original appearance. The facades of the building are divided into three tiers. The lower one is almost devoid of any decoration and only carved perspective portals stand out against the background of its smooth walls. The middle tier is represented by a columnar belt with white stone carved figures and rich ornamentation. The upper tier is completely covered with carvings that also cover the dome drum. The temple is crowned with a gently sloping gilded dome. On it there is a wide cross made of gilded copper with a crescent at the base, and at the very top of the cross there is a dove. Maybe this cross is older than the dome itself (More precisely: the cross that is kept as a relic inside the Cathedral). It is believed that the lower tier of the facade of St. Demetrius Cathedral is free from any decorations due to the fact that it was originally closed by galleries that surrounded the cathedral on three sides. The arrangement of the reliefs in horizontal rows is believed to emphasize the majestic stillness and royalty of the building. Generally speaking, in the 19th century, more than 400 bas-reliefs were restored, sometimes completely, sometimes with inserts into a plot picture, so when considering the reliefs of the cathedral, it makes sense not to look too closely at individual parts of the composition or parts of the bas-relief, which may well turn out to be a remake. It is worth considering the general storyline, which was preserved, and which was no longer possible to completely destroy in the 19th century. (For example: “The fight of Hercules with the beast.” Hercules remains mostly ancient, and the monster, except for the tail, is a remake. But the storyline remains ancient: it is Hercules (or David) who fights with the beast on the bas-relief of the Christian Temple. Some completely recreated -reliefs are copies of old ones, restored for symmetry (and this also does not affect the storyline). We are also interested in the tradition in the images of saints and their entourage, apparently early Christian, which is often represented in Russia in the few surviving really old monuments. And which is very similar to the often introduced from outside, but well-preserved tradition, reflected in a large number of Buddhist monuments in Southeast Asia.

The main figure in the decorative system of St. Demetrius Cathedral is the figure King David occupying a central position on each of the three facades of the temple. There are images around animals and monsters, horsemen and birds, bizarre herbs and flowers; among them there are very few images of a church nature (apparently in the modern sense). (I may be subjective, but the structure of the bas-reliefs is reminiscent of the images on the bas-reliefs of temples in Southeast Asia, including Angkor). The image of King David the psalmist is the key to understanding the symbolism of the white stone carvings of the cathedral: “Let every breath praise the Lord!” (I would like to draw special attention: in the Psalter, beloved by the Russians, the “pre-Christian” King David calls himself Jesus at least three times, and this can be seen in the old non-canonical or Old Believer Russian New Testaments. A qualitative study of the Psalter was carried out in the book “King of the Slavs”, where a good evidence that the Psalter was 99% written by the Savior). It is officially believed that in the image of David - the psalmist, shepherd, king, prophet - the image of Christ is “anticipated”! (Or: the Psalter King David is the Savior. Author.). The whole world of creatures (animals, birds, trees and grass) listens to King David at the foot of the throne (These images are quite likely in reality: some kind of old tradition and completely Christian. Author.). All the characters in the cathedral reliefs serve as illustrations to the lines of David’s Psalm. (There is an opinion that the reliefs of the Dmitrov collection go back to folk mythology, pointing to the connection of the images with the “Dove Book” (or the Deep, that is, the Wise!) with Tsar Davil-Davyd Evseevich, a kind spellcaster of natural forces and an inspired singer. But this is possible - one of the distorted images of King David.

We see rulers, heroes and kings: “The Flight of Alexander the Great” on the southern facade, “The Labors of David” and “The Labors of Hercules (in many ways similar to Jesus-David from the Psalter)” on the western facade, a portrait of Prince Vsevolod with his sons on the northern facade. The heraldic figures of lions, leopards, and eagles serve as symbols of power and patronage. G.K. Wagner, the author of a special monograph on the sculpture of Vladimir-Suzdal Russia (Wagner G.K. Sculpture of Ancient Russia: Vladimir: Bogolyubovo: XII century. M., 1969), believed that the reliefs of St. Demetrius Cathedral depict not David at all, but Solomon (Solomon -Salomon, according to the new chronology, is Alexander the Great, or Suleiman the Magnificent), prophet and king, who holds in his hands not a harp, but a scroll. Solomon was considered the ideal of a wise ruler, and that is why Vsevolod sought to decorate his palace temple with his images. Relics of the Dmitrievsky Cathedral - the icon (“tomb board”) of St. Dmitry and the reliquary reliquary, brought to the temple in 1197, and subsequently ended up in Moscow, returned to the cathedral from the capital’s museums (in copies). A grandiose four-meter cross with ornaments, removed from the head of the cathedral and replaced in 2002 with a remake, is also on display.

Dmitrievsky Cathedral. Dome.

The carving of the columnar belt contains a whole gallery of saints, among whom are the Russian princes Boris and Gleb. Most of these figures are late; the earliest sculptures survive only in part of the northern façade. Below each figure are carved images of bizarre plants or animals. The sculptures are separated by carved belt columns, reminiscent of thick braided cords, each of which ends with a figurine of a fantastic beast or bird - a lion with a “flourishing” tail, geese with intertwined necks. (This is also apparently some forgotten ancient tradition: animals with intertwined necks are found on reliefs in Egypt and Mesopotamia).

Below are some fairly well-known examples. Birds with entwined necks at Demetrius Cathedral. Mesopotamia. Seal from Uruk. Ancient Egypt. Narmer palette.

