Искусство Армении. Черты историко-художественного развития

The dig at Garni also brought to light a bath house. The tessellated floor of the anteroom to the bath is decorated with sea and mythological deities, ichthyocentaurs, Nereids and fishes. The male and female torsos in the centre personify the Ocean and the Sea. Other archaeological finds bear witness to the development of arts in Armenia of the Hel ‐ lenic period. Hellenic culture had become part of Armenian culture as a whole, and although the links with the ancient world were later cut off rather abruptly, the influence remained very strong in many fields and, above all, in the early Armenian Christian culture. Armenia officially adopted Christianity in 301 – 303 AD. The new religion was imposed upon Armenian people from above in a way that hardly gave any opportunity to resist: the troops led by King Tiridates III and the founder of Armenian Christian church Gregory the Enlightener swept through the country destroying pagan temples and building Christian churches on the sites, erecting memorial crosses where the first Christian missionaries were assassinated. The invention of Armenian alphabet by Messrop Mashtotz in the 5th century was crucial. It marked the beginning of a new epoch in Armenian history, the early Middle Ages, the epoch that strengthened the national identity and independent thought of the Armenian people. The written word now helped to develop the Armenian language and national literature. Transla ‐ tion also became an important issue. That period (4th – 9th century) saw some truly remark ‐ able architecture, the tradition of decorative stone and sculpture was established and the first Armenian frescoes and first illuminated Gospels made their appearance. The 7th century is often called the golden age of Armenian ecclesiastical architecture. Apart from several monasteries and churches there is an impressive collection of 7th ‐ century free ‐ standing and architectural sculpture. Some church interiors were decorated with frescoes, of which, unfortunately, only a few fragments have survived. The cathedrals at Aruch and Thalin were unique in size. Aruch Cathedral built in the 680s is impressive both in overall size and in its spacious interior. It is a single lofty hall. There are still traces of a monumental 7th ‐ century mural on the altar apse, a seven ‐ meter Pantocrator . As for Thalin basilica ‐ like Cathedral (mid ‐ 7th century), its interior was also decorated with frescoes, vestiges of which still survive on the interior pillars. The church at Lmbat contains fragments of unique 7th ‐ century murals: the whole interior surface was covered with frescoes. Unfortunately, none have survived, except for several frag ‐ ments of the Vision of Ezekiel . The small church at Thalin is remarkable for the memorial sculptures in the churchyard. The tall rectangular stelae typical of the period are completely covered with rather deep reliefs. The subjects were apparently dictated by the early Christian iconographic tradition. The stelae rest on solid cubiform bases which, too, are covered with reliefs. Monuments of this kind obvi ‐ ously followed Urartian antecedents both in structure and appearance. From the 9th century on these gradually gave way to “cross ‐ stones”, or khatchkars . On the whole, the carved stelae and the architectural sculpture of that time create a vivid picture that illustrates the development of a new expressive architectural language that was emerging from the newly adopted Christian ideology. Side by side with Rome and Constantin ‐ ople, Armenia helped to form the traditions of Christian iconography. The 7th ‐ century memorials at Odzun and Aghudi are among the most remarkable examples of the creative pursuits of the time. It reminds one of classical triumphal arches. Apparently these memorials owed their origin to the rotunda ‐ shaped memorials built in the 4th century to commemorate early Christian martyrs or the first Christian sermons. The ruins of a truly remarkable 7th ‐ century monument, the Church of Vigilant Forces, are almost the quintessence of the whole sculptural repertoire of early ecclesiastical architecture. It is known as Zvartnotz (the Decorated) for its lavish decoration and the freedom and unre ‐