Biography of the architect John

To the question of the imagery of the Old Russian architecture of the Transfiguration Church of the Polotsk Monastery "But, about the Blaged bride of our God of our God, praying to God for his herd" Life of the Monk Euphrosyne, the Transfiguration Church of the Transfrontrosinievsky Monastery in Polotsk-the Academic Monument, repeatedly described in historical, art history and art history and art.

Theological literature. In fact, the harmonious fusion of high spiritual content and the perfection of the architectural and constructive form cannot but attract researchers of ancient Russian architecture. The influence that the temple had on the architects of the XII century, and even subsequent centuries, is evidenced by multiple attempts to interpret its composition and use similar forms.

But with all the knowledge of the Transfiguration Polotsk Temple, there are many questions and mysteries. For example, why is the architect John, solving the problem of “convenience - strength - beauty”, which constitutes the very essence of architecture, did not “replicate” his achievement in the most convincing and original way? After all, the temple was built in 30 weeks, which testifies, speaking in the current language, about the worked out methodology.

This would allow the author many times to reproduce the composition of the Polotsk church in different lands. The use of once used volume and spatial compositions is not uncommon in Old Russian architecture. John could provide himself with glory and a comfortable existence until the end of his days, but did not do it. The uniqueness and uniqueness of the Savior Church, apparently, was "programmatic" for the architect John.

The church should have been the only one! What spiritual and creative insights led the ancient architect to the creation of this masterpiece? On this issue, I want to share my personal observations. Euphrosyne Polotsk. Modern view. The altar part of the temple is the architectural language is specific. To understand it, knowledge and skill are necessary.

The form of the temple reflects not only the characteristic features of the era in which it was created. The architect embodies in his work the understanding of beauty and harmony inherent only to him only to him. In associative, architectural images, his attitude to reality is manifested. In each of the churches, you can find a captured alloy of unique qualities. Thanks to prayer insight, the architect is able to combine various properties into a single whole: canonical functionality, strength and beauty.

And the beauty in this case is a moment stopped for centuries. But the appearance of the future temple is also determined by the requirements of the customer. How could the personality of the Monk Euphrosyne affect the temple created by the architect John? The ancient Russian church is the daughter of the Byzantine Church, and therefore monasticism was deeply revered here, was widespread.

The ideas of asceticism deeply penetrated into society, an example of which is the departure of Princess Prevyva from the parental house to the monastery. The grace of the Lord has descended the young Polovchanka and, “from the Holy Spirit, the thought of Her thought, who refused to the glory of God from all communication with the world, served as a model of holiness for every pious Christian: after all, the whole sinful world was saved by the prayer of the monks.

This was the conviction of the Christians who lived in the X-XII centuries. It was especially revered by the form of the adherence in monastic life in monastic life Pillars. The pillars created their feat in cells erected on the platforms, which towered on the pillars above the ground. Among the ancient Belorussian saints, Kirill Turovsky is known, who “wishes the feats of feats, shut up in the pillar, and lived there for some time, by fasting and prayers,“ 2.

For such a feat of Cyril of Turovsky, he could inspire the example of Euphrosyne of Polotskaya: after all, she spent a significant period of her life in cell. This cell was specially arranged for her in the right wing of the choirs of the Spassky Temple. This fact is noteworthy: in the “Tales of the Life” of the Monk Euphrosyne, it is mentioned that her request to live in the blue of the Sophia Cathedral ”and then ask the bishop of the bush then, who was guessed by Ilya, the ruling table of the Holy Sofusets, so that she ordered her to be in the Church of the Holy Sofa in Golubtsi, and he commands her, but he is entering the same.

The ascetic feats of the post -jerk is started to perceive, and the books of prayer of his own hand, and non -combustions requiring Diash, have begun. " Until now, for many researchers, it remains a mystery what this "pigeon" was like. So, A. Zhuravsky believes that the reverend lived in the “Galubyatzi Tsarov Sofaea” 4. Melnikov speaks of “Celia, built into the wall of the Holy Sofia Cathedral of St.

Sophia,” the need for pagan columbarios in the tombs of Christian ”, Bishop Porfiry Uspensky wrote about the likeness of the cemetery with the stoves arranged The “pigeon with many nests” 6. The entire eastern side of the Sophia Cathedral in the 12th century covered a whole complex of tombs. Researcher of Old Russian architecture P.Rappoport believes that this was done "contrary to the fact that it was accepted in Russian architecture into the tomb complex included a small uninterrupted church with a rectangular apsida.

Perhaps this is the place of the" pigeon "of the Monk. Thus, it can be assumed that this was the first ascetic experience of the Euphrosyne. It could come closer to the" former The wives "who" with a spiritual sword of cutting off the lousy sweets, who betrayed her body to the post and vigilant she founded a monastery there, and then wished to lead the same ascetic lifestyle.

Then, apparently, she decided to take a special form of recluse, for which cells were arranged on the choirs of the Savior Church - one for the Euphrosyne, the other for her sister. Fragment of the fresco with the face of St. Euphrosyne of the Polotsk Transfiguration Church of the Polotsk monastery. And so, the master John was not easy to build: to build a temple with residential premises - cells.

Moreover, it was necessary to create the image of the pillar. It has long been, researchers, analyzing the composition of the Spasskaya Church, used the terms "high -altitude", "tower", "pilot -shaped". So the aesthetic assessment of scientists echoed with the theological, figurative essence. It is believed that this temple is the oldest of the preserved monuments of ancient Orthodox Russian architecture of this type.

Having the choice of the place of her recluse, the reverend Euphrosyne settled in South Kelia. What was the condition of such a choice? In the hierarchy of the spatial organization of Orthodox churches, the symbolic meaning of all elements is of great importance. The basis of this hierarchy is the location of spatial cells in relation to the image of the Almighty Savior in the Dome and Iconostasis.

It is these images that are the basis of spatial orientation. With the image of Christ the pantocrator, the concepts of “left” and “right” are correlated. The Holy Scripture says that during the Last Judgment, when the Lord will judge all people, the righteous will be set to the right of God - "Odda", and sinners - on the left, that is, "Hour".

Kelia of Euphrosyne in the Temple of the Savior is precisely the "stroke" regarding the image of the Savior of the Almighty! In this choice of the Monk Igumeni, its genuine Christian humility is seen, the recognition of his unworthiness and sinfulness, however, in addition to the “functional” content of the temple-Stolp, a different essence of this outstanding monument is of particular importance.

Reflecting on the history of the creation of the Transfiguration Temple, gazing intently into its appearance, trying to penetrate the plan of the architect John, I could not help but pay attention to a number of amazing analogies, associations connecting this temple with sacred scripture. An unusual roll call between the Scripture and the text of the "Life", a semblance of phenomena.