Download The Architecture of the Vladimir-Suzdal Land from the Mid

The Architecture of the Vladimir-Suzdal Land from the Mid-12th to the Early 13th Century
The topic of this lecture is the "Architecture of the Vladimir-Suzdal Area of the Mid-12th – Early 13th
Century".
The main, key word for describing Vladimir-Suzdal architecture is "white-stone". The white-stone
masonry technique and the stylistic features connected with it determine the distinguishing
characteristic of Vladimir-Suzdal architecture. This characteristic distinguishes Vladimir-Suzdal
architecture from architectural schools of the neighbouring principalities, the neighbouring lands. This is
of course the main visual distinction of Vladimir-Suzdal architecture. Its background, its special features
have of course other roots as well.
In the middle of the 12th century, Yuri Dolgoruky built a number of stone churches, of which the Church
of St. Boris and St. Gleb in Kideksha and the Transfiguration Cathedral in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky are still
extant. We have already talked about these buildings, and they are the ones that constitute the
beginning of white-stone construction in the north-west of Rus'. Besides, we mentioned the important
role played by Halych builders who introduced this white-stone tradition into Vladimir-Suzdal
architecture.
Starting from the mid-1150s, a new social and political situation had been formed in the north-west of
Rus'. Yuri Dolgoruky's son, Prince Andrei, leaves Kiev, moves to the north-east and from now on his
political future will be connected with the Principality of Vladimir and Suzdal. His desire to strengthen
the position of the principality in the social and political system of Rus', to make it a leading force, is
manifest in all aspects of public, secular and religious life of that period. The worship of the Blessed
Virgin and local saints, the beginning of the veneration of the Theotokos of Vladimir. This icon, by the
way, was brought by Andrei from Vyshhorod and placed in the Assumption Cathedral, which was built in
Vladimir in the 1160s - a grandiose stone construction effort. All this was a sign of the intensified
spiritual life, a new stage in the development of local culture. The size of the buildings is getting larger,
their appearance - more imposing; the architecture is given a new lease of life. Architecture finds itself
in very favourable conditions, and such conditions can only be created by the public enthusiasm and the
great ideas living in the society and inspiring it.
Stone construction
The course towards white-stone construction that was established already during the rule of Yuri
Dolgoruky was continued in the time of Andrei Bogolyubsky and took its root as a key feature,
distinguishing Vladimir-Suzdal architecture from that of the neighbouring lands. The construction effort
sponsored by Andrei had a certain well-defined programme. All churches commissioned by him were
dedicated to the Mother of God, the Theotokos, and we cannot help but see in this a certain desire to
ensure her protection, to attain the grace of the Blessed Virgin.
We already mentioned the work of Halych builders in the Vladimir-Suzdal land. In the mid-1150s, under
Andrei Bogolyubsky, the programme of the future construction was only taking shape, and new masters
were being invited. The chronicler says that God brought him (Andrei) masters from all lands. It was not
unusual in medieval practice to invite builders from the neighbouring lands, and even from lands that
were further away, for a large building effort. There are records suggesting he Andrei Bogolyubsky had
builders sent to him by the German emperor Frederick Barbarossa. This is an important fact that (I will
say now, getting a little ahead of myself) further asserted the Romanesque tone of Vladimir-Suzdal
churches.
Starting from 1158, there had been uninterrupted construction carried out in Vladimir, especially
intensive between 1158 and 1165. The territory of the city was enlarged, defensive walls were built, the
ditches were dug; the defensive walls were raised in the form of earth ramparts; the perimeter of the
walls was 7 km (this is longer than the walls in Kiev). The system of wooden and earthwork fortifications
incorporated the stone Golden Gate - this was a fortified tower, the main entryway into Vladimir,
topped with the Church of the Deposition of the Virgin's Robe. The building dates back to 1164.
