Main Church Research Articles

Two conquerors under the dome of the Panorama 1453 History Museum

On 29 May 1453, after conquering Constantinople, the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II (the Conqueror) visited Hagia Sophia, the main church of the Byzantine Empire. He climbed up to the building's dome and viewed the panorama of the newly conquered city. Today, standing on a platform under the dome of the Panorama 1453 History Museum, built in 2009 to commemorate the city's conquest, a visitor is surrounded by a panoramic image of the city about to be conquered, providing a virtual and constructed experience. This experience today under the dome of Panorama 1453 is reminiscent of the Sultan's awe when gazing upon the panoramic view of the city from the dome of Hagia Sophia. I place the Panorama 1453 History Museum at the centre of discussions on how architecture and political issues intertwine and how architecture is open to political manipulation. The museum is a grand political spectacle of the Islamist-nationalist government that attempts to shape Turkey's national subjects as new conquerors. Architecture, instrumental in this shaping, becomes the article's subject. How do architectural features, such as a dome, a higher platform, and a panoramic view, contribute to the instrumentalisation of the museum in transmitting the conquest as an ideology? To examine these questions, I use ‘distance’, a prerequisite of achieving illusion in panorama, as a conceptual device by which remoteness in physical space can stand in for distance in time and the level of intimacy with the ideal (here, the Conqueror or the Ottoman past). Distance as a mediator between past and present helps explore how the conquest panorama shapes visitors' engagement with the ideal through proximal encounters.

A large church in a village that failed to become a city

The Oude Jeroenskerk in the South Holland coastal village of Noordwijk is the largest, and one of the most perfectly preserved, late medieval village churches in the provinces of South and North Holland. Compared with the village in which it stands and the village churches in the surrounding area, the Oude Jeroenskerk is not just beautifully proportioned, but above all remarkably large. This phenomenon – a large church in a small settlement – is clearly interesting, yet it has never been the subject of specific research. Following the miraculous discovery in 976 of the bones of Jeroen, a missionary murdered in 856 by the Norsemen, the ancient Nordcha settlement developed into a place of pilgrimage with urban tendencies. The subsequent ‘discovery’ of Jeroen’s skull in around 1316 furthered the growth of both the village and the church. On 1 April 1398 the village was granted a city charter, but this was subsequently withdrawn on 12 March 1399.The applicants’ right to make such an application was challenged and those involved had plainly underestimated the costs associated with city status. What remained was an under-construction large church, which was eventually completed in around 1500. The construction and appearance of the Oude Jeroenskerk would seem to have been heavily influenced by the count and the local nobility, beginning with Count Dirk II, who granted permission to erect a church in 976. The architects of the brick church are unknown, but it is conceivable that the first element, a tower (1260), was the work of the master craftsman Albrecht van Velsen. In the same period he was involved in the erection of the Leeuwenhorst Cistercian convent in nearby Noordwijkerhout. The phase in which the church acquired its three-aisle, pseudo-basilica layout was possibly initiated by Count Albrecht van Beieren (1336-1404). It was he who heeded the desire of a group of ambitious villagers to elevate their village to the status of a city. This assumption is based on remarkable similarities in floor plan and elevation with the Sint Jacobskerk in ’s-Gravenhage before its radical renovation between 1434 and 1492. It is assumed that the transept (1389) in that church was commissioned by Albrecht. It was during Albrecht’s period of office that the current choir of the Oude Jeroenskerk was built (1389-1405), followed by the transept and three-aisle nave (1415/1425-1444/1500). The Sint Jacobskerk became the main church, located in the administrative heart of the county. The Oude Jeroenskerk remained an important pilgrim church up until the Reformation. A church of substantial proportions that reflected contemporary urban aspirations and still looks like an urban parish church. In terms of materials and detailing it was simple and sober and as such comparable with village churches in the surrounding area and with the Sint Jacobskerk in ’s-Gravenhage until the latter’s reconstruction in 1434. Noordwijk had the potential to grow into a small city. It had the status of a place of pilgrimage, was a religious centre and boasted a relatively large population, including members of the nobility. A large church capable of accommodating local residents and pilgrims corresponded with the urban ambitions of a group of locals. Although those briefly realized ambitions were soon dashed, what remained was the Oude Jeroenskerk: a gothic, pseudo-basilica cruciform church with a square-based tower incorporated on three sides in a three-aisled nave.

