Long before the baptism by Vladimir Svyatoslavovich of Russians, the ideas of Christianity began to penetrate into Russia, and according to legend, St. Andrew the First-Called put an end to the Kiev mountains in the 1st century.
The first Christians began to build the first temples in the Slavic lands. Few of them survived their time, but there are those that still exist today in a rebuilt form. Let us turn to the splendor and originality of ancient Russian architecture and present the most ancient Orthodox churches of Orthodoxy.
The oldest Orthodox churches in the world:
Saint Sophie Cathedral. Istanbul
We begin the story with the main shrine of Orthodoxy. The first wooden church on the market square of Byzantium, subsequently renamed to Constantinople, was erected from 324 to 337.
In the first two centuries of its existence, the church was destroyed several times as a result of fires, and only in the reign of Emperor Justinian I in 537 did they build a stone basilica made of the best marble.
In 1453, after the fall of Byzantium, Hagia Sophia became a mosque, and in 1935 the oldest architectural monument became a museum. Today it is the oldest temple of Orthodox culture.
Church of St. John the Baptist. Kerch
In the center of Kerch stands the Church of St. John the Baptist. Today it is the oldest building in Russia.
A unique monument of Byzantine architecture was erected in the VIII century, and in the XII several architectural elements were added to the main building.
They were able to determine the age by the inscription on one of the columns of the temple. Architecturally, it is a cross-domed church built in the traditional Byzantine style. The construction used striped pink and white masonry, with which the Byzantine architects strengthened the building in case of an earthquake.
Holy Elias Church. Kiev
Many historians and archaeologists agree that the Elias Church is the first Orthodox church in Russia.
During excavations, the remains of an ancient wooden building were investigated, in the annals under 945 there is evidence that the Russian-Byzantine treaty was consecrated in this church.
In 1962, a new single-domed church was erected on the site of the destroyed wooden building. The interior has preserved unique murals and ancient icons.
Transfiguration Cathedral. Chernihiv
Now we will directly proceed to the monuments of the times of Kievan Rus. The five-domed church in the oldest Russian city of Chernigov began to be erected in 1033, but after the death of Mstislav, architects were sent to Novgorod for the construction of the Novgorod temple.
The construction of the Transfiguration Cathedral was completed only in the 50s of the 11th century. One of the oldest churches in Russia came to us in almost pristine form.
Today, the three-nave church is also a functioning church and museum. Chernigov-Seversky Prince Igor Svyatoslavich, sung in the “Word on Igor's Regiment”, was buried in the church.
Saint Sophia Cathedral. Kiev
In recent decades, discussions about the time of construction of this masterpiece of ancient Russian architecture have not stopped. The fact is that one of the graffiti of the church says that it was laid by Prince Vladimir around 1011.
Most likely, the cathedral was laid by Vladimir, and the construction of a unique monument was completed under his son - Yaroslav in 1037.
The construction was severely damaged during the Batu invasion, and during the Ruin period it was almost abandoned. Only hetman Mazepa allocated funds, and St. Sophia Cathedral was reconstructed in the Ukrainian Baroque style. So he came to our days.
Hagia Sophia. Novgorod
The main temple of Veliky Novgorod for many centuries was the spiritual and cultural center of the Novgorod Republic.
Arriving in Novgorod in 1046 to visit his son, Yaroslav and Ingigerd (at the baptism of Irina) laid a new church on the site of the burned church of 989. It took Russian architects four years to build a magnificent and unique cathedral.
In the XII century, the temple was painted with frescoes, and later in addition to the main altar, two more iconostases were decorated. The building, and with it the most unique murals and icons, suffered greatly during the Great Patriotic War, but the temple was restored, and today the parishioners and thousands of tourists are pleasing to the eye.
Church of the Intercession on the Nerl
Among the picturesque Russian expanses, where the Nerl flows into the Klyazma in the middle of the XII century at the behest of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, a magnificent white-stone church was erected.
In the construction, if you refer to the annals, both Russian and Byzantine masters took part. The cover stands on a wide flood meadow, on a small hillock specially laid out for its foundation.
The church itself and its architectural features reflect the construction and cultural traditions of pre-Mongol Russia. This monument of culture and architecture is rightfully included in the UNESCO World Heritage. According to TheBiggest.ru, this is one of the most beautiful temples in the world.
Spassky Cathedral Andronikov Monastery. Moscow
Laid in 1357, and partially preserved to this day, Spassky Cathedral is the oldest monument of Russian architecture.
The great Russian icon painters Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny took part in the wall painting. Fragments of their work are preserved on the slopes of temple windows.
The cathedral of Andronikov Monastery was rebuilt several times, and acquired its modern look already in the 60s of the last century. During archaeological excavations on the territory of the monastery, it was possible to find constructive details of the ancient throne and burial.
Assumption Cathedral. Moscow
If we consider the oldest temples in Moscow, the first stone cathedral was the Assumption, founded in the distant 1326. But the first building had to be dismantled due to disrepair and design errors.
In the reign of Ivan III in 1471, the construction of a new building was begun, for the construction of which masters from Italy were invited. In 1479, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was solemnly consecrated.
Today, the cult building in the courtyard of the Moscow Kremlin is a museum, and only sometimes with the blessing of the patriarch divine services are held in the walls of the cathedral.
Conclusion
As you can see, in Russia and in the territory of the former Kievan Rus, many stone masterpieces of ancient architecture have been preserved. Their monumental walls remember the stages of the formation of the Russian state, glorious and tragic events, serving as valuable witnesses along with chronicles and archaeological artifacts.
TheBiggest.ru editors are asking you to write your thoughts about the old Orthodox churches in Russia and around the world in the comments.
Article author: Valery Skiba