The Golden Gate of Vladimir was restored in 1469, in the 1640s, and at the end of the 18th and the
beginning of the 19th centuries, the restoration effort became especially active and seriously affected
the modern look of the building. The base is still extant - two parallel white-stone walls. They were
covered by an extant barrel vault as a basis for a small church with four pillars. The Golden Gate was
flanked by ramparts. Entrance to the church and upstairs, to the fighting platform, was located inside
one of the walls of the Golden Gate. Its very name allows one to maintain with certainty that the
Golden Gate of Vladimir was built following the model of the Kiev's Golden Gate. In this orientation
towards the Golden Gate of Kiev, the desire for imitation, typical for medieval culture, was manifest; but
we can also see in it an element of rivalry with Kiev, an ambition to out-achieve "the Mother of all
Russian Cities".
On the highest elevation, in the most imposing place of the town area they built the Assumption
Cathedral. The construction was carried out from 1158 to 1160 (quite fast if one takes into
consideration that the building work was only carried out in summer and not all year round). The church
is perfectly located. It dominates the city, rising over the expanse of the River Klyazma. This is the largest
building in the city. Its modern appearance clearly shows that in the 12th century it was surrounded by
galleries. This happened in 1185-1189, i.e. the extant building while dating back to the 12th century is,
at the same time, double-layered architecturally.
The original church was a rather traditional building with six pillars and three apses,; such buildings are
quite well-known to us, first of all, from the Kiev architecture of the second half of the 11th century. But
for the 1160s, this kind of building is no longer typical. At that time and not only in the Vladimir-Suzdal
land, they built mostly four-pillared, rather small churches. The very size of the Assumption Cathedral is
a manifestation of the passionate enthusiasm behind the building effort. By the way, dedication of the
church to the Assumption of the Theotokos is also quite traditional, since in the 12th-century Rus',
urban cathedrals were built in dedication to the Blessed Virgin, the Protectress of cities, the patron saint
of the city.
Foreign master builders most probably came to the Vladimir-Suzdal land from Northern Italy. Their
origin, their hand, their signature characteristics can be seen in a whole number of features that we
need to specify here. This is, first of all, the white-stone masonry, as well as recessed portals that can be
easily found in Romanesque architecture of that time. Such distinctive features of North-Italian
architecture as blind arcading, pilasters in the form of slender columns, decoration with white-stone
carvings tell us that the invitation of masters indeed took place.
It is of no less importance that the Assumption Cathedral, as far as its plan and spatial-structural
composition are concerned, is a typical Old Russian building of the cross-domed type and its local
character is only emphasized, strengthened by the Romanesque elements. The majestic look of the
cathedral corresponded to Prince Andrei's programme of affirming the leading position of the VladimirSuzdal Principality. In this way the authority of the Prince was also strengthened. The majestic look was
further augmented by three vestibules: they did not survive and were discovered by archaeologists. The
church was entered through magnificent portals covered with sheets of gilded copper. This gilded
copper was used to decorate the facades and other parts of the building and, of course, contributed to
its majestic look.
White-stone reliefs decorating the zakomari added to the ornate appearance of the church. The church
impressed one with its height and airiness of the interior, its brilliance and ornateness, the beauty of its
mural paintings. The choir screen drew one's eye due to the presence in it of the famous icon - the
Theotokos of Vladimir. It is in this cathedral that the icon revealed itself as miracle-working and received
the name of Vladimirskaya after the town where the miracles started. In the western part of the church
there are extant mural paintings from 1408, created by Andrei Rublev and Daniil Chernyi.
The most tragic event in the history of the cathedral happened in 1238. The church served as the last
refuge for the prince's family and the bishop. The Mongols surrounded it with piles of wood and set it
ablaze. The prince's family, the bishop, the citizens got killed but the church survived without serious
damage.
The Assumption Cathedral is the main building of the Vladimir-Suzdal land and one of the bestpreserved buildings of the 12th century. This church can undoubtedly be considered a masterpiece. The
sophisticated skill of the architects revealed in separate details, combines with the imposing presence
and the stately look of the church. This is one of those buildings that, due to their good preservation,
give us a clear idea of the high pathos behind the construction work, of the grandiose concept and the
magnificence of the execution.
A few kilometers from Vladimir, there is a settlement of Bogolyubovo. Here, in the 12th century, Prince
Andrei established his country residence, a manor house. Surprisingly enough and totally in
contradiction with the usual practice of the pre-Mongol period, the house was surrounded with a stone
wall. It did not survive but was discovered during excavations. The ensemble in Bogolyubovo was, most
probably, impressive, unique and magnificent. This was the residence of the secular ruler of the
Vladimir-Suzdal land.