The discovery of the church of Rungholt, a landmark for the drowned medieval landscapes of the Wadden Sea World Heritage

The UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea holds remains of a medieval cultural landscape shaped by interactions between man and natural forces. From the Netherlands to Denmark, human efforts of cultivating low-lying areas created a unique coastal landscape. Since the Middle Ages, storm floods widely drowned embanked cultural land and especially affected North Frisia (Germany), where once fertile marshland was permanently turned into tidal flats. One key region, the Edomsharde, was widely destroyed in 1362 AD. Medieval settlement remains still occur in the tidal flats around the island Hallig Südfall and are commonly associated with Edomsharde’s trading centre Rungholt—ever since a symbol for the region’s drowned landscapes and focus of this study. We present a first-time comprehensive reconstruction of this medieval settlement by means of new geophysical, geoarchaeological and archaeological data. Our results reveal remains of up to 64 newly found and rectified dwelling mounds, abundant drainage ditches, a seadike, and especially the discovery of Edomshardes’s main church as important landmark in this former cultural landscape. These finds together with the documented imported goods confirm a thriving society, involved in transregional trade and thereby close a significant gap in medieval history not only for North Frisia, but the entire Wadden Sea region.

Freski w cerkwi św. Gabriela Monasteru Narodzenia NMP w Zwierkach: próba systematyki

Frescoes in Orthodox churches are indispensable element that has accompanied the Orthodox for many years. The first iconographic representations appeared in the early centuries of Christianity. Over time, after the legalization of the religion, Byzantine iconography began to gradually develop. It was from these regions, thanks to the mission of Saints Cyril and Methodius, and ultimately after the baptism of Rus', that it reached the Slavic lands and today's Podlasie region. Near Białystok, there is the Monastery of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Zwierki, which is one of the relatively young monastic communities in Poland. This place serves as a pilgrimage destination as well as a sanctuary for the relics of St. Martyr Gabriel of Zabłudów. The main church of the monastery, dedicated to the local saint, has a unique and incredibly rich iconographic scheme of frescoes. These frescoes refer to the life of the saint and depict many contemporary saints, as well as scenes from the life of the Patroness of the monastery. The style itself refers to the old-Russian style, allowing us to feel the spirit of ancient temples. This work describes and systematizes the frescoes of the temple in detail to deepen their understanding and examination, as well as to catalog them for future use in scientific research.

Carski baldahin nad ulazom u crkvu - oblici, prostorni konteksti, ikonografski programi i smisao kupole u srpskim pripratama XIV veka

The churches commissioned by King (later Emperor) Stephen Dušan, his important dignitaries, and later Serbian rulers-e.g., Holy Archangels near Prizren, Lesnovo, Hilandar, Markov Manastir, Ravanica, and Manasija-often have a narthex or an entrance porch covered by a dome. This architectural element is additionally emphasized by a specific program of painted decoration-as witnessed by several preserved ensembles-which, like the one in the nave's dome, contains some representation of Christ surrounded by members of the heavenly ranks. Through the choice of iconographic elements of Christ or accompanying personages, these compositions are often imbued with a royal subtext. Such an architectural and iconographic solution has its precedents in some Byzantine monuments from the 10th to the 12th century, of which the most important for the Serbian examples, as their potential models, are probably the Athonite katholika and the main church of the Pantokrator Monastery in Constantinople. The prevalence of this architectural element notably increased during the Late Byzantine period, particularly in political entities whose rulers sought independence and even aspired to imperial dignity, such as Epirus, which bordered the Serbian state, and later Mystra. In these Byzantine churches, the specific form of this micro-architectural feature and its strategic placement at the church entrance can be associated with imperial patronage and royal visits. Given the well-supported hypothesis that this paradigm was adopted into Serbian architecture with the same imperial connotation, this study examines its spatial, formal, and iconographic elements, along with its semantic and ideological context. The author's ongoing research of this phenomenon encompasses all preserved and relevant examples within the Serbian Empire, Byzantium, and the broader Byzantine world. However, for the purpose of this article, the discussion will be limited only to Serbian monuments, include an examination of their potential models, and underscore particular nuances in meaning exhibited by their spatial solutions and iconographic programs.