So, on the southern facade of the temple, a large composition “The Ascension of Alexander the Great to Heaven” stands out. This plot seems somewhat unusual to us today for a Christian church, but in the Middle Ages it was extremely popular. Two griffins carry on their wings a king sitting in a wicker box. Alexander holds little lion cubs in his hands. Ascension of Alexander the Great to heaven.

Little has survived from the interior decorations of the cathedral. The remains of medieval fresco painting that survived disasters and fires were destroyed in 1843, at which time the cathedral was re-painted with oil paints. During the restoration of the cathedral in the 19th century, under a thick layer of plaster under the choir near the western wall, traces of ancient mural painting were discovered: an image of the Mother of God sitting on a throne with two angels on her sides, next to the forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In 1918, the All-Russian Restoration Commission, during clearing, discovered under the vaults of the choir the remains of fresco painting from the 12th century - scenes from the Last Judgment. In the central vault under the choir there are preserved figures of 12 apostle-judges on thrones and angels behind them; in the small vault under the choir are scenes of heaven: trumpeting angels, the Apostle Peter leading the holy women to heaven, the prudent thief, the Virgin Mary with the forefathers. Angels. Fragment of the fresco “The Last Judgment” of St. Demetrius Cathedral

Before moving on to a further description of the facades of the Demetrius Cathedral, we will also mention the Golden Gate - a rare monument of Russian military architecture from the time of the rise of the Vladimir Principality under Andrei Bogolyubsky. Golden Gate of Vladimir.

The Golden Gate was included in the western line of the city ramparts, built in 1158-1164. princely town planners. The shafts adjacent to the gate array on the sides were scattered in the 18th century. for constructing detours; Round false Gothic towers with extensions between them appeared at the corners of the gate; the arch of the gate and the church above it were then rebuilt. Note that we also know the “Golden Gates” of Constantinople and Kyiv, but there is still serious debate as to how much the “restored” “Golden Gates” of modern Kiev correspond to their name.

A small digression. It is believed that the Scythians were inspired by Zeus. And according to Herodotus: the ancient Greeks considered the Scythians to be the descendants of Hercules. (Taken from the books: Dovatur A.I., Kallistov D.P., Shishova I.A. “The peoples of our country in the “History” of Herodotus”; Kandyba V.M., Zolin P.M. “The real history of Russia. History and the ideology of the Russian people"). This fits well within the framework of the new chronology, according to which Zeus and Hercules are reflections of the “King of the Slavs” Jesus. The Scythians are the direct ancestors of the Slavs or the Slavs themselves under a different name, which was also proven by a recent study of the genetics of the Russian and Kazan Tatars, proving their direct kinship from the Scythians. (http://kp.ru/daily/24065/305831/)

Let's return to the facades of St. Demetrius Cathedral. The relief of King David sitting on the throne, repeated three times in the central zakomari, has a different environment on each façade. Let's look at two reliefs depicting the hero's victory over a lion.

The first relief of the cathedral shows a man sitting on a lion and tearing the beast's mouth (like Samson to a lion). But in early Christian times, the hero tearing the mouth of a lion was also depicted as David; there were several such images, and they were signed as “David”. (Some of these images are shown in the work: Novakovskaya-Bukhman S.M. King David in the reliefs of the Demetrievsky Cathedral in Vladimir.) Therefore, it is assumed that the victory of David over the lion is depicted on the Demetrievsky Cathedral, especially since the relief is located next to the central image of King David . David-Samson is top right.

Second relief: “the hero defeats the lion with the help of a mace.” A well-known story suggests itself: the victory of Hercules over the Nemean lion. But there is a similar feat of David: David, when a lion attacked the flock, chased after it and took the sheep, and if the beast rushed at him, then David “took it by the hair and struck it and killed it” (I Sam. 17:34, 35 ). In early Christian monuments and in miniatures of the Greek aristocratic Psalms of the Middle Byzantine period, the victory of David over the lion is conveyed in two versions: with images of David in front of the predator or behind it. The interpretation of St. is also interesting. Augustine (197 sermon) “David, who strangles the lion and the bear, who have power in their claws or in their mouths, is an image of Christ descending into hell to free the captives and protect his church from the power of the devil.”

There are two more reliefs that are recognized as the image of King David. One of them, a king sitting on a throne, with his left hand clutching a rectangular musical instrument with strings stretched vertically, and with his right hand he blesses, like the Savior, the beast rearing up in front of him. If we compare it with another relief depicting David on the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, then we can assume that there is also David on the Demetrius Cathedral. The figure, pose, musical instrument and vestments in the relief of St. Demetrius Cathedral literally repeat the image on the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, where the inscription STЪ DVDЪ (David) is preserved. King David on the southern facade of the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl. David with a lute. Dmitrievsky Cathedral. David.

Once again this same image is repeated in the Demetrius Cathedral, where the king is depicted seated on a lion throne (like Solomon). During the last restoration of the cathedral in 1998-1999. the inscription AG DDD opened. But even in the art of the Middle Ages, thrones in the form of lions became widespread attributes of power, in particular in Byzantium. Sometimes Christ, the Mother of God, the Evangelist Luke and King David himself are depicted on thrones with armrests in the form of lion heads.