Today, Bogolyubovo still gives a very strong and appealing impression and seems very promising, but
when you find yourself inside, it turns out that the majority of extant buildings belong to a later period.
The old time, the 12th century, is represented only by the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin,
and even that is only party preserved. It fell to ruin in the early 18th century and in the middle of the
18th century it was restored, in accordance with the local provincial architectural tradition of that time.
The masonry shows that the staircase tower and a section of the passage to the choir loft have survived
to our time. The church itself is only partly preserved, the upper parts being lost, and only the northern
wall being extant to a rather significant height. The building was, of course, made of white stone, and
we can find in it the distinctive features of Vladimir-Suzdal architecture of Andrei Bogolyubsky's time:
the Romanesque elements, starting with the white-stone masonry, recessed portals, slender semicolumns, blind arcading, gilded copper, rich decoration of columns of the recessed portals and the blind
arcading.
The interior was magnificent: floors made of small polished, dressed slabs, ceramic tiles used to for choir
loft floors - in general, the church had a look of a real jewel. There was a good reason why Prince Andrei
liked showing this building, so dear to his heart, to foreign envoys. Excavations in Bogolyubovo, near to
the tower and the passage to the choir loft, have shown that the ensemble is partially preserved in the
central part. The remains of the passages that were discovered by the excavations used to lead from the
northern part to the palace, but the latter has not survived. From the south, similar passages and the
tower with a staircase used to lead to the defensive wall. So if the building were extant, we would have
seen a magnificent ensemble combining secular, religious and fortified constructions.
Not far away, about one kilometer from Bogolyubovo, at the confluence of the River Klyazma and the
River Nerl, there stands the famous Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin. The Church of the
Intercession on the Nerl - this is what it is usually called. This is the first building dedicated to the feast of
the Intercession; according to some researchers, this tradition was established in Rus' at the time of
Andrei Bogolyubsky. There is a different, an earlier version of its origin. This church is famous not for its
size or for the splendor of its decoration; it impresses one with its unique slender outline, extraordinary
picturesque appearance inseparable from the surrounding landscape. The landscape itself is also rather
modest and in agreement with this small church. But its well-proportioned harmony, so surprisingly
perfect, possesses a unique elegance, a special religious and aesthetic feeling, embodied in stone that
gives rise to poetic attitudes. It is no use describing this small, traditionally-planned, four-pillared
church. It has to be seen in person. Or it should be described with the language of poetry like, for
example, one of our prominent poets did: He writes, addressing his words to the Church of the
Intercession:
With the shape that you were designed in
Why your image appeals from away?
How, church, are you ever shining,
Of Pokrov on the River Nerl?
Not too high you are, not large you are
But in elegance placed so right
That forever impressed is anyone
With the definite feeling of height.
And your image is so perfect,
And you're so needed here
That as if not created by architect,
Born by soil, by the land you appear.
Excavations around the church have revealed that its original appearance was different. First of all, it
turned out that the hill where the church stands is human-made. When in 1165 the architects arrived at
the place of the future building, they found the low ground, a flood meadow that was annually flooded
by the seasonal overflow of the Nerl and the Klyazma Rivers. It was impossible the build a church there.
The builders lay the foundation, raised the pedestal to the height of over four meters and backfilled,
packed it with soil, and only starting from the mark of four meters did they begin erecting the walls, the
building's superstructure. So it turned out that not only the church architecture was man-made but also
the hill where it stands. Besides, it was faced with white stone.
The most unexpected thing about the church has been discovered by the archaeologists during the
excavations. It turned out that the original church had three galleries on three sides; from the north,
west, and south. This radically changes our idea of the original look of the church. Not the lyrical ladylike
image but the image full of stately grandeur. This is what the Church of Intercession on the Nerl looks
like in reconstruction. And this is much more in tune with the spirit of the architectural development
under Andrei Bogolyubsky. This is a masterpiece not only of Old Russian, but of the world architecture.