Some Questions of Artistic Design of the “New Testament” of 1702 from the Collection of the State Hermitage

This article is devoted to the precious frame of the “New Testament”, which was published in the Moscow Print House in 1702. This book was presented by Stefan Yavorsky to tsarevich Peter Petrovich, who was born on October 28, 1715. After the death of Alexander II (1881), the book was placed in the sacristy of the Great Church of the Winter palace. The small book represents a bright work of the culture of Peter the Great’s time. Its precious decoration should be dated to the time between 1702 and 1715. The gift made to the prince by the Ryazan Metropolitan is connected with the biography of this church hierarch, known primarily as the author of sermons, but also as customer of icons. The date of the presentation of the “New Testament” (November 12, 1715) to Peter Petrovich is close to Stephen’s letter to Peter (November 14), in which the Metropolitan congratulated him on the birth of his son and prayed to let him go to Nizhyn to consecrate the church, “to offer there a sacrifice for the newborn prince”. This is the matter of the main church of the Nizhyn Monastery, founded by Stephen himself. A precious gift, decorated with gems, was supposed to strengthen the petition of the Ryazan Metropolitan. The composition of the frame includes minuscule icons with images of four evangelists and Crucifixion. They were created by one of the best Moscow icon painters from the early 18th century and show him as a great connoisseur of the art of icon painting. Shoulder-mounted images of the evangelists and the Crucifixion of Christ are executed in the traditions of icon painting of the Armory Chamber and belong to the monuments of the leading stylistic trend in Moscow painting of the late 17th — early 18th centuries. The general composition of the decoration of the New Testament frame goes back to the design of the luxurious liturgical Gospels.

Characterization of art materials and degradation processes in the exterior wall paintings of the main church of Rila Monastery, Bulgaria

The present study focused on the characterization of the art materials and the degradation processes in the exterior (exonarthex) mural paintings of the main church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Rila monastery, Bulgaria, which is believed to be the last large-scale example of Eastern Orthodox wall painting. For the first time the art materials used to create a unique and colourful polychrome decoration of the outer gallery and the possible degradation products, caused by atmospheric influence - permanent exposure to open air and moisture - were revealed by a multi-technique approach. The mineral pigments were identified by means of attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), micro-Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The natural yellow, red ochre, and green earth pigments, as well as some synthetic ones such as ultramarine and vermillion, were found in stable condition. Minium and emerald green pigments showed chemical transformations due to adverse environmental conditions which lead to chromatic changes of wall paintings. Black discolouration occurred due to the conversion of orange minium to black plattnerite (PbO2) and white discolouration – due to its transformation to white lead carbon oxide (PbCO3). The copper acetoarsenite (Cu(CH3COO)2.3Cu(AsO2)2) in the emerald green pigment showed partial transformation to arsen-containing mineral phases clinoclase and lindackerite, which fortunately did not affect much the colour appearance. Gypsum and calcium oxalate were found in the majority of the microsamples as decay products. Analysis of the binders by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) implied the use of the Orthodox Church post-Byzantine egg-tempera technique. The registered Ca metal oxalates in accordance with ELISA results suggested binder chemical degradation induced by external factors. Most of the used painting materials are close to the those found in other Eastern Orthodox Byzantine and post-Byzantine monuments which indicates that the wall painting decoration of the main church of Rila monastery continues the post-Byzantine traditions. On the other hand, the study showed that the exonarthex wall paintings of the main charge of Rila monastery bear some new features as the religious artists supplemented the colourful scheme by emerald green as a new pigment and replaced smalt by the brighter synthetic ultramarine.