G.K. Wagner writes that the iconography of the title relief of the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, and similar images of the Demetrius Cathedral, has no analogues in Western European art. The image of David the musician surrounded by animals is one of the earliest and most widespread in medieval art. A feature of the reliefs of Vladimir cathedrals is the blessing gesture of King David and a pose similar to the images of “The Savior on the Throne”. The lions and doves surrounding David may be related to the idea of ​​the kingdom. According to medieval symbolism, they can also be understood as symbols of God. Accordingly, David appears as the king of heaven and earth and, therefore, again, as a type (or himself!) of Christ. In the Greek aristocratic (simply early Christian) Psalms of the 11th century. throne images of King David are known, blessing with his right hand, with an open book in his left. Also in the bas-reliefs of the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl and on the Demetrievsky Cathedral in the images of King David, a ribbon encircling him and crossed on his chest is clearly visible. For example, G.K. Wagner saw the tape as a reminder of imperial lore. There are two main opinions: the ribbon on the reliefs of the Church of the Intercession and St. Demetrius Cathedral is associated either with imperial and liturgical vestments, or the ribbon exactly repeats the ribbon of the deacon’s orarion, with which the deacon girds himself before communion. The same girdle is known in the images of Christ’s clothes in the compositions “The Virgin and Child” (Lidov A.M. The image of “Christ the Bishop” in the iconographic program of Sophia of Ohrid.).

Decoration of the central zakomara of the western facade of the cathedral. David. David is depicted here surrounded by angels and saints with scrolls, eagles flying to his head.

To the right of David on the cathedral is an angel walking towards the king. Turning to the next saint with a scroll, the angel hands him a large round object, similar to a round loaf of bread. An angel with bread on which there is a cross and a saint with a scroll.

Ta What kind of bread is Christ holding in his hands in one of the versions of the composition “Communion of the Apostles”. This composition is known in many monumental paintings and mosaics. There is a cross on Jesus' bread. On the relief of St. Demetrius Cathedral, a four-pointed equal-pointed cross is also carved in the center of the bread. Symbols of royalty - eagles - fly to David here, leopards and lions march towards him, and these, as a number of historians claim, are the heraldic animals of the Vladimir princes of pre-Mongol times. That is, in the bas-reliefs of St. Demetrius Cathedral, most likely, we see an image not of King David or Hercules with Samson, but of the Savior! It’s better to say: the bas-reliefs of the cathedral further confirm the statement previously made in “The King of the Slavs” that King David of the Psalms is Jesus. And therefore, the images on the facades of the cathedral are completely Christian, simply made in the early Christian tradition. Which then began to be forgotten. Thus, we see that the new chronology often more fully reflects the meanings of many images of the Cathedral of St. Demetrius, removes many historical contradictions and, perhaps, even shows an additional, from a different perspective, non-obvious, relationship between early Christianity and Buddhism in particular.

Princely Palace in Bogolyubovo. Almost no bas-reliefs have survived on the facades. But during excavations in the ground, the remains of bas-reliefs were discovered, which suggests that the ancient palace was made in the same early Christian style as the St. Demetrius Cathedral and the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl. Here's another interesting find! It is believed that the palace square was decorated with another architectural structure, from which the so-called four-faced capital has been preserved - a massive limestone block of regular shape with four carved faces in Christian halos. Girls' hairstyles are decorated with lilies (or one of the forms of the early Christian cross!) - symbols of the purity and purity of the Mother of God. Perhaps it was part of a massive pillar in the spirit of antiquity. It is known that the tradition of installing memorial triumphal columns was developed in the construction of Christian sacred pillars in Constantinople and in front of the cathedrals of Western Europe. And it reminds everyone, but it reminds me, among other things, not so much of the broken faces of the “Scythian women”, as it might seem at first glance, but rather of the many-faced images of Buddha somewhere in Southeast Asia. Four-faced capital in Bogolyubovo.

Appendix 1. Pigeon book.

