Church of the Intercession on the Nerli is an elegant Russian Orthodox church located few kilometers from the town of Bogolyubovo. Its simplicity and beauty made it one of the most recognizable churches in Russia. Church of the Intercession on the Nerli or Nerl was constructed in 1158 during reign of Russian Prince Andrew Bogolyubsky. Old Prince wanted to honor the life of his killed Vladimir residents as well as his son Izyaslav Andreevich who died fighting the Volga Bulgarians. The church, like many other churches in Russia, was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. According to legend, described in the Life of the Holy Andrew Bogolyubsky, white stone has been specially selected for the church, which was brought from the Bulgarian kingdom. But this assumption is refuted by historical facts, as well as paleontological analyzes that same stone used in the construction.
Church of the Intercession on the Nerli was constructed on an artificial hill with a complex foundation with the depth of about 5 meters. This complicated construction ensured that the church would withstand rise of the river during floods. Occasionally the river floods the plain turning the human made hill into an island surrounded by water. The walls are slightly wider at the bottom and more narrow at the top, thus giving an impression that it is higher than it looks.
Church of the Intercession of the Virgin walls were carved with beautiful and elegant reliefs. The central figure in the composite complex three facades is a King David, the Psalmist, seated on a throne and holding in the hands of the psaltery - He was surrounded by the figures of various exotic animals as well as birds who came to listen to him. The age, however, eroded these reliefs for the most part. All of the original painting of the temple were completely lost even before 1877. Although some still remain in place.
Church's simplicity and elegance marks this church as one of the most beautiful churches in all of Russia. In the past few years Russian government constructed a road to the church that is now accessible to pilgrims, including those who have limited mobility. In 1992 Church of the Intercession on the Nerl was added on the World Heritage List of UNESCO in 1992.
Church history
In the XII century, the
Vladimir-Suzdal principality flourished. It becomes the center of
the Russian lands and lays the foundation for the development of its
successor, the Moscow principality. Active construction in and
around Vladimir is associated with the name of Prince Andrei
Bogolyubsky - it was under him that the principality achieved
unprecedented power and wealth. He surrounded Vladimir with a new
wall, built a new Assumption Cathedral there and founded his
residence not far from the city - in Bogolyubovo. The prince fought
a lot: in 1169 he took Kiev, in 1170 he besieged Novgorod and, as a
result, concluded a peace that was profitable for himself, went on
campaigns against the Volga Bulgaria. On the second campaign, he
took with him his eldest son, Izyaslav. He was wounded, and after
returning to Vladimir he died of his wounds.
It was in memory
of the young prince, who died before he was eighteen, that the
Church of the Intercession on the Nerl was built. The annals say
that it was built for only one season, so most often the date of its
construction is considered to be 1165 - the year of Izyaslav
Andreevich's death. However, other scientists call slightly later
dates - 1166 or 1167, and some believe that it was built several
years earlier, along with the entire complex of Bogolyubov's
buildings.
The church was consecrated in honor of the
Intercession. It is believed that this holiday began to be massively
celebrated in Russia under Andrei Bogolyubsky - he loved him. The
fact is that this holiday is associated with the name of St. Andrew
the Fool, the heavenly patron of the prince. It was St. The Mother
of God once appeared to Andrew, extending her veil over the
worshipers who asked her for protection. Under Prince Andrei
Bogolyubsky, the Byzantine holiday began to be especially celebrated
in Russia and soon became one of the most beloved among the people.
However, according to other versions, this holiday appeared later,
and the church was originally simply dedicated to the Mother of God.
The fact is that all other Intercession churches and all the icons
of the Intercession of the Virgin that have come down to our time
date from a later time.
The church was once located at the
very mouth of the Nerl River - where it flowed into the Klyazma.
Since then, the channel has shifted, and the building turned out to
be standing near the picturesque oxbow. And then it was in the most
conspicuous place - just where the merchant ships turned towards
Bogolyubov, and, as it were, met everyone passing by.
At one
time, there was a small Pokrovsky monastery around this temple. In
the 17th century it was even quite rich, but in the middle of the
18th century it was abolished. This was in 1764, and the church
itself was assigned to the nearby Bogolyubsky monastery. But it
stood in the distance and almost did not bring any income, so in
1784 it was even almost taken down to stone. Official permission for
this was received, but analysis also requires funds - and they were
not found at the Bogolyubsky monastery, so the church miraculously
survived.