Geotourism Route through Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro University (Vila Real, Galicia-North Portugal Euroregion): a Space of Public Outreach of Geology

Geoconservation, geotourism and geodiversity are concepts that should be taught at all educational levels. The entire society should preserve the natural resources in a sustainable way. Geological processes and quarrying created and still creates cultural heritage in landscapes, villages and cities worldwide. Rock outcrops, historical quarries, forms of extraction and buildings built with stones are a heritage that should safeguard. This work details a geotourism route that would bring new life to Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro University (UTAD) campus. The proposed route connects a historical quarry located in the UTAD campus with the main church built with its granite and different rock outcrops that show the geological history of the city of Vila Real (Portugal). It envisages a three-points of interest tour from the Fernando Real Geology Museum (UTAD) to a church built with Prezandães granite from Folhadela.

Studi Sosio – Historis Terhadap Fenomena Gereja Komunitas Berdasarkan Kisah Para Rasul 2:41-47

The church is a the gathering of believers who walk together in conveying the mission of the message to the world. In fulfilling this vocation mission the church has a method that moves and grows. This growth is due to the methods and ways of translating the mission of the church. Community church is one method for fulfilling the church's mission. A church community that tries to convey its mission in a way that is out of the ordinary that takes place in the main church, both from the liturgical and media delivery point of view, is typical of the community church itself. In the Bible itself, the community church played an important role in the development of Christianity. The movement that started in Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 2:41-47 is an example of the community church movement. By using a qualitative method through collecting data from primary sources, namely the Bible and also references regarding the growth of the church, both books and journal manuscripts. It is hoped that this research will be able to provide information about one method of church growth, namely a community church that seeks to convey its mission along with the development of the times.

Ukrainian baroque iconostasis and liturgical structuring of the monastery space

Baroque iconostases of Ukraine with thematic iconographies have repeatedly come to the attention of researchers. This refers to iconostases that did not contain the composition Deesis and other images necessary for the year-round cycle of divine services. Instead of the traditional complex of icons, such iconostases contained images that fully covered the theme of the consecration of the altar. The preserved monuments are described in sufficient detail, but the motives and meanings of implementing such programmes have not yet been convincingly explained. The study offers a new look at the reasons for the appearance and symbolic meaning of thematic iconographic programmes of Ukrainian iconostases of the Baroque era. The meaning of introducing edited iconographic programmes is reconstructed using the hierotopic method. Its application identified that the development of thematic iconographies was based on a spatial iconographic concept in which the programmes of several iconostases interacted. The study showed that thematic iconographies were common in the iconostases of side chapels, while the main iconostasis contained all the necessary complex of images, including the Deesis composition. It is established that the introduction of thematic iconography for the main iconostasis was possible only for the monastery church, which in this case was understood as a chapel relative to the central iconostasis of the cathedral church of the monastery. In this carefully designed image system, the icon complexes of the iconostases of side altars and other monastic churches interacted with the iconographic programme of the iconostasis of the main altar in real space. The implementation of such a project expanded the liturgical space of the main church, covering the monastery complex. Therewith, symbolic meanings associated with the image of the temple in the Christian tradition were transferred to the monastery. The proposed reconstruction explains the lack of practice of creating thematic iconographies for the iconostases of the main altars in parish churches