The verse about the Book of the Dove-Deep is a work of Slavic spiritual literature. There are more than 20 options. It is believed that the “Dove Book” consists of Christian and pre-Christian myths and goes back to a number of apocrypha: “Conversation of the Three Hierarchs”, “Questions of John the Theologian to the Lord on Mount Tabor”, “Jerusalem Conversation”. The image of a book sealed with seven seals is one of the main ones in the Apocalypse. It is believed that the “Dove Book” was written from the future, since the breaking of seals and the battle between “falsehood and truth” take place already at the Last Judgment. (see also St. Augustine's statement about David and the lion). And “golbet” (hence maybe cabbage roll) is the entrance to another world. The wooden structure above the burial mound has the same name. The Pigeon is quite possibly also an otherworldly book, which is why it cannot be read. Apocalypse, chapter 5: The Lion “from the root of David,” who turns out to be the Lamb-Christ, can read the BOOK and open its seven seals (“You are worthy to take the book and open the seals from it, for You were slain, and with Your Blood you have redeemed us to God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation"), for which he enters into battle with the beast (Satan). Let us remember about the Indian thunder god Indra, who fights with the serpent Vritra (god of drought), who blocked the rivers. And about the Egyptian couple: Horus - Set. from the collection of A.V. Oksenova. A strong, menacing cloud rose, A Dove book fell out, And not small, not great: The valley book is forty fathoms, The crossbars are twenty fathoms. Forty kings with the prince, Forty princes with the prince, Forty priests, forty deacons, Many people, small people, Orthodox Christians, No one will approach the book, No one will shrink from God’s book. The wise king, the Wise Tsar Davyd Evseevich, came to the book: He has access to God’s book, The book opens up before him, All divine scripture is announced to him. Prince Volodimir, Vododimir Prince Volodimirovich, also came to the book: “You, wise king, Davyd Evseevich! Tell me, sir, preach to us, Who wrote this book, Who printed Golubin?” The wise king, the Wise King Davyd Evseevich, answered them: “Jesus Christ himself wrote this book, Jesus Christ, the Heavenly King; Isaiah the prophet himself read this book, He read the book for exactly three years, He read exactly three leaves from the book.” “Oh, you, you goy, our wise king, Wise Tsar Davyd Evseevich! Read, sir, the book of God, Declare, sir, the works of God, About our life, about the holy Russian, About our life to the world of the free: How did we begin white free light Why is our sun red? Why is our month young and bright? Why do we have so many stars? Why do we have dark nights? Why do we have morning dawns? Why do we have violent winds? Why do we have fragmentary rain? Why do we have mind-mind? What are our thoughts? Why do we have peace-people? Why do we have strong bones? What are our bodies made of? Why is our blood ore? Why did we have kings in our land? How did the prince-boyars conceive? Why are the peasants Orthodox?" The wise Tsar, the Wise Tsar Davyd Evseevich, will say: "Oh, you goy, Volodimir the Prince, Volodimir the Prince Volodimirovich! I cannot read the book of God. I am honored to read the book of God: This book is not small, This book is great; To hold it in your arms - it won’t be able to hold it, To put it on God’s chest - it won’t fit. We can’t comprehend this book with our minds And we can’t look at the book with our eyes: The Great Dove Book! From my old memory, I will tell you, as if from a letter: For us, the white free light was conceived from the judgment of God, the red Sun from the face of God, Christ Himself, the King of Heaven; The month is young and bright from its breasts, The frequent stars are from the robes of God, The dark nights are from the thoughts of the Lord, The morning dawns are from the eyes of the Lord, The violent winds are from the Holy Spirit, The rain is broken from the tears of Christ, Christ Himself, the King of Heaven. We have the mind-mind of Christ himself, Our thoughts are from the clouds of heaven, We have the world-people from Adam, Our strong bones are from stone, Our bodies are from damp earth, Our blood-ore is from the black sea. From this we have kings in our land: From the holy head of Adam; From this the prince-boyars were conceived: From the holy relics of Adam; That is why the Orthodox peasants: From the holy tribe of Adam." Prince Volodimir, Prince Volodimirovich will say: "Wise Tsar Davyd Evseevich! Tell us, preach; Which king is king over kings? What is the mother land of all lands? What is the head of all the heads of the mother? Which city is the father of cities? Which church is the mother of all churches? What is the mother river of all rivers? What mountain is the mother of all mountains? Which stone is the mother of all stones? Which tree is the mother of all trees? What is the mother grass of all herbs? Which sea is the mother of all seas? What fish is the mother of all fish? Which bird is the mother of all birds? Which beast is the father of all beasts?" The wise king, the Wise Tsar Davyd Evseevich, will say: "We have a White Tsar - a king over kings. Why is a White Tsar a king over kings? And he holds the baptized faith, the baptized faith, the pious one, He stands for the Christian faith, For the house of the Most Pure Mother of God, - Therefore, the White Tsar is king over kings. Holy Rus' is the mother land of all lands: Apostolic churches are built on it; They pray to God crucified, to Christ Himself, the King of Heaven, - Therefore, holy Rus' is the mother land of all lands. And the head of the heads of the mother is the head of Adam, Because when the Jews crucified Christ on the place of execution, they placed a cross on the holy head of Adam. Jerusalem is the father of cities. Why is that city the father of cities? Therefore, Jerusalem is the father of cities: In the city of Jerusalem, here we have the environment of the earth. The cathedral is the mother church of all churches. Why is the cathedral-church the mother of all churches? There is a cathedral-church in the middle of the city of Jerusalem, In that cathedral church there is a divine throne; On that throne on the divine stands a white stone tomb; In that white stone tomb rest the vestments of Christ Himself, Christ Himself, the King of Heaven, - Therefore, the cathedral-church is the mother of churches. Ilmen is the mother lake of lakes: Not the Ilmen that is above the New City, Not the Ilmen that is in Constantinople, But the Ilmen that is in the Turkish land Above the initial city of Jerusalem. Why is Ilmen Lake mother lakes? His mother Jordan River fell out. The Jordan River is the mother of all rivers. Why is the Jordan River the mother of all rivers? Jesus Christ himself was baptized in it with the power of heaven, with the angels and guardians, with the twelve apostles, with John, the light, with the Baptist - therefore the Jordan River is the mother of all rivers. Favor is the mother mountain of all mountains. Why is Favor Mountain the mother of mountains? Jesus Christ himself was transfigured on it, Jesus Christ, the King of Heaven, the light, with Peter, with John, with James, with the twelve apostles, showed glory to his disciples, - Therefore Tabor is the mountain of the mother mountains. White latyr is the mother stone of all stones. On a white latyr on a stone Jesus Christ Himself, the Heavenly King, talked and rested, From the age of twelve with the apostles, From the age of twelve with the teachers; He established faith on the stone, He spread the book of the Dove throughout the earth, throughout the universe, - Therefore, the latyr-stone is the mother of all stones. Cypress is the mother tree of all trees. Why is that tree the mother of all trees? On that cypress tree the life-giving cross appeared to us. On that, on the life-giving cross, Jesus Christ himself was crucified, Jesus Christ, the King of Heaven, the light, - Therefore, cypress is the mother of all trees. Weeping grass is the mother of all herbs. Why is the weeping mother of all herbs? When the Jews crucified Christ, shed his holy blood, the Most Pure Mother of God wept greatly for Jesus Christ, for her son for her beloved, shed most pure tears on mother on the damp earth; From those, from the tears of the most pure, the weeping grass was born, - Therefore, the weeping grass is the mother of the grasses. The ocean is the mother of all seas. Why is the ocean the mother of all seas? In the middle of the ocean sea there emerged a cathedral church, a cathedral church, a pilgrimage church, of St. Clement, the Roman priest; The church has marble domes, and golden crosses on the domes. From that church, from the cathedral, from the cathedral, from the pilgrimage, the Queen of Heaven came out; From the ocean-sea she washed herself, To the cathedral-church she prayed to God, - From that the ocean is the mother of all seas. Whale fish is the mother of all fish. Why is the whale fish the mother of all fish? The earth is based on three fish. A whale-fish stands - it won’t collapse; When the whale-fish turns, Then mother earth will shake, Then our white light will end, - Therefore, the whale-fish is the mother of all fish. The earth was founded by the Holy Spirit, and maintained by the Word of God. Stratim-bird is the mother of all birds. Why is she the mother of all birds? The stratim bird lives on the ocean-sea and produces children on the ocean-sea. According to God's command, the Stratim-bird will perk up, the Ocean-sea will ripple; She sinks living-room ships with precious goods, - Therefore, we are the mother of all the birds. We have the Indrik Beast as the father of all animals. Why is the Indrik Beast the father of all animals? He walks through the dungeon, clears streams and grooves: Where the beast passes, the spring boils here; Wherever the beast turns, all the animals will bow to the beast. He lives in the holy mountain, He drinks and eats in the holy mountain; Wherever he wants, he goes through the dungeon, Like the sun in the sky, - That’s why we have an indrik-beast, the father of all animals. Prince Volodimir said: “Oh, you goy, wise king, Wise Tsar Davyd Evseevich! I slept at night, sir, I didn’t sleep much , I saw a lot in my dreams: If from that country from the east, If from another country from the midday, If two animals would gather, If two fierce ones would come together, They would fight and fight among themselves, One animal wants to defeat one.” The wise king, the Wise Tsar Davyd Evseevich, spoke: “It was not two beasts who gathered, It was not two fierce ones who came together, It was Falsehood and the Truth that came together, They fought and fought among themselves, Falsehood wants to overcome Truth. Truth out-argued Falsehood. Truth went to heaven To Christ himself, To the Heavenly King; And all the falsehoods have spread among us throughout the whole earth, All over the whole earth of the Russian world, Throughout all the Christian people. Because of the falsehoods the earth has shaken, Because of this the whole people are indignant; Because of the falsehoods, the people have become wrong, The people have become wrong, vindictive: They "They want to deceive each other, They want to eat each other. Whoever does not live in deceit, He who is drawn to the Lord, That soul will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven."

