It's hard to imagine an ancient Russian city without its Kremlin. This is a system of city fortifications with towers, fortress walls and temples. In total, 14 kremlins have been completely preserved on the territory of Russia, five of which are included in the World Heritage List. More than a dozen such objects have been preserved in fragments.
The hallmark of Rostov (do not confuse this city with Rostov-on-Don) is the Rostov Kremlin - a unique architectural ensemble in the Yaroslavl region, which is part of the Golden Ring of Russia. It is about him that will be discussed in this article.
Museum-Reserve "Rostov Kremlin"
The photos of the ensemble presented in the article perfectly illustrate the beauty and splendor of this monument. It is located in a picturesque area, on the shores of Lake Nero. The Metropolitan, or Bishop's Court, was the earlier name of the Rostov Kremlin, because, in fact, it was the residence of the Metropolitan of the Rostov diocese.
The architectural ensemble belongs to the monuments of defensive architecture, although Rostov itself no longer had any strategic military significance at the time the citadel was built. TodayThe Rostov Kremlin is a museum that can be visited daily from 10 am to 5 pm. But on the fortress walls they are allowed only in the warm season. An entrance ticket to the territory of the reserve costs 300 rubles for an adult and 180 rubles for children or pensioners. Fans of ancient Russian architecture should definitely visit the Rostov Kremlin. The photos below will only emphasize the greatness of this outstanding historical monument!
Besides all this, the architectural complex can also be called a movie star. So, the Rostov Kremlin became the backdrop for the famous Soviet film "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession".
History of the creation of the complex
The history of the Metropolitan Court is quite interesting, the ensemble has gone through several difficult moments in its biography. The Rostov Kremlin was built in the 17th century for 14 years - from 1670 to 1683. It was planned according to the biblical canons: in the center - the Garden of Eden with a lake, surrounded by high walls.
An important and unpleasant event for the Kremlin happened in 1787, when the metropolis was moved to Yaroslavl. After that, the Metropolitan Court in Rostov gradually fell into decay. It even got to the point that the bishops were going to hand it over for analysis. Fortunately, at the end of the 19th century, the architectural ensemble was restored with the money of merchants. And a few years later, a museum of church antiquities was established here.
Another sad page in the history of the Rostov Kremlin occurred in 1953: many buildings of the complex were then damaged by powerfultornado.
This is such a stormy and thorny historical path passed by the Kremlin in Rostov. Fortunately, our ancestors managed to save it to this day. And already in 2013, the Rostov Kremlin entered the top ten "Symbols of Russia".
Structure of the complex: cathedrals of the Rostov Kremlin
The architectural ensemble fits incredibly well into the surrounding area, located on the shores of the picturesque Lake Nero. The historical complex includes: 6 temples, the Samuil Corps, the White and Red Chambers, the Holy Gates, eleven towers and other buildings.
Let's list all the churches of the Rostov Kremlin:
- Assumption Cathedral;
- Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands;
- Church of Gregory the Theologian;
- Church of St. John the Theologian;
- Church of Hodegetria;
- Church of the Resurrection (Nadratnaya).
Church of Hodegetria
This is the latest construction of the Rostov Kremlin. The church was built in the Moscow baroque style, in the northwestern sector of the complex. The Hodegetria Church differs from the other temples of the Kremlin by the presence of an open balcony on the second floor. Outside, its walls are decorated with patterned ornaments, which creates a relief effect when viewed from afar.
The interior decoration of the temple is also special: the interiors are decorated with 20 hand-painted stucco cartouches. At a time when the bishop's court was in ruins, the paintings were badly damaged. They were restored only in 1912, especially for the visit of Tsar Nicholas II. The murals of the temple were renewed already inbeginning of the third millennium. Today, one of the museums is located in the Hodegetria Church.
Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands
In 1675, the Church of the Savior on Senyah grew within the Rostov Kremlin. Its main difference from others is the presence of an eight-slope covering in the design of the church. The interior design of the temple is striking: an arcade supported by gilded pillars. The walls of the church are decorated with beautiful murals, made in the same 1675. The Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands was renovated and restored twice: the first time - at the end of the 19th century, and the second - at the end of the 20th century.