СРЕДНОВЕКОВНИТЕ ХРИСТИЯНСКИ ХРАМОВЕ И СКАЛНИ ОБИТЕЛИ ПО ШУМЕНСКОТО ПЛАТО – СВЕДЕНИЯ И ПРОУЧВАНИЯ ОТ ХVІІ В. ДО ДНЕС

The article attempts to present and summarize in a chronological aspect the data and studies related to the medieval Christian churches and monasteries located along the rocky ridge surrounding the Shumen plateau. The sites, that at different times have attracted the attention of many historians and archaeologists, are mostly the abodes associated with the entry of hesychasm into the Bulgarian lands. Evidence has been presented that these were not independent monastic units, but were part of rock hermitages to a monastery or a main church at the foot of the slopes in the ravines of the Shumen Plateau. It can be assumed that the period XIIXIVth century was the apogee of the functioning of the rock monasteries in the Shumen region, but some of them most likely existed in an earlier stage - the Early Bulgarian Middle Ages. The scholarly issues in connection with the model of building of complexes of a main church or monastery and adjoining rock cloisters can be examined in future joined expeditions and research aimed at completing the archaeological map of the Shumen Plateau.

Cultural View on the Scheme of the Dome and Altar Painting of the Orthodox Church

The purpose of the work is to show the difference and interdependence between the schemes of paintings of the dome and the altar of the Orthodox Church and their purpose as the most sacred spaces. The research methodology consists in the application of a number of approaches. The analytical method is used to comprehend the literature on the topic of the article; the interdisciplinary method helps to comprehensively study the factual material and obtain new knowledge; and the systemic approach with a whole range of methods (semiotic, culturological, iconographic, field (namely, collection of visual material), hermeneutic, descriptive, comparative, and theoretical generalisation). The scientific novelty of the study is that for the first time the dome and the altar of the Orthodox Church are considered as identically sacred parts of it and at the same time as the most sacred temple spaces, which is reflected in the schemes of their paintings. Conclusions. In the inner space of the Orthodox Church, religious ideas about the ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ world, about the sacred and profane space are concretised with the help of architecture and sacred images recorded in the monumental church painting. In the temple, which is sacred in its purpose, however, there are differences in the expression of holiness. These differences from the point of view of the cultural approach can be marked by the binary opposition "sanctus – sacer". Thus, both the domed and the altar space of the Orthodox Church reflect the main church dogmas and doctrinal truths, which emphasises their sacredness in the sense of sanctus. At the same time, the painting of the sacred space of the dome reflects the Orthodox teachings open to every Christian, while the painting of the altar emphasises that this place of service of the "initiates" is available only to priests, performers of church rites, mainly the Eucharist.
 Key words: sacred space, temple painting, dome, altar, temple painting scheme, sacred, iconographic theme.

Historical-graphical analysis and digital preservation of cultural heritage: case study of the baptismal font of the church of Santiago Apóstol in Montilla (Córdoba, Spain)

Stone is a characteristic element in the construction of buildings and monuments in the Middle Ages in Spain. This is so mainly due to its durability and, in baptismal fonts, specifically, its symbolism: Jesus Christ is the cornerstone, he comes to save us and is the foundation of the life of the Christian and of the Universal Church. The application of virtual 3D reconstruction is essential in the conservation of this type of heritage, together with scientific techniques and methods, and the analysis of historical-graphic documentation. Focusing on these three aspects, the baptismal font of the church of Santiago Apóstol de Montilla will be taken as a reference. The baptismal font of the church of Santiago Apóstol in Montilla (Córdoba, Spain), whose exact origin is unknown, is one of the most important heritage assets. San Francisco Solano, known as the “Thaumaturge of the New World”, was baptised in it. For over four centuries, the temple has been the Main Church of the head of the Marquisate of Priego. This study aims to know, document and carry out a digital reconstruction of an important piece of the monumental heritage of the Catholic Church: the baptismal font of the church of Santiago Apóstol in Montilla. To this end, we searched a major literature review focused on the use of photogrammetry for reading old graphics and deciphering texts. After that we analysed the graphic documentation derived from the restoration process conducted by Cordovan restorer Vázquez Arjona in the late twentieth century. The application of 3D digitisation and documentation techniques has allowed not only to analyse this important heritage element in detail through a virtual reconstruction, but also to make a far-reaching discovery regarding one of its elements, the unknown inserted inscription in the baptismal font band.