The famous Dmitrievsky Cathedral is located in the city of Vladimir and is a large court temple, which was built by Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest on the territory of the princely court. It was decided to consecrate the temple in the name of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki.

The exact date of construction of the Demetrius Cathedral is still unknown, but many researchers point to the period between 1194 and 1197. Russian craftsmen were involved in the construction process, although it was originally planned to invite German ones.

In 1237, the cathedral was destined to share the fate of the capital of the Vladimir principality. Damaged and plundered by the Tatars, the temple subsequently burned and was looted more than once.

Between 1837 and 1839, according to the order of Emperor Nicholas I, repair and restoration work was carried out in the cathedral in order to give the cathedral its original appearance. As a result of the work, it turned out that the temple was incredibly disfigured and was completely different from the original version. After a certain period of time, the cathedral began to quickly collapse. Again an order was given for its restoration, but this time the appearance of the temple was almost completely restored. The church was built as the palace temple of Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest and occupied first place among all the buildings of his court.

It is worth noting that Demetrius Cathedral is a masterpiece. It has almost ideal forms and noble proportions, which makes the cathedral unique. The appearance of the cathedral is striking at first glance, because the spirit of solemnity envelops the temple down to the most inconspicuous details. The symbol of the Orthodox faith has absorbed all the best from Russian engraving and wood carving, which has found its place not only in decorative, but also in pictorial motifs. The cathedral is rich in white stone carvings, which almost completely envelop the temple walls - it is not for nothing that the cathedral has a second name - “precious casket” or “stone poem”.

The richness of the interior decoration is delightful, although in some places you can notice that there is even too much of it, but apparently the Vladimir architects could not dwell on the splendor that was created by their hands - which is why there is a somewhat sense of imbalance.

As mentioned, the authors of the stone carvings were Vladimir architects who worked in collaboration with Bulgarians, Serbs and Dalmatians - visitors from the Balkan Peninsula. This circumstance explains the presence of motifs that were so widespread in Byzantium and the Balkans.

The façade of the Dmitrievsky Cathedral is divided into three tiers, and the lower one is devoid of decoration, so only carved portals are visible against its background. The second tier is an arcature columnar belt, equipped with white stone figures and luxurious ornaments. The third tier is cut through with narrow windows and completely covered with carvings, which are also noticeable on the dome drum. The crowning of the temple was carried out using a gilded shallow dome, shaped like a hero’s helmet. On the dome there is a wide cross made of gilded copper.

