Зодчество Древней Руси

lecture in north-west Russia. Among the Cathedral's highly prized relics are the huge bronze Korsunsky (or Sigtunsky) Gates covered with pictures in very fine relief by 12th-century masters from Magdeburg. There are also the remains of very old frescoes and mosaics. Among the early 12th-century buildings, St. George's Cathedral in Yuryev Monastery stands out as an exceptionally fine monument. Built by the master Pyotr, it has three cupolas and is extremely well-proportioned, while the decoration is subdued and tasteful. In the 12th century Novgorod became a republic governed by the "vyeche", or Assembly. This new social system influenced the development of architecture which became more popular in style. For the first time churches were commissioned by ordinary citizens. All small parish churches with a single cupola and four pillars, and most often with walls ending in a triple-arched pattern appeared all over Novgorod. This type of design gradually became predominant in Novgorod church architecture. In time the Novgorod builders stopped using the old type of brick and stone masonry and began to face the walls with local stone containing a high iron content, producing a most picturesque effect. The most striking example of this is the I 5th-century Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Kozhevniki. Restraint in decorating the outside walls was one of the characteristic features of north-west Russian architecture, but later this gave way to attempts to decorate the church with ornamental rclief-\\'ork. The 141 h-cen1 u1" d1urchcs of St. Theodore Stratilates and the Saviour on llyn Street in the merchants' quarter of the town (Torgovaya Storona) illustrate this trend. The interiors of many Novgorod churches are decorated with beautiful frescoes. The oldest are to be found on the walls of the Cathedral of St. Sofia and Yuryev Cathedral, the Monastery of St. Anthony and the Church of the Saviour-in-Nereditsa, and date back to the 12th or even 11th century. Some priceless specimens of frescoes belonging to the 14th century, when the arts reached their peak in Novgorod, have been preserved. The most important of these are the frescoes in the Church of the Saviour on llyn Street, the work of Theophanes-the-Greek. Their rich, almost impression istic manner is combined with unusually expressive figures, as in the compositions "Hermit", "Father Noah" and "Melchizedek". The architecture of nearby P s kov, which up to the mid-14th century was Great Novgorod's "little brother", developed on an even more popular basis. The buildings here are remarkable for their flowing lines, their unusual, almost sculptural moulding and a highly individual treatment of the architectural medium. Their austere composition is enlivened by the striking silhouette of the arcaded bell-tower. Local architects devoted great attention to porches and chapels. Here, as in Novgorod, one can trace the constant attempt to perfect existing architectural forms; a con tinuity of tradition is discernible, from the old I 2th-century Cathedral of the Mirozhski Monastery to the I 5th-century Church of St. George, or the Church of the Assumption (16th- I 7th cen turies).

Over the centuries architectural schools grew up in Pskov and Novgorod, characterised by their concentration on "popular" architecture. Most of the buildings are unpretentious, in sharp contrast to the unrelieved extravagance of the period of the Grand Princes. At the height of Tatar oppression Novgorod and Pskov escaped the ravages of the enemy, and it was here that the artistic traditions of old Russia were preserved and its creative powers kept alive. The masters of Novgorod and Pskov played an important part in the Russian renaissance by evolving the basic ideas of the school of architecture in the emerging principality of Moscow. A PARTIR DU XI• SI E cLE, NOVGOROD PUIS PSKOV deviennent Jes deux premiers centres culturels du Nord-Ouest de la Russie. Leur situation dans une region sans cesse perturbee par la guerre fut a l'origine de l'envergure prise ici par la construc tion militaire. Outre les citadelles (Jes kremlins) de ces deux villes, on voit apparaitre des forteresses a Izborsk, Porkhov, Koporie, Ostrov. Apres le rattachement des regions du Nord-Ouest a la principaute de Moscovie la construction des ouvrages fortifies ne cesse pas pour autant. Au XVI' siecle apparaissent les puissantes fortifications d'lvangorod, Jes murs et les tours du monastere des Ca tacombes de Pskov (Pskovo-Petcherski) et quelques autres ouvrages. La premiere periode de l'histoire de Novgorod le Grand (celle qui correspond au gouvernement des grands princes, quand la ville fait partie de la Russie kievienne) s'illustre par des eglises en ma�onnerie dont la plus considerable est la cathedrale Sainte Sophie (Xie s.). A l'instar de son prototype kievien, ce vaste temple a cinq chefs fut le lieu saint et le symbole de la cite de Novgorod. Ses formes entieres, sobres, sevrees de tout decor vont avoir une influence capitale sur I' orientation de l'architecture de la Russie du Nord-Ouest. Au nombre des curiosites de Sainte Sophie, citons l'imposante porte de Kherson encore appelee de Sigtuna, finement ouvragee, en provenance de Magdebourg (XII' s.). On trouve egalement de beaux fragments de fresques et de mosalque de la haute epoque. Au nombre des constructions du debut du XII° siecle on remarque surtout la cathedrale Saint Georges du monastere Saint-louri, erigee par le maitre Piotr. Extraordinaire architecture coiffee de trois coupoles, d'une envolee saisissante en depit du decor avare. C'est le moment oil Novgorod se proclame republique libre. Le nouvel ordre ne manque pas de se repercuter sur )'architec ture, qui prend des traits plus democratiques. Pour la premiere fois Jes citadins vont financer la construction culturelle. Dans Jes divers faubourgs de Novgorod apparaissent des eglises parois siales a quatre piliers, termines par une seule coupole et aux fa�ades le plus souvent couronnees de triples arcs denommes zakomars. Ce type va progressivement s'imposer. Peu a peu Jes novgorodiens renoncent a l'ancienne ma.;onnerie en brique plate et mcellon. La nouvelle technique utilisant une dalle ferrugineuse du pays donne une matiere du plus bel effet, dont l'exemple le

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