Church of Andrei Stratilat

Initially, on the site of the church in 1167 - 1173, the stone church of Boris and Gleb was built - a magnificent, three-apis , six-pillared building with a staircase. In 1405, due to the fire that swept the end of Ludin, the church was severely damaged ^[1] and in 1441, by decree of Archbishop Euthymius II, a new church was built on an old foundation ^[2] . During the construction, the staircase tower was dismantled and on its basis a separate aisle of Andrei Stratilat was built .

The Borisoglebsky Cathedral, rebuilt in the 15th century, is depicted on the icon “ Vision of the Sexton of Tarasius ” of the late 16th century , decorated with a huge fresco-icon and crowned with two chapters. One of them (small) symbolically indicates the existence of the chapel of Andrey Stratilat. You can see quite clearly the chapel of Andrei Stratilat on the Swedish plan of 1611 , where it is shown from the south at the one-headed main volume.

During the conquest of Novgorod by the Swedes at the beginning of the 17th century, the cathedral was severely destroyed.

In 1682, the Borisoglebsky cathedral collapsed and was dismantled to the base, and the preserved chapel of Andrei Stratilat was expanded to the east and turned into an independent church. Thus, the current building is the result of two main building periods. From the 15th century, the walls of the western volume and the northern wall of the eastern extension have been preserved. They are made of Volkhov limestone , shell rock and brick . The architectural design of the western portal with arched completion, a decorative edge on the outside and a triangular lintel inside is typical for Novgorod architecture of the 15th century . The eastern and part of the southern wall, as well as the arches, are made of brick in the 17th century .

In the first half of the XIX century, the temple was rebuilt. Then a new vault was built in the western volume and a new cornice, the roof was replaced, a small glaucus and belfry were made, and the foundations under the northern wall were strengthened.

During the Great Patriotic War, the church suffered: the roof was damaged, plaster crumbled, floors were demolished.

In 1947, the building was renovated. In 1969, under the guidance of Professor M.K. Karger , studies were made of the foundations of the staircase tower of the 12th century inside and outside the western volume of the church. The lower sections of the walls and the well-preserved masonry of the central round pillar with several steps of a spiral staircase were discovered.

In the 1970s , the condition of the monument began to deteriorate sharply - the walls went cracked. Under the leadership of the architect of the Novgorod restoration workshop G.M. Shtender, emergency work was carried out.

In 2000-2003 , restoration work was carried out by Desna firm according to the projects of O. N. Kovalenko and L. G. Markova. In the process, the supporting structures of the building were strengthened: masonry walls, vaults, foundations. The limestone slabs laid the floor in the western volume in such a way as to reveal the shape of the round base and walls of the stair tower. Then, under the leadership of E. I. Seregina, artists - restorers of the Interregional Scientific and Restoration Art Administration of Moscow, wall painting of the 16th - 17th centuries was discovered and strengthened inside the church.

On the northern wall of the western volume of the church in the lower register is a procession of saints facing the altar . The first from the east is Andrei Stratilat.

On the western cheek of the Arc de Triomphe in the center is the composition “The Sign of the Mother of God” in the medallion - an image especially revered in Novgorod. On either side of it are images of the biblical kings of David and Solomon and unknown saints in medallions.

On the walls of the western volume, in the upper register, the grandiose composition “Ascension of Christ” was fragmentarily preserved. On the southern and northern walls - 12 apostles in height, in a three-quarter turn, facing the Mother of God . Her image is painted on the western wall. Behind the Mother of God are two angels in white robes. Only the lower parts of the figures of the Mother of God and angels survived. Of the 12 apostles, only one has a personal letter. The remaining faces were lost in the late vault. The image of Christ in radiance with the angels and seraphim , which was on the lost vault, also perished.

• Secretary L. A. Church of St. Andrew Stratilates. 2011.