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Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior with the Medieval Rampart City Wall of Pereslavl-Zalessky (1152-1157)

摘要: Description  Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior: N56 44 12 E38 51 09; 1.1 ha  Rampart City Wall of Pereslavl-Zalessky: N56 44 13.9 E38 51 12.4; 2.5 ha  The nomination consists of the Cathe

Description

  Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior: N56 44 12 E38 51 09; 1.1 ha

  Rampart City Wall of Pereslavl-Zalessky: N56 44 13.9 E38 51 12.4; 2.5 ha

  The nomination consists of the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior, erected 1152-1157, the earliest preserved example of ancient Russian white-stone architecture, and the surrounding defensive wall of the city of Pereslavl-Zalessky. This city was founded by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky, ruler of the Rostov-Suzdal Principality, on the bank of Plescheyevo Lake in the 12th century and built simultaneously with the Cathedral of the Transfiguration.

  The ancient rampart city wall of Pereslavl-Zalessky surrounds the historical center of the city. The wall's inner border, which surrounds the Pereslavl Kremlin, coincides almost its entire length with the Valovoe Ring street (named after the wall, in Russian “Val”). In the north, the natural boundary of the wall is the Trubezh River. In the east and south, the rampart borders with the Bolshaya Protechnaya street, in the west – with the housing of Trubezhskaya street. The Transfiguration cathedral is located in the northern part of the Pereslavl Kremlin. The designated border of the cultural heritage site of the Transfiguration cathedral almost completely covers the central square of the city – Krasnaya.

  Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior

  The Transfiguration Cathedral of Pereslavl-Zalessky (ancient name of the city was Pereyaslavl-New), which is proposed for inscription on the World Heritage List, is unique since it is one of the earliest and the only well-preserved example of north-eastern medieval Russian architecture. The surrounding city wall is also unique in its size and authenticity. This was one of the largest fortifications of its time in Russia. The area of the Pereslavl Kremlin is about 28 hectares, while the fortified part of the Upper Town of Kiev, the capital of the Kievan Rus occupied 10 hectares1. The rampart city wall of Pereslavl has been preserved intact, which makes it an invaluable monument of Old Russian defensive architecture.

  Prince Yuri Vladimirovich Dolgoruky (1090-e-1157), the founder of the city of Pereslavl-Zalessky, was the sixth son of Vladimir Monomakh, the ruler of the Kievan State, and was far from being the first in the line of heirs to the grand Kievan reign, although towards the end of his life, for a brief period of time, he was able to occupy the Kievan throne. In 1113, Prince Yuri Vladimirovich was given the Rostov-Suzdal Principality on the far outskirts of the Kievan State. His capital was Rostov, but in 1125 he moved it from Rostov to Suzdal. After a long internecine struggle for power over Kiev in the 1130s and 40s, Yuri Dolgoruky returned to Suzdal in the early 1150s and began to strengthen his principality. Yuri Dolgoruky pursued a policy of colonization of his northeastern lands by immigrants from South-Western Russia. To accommodate those, he founded a whole series of new cities, which were to become his new administrative centers. It is known that in 1151, during a brief reign in Kiev, Prince Yuri managed to seize the Kiev treasury. This provided the means for the intensive development of the northeastern lands and the construction of new cities and churches.

  Among these were Dmitrov, Yuriev-Polskoy and Moscow. Also, according to some historians, he founded Zvenigorod, Dubna, Peremyshl, Kostroma, and other cities. Dolgoruky's activities present a picture of nothing less than extensive urban planning system and fortress development. Pereslavl-Zalessky occupies a peculiar place in this system. Its name comes from the old city of Pereaslavl in the Kievan State, whose residents Yuri Dolgoruky transferred to the new city. In his article devoted to analysis of Yuri Dolgoruky’s construction activities, architectural historian S.V. Zagraevsky cites a well-known chronical account: “… Prince Yuri in Suzdal be, and God cleared his eyes to the church building. And many churches he had put in Suzdal country, … transferred the city from Kleshchyn to Pereslavl, and built a great city, and the church of the Savior of stones established, and provided the holy books and marvelous relics of the saints... ”

  The large dimensions of the fortress and the monumentality of the TransfigurationCathedral suggest that Pereslavl was intended to become a new center of the Rostov- Suzdal (later Vladimir-Suzdal) Principality. Prominent art and architecture historian, I.E. Grabar described the role of the Transfiguration cathedral in the history of Russian architecture: “It still does not have the slenderness that is so striking in the Vladimir churches of the subsequent time; it is much more squat, stocky and archaic than those, but it is important for us because it is essentially the only surviving monument out of those that could have served as prototypes for the later churches.”