The galleries were demolished in the 17th century. And most amazingly, this practically had no effect on
the remaining part of the building. Try and image the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg without its
colonnade facing the Nevsky Avenue. The impression from the remaining part would be frightening,
appalling. And here this did not happen. The galleries were taken down and the church was, so to say,
born anew; it acquired a different, as it were, artistic key. Why? Because it was the practice of VladimirSuzdal builders to fully face and finish the main church building if no galleries were planned. And, for
example, recessed portals and the blind arcading, which had been covered by the galleries, were,
nevertheless, fully finished. When the galleries were demolished, these elements started playing an
active role in creating the new image of the church.
Prince Andrei was succeeded on the Vladimir-Suzdal throne by his brother Vsevolod. During his rule the
Assumption Cathedral was rebuilt after the fire of 1185. A two-story gallery was put around the three
sides of the church, and on the fourth, the eastern side, a new sanctuary was built, much larger in size
than before. Four domes were added to the single dome of Andrei's cathedral. The cathedral became
even more imposing. The resemblance to the grandiose buildings of the first half of the 11th century the Sophia cathedrals - became even more pronounced. This was in agreement with the position of the
prince and the princedom. Such a majestic buildings further strengthened the authority of the Prince as
the leader of all Rus'. The author of the "Tale of Igor's Campaign" addresses Prince Vsevolod in this way:
Great prince Vsevolod!
Do you not think of flying here from afar
to safeguard the paternal golden throne?
For you can with your oars
scatter in drops the Volga,
and with your helmets scoop dry the Don.
Such a great epic image! And the architecture follows in the same spirit: the imposing grandeur, the
image of strength, beauty and power.
Right after the completion of the Assumption Cathedral, in the 1190s, the Cathedral of St. Demetrius
was built in the prince's courtyard next to the Assumption Cathedral. This building was part of the
palace ensemble. In plan and spatial composition, the Cathedral of St. Demetrius is similar to the Church
of the Intercession, but its different proportions create a special, balanced and solemn look. As it was
already mentioned, the church was part of the palace ensemble. In 1837-1839, it was renovated by
order of Nicholas II; the renovators and architects mistakenly decided that the galleries of the church
and its stair towers were of later period. And so they were demolished.
Thus, the fate of the Cathedral of St. Demetrius is similar to that of the Church of the Intercession. Both
churches lost their galleries but did not lose their appeal. This turned out to be a metamorphosis, an
artistic transformation.
This cathedral differs from the Church of the Intercession by the splendor and sumptuousness of its
exterior. The upper part of its facades above the blind arcading and throughout is decorated with white-
stone reliefs; the lower part is devoid of any reliefs, with carvings decorating only the recessed portals
here. This contrast creates a special effect. The blind arcading is richly decorated with carvings; between
the columns we see images of the saints, with the first Russian saints Boris and Gleb among them.
It is important to mention that during the restoration of the 19th century some crumbling reliefs were
replaced with new one, especially within the blind arcading. But on the whole, these changes did not
disturb the decorative ensemble of the church. The skillfully carved decoration of the church creates an
impression of a precious jewellery chest, but the unity of the decoration is based on the architectural
lines, pilasters with semi-columns that divide the facades into separate parts and give order to
sculptural compositions. The presence of saints in the blind arcading makes the religious theme sound
more prominent.
Of primary importance in the sculptural decoration of the facades is the figure of King David. It stands
out both due to its size and its location in the central zakomari of all three facades. The Psalmist seems
to be directing the numerous images located on both sides and below. Here the New Testament motifs
and images are combined with the Old Testament ones. The world of mythical images is represented by
animals, monsters, and stylized floral ornaments. The Psalmist together with the creation is praising the
Maker. The image of the Psalm Book, expressed in the words "Let every thing that hath breath, praise
the Lord", conveys better than anything the emotional content embodied in the sculptural composition
of the Church of St. Demetrius. The apotheosis of princely power is conveyed by the composition
representing the Ascension of Alexander the Great. The reliefs also portray Vsevolod and his sons.
In the mid-1190s, a white-stone Cathedral of the Nativity was built near the Cathedral of St. Demetrius.
