Holy Cross Cathedral (Mogilev)

Background

Documents of the 17th century preserved data on a certain Boris-Gleb (Holy Cross Exaltation) church. It is believed that the same name was a wooden church in antiquity. The act of transferring the Boris-Gleb Church to the Orthodox, dating back to 1634, already at that time indicates the presence of the ancient Cross-Boris-Gleb Orthodox monastery on the site of the church. This monastery became the seat of the first Orthodox episcopal department of Joseph (Bobrikovich) , the first independent Belarusian bishop. At the Boris-Gleb Church and Monastery, the second Belarusian Bishop in Mogilev, Sylvester Kossov, constantly lived. It was here that in 1637 he convened the first Mogilev diocesan council; A printing house was also founded. In the middle of the XVII century, the department and the residence of the Mogilev bishops were moved to the Spassky Monastery . After the fire of the beginning of the 18th century, during which the monastery burned down, only the church was restored ^{[5] [6] [7] [8]} .

Further History

The temple was built in 1869 from brick ^{[1] [2] [9] [10] [11] [3] [4]} . The construction took place thanks to the donations of the Orthodox inhabitants of the Mogilev region ^{[5] [6] [7] [8]} . According to the “ Mogilev Diocesan Vedomosti ” (No. 17, 1913), on August 1 of the same year, the psalmist of the Holy Cross Church Ivan Menkovich was awarded for his 50 years of excellent and zealous service with the gold medal “For Zeal” from the Sovereign Emperor according to the report of the Holy Synod ^{[ 7]} .

Closed with the advent of Soviet power, the church again became operational only in 1941, after the capture of Mogilev , and remained for a long time when the rest of the churches of the city were closed. In the 1970s, the archpriest in the church was Mikhail Kuzmenko, who studied the history of the Mogilev diocese from the time of its creation until 1917. By decree of the Metropolitan of Minsk and Belarus Filaret of April 1, 1986, the Holy Boris-Gleb Church was renamed the Holy Cross Exaltation Cathedral ^{[5] [6] [7] [8]} .

The main aisle of the main temple of the cathedral is in memory of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the second throne is in the name of Saints Boris and Gleb. This became the reason that the cathedral itself is often called in the folk rumor and literature Boris-Glebsky ^{[5] [6] [7] [8]} .

For many years, the rector of the cathedral was Archpriest Eugene Omelenyuk, who was buried in 2013 at the altar of the church ^[6] . Rector is Archpriest Sergiy Loboda ^[12] . The cathedral is located in Lane Bryusov, 2 ^{[Comm 1] [11]} .

According to some researchers, the cathedral is a monument of architecture of the Byzantine direction of the retrospective-Russian style ^{[1] [2]} (eclecticism ^{[11] [4]} ). According to other sources, the architectural-style interpretation of the temple is characterized by a combination of classicism features ( rusticated pilasters in the corners, profiled cornice of the main volume) and Moscow cult architecture of the 17th century ( five domes , keeled completion of zakomars and portals , outline of window frames) ^{[9] [10]} .

The solution for the cross-domed church ^{[3] [9] [10]} was found in a rectangular, approximate volume squared volume and three rounded (semicircular ^[3] , semicircular ^[11] ) apses on the altar wall ^{[1] [2]} in the northern part, slightly protruding from the volume ^[11] . The five-domed roof is the end of the sloping four-pitched roof. It consists of a powerful cylindrical light drum with a large onion dome ^{[Comm 2]} and angular “apostolic” cupolas of the same shape, only scaled down ^{[1] [2]} and located on blind drums ^[3] . The main and side facades have a cornice over which keeled pediments are built ^{[Comm 3]} . Plastically saturated platbands were used as the design of the three entrance portals and arched window openings. Decoration of the facades are openwork town belts. Due to its whiteness, the plastic decor , which, according to the researchers, saturates the same facades and includes angular rusticated blades and a cornice with dices and an arcature frieze (sometimes the description of the decor includes columns and stylized kokoshniks ^[11] ), is highlighted on the ocher wall background ^{[ 1] [2]} . A whole series of details gives the temple a unique image and testifies to the originality of its architectural design, namely the same angular rusticated pilasters, complex entablature with layered cornices on crackers and an arcature frieze, kokoshniks, window frames with half columns , flat sandriks and kokoshniks, under sandals, apodises, toothed friezes of the upper part of the drum of a larger dome and others ^[3] . In addition, according to the researcher T. Chernyavskaya, elements such as kokoshniki, ornamental frieze and window frames, “resemble altered forms of ancient Russian architecture ” ^[4] .