The central dome of the temple is decorated with a wonderful painting called "Fatherland". It depicts six archangels with prophetic scrolls, and the vaults are decorated with the main events from the Gospel. The Last Judgment is depicted on the western wall of the temple, and the iconostasis is located on the opposite.
Church of Gregory the Theologian
This church was built in the 1670s on the foundations of the Grigorievsky monastery, which existed on this site earlier. Unfortunately, the first interiors of the temple burned down during a fire in 1730. After him, the interior decoration of the Church of St. Gregory the Theologian was updated, in particular, with the use of stucco.
At the end of the 19th century, a new iconostasis was equipped in the temple, which was decorated with beautiful gilded carvings.
Church of St. John the Theologian
One of the last churches of the Rostov Kremlin, built in 1683. Experts note that this temple is distinguished by its elegance compared toother churches of the architectural complex. The facades are beautifully decorated and are characterized by an amazing harmony of forms. The temple survived several tragic events: two fires (in 1730 and in 1758) severely damaged it, and in 1831 it lost its roof due to strong winds. It was only at the end of the 19th century that the restoration of this structure was seriously undertaken. However, already in 1953, a powerful tornado happened in Rostov, from which the Church of St. John the Theologian again suffered greatly. But, despite all the vicissitudes of fate, the temple managed to be preserved and conveyed to posterity.
Gate Church of the Resurrection
In 1670, the Church of the Resurrection was built on the territory of the Rostov Kremlin. She was located above the gate, on a high basement. The facades of the church are complicated by rectangular towers that protrude slightly from the plane of the walls.
Assumption Cathedral and its belfry
The Assumption Cathedral of the Rostov Kremlin is the main monumental structure of the ensemble. It was built in 1508-1512 on the spot where its predecessors had previously been. The temple is very reminiscent of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow in its architecture: five-domed, decorated in simple but noble forms. It is built of brick as well as white stone, the total height of the cathedral is 60 meters.
The Assumption Cathedral is decorated with a variety of decorative elements: these are panels, belts and horizontal rods. Thanks to this, the temple is very beautiful and expressive, even in the 21st century it looks chic.
Nextthe belfry of the Assumption Cathedral is located, which was built much later, already at the end of the 17th century. It is crowned with four chapters. Metropolitan Jonah ordered 13 large bells to be cast for this belfry, each of which was endowed with its own tone. In general, the bells are able to produce a harmonious and pleasant ringing. To date, 15 bells have been preserved on the belfry of the Assumption Cathedral of the Rostov Kremlin.
It is also worth noting that in 1991 both the Assumption Cathedral and its belfry were returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Bells
The bells of the Rostov Kremlin deserve special words. The very first one - for the bishop's court in Rostov - was cast in 1682. It received the name "Swan" and weighed only 500 pounds (in comparison with subsequent bells of the Kremlin, it was a small weight). A year later, the next one was cast - "Polyelein", the weight of which already reached 1000 pounds. Both bells are the work of one master - Philip Andreev.
The largest bell of the Rostov Kremlin (weighing 2000 pounds!) was cast by another master - Flor Terentiev in 1688. The tongue alone weighed over a ton, so two strong men had to swing it. However, the beauty of the sound, according to experts, it has no equal in Rostov.
Another large bell - "Hunger" - weighed 172 pounds. It was used only during Lent. All other bells of the Rostov Kremlin are relatively small, weighing no more than 30 pounds. Almost all of them were cast in the 17th century, according to historians.
The bells of the Rostov Kremlin have a unique ringing, the beauty of which Berlioz and Chaliapin once admired. With the advent of Soviet power, all church bells were banned. And the bells of the Rostov Kremlin were planned to be completely destroyed. They owe their salvation to A. V. Lunacharsky, who miraculously ended up in Rostov and saved these most valuable monuments.
Conclusion
The Rostov Kremlin is a grand monument of history and architecture. This is one of the most significant ensembles of the country, annually attracting up to 200 thousand tourists. The Kremlin in Rostov is not only unique architecture and beautiful temples. Surprising and attractive is the amazingly fertile atmosphere that reigns on the territory of this complex.