K problematike pečatného symbolu a erbu mesta Krupina

The author discusses the existence and dating of the Krupina town’s seals and the motivations for accepting the seal symbol (later the coat of arms as well) of the Lamb of God of Krupina, whereas based on the analogies of towns in Hungary or abroad he contemplates the influence of the paradigm of medieval society and its focus on eternal life that leads to the Kingdom of heaven to the Savior, Jesus Christ. The author points to the possible connection of the symbol with the church dedication of the main parish church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He also deals with the view of older literature, which derived its acceptance into the seals of the town from the coins of Hungarian rulers who were associated with the origins of the town of Krupina. Jesus Christ (symbolically depicted as the Lamb of God) is an attribute of the Virgin Mary in Christian iconography and was constantly depicted together with the mother, Virgin Mary, similarly to the fashion it was implemented in Krupina. At the same time, the Lamb was a symbol of the heavenly Jerusalem, a perfect city, which was a model and ideal of the earthly city, and thus of the community of the Krupina townspeople. The authority of the Savior is thus symbolically linked to the authority of the king and also to the authority of the burghers, as well as to the legal force of the documents they issued. This could have been one of the motivations of the Krupina townspeople to adopt this symbol into the seals of the town. At the same time, it is possible to assume an increase in the influence of rectors of the main parish church in the town, who probably performed the duties of the first notaries of the town of Krupina.

Georg B. Michels. The Habsburg Empire under Siege: Ottoman Expansion and Hungarian Revolt in the Age of Grand Vizier Ahmed Köprülü (1661–76).

Georg B. Michels. <i>The Habsburg Empire under Siege: Ottoman Expansion and Hungarian Revolt in the Age of Grand Vizier Ahmed Köprülü (1661–76)</i>.

Η Παναγία Γαλακτοτροφούσα στην Ανθούσα Τρικάλων παρά τον Αχελώο ποταμό

The Virgin Galaktotrophousa (1799), the main church of an old monastery close to the village Anthousa near Trikala in the region of Aspropotamos, is a single-nave church with an abbreviated dome, lateral apses and a later narthex to the west. Above the narthex there was a chapel dedicated to the Beheading of Saint John the Forerunner. It is covered by a gabled roof from which the dome springs. The protrusion on the exterior of the tiled roof of the west part of the naos leads to the hypothesis that the narthex was vaulted, possibly with a shallow dome. The abbreviated form of the dome, the placement of a chapel above the narthex, and the latter’s shallow dome are common practices in the wider region of Aspropotamos.

Henry II of Trastámara (1366–1367, 1369–1379)

Henry II of Castile, also known as Henry of Trastámara, from the Latin “Tras Tamaris” (or beyond the Tambre River), King of Castile and León (1366–1367, 1369–1379) was the first king of the Trastámara Dynasty. In summary, it was a minor branch of the house of Burgundy (or an “Iberian extension” of it), with presence in the kingdoms of Castile, Aragon, Navarre, and Naples. Most notably, it began playing an essential role in the kingdom of Castile, but after the Compromise of Caspe, its power extended decisively to the kingdom of Aragon (1412). Henry II was the illegitimate son of Alfonso XI and his lover Leonor de Guzmán. He waged a civil war against his stepbrother, Peter I, legitimate heir to the throne, as the son of Alfonso XI and Maria of Portugal, Queen of Castile. Henry’s determination to be recognized as king led him to employ the arts in a campaign to discredit his stepbrother and tarnish his image, portraying himself as a defender of the faith with the right to rule. He built the Royal Chapel (1371) in the main church of Córdoba (today’s Mosque/Cathedral) for the burial of his father and grandfather, Ferdinand IV, in order to underscore his connection to the royal line, and refurbished the Puerta del Perdón (Gate of Forgiveness) in 1377, the main entrance to the church, for use as a dramatic stage for public events.

