The Northern Zelenchuk temple is an Orthodox church of the XI century, located on the territory of the Lower Arkhyz settlement in the valley of the Bolshoi Zelenchuk ( Karachay-Cherkessia ).
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The northern temple is one of the three surviving cross-domed temples of the 10th-11th centuries located on the Lower Arkhyz settlement. The oldest of these temples, the Middle Temple , built in the 10th century, was the cathedral of the whole of Alanya [1] . Northern temple, erected in the con. X - beg. The 11th century was probably the main temple of a large monastic cloister [2] . A small Southern temple - the latest, built already in the con. XI - beg. The 12th century was probably part of the estate of one of the noble Alanian families [3] .
Content
History
In antiquity on the territory of the Lower Arkhyz settlement was a city that for several centuries was an important church and economic center of Alanya. It housed the residence of the Alan Metropolitan, as well as the ktitori monastery of the Alanian ruler, the main church of which was probably the Northern Temple [4] . The important role of the Northern Church for both the secular and church authorities is indicated, firstly, by the presence in the southern nave of the temple of rich burials (belonging to the churchwardens of the church and monastery — perhaps the Alanian ruler and his wife), and, secondly, the high three-step Sintron with a mountainous place in the central apse of the temple. Such a construction of synthron is also found in the Byzantine churches of this time and speaks of “an obvious episcopal presence” [2] .
The location of the Northern Temple also corresponds to its monastic character - it was removed from the city center and was located on the outskirts of the city, was as if isolated from the outside world. A large necropolis was located around the temple.
The exact date of construction of the Northern Temple is unknown - probably, it was raised to con. X - beg. XI centuries. (up to 1012/3, and exactly up to 1066/7, [5] ). It is also impossible to unequivocally establish the origin of the artel of craftsmen who carried out the construction of the temple — perhaps it was the Abkhaz masters who worked together with local Alanian builders [6] .
Architecture
The northern temple is the cross-domed temple of the type of the inscribed cross. It has a nine-fair structure, to which there is a three-part vima, connected by passages, and three semicircular apses from the east, and from the west, an open two-tier narthex , on which choirs were opened, which opened in the naos . In the northwestern corner of the narthex are the remains of a staircase leading to the choir, and a reservoir for water (perhaps a baptismal [7] ). Outside, the temple is almost completely devoid of decoration - the only decorative element is a toothed cornice made of plinfy. The same cornice was on the apses, but to date it has not been preserved.
The drum is cut by eight narrow windows. The dome of the temple through the sails and three-stage arches rests on four rectangular pillars, which are connected with the walls of small arch arches, thrown from the pillars on the ledges of the walls from the east and wall pilasters from three other sides [8] . The width and size of the pillars do not coincide with the width of the spring arches, because of which large spring arches fall on the parallelepipeds ("shelves") of the pillars. Such a mismatch and the unevenness of the vertical lines of the masonry indicate a low qualification of the builders of the Northern Temple.
Outside, open porches adjoin the temple, in which, probably, during the divine services, people were still not baptized. In the eastern walls of the porch are iconic niches.
In the central apse of the temple there is a three-stage synthron, which was originally covered with a layer of cement, the traces of which were also found on the floors of all three apsides [9] . There are bench benches in the naos of the temple. The altar part was separated from the main temple space by a two-stage sole .
The walls of the temple were plastered and painted - until our time, the frescoes are almost not preserved (except for the geometric pattern in the north window of the central apse), but as early as the 1960s. in the piers between the northern windows of the drum it was possible to discern the image of a human figure, and in the upper part of the northeast pylon the face of the saint was visible, framed by a halo [10] .
At the end of the XIX century. the frescoes of the Northern Temple were painted by D.M. Strukov , however, these sketches are made quite carelessly and do not allow to judge the style and quality of execution of ancient frescoes.
- From sketches D.M. Strukova
Notes
- ↑ The construction of the Middle Temple was carried out in two stages: the first - in the 920s, the second - in the 950-960s. See: Beletsky D.V., Vinogradov A.Yu. Nizhny Arkhyz and Senty - the most ancient temples of Russia. Problems of Christian art of Alanya and the North-West Caucasus. M .: Indrik, 2011. P. 177-178.
- ↑ 1 2 D.V. Beletsky, A.Yu. Vinogradov. Nizhny Arkhyz and Senty are the most ancient churches of Russia .... - p. 174-178.
- ↑ D.V. Beletsky, A.Yu. Vinogradov. Lower Arkhyz and Senty are the most ancient churches of Russia .... - p. 178.
- ↑ The purpose of the Middle and Northern temples is the subject of discussion among researchers - so, according to V. Kuznetsov, the Northern temple was built earlier and served as a cathedral of the Alanian metropolis, while the Middle temple, later, was primarily monastic. However, modern researchers (first of all DV Beletsky and A. Yu. Vinogradov) tend to the opposite point of view. See: Beletsky D.V., Vinogradov A.Yu. Nizhny Arkhyz and Senty - the most ancient temples of Russia. Problems of Christian art of Alanya and the North-West Caucasus. M. 2011. p. 174-178, 280-289; Kuznetsov A.V. Northern Zelenchuksky temple of the X century // Soviet Archeology. 1964. No. 4. P. 141-149.
- ↑ Setting the latest date of the temple (1066/7) allows a bronze cross found in the temple's narthex. It has an inscription: “Jesus Christ is victorious. Mother of God. An honest cross was consecrated by the God-loving monk Thomas in the year 6575, in 5 indicts. ” Such crosses, which were a gift to the temple, were usually nailed to a wall or pillar. See: Beletsky D.V., Vinogradov A.Yu. Nizhny Arkhyz and Senty - the most ancient temples of Russia ... S. 176-177.
- ↑ Beletsky D. V., Vinogradov A. Yu. Nizhny Arkhyz and Senty are the most ancient churches of Russia .... - p. 293-294.
- ↑ Kuznetsov V.A. Northern Zelenchuk temple of the X century (Rus.) // Soviet Archeology. - 1964. - № 4 . - p . 145 .
- ↑ Beletsky DV, Vinogradov A.Yu. Nizhny Arkhyz and Senty are the most ancient temples of Russia .... - p. 288-289.
- ↑ Kuznetsov V.A. Northern Zelenchuk temple of the X century (Rus.) // Soviet Archeology. - 1964. - № 4 . - p . 143-144 .
- ↑ Kuznetsov V.A. Northern Zelenchuk temple of the X century // CA. - 1964. - № 4 . - p . 141-144 .
Literature
- Vinogradov A.Yu., Beletsky D.V. Nizhny Arkhyz and Senty are the most ancient temples of Russia. Problems of Christian art of Alanya and the North-West Caucasus. - M .: Indrik , 2011. - 392 p.
- Vinogradov A.Yu., Beletsky D.V. On the question of the Byzantine influence on the architecture of the Caucasus (IX-X cc.) // Byzantine temporary. 2013. - T. 72 (97). - p. 254-258.
- Vinogradov A.Yu. Essay on the history of Alanian Christianity in the X-XII centuries. // ΚΑΝΙΣΚΙΟΝ. Jubilee collection in honor of the 60th anniversary of Professor Igor Sergeevich Chichurov. M., 2006.
- Kuznetsov V.A. Lower Arkhyz in the X-XII centuries. Stavropol, 1993.
- Kuznetsov V.A. Northern Zelenchuk temple of the 10th century // Soviet archeology. - M .: Science, 1964 - №4. - P.141-149.