The southern facade of St. Demetrius Cathedral stands out due to the presence of a large-scale composition called “The Ascension of Alexander the Great into Heaven.” The plot of the composition is somewhat unconventional for an Orthodox church, but in those days it was acceptable and popular. In the hands of Alexander the Great are depicted small lion cubs that so attract griffins - terrible monsters.

The key figure in the cathedral decoration is the statue of King David, which occupies a central place on each façade. Today, a small fragment of the painting “The Last Judgment” has survived. It is believed that two talented masters took part in the creation of the fresco. The Byzantine motif of painting is clearly visible in the picture, but this composition is so realistically executed that it literally revolutionized the entire appearance of St. Demetrius Cathedral, adding elements of Byzantine art of the 12th century.

The interior of the cathedral seems quite small, but it was built exclusively for the prince’s family and was not designed for a large crowd of people. But despite this, Dmitrievsky Cathedral is a unique architectural monument of its time.

In the 12th century, the previously impoverished northern lands of Rus' began to be seriously cultivated and rebuilt. The capital city of Vladimir rose, in which buildings important for the state were built day and night. Vsevolod the Big Nest, who gathered all the power of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality into a single fist, ordered the construction of a small church for himself not far from the Assumption Cathedral.

In those years, the princes had two names: received at birth and given at baptism. Vsevolod was baptized with the name Dmitry. In 1194-1197, a white stone church was erected in the city of Vladimir in honor of the heavenly patron of Vsevolod the Big Nest - Dmitry of Thessalonica.

Since ancient times, Saint Dmitry, the patron saint of all warriors, has been revered on Russian soil. The talented commander lived and held the position of proconsul in the city of Thessaloniki (Thessaloniki, the modern name of Thessaloniki). In those days, the proconsul had to not only rule the city and protect its walls from attacks, but also exterminate Christianity as a religion. However, Dmitry angered Emperor Galerius precisely because he preached a forbidden faith. He was thrown into prison, where he was stabbed to death with spears, and his corpse was thrown to be torn to pieces by wild beasts. However, the animals did not touch the body, and the Christians of Thessalonica arranged a burial. Later, when the Christian Emperor Constantine came to the city, a church was erected in memory of the Great Martyr Dmitry. It still stands today and contains the relics of the saint. And then, 8 centuries after the death of Dmitry, Vsevolod the Big Nest came to Thessaloniki and chose some relics for his church. It was a piece of the great martyr’s clothes, soaked in his blood, as well as an icon of Dmitry, written, according to legend, on a board from his coffin. So the Demetrius Cathedral became the reliquary of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica.

The temple was built by the hands of Russian architects, who lovingly raised heavy white stone walls, created semicircular apses and formed a building with four pillars. Its top was a gentle dome with an openwork cross. The decoration of the majestic and stern-looking cathedral was carried out by Greek and Vladimir carvers. This left an imprint on the appearance of the building. In it, the advantage is given to elements found in the design of Western basilicas, rather than Orthodox churches. The carvings covering the temple, as if with an openwork scarf, were rightfully called for centuries a “carpet of stone patterns” or “a poem in stone.” But if the sense of harmony had failed the masters even for a moment, and they had not been able to stop at exactly the moment in which the temple came to us, the richness of the paintings and carvings would have become excessive and would have lost their originality and beauty.

All the walls of the cathedral are divided into three tiers. The lower tier is devoid of decoration, and its smooth walls are set off only by carved portals. This is no coincidence, since previously it was closed by galleries that were located on three sides of the temple. From the main facade, along the edges of the galleries, there were staircase towers covered with carvings, reminiscent of the towers of the St. Sophia Cathedral. The middle tier, as if in contrast, is filled with paintings carved in stone, and is represented by an arcature belt with an ornament. The upper tier with high windows, as well as the drum of the dome, are completely covered with the finest carvings, which from a distance look like thin lace.

The walls of the temple seem to breathe and tell travelers the history of the world. They depict paintings of saints and psalmists. Riders gallop along them and mythical and real creatures live their lives. Paganism is closely intertwined with Christian motifs, and together they create a truly unique picture. Allegory in everything, even in the main plot depicted on the temple. The carvers sang a stone song to their prince, comparing him to King David. He is depicted as a musician, whom birds and animals listen to. Doves and lions carry the meaning of heaven and earth, which is why King David is God's messenger on earth. He preserves the state he came to. He preserves Holy Rus'. On the middle tier of the cathedral, saints are carved in stone, including Boris and Gleb.

On the northern facade of the building, on one of the zakomars, a ruler is depicted sitting on a throne and holding a baby on his lap. This is the founder of the temple himself, Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest with his newborn son. Nearby are figures of older children. All figures are separated by columns of the arcature belt. The carving on the columns is amazing in its beauty, making the stone more like a thick cord, the end of which is the figures of various fantastic creatures.

The southern façade retains traces of the composition “The Ascension of Alexander the Great to Heaven.” An amazing installation typical of the Middle Ages. The plot was played out many times in a variety of temples and churches. In Venice on San Marco, in Freiburg on the walls of the cathedral, in Yuryev-Polsky on the walls of St. George's Cathedral. Demetrius Cathedral shows how the king sitting in a wicker box is carried on their backs by two griffins. In Alexander’s hands are two lion cubs, this is bait for griffins, who are drawn to her and carry the king higher and higher into the skies.

