Constructed: 1194- 97
Cathedral of Saint Dmitriy (Дмитриевский собор) was constructed in 1194- 97 by a Russian duke Vsevolod III the Big Nest. He dedicated his church to a famous Christian martyr from the earlier centuries of pagan Roman prosecutions Dmitry of Thessalonica (city in Greece). Cathedral of Saint Dmitriy is of modest size since it was intended only for the royal family, but its elegant and simple architecture makes it one of the most significant medieval Russian churches. At the time of its construction it was part of the massive royal palace complex. Most of original buildings were torn down due to old age, while the church was preserved.
Alexander the Great (left) and King David surrounded by animals, birds and mysterious creatures (right)
Dmitrievsky Cathedral was built under the younger brother of Andrei
Bogolyubsky - Vsevolod the Big Nest, the most powerful Russian prince of
the 12th century. That is how he is mentioned in the Tale of Igor's
Campaign. Under him, the principality expanded and influenced all
Russian lands from Novgorod to Kyiv, its cities grew rich, and arts and
crafts flourished in them. The center was the city of Vladimir, chosen
as the capital by his elder brother Andrei Bogolyubsky. Vsevolod had
twelve children - that is why he was called the "Big Nest", and after
his death the principality was fragmented and lost its former strength.
Vsevolod the Big Nest continues the work of his brother - the
strengthening and decoration of Vladimir. He renews the walls of the
city, rebuilds and expands the Assumption Cathedral, and builds another
one nearby - Dmitrievsky, in honor of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica, his
patron saint. The cathedral was built in the 90s of the XII century,
scientists argue about its exact dating: perhaps it is 1191, and
possibly 1194-97. Unlike the Assumption Cathedral, the Golden Gate and
Bogolyubov, in the creation of which, according to N. Tatishchev,
Western masters took part, the Dmitrievsky Cathedral was built only by
Russians, the chronicle specifically mentions this. However, the
cathedral was built with a clear eye on the Church of the Intercession
on the Nerl near Bogolyubov, and its rich carvings have a correspondence
in the medieval architecture of Western Europe.
The main shrines
of the new temple were sent directly from Thessalonica (that is, from
the city of Thessaloniki) part of the clothes of St. Demetrius of
Thessalonica and the myrrh-streaming "coffin board" - an icon that,
according to legend, was painted on a board from the tomb of the holy
martyr. Vsevolod endured the veneration of St. Dmitry from Byzantium -
he spent his youth in exile in Constantinople, hiding with Emperor
Manuel. Subsequently, this icon was transferred to Moscow and is now
kept in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.
A new
icon of St. Dmitry for the Assumption Cathedral - it is now in the
Tretyakov Gallery. But according to some scholars, the depicted saint
here could have some portrait resemblance to Vsevolod himself. Dmitry is
depicted as a warrior ruler - on a throne, in a crown and with a sword
half pulled out of its sheath in his hands. The list from this icon can
now be seen in the exposition of the cathedral.
The temple
was conceived as a house temple of the princely family. It was small,
single-domed, very richly decorated outside and inside, and was part of
the palace complex: it was surrounded by galleries through which one
could get to the palace. In the 16th century, two aisles were added to
the cathedral - Nikolsky and John the Baptist, a porch and a bell tower.
However, according to other researchers, two chapels in the form of
turrets were originally here, as well as galleries, so the modern
appearance of the cathedral is not equal to the original.
During
the 17th-18th centuries, the cathedral was repeatedly burned and
renovated, and by the beginning of the 19th century it had fallen into
disrepair. A special commission was appointed, funds were allocated, and
the cathedral was once again repaired. He got a classicist portico with
columns at the western entrance and a second bell tower.
The
current, “primitive” appearance of the cathedral is the result of the
restoration of 1838-1847, carried out by decree of Nicholas I. The
galleries were dismantled, the cathedral was cleaned and repainted in
the white and yellow colors beloved by Nicholas, the dome and walls were
reinforced with iron ties. At the same time, old frescoes were
discovered - and the cathedral was re-painted, if possible, in the same
style. The crumbling white stone reliefs were partially replaced by
exact copies.
At the end of the 19th century, heating was carried
out here - before that, the temple was cold, summer. A small belfry was
built nearby.
20th century and present
After the revolution,
the temple was immediately transferred to the museum. A restoration
commission headed by the artist Igor Grabar worked in it, the same one
that cleared the Rublev frescoes of the Assumption Cathedral in those
years. I. Grabar rediscovered fragments of frescoes of the XII century.
After the war, excavations around the cathedral were led by Nikolai
Voronin, a leading Soviet specialist in ancient Russian architecture and
the author of reconstructions of the original appearance of many
Vladimir-Suzdal churches.
