Wooden Church Architecture of Kargopol and the River Onega Areas in 17th–18th Centuries

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the typological diversity and artistic and expressive means of wooden church architecture of Kargopol’ area in the 17th–18th centuries — one of the most interesting regions of the Russian North. An examination of the configurations of the roofing of the main volumes demonstrates the widespread existence of various types. The cube-shaped churches of Kargopol’ area represent a significant part of the monuments of this typological subspecies, also localized in the Lower Onega River and southern White Sea region. At the same time, in Kargopol’ area there is a concentration of temples with a wedge roof and a “barrel” top. The research of spatial solutions shows that the octagonal churches of Kargopol’ area stand out noticeably against the background of such universal and extra-regional compositions as “an octagonal structure on a quadrangle with a refectory” or cross-planned churches. Tower-shaped churches, like the six-walled bell towers of Kargopol’ area, can also be seen against the background of the fortification architecture in the Lower Onega River, which received a powerful impetus in the 17th century in connection with the construction of the Kargopol, Ust-Mosh and Turchasovsky forts. Kargopol refectories “with free communication” are also becoming a kind of local phenomenon. The main feature of the ensemble character of Kargopol architecture is the connection between the constituent elements with the help of porches, galleries and passages. Field surveys of monuments and the use of archival sources on the history of temple construction in Kargopol’ area testify to the colossal creative potential that was fully realized during the 17th–18th centuries in the picturesque variety of forms of both individual monuments and general ensemble solutions. No less important is the fact that the Kargopol’ tradition did not remain closed in itself; its spread to adjacent regions and interweaving with the architecture of the Lower Onega River and on the White Sea coasts scales up the architecture of Kargopol’ area and makes it one of the most striking and large phenomena in the wide panorama of wooden architecture monuments throughout the Russian North.