There has been much controversy regarding the temple carvings. Opinions were voiced that the depiction on the walls of the holy dwelling was too cruel. Numerous monsters, horsemen and fight scenes occupy almost most of the walls of the cathedral. But spiritual texts themselves refute this version. The temple shows the whole world, the existence of which is woven from contradictions. Love and glory are closely intertwined with blood and war. And from above these contradictions are looked at by God, who with his wisdom unites both the psalmists and the warriors.

The inside of the cathedral looks much more modest than the outside. And it’s hard to imagine decoration that could outshine the stone song of the outer walls. But the builders of those years clearly understood what needed to be achieved. The temple, small in appearance, was built primarily for the princely family, and not for a large number of parishioners. And therefore, external beauty is replaced inside by solemn severity and asceticism. This is a real House of Prayer, in which there is a lot of light and silence, and this was done as planned by the architects, and their idea was a success.

The biggest loss for the Demetrius Cathedral was the transportation of the shrine - the coffin plaque of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica to the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow. This happened in 1380 by order of the Moscow prince Dmitry Ivanovich. During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, several extensions (galleries) were made of white stone to the cathedral. In the north there was a chapel in honor of St. Nicholas, and in the south there was a chapel in honor of the beheading of John the Baptist. In the west there was a porch.

Perhaps, in the first years of the existence of the Demetrius Cathedral, there was a painting on its internal walls that would take your breath away, but, alas, it has not survived to this day. Already in 1843, after numerous devastations and fires, the remains of the frescoes were knocked down, and their place was taken by new oil paintings. This was preceded by a visit to the city of Vladimir in 1834 by Emperor Nicholas I, who noticed the terrible appearance and dilapidation of the holy temple. He ordered restoration work to be carried out and the galleries that surrounded the cathedral on three sides to be removed.

In 1883, the cathedral elder, merchant V.N. Muravkin erected a small belfry with a guardhouse next to the temple. Inside there was an oven, from which pipes with warm air went into the cathedral. Thus, the cathedral began to be heated, which made it possible to hold services there all year round.

Of the original idea for the interior decoration, only a small fragment of a 12th century fresco made by a Greek artist and his Russian assistant has survived to this day. The painting was called “The Last Judgment.” Its remains were found under the vaults of the choir by the All-Russian Restoration Commission under the leadership of I. E. Grabar in 1918. In the central vault one can see images of 12 figures of apostle-judges on thrones, as well as the faces of angels behind them. On the small vault under the choir, some scenes of paradise are well preserved: the Mother of God on the throne, the apostle Peter leading the holy women to paradise, trumpeting angels, the forefathers Abraham, Jacob and Isaac and the “Bosom of Abraham,” as well as the prudent thief. The frescoes are made in warm and gentle undertones, bluish-gray, yellowish-green, blue. Thanks to the skill of the icon painters, the fresco made a real revolution in the idea of ​​traditional Byzantine painting of the 12th century. The faces of the saints are depicted very vividly and realistically; all faces have purely individual features. Their beauty is strict and laconic, and seems to complete the entire appearance of the interior decoration of the ancient temple.

In 1919, the cathedral, like most holy houses in Russia, was closed for worship and transferred to the subordination of the Vladimir Museum. His condition worsened every year. The white stone deteriorated, structures were destroyed, and unique paintings inside the cathedral were destroyed. Only in 1937 did another renovation begin. However, only numerous strengthening of structures under the leadership of architect A.V. Stoletov in 1941, as well as in 1948-1952, made it possible to bring St. Demetrius Cathedral out of disrepair. But only at the end of the 20th century was a whole range of work carried out to save the unique building. They replaced the cross on the dome, covered the wall relief and white stone with a protective plastic mixture, and installed drainpipes. But the most important thing is the establishment of a microclimate, without which priceless relics could simply perish.

Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir was erected under the Grand Duke Vsevolod the Big Nest in the 12th century, when the Principality of Vladimir was at the zenith of its glory. Demetrius Cathedral is one of the most outstanding buildings of that time, famous for its white stone decoration, thanks to which it is often compared to a “precious casket” and a “stone poem.”

Address of St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir

Vladimir, st. Bolshaya Moskovskaya, 60.

How to get to Dmitrievsky Cathedral in Vladimir

The temple is located in the very center of the city. From the train and bus stations you can walk in 15-20 minutes: walk two blocks along Communal Descent, to Bolshaya Moskovskaya Street. Turn left and follow Bolshaya Moskovskaya Street.

The main attractions of Vladimir, such as the Golden Gate and the Assumption Cathedral, are within walking distance.

Opening hours of the Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir in 2019

• In February
  • Daily from 10:00 to 17:00
• In March
  • Daily from 10:00 to 17:00
  • On Saturdays, opening hours are extended until 18:00
  • Third Thursday of the month - sanitary day
• In April
  • Every day, except Sunday, from 10:00 to 18:00
  • Sundays from 10:00 to 17:00
  • Third Friday of the month - sanitary day

Cost of tickets to St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir in 2019.

• Adults - 150 rub.
• Children under 16 years old - free
• Children over 16 years old, students and pensioners (citizens of the Russian Federation and the CIS) - 75 rubles.

From the history

By the end of the 12th century, Kyiv had lost its former significance, while the Vladimir-Suzdal principality was in its peak stage of prosperity. Dmitrievsky Cathedral became the personification of the strength, rise and power of the Vladimir land.

The temple was erected by Prince Vsevolod III, who was called Vsevolod the Big Nest for his large family - he had 12 children. At that time, the princes had two names - princely and Christian, which they received at baptism. Vsevolod III received the name Dmitry of Thessalonica at baptism, in whose name he decided to build a temple.