The completion of the three naves , which is divided into four powerful pylons ^{[Comm 4]} , supporting the dome of the drum, the prayer hall of the temple, are the semicircular apse ^{[1] [2]} . Two pillars located at the entrance are the bearing for the gallery of choirs ^{[1] [2] [3] [11]} .

The end of the 20th century dates back to the erection of a wooden chapel at the cathedral, which is a centric tetrahedral structure. The building is covered with a bunk tent roof. The completion of the cut edges of the chapel, in which rectangular window and doorways are cut, are triangular pediments ^[2] .

The cathedral previously housed a revered list of the Mogilev-Bratsk Icon of the Mother of God , considered to be an interesting local icon interpretation of Western European plots in iconography . On the icon, the seated Mother of God , facing the left, supports the baby Christ with both hands. Christ, kneeling on the Mother of God, hugs her neck with her left hand. The hammered headdress that covers the head of the Virgin resembles a scarf ^{[5] [7] [8]} . From the cathedral, one of the icon lists, which differs from the classical list by the image of crowns above the heads of the Virgin and the child of Jesus, was transferred to St. Nicholas Monastery ^[13] and is stored in St. Nicholas Church ^[14] .

In Russian

• Borisenko N. S. Mogilevschina - my favorite Dnieper region: a collection of excursions. Part 1-2. - Mogilev: Mogilev regional enlarged printing house named after Spiridon Sobol, 2007. - S. 662-665. - 831 s. - ISBN 978-985-6848-05-9 .
• Borisoglebsky churches // Mogilev: Encycl. Dictionary / Editorial. I.P. Shamyakin (Ch. Ed.) And others. - Mn. : BelSE, 1990.- S. 102. - 472 p. - ISBN 5-85700-028-9 .

In Belarusian

• Kulagin A. M. The rightful temples of Belarus: encyclopedic davendnik. - Mn. : BelEn, 2007 .-- pp. 244-245. - ISBN 978-985-11-0389-4 .
• Kulagin A. M. Legal churches in Belarus: encyclopedic davendnik. - Mn. : BelEn, 2001 .-- S. 121 .-- 328 s. - ISBN 985-11-0190-7 .
• Laўerecki G. A. Magіlёўskіya Barysaglebsky churches // Architects of Belarus. - Mn. : BelEn, 1993 .-- S. 291. - 620 p. - ISBN 5-85700-078-5 .
• Laўerecki G. A. Magіlёўskіya Barysaglebsky churches // Belarusian encyclopedia. - Mn. : BelEn, 1999. - T. 9: Kulibin - Malaita. - S. 472. - 560 p. - ISBN 985-11-0155-9 .
• Charnyanskaya T. I. Architektura Magileva. From the history of the plan and forgotten city. - Mn. : Navuka tehnika, 1973.- S. 56.
• Charnyagskaya T. I. Barysaglebsky Tsarkva // Zbor memorials history and culture of Belarus. Magyloў oblast. - Mn. : BelSE, 1986. - S. 52-53. - 408 p. - 5500 copies.

• History (Russian) . Holy Cross Cathedral. Date of treatment May 31, 2015.
• History of temples (Russian) (inaccessible link) . Mogilev diocese. Date of treatment May 31, 2015. Archived June 30, 2015.
• Mogilev. Boris and Gleb Church and Holy Cross Cathedral (Rus.) . Piligrim.by. Date of treatment May 31, 2015.
• List of parishes of the Mogilev diocese (Russian) . Mogilev diocese. Date of treatment May 31, 2015. Archived June 27, 2015.