After the war, there were museum
exhibitions dedicated to the architecture of the Vladimir-Suzdal region,
then there was the Gallery of Heroes of the Soviet Union - natives of
Vladimir. Now this exhibition is located in the Golden Gate nearby.
Since the mid-70s, the cathedral has been closed for a long
restoration, which ended only in 2005. The white limestone that was
deteriorating from time to time was impregnated with a special
protective composition, communications were updated to allow maintaining
a special temperature regime in the building, and the cross on the dome
was replaced.
Now the temple is a branch of the museum, but
several times a year, in agreement with museum workers, church services
are held in it. In the cathedral you can see fragments of murals that
have survived from the 12th century: these are the Last Judgment, the
Procession of the Righteous to Paradise and the Mother of God.
Researchers see in these frescoes the brush of two different authors.
Here is an ancient list from the icon of Demetrius of Thessalonica, a
copy of a silver casket that was once brought from Thessaloniki and
preserved a particle of the saint's attire, and a four-meter cross taken
from the dome - it is now in the altar of the cathedral.
Here is
buried Roman Illarionovich Vorontsov, Governor-General of Vladimir in
1778-83, brother of the famous diplomat and chancellor Mikhail Vorontsov
and father of the Russian envoy in London, Semyon Romanovich Vorontsov.
The Vorontsovs took part in the coup that brought Elizaveta Petrovna to
the throne. And under Catherine II, after the reform and the formation
of new provinces, Roman Illarionovich became the governor of Vladimir
and became famous for bribery and extortion. His burial has been
preserved with a sculpture erected in 1804 by his sons - it was made in
London by order of his son Semyon, and the pyramid over the tombstone
was erected by his grandson, Mikhail Vorontsov, the Novorossiysk
governor, who partly financed the repair of the cathedral in the middle
of the 19th century. The burial itself is located near the southern
wall, but the tombstone was moved to the western wall during the last
restoration.
stone carving
The most important decoration of
the Dmitrievsky Cathedral is its richest stone carving on the two upper
tiers of the facades. As on the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl,
there is an image of St. David is a biblical example of a just and wise
ruler, both king and priest. He is depicted here three times - defeating
a lion and sitting on a lion's throne - there is a similar image on the
Church of the Intercession on the Nerl. He is surrounded by eagles,
lions and leopards - symbols of power - and is blessed by angels.
Vsevolod himself with five sons is depicted from the northern
facade. He holds the younger Vladimir in his arms and four more -
Yaroslav, Svyatoslav, Georgy and Konstantin - stand around.
The
southern one is decorated with the most unusual plot from our point of
view - "The Ascension of Alexander the Great to Heaven." This is a
medieval Christian legend that tells how once Alexander caught two huge
birds, the size of horses, and tried to fly them into the sky. He rose
higher and higher until he met another bird, which said in a human
voice: “Not knowing the earthly, how can you comprehend the heavenly?”
This image of Alexander taking off gained immense popularity in medieval
Europe and was depicted more than once: Alexander was perceived as an
ideal image of a great ruler, a unifier of different lands, a healer -
that is why he is placed on the prince's cathedral. Alexander is
depicted not with birds, but with griffins, and holds cubs in his hands.
The feats of Hercules are depicted on the western wall - scenes of
how he defeats a lion, which also rhymes with the images of King David
defeating the lion and Alexander holding cubs.
All carvings of
the cathedral as a whole fit into a single concept, emphasizing the
sacredness of princely power. In total, there are more than five hundred
different images on the cathedral, most of them are ornamental plants,
birds and animals, many of which have a fantastic view. For medieval
Christians, it was completely normal to decorate temples with such
semi-pagan images - they revealed the beauty and diversity of the world,
were associated with heraldic princely symbols and, in general, with
secular power. Here, the Dmitrievsky Cathedral contrasts quite sharply
with the much more modestly decorated Assumption Cathedral - it is
believed that in this way the tastes of the ancient Russian secular
nobility were reflected here. However, some studies interpret the
abundance of animals and vegetation as an illustration of the psalm "Let
every breath glorify the Lord."
On the columnar belt of the
cathedral, saints are depicted, for example, Boris and Gleb, relatives
of Vsevolod. The carving of the cathedral, unfortunately, was not
completely preserved in its original form - over the centuries it was
restored, some of the fragments were removed and re-placed in the wrong
places, but the main compositions and their meaning remained distinct
and readable.
On a note
Location: Vladimir, st. Bolshaya
Moskovskaya, 60.
How to get there. by train from the Kursk railway
station or by bus from Schelkovskaya metro station to Vladimir, then by
trolleybuses No. 5, 10 and 12 to the city center, or up the stairs to
Cathedral Square.
Official website:
http://www.vladmuseum.ru/museums/build/37
Opening hours: 11:00-19:00.
Ticket price: adult - 150 rubles, preferential - 100 rubles.