Neglected data about the year of construction of the church of the virgin in Studenica

The text deals with two mutually close, late sources that have not been used so far in considering the chronology of the construction of the katholikon of the Studenica monastery: the inscriptions on two copper engravings depicting the main church of the ?Great Lavra of St. Simeon? made in Moscow in 1758. Those inscriptions state, among other things, that Stefan Nemanja built the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in 1194/1195.

Региональные интерпретации столичных образцов в византийской архитектуре XI века

The paper is dedicated to the process of adaptation of metropolitan trends in the architecture of Byzantine provinces in the 11th century. The author analyzes buildings in Macedonia, Attica, and Crete. These examples show how the main church type of this period was interpreted in different regions. The author discusses the particularities in the planning, style and technique, different versions of combining the metropolitan typology with older regional traditions, and modifications that depended on certain local conditions, models, or liturgical requirements. Thus, in the late 10th century a specific modification of inscribed cross church was created on Mount Athos, with two lateral apses that probably appeared in response to particular liturgical needs. It is likely that another addition to the Athonite type, the two-storey twin-domed narthex, also originated on Mount Athos as a replication of the venerated model (the Great Lavra katholikon) and/or in connection with housing the monastic libraries inside the churches. In the early 11th century other churches appeared reflecting these experiments with the basic Constantinopolitan type, representing its original and creative interpretations: the Church of the Holy Apostles in Athens and Panagia Chalkeon in Thessaloniki. Yet such examples remain unique. In Crete, in the first half of the 11th century, another version of the inscribed cross type emerges exemplified in the Churches of Zoodochos Pigi at Alikianou and St. Demetrius at Agios Demetrios near Rethymnon. These monuments have transitional character and combine the main features of the metropolitan type with older local peculiarities, such as the cross-shaped ground plan and niches in the eastern walls of the lateral cross-arms. The replication of these local traits was probably instigated by the donor, St. John Xenos, and relied on his earlier building, the katholikon of Myriokephala monastery (early 11th century). Later this local traits disappear and more standard versions of the inscribed cross churches spread in Crete.

Утраченные фресковые росписи пещерных церквей Инкермана («храм с крещальней», «церковь География», монастырь св. Софии)

Introduction. Among the “cave towns” of Mountainous Southwestern Crimea, there are monuments located in the lower reaches of the Black River valley. There are no less than 9 rock-cut monastic complexes which include about 30 temples. Methods. Some churches of the 13th–15th centuries were decorated with fresco paintings. Today, frescoes have been preserved only in one church. Sources of the 18th–20th centuries indicate traces of paintings in more than five temples. Frescoes inside the “temple with baptistery”, “Church of Geography (Eugraphy)”, and the Monastery of St. Sophia have not survived. Archival materials that expose the plots and compositions are published in this work. Analysis. The frescoes of the “temple with baptistery” date back to the 13th century. The Deesis composition is reconstructed in the apse conch. In the “Church of Geography (Eugraphy)” (the 13th century), on each side of the throne, four figures of saints are depicted (The Holy Fathers composition). This is probably: John Chrysostom, Gregory the Theologian, Basil the Great, Cyril of Alexandria, Gregory of Nyssa, Athanasius of Alexandria and two more saints from among the Cappadocian Fathers. One of them is obviously St. Blaise. This painting in general terms repeats the traditional scheme of the lower register of the painting of the apses of the cave temples of the mountainous Crimea. The monastery of St. Sofia should be dated back to the 14th–15th centuries. During the period of the monastery’s functioning, there were fresco paintings in the Main Church and Church no. 3, but all the attempts to attribute them were unsuccessful. Results. The analyzed frescoes show themes of Deesis and the Great Cappadocians. They are common for altar compositions in cave temples in South-West Crimea. In the interiors of the cave temples of Inkerman, there are: simple linear ornaments, complex plant reports, linear ornaments with complex weaving and plant elements.