Kursk Fortress: on the Question of the Boundaries and Appearance of the Znamensky Monastery

Abstract

Relevance. This article is an attempt to compare the changes in the stone architectural ensemble of the Znamensky Monastery in the period from the second half of the XVII century to the beginning of the XIX century. This topic has been little studied, and therefore it is relevant and in demand.The purpose is to determine the boundaries and appearance of the Kursk Znamensky Monastery from the moment of its foundation until the beginning of the XIX century on the basis of available materials.Objectives: to compare the location of the monastery buildings with the modern urban relief and to establish the type of buildings.Methodology. The article is based on the principles of historicism, scientific objectivity and consistency, which are supplemented by the method of reconstruction, the comparative historical method. In the work, among other things, the technique of virtual 3d modeling is used.Results. By superimposing city plans of different times and modern satellite images, the possible location of the buildings of the Znamensky Monastery is determined, its appearance of buildings is described. It is established that the appearance of the "Kursk Kremlin" has been constantly changing during the time of its existence. Comparing the boundaries of the foundations and studying the principles of construction of similar structures with the preserved images of the monastery allowed us to recreate the boundaries and appearance of the Kursk shrine. Thanks to the 3d modeling technique, the architectural appearance of the ensemble of the Znamensky Monastery of the XVII – XVIII centuries has been recreated.Conclusion. The conducted research gave grounds to assert that the architectural Znamensky Monastery has been the "axis" of urban development since its foundation. Its appearance was, on the one hand, typical of the temples of medieval Russia, on the other, Kursk stood out from many other Russian cities.