Искусство Армении. Черты историко-художественного развития

strained ease with which it is handled. The three ‐ tiered cruciform cathedral was inscribed into a circular, not a square or rectangular plan. Its base was round and rested on a seven ‐ stepped polygonal stylobate. Unfortunately, what survives of Zvartnotz is virtually a huge pile of disjointed pieces of stone. The remains of the sculptural decor — beautiful capitals with gently curving volutes, caned effigies of the founders presented as builders with instruments in their hands, with vines and branches of pomegranate trees — show the great range of the architect’s creative pursuits in reinterpreting traditional, generally known forms, and in finding new ones. Four enormous capitals, enriched with carved eagles are among the most striking of the sculptural fragments. Several later churches (7th and 10th centuries) are obviously strongly influenced by the Zvart ‐ notz. The subsequent development of architectural sculpture and stone carving in Armenia re ‐ sulted in considerable changes in stone reliefs. Thus, the 10th century reliefs on buildings such as, for example, the cathedrals and churches in Ani, then the capital of the kingdom, are no ‐ ticeably flatter than their 7th ‐ century antecedents. Decorative forms became smaller in scale, and the ornamental designs more varied and elaborate. The first Armenian monastery cathedrals were founded in the 10th century. Later these monasteries developed into architectural ensembles. The sculptural decor of the cathedrals displays a repertoire of motifs hitherto unknown in Armenian architectural sculpture. The 10th century saw the construction of a truly unique monument — the Church of the Holy Cross (915 – 912 AD) on the island Aghtamar on the lake Van (now on Turkish territory). The exterior of the church is covered with reliefs on Biblical subjects. The complex message of the exterior sculpture was further elaborated and clarified in the frescoes that covered the interior walls. The Aghtamar frescoes are the only surviving example of medieval Armenian murals which, de ‐ spite all that has been lost, still include the full repertoire of motifs traditional in church interi ‐ ors. Both the sculpture and frescoes of the Church of the Holy Cross, taken in their entirety, are closely linked with the illuminated manuscripts, another remarkable phenomenon of Armenian medieval art. The 10th ‐ century mural painting is represented by a cycle of frescoes in the SS. Peter and Paul Church at Tatev monastery. These murals date from 930 AD and only fragments have sur ‐ vived. The only reasonably well ‐ preserved mural which enables us to judge of the artist’s skill is the dramatic Last Judgement on the west wall. As time went on, the monasteries founded in the 10th ‐ century grew and expanded gradu ‐ ally as important educational and cultural centres, and indeed universities in the original sense of the word. Monastic scriptoria produced illuminated manuscripts and the first and most com ‐ prehensive collections of books were assembled in monastic libraries. Many works of art owe their origin to Aghbat, Sanahin and Tatev, Bgheno ‐ Noravank, Goshavank, and other monasteries. Monasteries often gave a name to a particular school of miniature that had established itself there. Armenian monasteries also provided for another kind of creative activity of monastic artists — an activity of a distinctly national character, which resulted in the appearance of numerous memorial stelae — “cross ‐ stones”, or khatchkars within the monastery precincts. Decorated with predominantly ornamental carved reliefs, khatchkars are unparalleled in world art. Khatchkars can still be found all over Armenia, within monastic walls or churchyards and even in many remote, deserted places, far from the dwellings of men. The study of their artistic peculiarities, their symbolism, and their regional distribution has greatly contributed to the study, evaluation and understanding of Armenian decorative and ornamental art.