  The Transfiguration cathedral is one of the few ancient Russian monuments, the date and circumstances of construction of which are beyond doubt. In the year 6660 (1152 modern chronology) several chronicles contain entries about the return of Grand Duke Yuri Dolgoruky to Suzdal land and construction of many churches, including the Savior-Transfiguration Cathedral. The cathedral is characteristic of the Russian architecture of the 10-12th centuries (the period before the Mongol invasion of Rus). It is a type of one-domed, сross-in-square church. It was a deliberate simplification of the other type that was used in Kievan Rus and Novgorod the Great, of elaborate multidomed churches usually surrounded by galleries and side-chapels. The Transfiguration Cathedral was the first white-stone construction in Vladimir-Suzdal Rus. For the first time in the Suzdal land, architects used the Western European Romanesque construction technique of buildings made of natural stone, the so-called “rubble masonry”, which was then used in the Russian architecture up to the 14th century. Its essence was that the space between two rows of carefully hewn squares of white stone was filled with broken stone and lime mortar. The new construction technology gave the building a look of solidity, which was not typical for the architecture of the previous period. Describing the masonry of the cathedral walls, architectural historian N.N. Voronin emphasized the high precision of the block fitting: “Stacked of perfectly hewn squares of white stone almost “dry” [without mortar], so that the seams were barely visible to the eye, the cathedral seems to be carved out of a giant block of white stone. However, the very surface of the stone was devoid of blandness, since it had texture and bore traces of spoon-like furrows from its processing.” When constructing the Transfiguration cathedral, the architects developed a new artistic language, which allowed to create a unique style based on the fusion of the Byzantine tradition of spatial organization and Romanesque practice of monumental constructions. This style influenced the subsequent development of Russian architecture.

  The almost square volume of the cathedral is finished with a light tholobate (or a drum) with a bulbous dome. The semicircles of zakomaras, circumventing the volume of the cathedral, unite the facades. The facades look arrayed surfaces, forming an architectural composition that is remarkable in its entirety. The bottom half of the building walls is thicker than the upper part, and an offset ledge divides the wall between the lower and upper halves. It has a slight slope to the center. The apses walls also have a slight slope out of the surface of the eastern wall. The planes of the facades are divided into three parts with lesenes, the stepped shape of which resembles buttresses. Only semi-circular window openings located in the upper part, cut through the massive wall.Slit-like simple unframed windows caused some researchers to compare them with embrasures. Window and door openings have no frames, which only emphasizes the power of the massive walls. Doorways located in the central areas of each facade have stepped portals. At the present time, the 19th century door joinery fillings and the 17th century restored double wing wrought doors are preserved.

  The Romanesque influence on the Transfiguration Cathedral is evident not only in the construction technology and material selection, but also in the architectural design of the facades. It includes Romanesque decor elements: on the eaves of the apse there is an arcature band, a dog-tooth stonework, and an ornamental band; on the drum there is a toothed corbel band, a dog-tooth stonework and a semicircular roller band. These elements do not have specific prototypes, although many researchers refer to the imperial cathedral in Speyer (Germany) as a model. However, other historians have rightly pointed out that the analogue of the toothed corbel band on the drum of the Transfiguration cathedral look similar to one at the church of San Giovanni Battista in Ravenna. It is impossible to distinguish work of any particular architect. Most likely, the masters freely worked in the stylistic framework of the Romanesque décor style.