Scientific research of the church began in the
middle of the 19th century. Architect and restorer N. Artleben
begins researching the Vladimir-Suzdal architecture. He creates a
project for the restoration of the Golden Gate in Vladimir, and in
1858 he excavates around the Intercession Church. In 1877, the
church was restored and rather unsuccessfully - because of this
restoration, for example, the original fresco painting was
completely lost.
The temple operates until 1923, then it is
closed. In the 1950s, new excavations began under the leadership of
N. Voronin. Since 1992, the temple has been included in the UNESCO
World Heritage List. Now the church is functioning, access to it is
open to everyone. The frescoes have not been restored, so inside it
is perfectly simple and light, and as impressive as the outside.
Poem in stone
The artel, which Andrei Bogolyubsky hired for
the construction, consisted of craftsmen from different countries.
For example, it is known that the famous emperor Frederick
Barbarossa sent several craftsmen for her to Andrew. The
construction was not very simple: the place at the very mouth of the
river could be flooded, so first an artificial hill was poured using
the most advanced technology of that time. A deep foundation was
laid, stone walls four meters high were built on it, they formed the
basis of the hill and were covered with earth, and on top they were
still lined with stone. By now, the hill is somewhat donkey - its
height is only three meters. But in any case, the church was built
so firmly that spills do not threaten it even now.
The current appearance of the church, which seems
to us so beautiful and harmonious, is not exactly what was conceived
and what people saw in front of them in the XII century. Only the
main volume with one chapter has been preserved from the original
appearance. Now the temple has a bulbous end, but in those days,
most likely, the dome was helmet-shaped. Moreover, most likely, the
church was surrounded by wide galleries. Their remains were found
during excavations. But, unfortunately, there is no exact dating of
the appearance of these galleries. In any case, they were built on
an equally solid foundation, and their height was five and a half
meters. Traces of them have survived in the very appearance of the
church: if you look closely, you can see that its windows on the
southern facade are asymmetrical. Once upon a time there was an
internal staircase, and from the gallery one could immediately get
to the choir of the church.
There is not one, but several
options for the reconstruction of the original appearance of the
temple. We owe the main information to the architect-restorer N.
Voronin, who carried out research in the 1950s. It was he who
created the first reconstruction of the galleries. But in fact, we
do not know whether these galleries were open or closed, how exactly
they looked and what they were made of - whether they were entirely
wooden or partially stone.
The main decoration of the Church
of the Intercession-on-Nerl is the "trademark" of the
Vladimir-Suzdal architecture of that time - a magnificent white
stone carving. The images of King David indicate that the church was
"princely". Images of lions - symbols of strength - are a typical
motif of Old Russian carving. The birds depicted on the walls can be
pigeons, symbols of peace and simplicity, or they can be eagles -
symbols of the height of the spirit. There are images of griffins
with fallow deer: in Christian symbolism, the classic "torment
scene" has been rethought. Griffins symbolize Christ who catches
souls.
Despite the fact that there are images of the same
type on the walls: King David, lions, griffins, birds - none of them
are alike. It is believed that they were performed according to the
same pattern, but by different craftsmen. Women's faces are
generally a mystery - there are nineteen of them preserved along the
entire perimeter of the church. All of them have different facial
features, perhaps even with a portrait resemblance to some unknown
girls. It is believed that they symbolize not the Mother of God
herself, but the procession of the righteous virgins who accompany
her.
The carved belt in the form of arches and semi-columns
with figured consoles has direct parallels in Italian architecture -
it may have been made by Western masters. All consoles are
different, sometimes beautiful, sometimes grotesque, and you can
endlessly guess about their meaning. But, in any case, in western
medieval cathedrals they also liked to depict strange chimeras and
other monsters.
Next to the famous Church of the Intercession
there is another one - the Church of the Three Saints, built in
1884. Now it is used as a souvenir shop and gatehouse.
Interesting Facts
Legends say that Andrei Bogolyubsky brought the
white stone for the construction of this temple from Bulgaria. But
analyzes do not confirm this - it was built of limestone near
Moscow.
During the excavations, sculptures of lions were found.
Most likely, a pier was built in front of the church, and they
decorated it.
Not so long ago, a whole controversy unfolded
around the power line that passed near the Church of the
Intercession, which spoiled the historical views of the temple and
Bogolyubsky meadow. As a result, the wires were removed.
On a
note
Location: Vladimir Region, Bogolyubovo, st. Vokzalnaya, 10.
How to get there. from Vladimir by train or bus to the station
"Bogolyubovo", then walk 1.5 km.
Opening hours: daily from 8:00
to 18:00.
Admission is free, photography is prohibited inside.