This was a monastic church. The design of the facades was austere, devoid of the sculptural
ornamentation we find on the facades of the Cathedral of St. Demetrius. The Nativity Cathedral,
typologically, was similar to the Church of St. Demetrius. Here, in this cathedral, Alexander Nevsky was
buried in 1263. The church was rebuilt in the 19th century and demolished in the 20th century.
Construction in the time of Vsevolod's successors
Prince Vsevolod died in 1212, having divided the princedom among his sons. Vsevolod's successors
followed the example of their father; they built a lot and in an original way. Construction work was
conducted in Vladimir, Rostov, Suzdal, Yuriev-Polsky, Nizhniy Novgorod, but not much of that is extant.
We no longer have the buildings erected by Prince Konstantin in Rostov and Yaroslavl. Buildings in
Nizhniy Novgorod are known by archaeological data. Only two churches are still extant but they are only
partially preserved. And they give us information about construction at the time.
The Nativity Cathedral that was built in Suzdal in 1222-1225 is partly preserved, surviving slightly above
the blind arcading. The six-pillared composition repeats that of the church built by Monomakh. I'd like to
remind you that the first cathedral in Suzdal was half-built at the very beginning of the 12th century.
Typologically, the cathedral copied Monomakh's church, but the foundations of the original cathedral
were not used. The church had three vestibules. Recessed portals are decorated with carved
ornamentation. The flatness of the forms is reminiscent of wood carving. When Vsevolod was still alive,
the Assumption Cathedral in the Princess's Convent was built. It differed from its white-stone
contemporaries, the white-stone churches, in that it used plinfa (flat-brick) masonry. The church was
built entirely of plinfa brick. Most probably, masters from Kiev and Chernigov were invited who used to
work in this technique, the plinfa construction technique. This tradition of stone construction was
continued under Vsevolod's successors. It existed simultaneously with the white-stone tradition. The
excavations have revealed the existence of plinfa buildings in Yaroslavl and Rostov.
The most prominent building of this period is the Cathedral of St. George in Yuriev-Polsky. It was built in
1230-1234, by order of Prince Svyatoslav, one of Vsevolod's sons. The Cathedral of St. George gives a
singular impression if compared to the slender, well-balanced churches of the previous period. It is
stocky, with a massive dome and a hipped roof; the signs of alteration, renovation are obvious.
When you come closer, the facades of the cathedral strike you even more. They are all covered with
white-stone carvings, but the church is only partly preserved and its facades represent an enormous
stone puzzle. The reliefs in the upper part, especially on the southern wall, are all mixed up. Their
original order is obviously disrupted. The fact is that in 1471 there was a disaster, the church collapsed,
but not entirely. The upper part and the southern wall were damaged the most, practically to the
pediment. Moscow send a prominent architect, the master of his craft, Vasili Yermolin. He cleared the
rubble and built the church anew. The architect reused the stones with reliefs - and the church used to
be covered with reliefs from top to bottom - decorating with them the faces of the facades. Thus, the
reliefs got on the facades of the church but not in their original order. It was impossible to assemble
them correctly.
Therefore, the task of reconstructing the original composition of the sculptural ornamentation that used
to decorate the Church of St. George remains highly important and hard to attain. Quite probably, the
upper, lower and middle parts of the sculptural composition represented the trine in a symbolic form (I
mean the sculptural decoration), the trine symbolizing the world on earth, the Church on earth, and the
Church in Heaven. Christian and church motifs, the plant and animal kingdom, biblical subjects and
sculptures of saints, the flat carved ornaments and high reliefs created the world of this majestic
sculptural composition. Sculptures of saints decorating the blind arcading constitute a multi-figure
Deisis; the theme of praying for the protection of the local mighty can be interpreted as one of the most
important. The chronicler says about Prince Svyatoslav who built the cathedral that "he himself was a
master...". We do not know how exactly this was demonstrated. The original Cathedral of St. George
was four-pillared with three vestibules, opening to the inside of the church proper. There are reasons to
believe that the stepped spatial composition was restated and further developed in the dynamic towershaped top of the church. In this case the church can be seen as belonging to the tower-shaped type, i.e.
within the Old Russian architectural context of the late 12th and the early 13th centuries.