Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir - a masterpiece of church architecture

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

In the 12th century from the birth of Christ in Russia it was relatively calm, prayers and piety were served in church parishes, and the people were engaged in arable farming. All were ruled by the Grand Duke Andrei Bogolyubsky, Yuri Dolgoruky's son, with a good treasury and obedience of the people. Only one thing bothered the ruler of Vladimir, he did not have a worthy temple. He envied in a good way the princes of Kyiv, who erected the Sophia Cathedral. Princely ambitions did not disappear without a trace, Andrey Bogolyubsky gathered masters from all countries with the order to build a white-stone temple, unlike any other. The Roman Empire, represented by Frederick Barbarossa, also sent its masters to Prince Andrei. And in 1158, the architects began to build the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir. The cathedral was built of good stone, the price is high, but for many centuries. The temple was conceived with five domes, with a deep nave. Overhead, zakomaras went in a row, crowning twenty arched windows of the second tier. The entrances were closed with massive oak doors and those doors were gilded. From the east, the cathedral was complemented by three apses, a large central- the main altar chapel and two smaller ones. There was no belfry in the cathedral; a bell tower of rare architectural beauty was built nearby. The bell tower organically complements the Assumption Cathedral, its gilded dome is crowned with a high spire, and triangular pediments are located in place of the zakomar.

First of all, Andrey Bogolyubsky took care that the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir was built higher than the Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. The prince wanted to get ahead of the Kyiv rulers. And so it happened, the height of the Cathedral of the Assumption of Vladimir is more than 32 meters, which is several meters higher than St. Sophia's. And politically, the grandiose temple gave some advantages to Prince Andrei in the tacit rivalry with Kyiv. The white-stone Assumption Cathedral became the ancestor of a number of similar churches in Russia. The perfection of its architecture was reflected in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Some contours were used in his project by Aristotle Fioravanti.

The Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir marked the beginning of a new church tradition - stone carving. Three plots were carved on its walls: "Alexander the Great's Ascension to Heaven", "Youths on Fire" and "Forty Martyrs of Sebaste". The heyday was waiting for the white stone carving. Thanks to its successful application in the decoration of the Assumption Cathedral, this technique immediately gained recognition. While the Cathedral of the Assumption was being built, Vladimir-grad watched with bated breath. When the construction was completed, the cathedral appeared before the people of Vladimir in all its glory. The gilded central dome sparkled dazzlingly, all the entrance doors were also gilded.

The interior of the temple shimmered with many patterns, lined with precious stones and pearls. Various vessels and accessories for worship were made of pure gold and silver. Not a single Russian church had such rich splendor. The whole decoration of the cathedral was stamped with luxury. A similar temple was only in Jerusalem - the temple of King Solomon. It remained to give the Assumption Cathedral spiritual life - the iconostasis. The famous Andrey Rublev and Daniil Cherny were invited to paint the icons. Throughout 1161 they painted icons. And at the beginning of 1162, the cathedral in Vladimir received an iconostasis. When everything was ready, the cathedral was opened for worship. The parishioners were afraid to cross the porch, the fear of oriental luxury in the temple did not allow people to breathe easy. The God-fearing congregation fervently prayed, looking warily at the golden cups and chandeliers.

In 1185 trouble came. There was a terrible fire that destroyed all the wooden parts in the cathedral and charred the white stonework. It was impossible to restore the temple, and after some time, the architects overlaid the Assumption Cathedral with new masonry from the outside, enclosing it in a kind of case. After many years of work, the temple took on a new look. In terms of aesthetics, it has not become worse, but has significantly increased in size. Currently, the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir is under the protection of UNESCO and is included in the registers of the most significant monuments of church architecture.