  The interior of the cathedral strikes with a harmony of space. This is a four-pillar church divided into three longitudinal naves. Orderly lined white-stone masonry is one of its artistic elements. Crossed pillars, slightly tilted to the center, increase the verticality of the interior. One of the features of the interior was the elevation of the tops of the arches, which have not a simple half-round, but a complex curvilinear outline with an elevated central part. Romanesque details were used in the interior as well. Fusts (shafts) of pillars and pilasters are made in the form of a flattened roller. All features of the internal space are reflected on the facades of the building. The offset ledge that separates the bottom part from the upper part of the walls is located at the level of the choir. The lesene blades inside the cathedral correspond to the same ones on the facades. For example, the eastern parts of the northern and southern facades are somewhat narrower than the western parts. The same can be observed in the interior, where the eastern pillars almost merge with the altar piers. Originally colored tile floors and frescoes emphasized the solemnity of the internal space. Currently, the floors are made of white-stone slabs. Only fragments of ornamental oil painting in the choirs have been preserved. In the north-western corner there is a spiral metal staircase. The 19th century marble altar barrier was carved in pseudo-Byzantine style. In the south-western part of the cathedral, under the choirs, tombstones of the Pereslavl princes are located, the marble facing of which was made during restoration work in the late 19th century. A memorial plaque on the history of the cathedral was installed inside after the 1891-1894 restoration. The Transfiguration Cathedral of Pereslavl became an expression of ecclesiastical and princely power. The ceremonies of the “setting for reign” of the Pereslavl princes were held here. In the 13th century, Pereslavl experienced five invasions of the Tatars, which resulted in damage to the cathedral. The last princes of Pereslavl — the son and grandson of Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky — were buried in the cathedral. In 1311, a Russian orthodox church convention was held to judge the archbishop Peter.

  Medieval Rampart City Wall of Pereslavl-Zalessky The earthen rampart of the ancient fortress of Pereslavl-Zaleski is a magnificent example of Russian defense architecture of the 12th century. The city was placed at the junction of the strategic land road and the old water trade route. In order to travel from Rostov to Chernigov and Ryazan principality by land, one had to enter the fortress of Pereyaslavl. Located on the shores of the largest tributary of the lake Plescheevo, the city began to control one of the most important trade routes from Novgorod to Bulgar, on Kama River. The Nikon chronicle account for the year of 1152 reads that Prince Yuri Vladimirovich established a fortress where the River Trubezh flows into Lake Kleschino (now Plescheevo). "... and the city of Pereslavl transferred from Kleshchyn, and created it the larger than the old, and put there the stone church of the Holy Savior ...". The Pereslavl fortress became the largest not only among the old cities of northeast Russia, but also among those newly built by the prince. The length of the ramparts, representing a complex engineering structure, is about 2.5 km. The old ramparts, to date, have largely retained the height and width of the ridge of about six meters.

  According to the observation of the cultural historian S. Avernintsev, medieval people perceived the city walls as the boundaries of a certain “cosmos” opposed to chaos: these were “enclosed inner city space orderly organized around churches, fenced with strong walls from chaotic spaces in the steppe, the place of the princely court, the focus of faith and knowledge. For the people, this presented such a clear image of the arranged “house” of Wisdom, isolated from the “outer darkness”, about which we can hardly have an idea.” The second important observation is that “for a medieval person, in its semantic aspect, the city is associated with a temple; the city is like a spacious temple, the church is like a center of the city, and both are images of the same ideal: Heavenly Jerusalem.” (S.S. Averintsev). The value of the wall as a stronghold, as an organizational and symbolic basis of an urban settlement, is very significant. The fortress was a symbol of the city, the most consecrated part of it. In the light of this quotation, the transfer of the city from Kleshchyn to Pereslavl and the construction of a powerful city wall can be explained not only by defense against external enemies, but also by the protection of the inner spiritual world of the medieval city dweller.

  The peculiarity of Pereslavl-Zalessky as a fortress was that here, in contrast to the ancient Novgorod, Pskov, Suzdal and Moscow, there was no established name for the area inside the ramparts. In Novgorod it was Detinets, in Pskov - Krom, in Suzdal and Moscow - Kremlin. Here, in Pereslavl, the inner space of the ramparts received its name of the kremlin already in modern time. The territory inside the fortress walls housed not only the princely court, but also the courtyards of the feudal nobility, warriors’ units, churches and public buildings (prison). It was an area administratively united. Probably, such an organization of space can be explained by the fact that the prince wanted to make the city not only a defensive, but also an administrative, political and religious center.