The exact date of construction of the Dmitrievsky Cathedral has not been established: according to historians, it was built by Russian craftsmen in the period from 1194 to 1197.

The temple was built as the palace church of Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest. The structure was located in the grand ducal courtyard, surrounded by palace buildings that have not survived to this day, but traces of them were discovered during restoration carried out in the 19th century.

During the invasion of the Tatar-Mongol yoke and the capture of Vladimir in 1238, the Dmitrievsky Cathedral, like the main temple of the principality - the Assumption Cathedral, was looted and set on fire. In subsequent years, the temple was devastated several more times by the Tatars, Lithuanians and Poles.

A big loss for the cathedral was the transfer in 1380, at the behest of Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich, of its main shrine - the tombstone of St. Dmitry of Thessaloniki to the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow.

During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, extensions were made of white stone to the temple. They were located on three sides and contained chapels:

• In the northern part there is a chapel in honor of St. Nicholas
• On the south side - in honor of the beheading of John the Baptist

There was a porch in the western part.

In 1807-1808, repair work was carried out, as a result of which the iconostasis was updated and the wooden roof was replaced with iron. At the same time, a bell tower was built over the ancient chapels, and a porch with columns was built on the western side of the temple.

In 1834, Nicholas I, during a visit to Vladimir, ordered the destruction of the ancient outbuildings and the restoration of the temple to its original appearance. In 1837, the restoration was completed and St. Demetrius Cathedral appeared in all its ancient beauty.

For a long time the temple remained cold and services were held there only in the summer. In 1883, the cathedral elder, merchant V.N. Muravkin built a small belfry nearby with a guardhouse in which there was an oven. Pipes led from it into the temple, through which warm air flowed. Thanks to this, services began to take place year-round, the temple became dry, and thus a favorable atmosphere was created for frescoes.

Exterior decoration

White stone carving

The white stone carvings of the cathedral were created by Vladimir carvers who worked together with Bulgarians, Dalmatians or Serbs. Therefore, in the white stone decoration you can see scenes common in the Balkans, Byzantium and throughout Europe.

In total, about a thousand carved stones are installed on the facades, representing a bizarre picture of the world: these are images of Christianity, heroes of folk myths and plots of medieval literature.

Architecture

In plan, St. Demetrius Cathedral is an oblong quadrangle, the narrow sides of which face east and west.

The facades of the building are divided into three tiers:

• The lower façade has no decoration, this is explained by the fact that it was previously covered with galleries on three sides. In addition, on the western façade, at the corners of the galleries, there were two staircase towers. These galleries and towers were also decorated with white stone carvings. But, unfortunately, to date these buildings have not survived
• On the middle tier are white stone carved figures of saints, including princes Boris and Gleb, bizarre plants, figures of fantastic animals and birds, in short, a real fairy tale in stone
• The upper tier, which has narrow high windows, is completely covered with carvings.

The gilded dome has a flat shape, reminiscent of a hero’s helmet. On top there is an openwork cross made of gilded copper.

Temple facades

• On the southern façade of the temple there is a composition “The Ascension of Alexander the Great to Heaven”. This story was very popular in Rus', Europe and the East. The plot is based on two griffins carrying a king sitting in a wicker basket on their wings. In Alexander's hands is a bait for griffins in the form of small lion cubs. The griffins are drawn to the bait and thus carry the king into the sky
• On the northern facade you can see the relief “Prince Vsevolod with his sons”, depicting Prince Vsevolod III, thanks to whom the temple was built. He holds his newborn son on his lap, and around him are his other sons.
• On the western façade there are scenes depicting the exploits of David and Hercules.

In each of the facades, the central place is occupied by the figure of King David, whose image is the key to understanding the symbolism of the white stone carvings of the cathedral. All the characters in the reliefs of St. Demetrius Cathedral are illustrations of the lines of David’s psalm “Let every breath praise the Lord!”

Frescoes

Admiring the numerous patterns on the facades of the temple, you expect that we will be greeted with similar decoration inside. However, at present the interior of the temple is quite modest.

At the same time, initially the vault of the ancient cathedral was completely painted with frescoes and, probably, the worshipers were literally breathtaking from the splendor of church painting.

The restoration carried out in 1843 made it possible to discover under the vaults of the choir the remains of a 12th-century fresco painting depicting one of the best compositions - scenes from the Last Judgment. To date, only fragments of this painting have survived:

• In the central vault under the choir you can see the figures of 12 apostle-judges on thrones and angels behind them
• In the small vault under the choir, scenes of paradise are depicted: trumpeting angels and the Apostle Peter leading the holy women to paradise, the prudent thief, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as well as the Mother of God on the throne.

The frescoes are made in delicate halftones - light green and blue, greenish-yellow and bluish-gray. The faces of the apostles are distinguished by their strict beauty, portrait features and individuality. Judging by the style of painting, it was done by two painters - Greek and Russian.

Demetrius Cathedral is small in size, because it was built as a “house of prayer” for the princely family and was not designed for a large number of parishioners. Its internal space is filled with air and light, everything here is permeated with solemn calm and tranquility.

Official website of St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir

It is part of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve: www.vladmuseum.ru




Dmitrievsky Cathedral in Vladimir is one of the masterpieces of architecture of North-Eastern Rus'. In 1992, the architectural monument was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.