  The emergence of a new city near the existing ancient settlement of Kleshchin was caused not only by political conditions, but above all, because of the change of types of defense architecture.

  The fortresses of the southern and north-western Russian principalities followed the principles of the Slavic settlements of the so-called “cape” type. In this case, constructors usually used relief features: high river banks or ravine slopes, as well as places at the confluence of two rivers as a natural barrier. From the “field” side, the fortresses were defended with a moat. Most of ancient Russian cities were built according to this arrangement: Kiev, Pskov, Novgorod, Vladimir, and also the ancient Kleschin on the southern shore of the Pleshcheyevo lake.

  As B.A. Rybakov, a well-known archaeologist, noticed, by the 12th century, cities became not only economic centers, but first and foremost centers of feudal rule. These were spread throughout the fertile plains in the interfluve of the Oka and Volga rivers. They protected not only trade routes, but also provided security for the surrounding rural settlements. Along with the usual “cape” type fortresses, or fortresses erected on the open elevated plateaus, construction of a new type of fortresses had started, the round fortresses in the plain areas of valleys. These provided all-around visibility and all around defense, which allowed to equally effectively protect all the wall sections. The main means of defense were mighty earthen ramparts with fortified walls mounted on top. Building of such fortresses was possible only in open areas, in new locations, by choosing a convenient site. Perhaps this reason was the main one in the decision to lay a new city on the shore of the Kleschino lake. Its layout combined a “cape” type with a “plain” type fortress design. The erection of the fortress on the flat land required a lot of labor, as it was accompanied by a huge amount of earthworks. Famous archeologist and researcher of Russian architecture P.A. Rappoport estimated that 60,000 man-days were spent to construct another fortress, in the city of Yuriev-Polsky, which was smaller than Pereslavl.

  The ramparts of the Pereslavl ancient fortress were preserved and are now a cultural heritage site of federal significance. The old chronicle dates the beginning of the construction of the earthen wall in 1152, as well as the cathedral. The chronicle known as the “Chronicler of Pereslavl Suzdal”, mentioned the end of the construction of the church “in Pereyaslavl the New” by Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky after his father died in the summer of 6665 (1157). The earthen rampart wall was reinforced with a wooden fortress. Its construction was begun by the Grand Duke Vsevolod on July 29, 6703 (1195), and was finished the same year. The construction of the earthen ramparts began in 1152 under Prince Yuri Vladimirovich Dolgoruky, and was completed by his son Andrei. A new fortress was placed on the left bank of the River Trubezh not far from its mouth, where the waters of the river washed out a small depression that contributed to navigation. From the east, Murash Stream came to the fortress, and from the south and the west, a moat was dug. The pear-shaped fortress was earthen, with wooden walls, watch towers, and gate towers. Archaeologists have established that the ramparts were complex engineering structures. Oak and aspen log structures were built and filled with clay and dirt to a height of 30 cm. On top of those more dirt with sand was poured. To prevent sliding the slopes, they were reinforced on the outside with vertically installed shafts. The same shafts with sharpened tops were installed into the bottom of the moat surrounding the fortress. The outer mound of the rampart facing the “field” had a significant inclination, up to 45 degrees. The earthen rampart surrounds the modern center of the city and has a total length of about 2500 meters (if excluding the length of the passages, the length of the ramparts is 2110 m). The width of the rampart’s base reaches from 25 to 30 meters, and the height of the ramparts is from ten to 16 meters in some areas. The width of the ridge of the rampart, on which wooden walls originally stood, is about six meters.

  Historical events of national importance occurred in the ancient fortress throughout its lifetime. Here, in the prince's palace near the rampart and the Transfiguration Cathedral, Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky was born in 1220, honored Russian prince and the Orthodox Church Saint, who won battles over German and Swedish invaders in the 1240s. The ramparts still play an important role in shaping the urban structure of the central part of the city. With a small exception, they are preserved in their historical dimensions, which represents a great rarity for defensive structures of the 12th century.


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