Early-Russian Architecture
From Moscowiki
Having chosen to join the Byzantine branch of Christianity, Russia chose Byzantine style of architecture as well. Rather modest outer appearance hiding sumptuous majestic interior, preference for rectangular domical basilicas and simple proportions – all these typical Byzantine features were adopted by Russian church architecture. For many centuries stone constructions that had appeared shortly after the christening of Kievian Rus were the privilege of the church; only few civil stone buildings from the early centuries preserved. The Early-Russian architectural heyday was closely connected with Kiev, Novgorod, Pskov, and Vladimir. Being just a small city Moscow was not exactly a trendsetter in architecture then.
14th century was the time of the rise of Muscovite Russia. Victory over Tatars, diplomatic relationships with Europe, the doctrine about Moscow being “the third Rome” – all that proved that Moscow state was to become the most important principality; therefore the most talented architects began to gather here, bringing the best traditions and the latest tendencies to the future capital of Russia.
Unfortunately there are no examples of early Muscovite architecture left: they were either destroyed or rebuilt. The earliest architectural pieces are dated 15th century. It was in 1479 that the Moscow treasure – the Assumption Cathedral in Kremlin – was constructed to a design by Italian architect Aristotle Fioravanti; here he managed to combine features of typical Early-Russian architecture, which he had studied in Vladimir, with Early-Renaissance. The Assumption Cathedral served as a model for future church constructions introducing features that were to be adopted by Russian architecture, e.g. five domes instead of one, cruciform arches, specific organisation of inner space. Italians also built Granovitaya Palata (the Faceted Palace) in Kremlin. This imposing white-stone building with Gothic window-frames is the oldest civil building in Moscow.
The 16th century was the beginning of a National Moscow Style. Austere monumental style was ‘spiced’ with decorative elements such as zakomara and kokoshnik (zakomara is a semicircular or onion-like end of a wall which repeated outlines of an inner vault; kokoshnik is a false zakomara). Two main types of churches, hip-roofed and tower-like ones, were now built of stone. The oldest hip-roofed stone church and the most distinctive sample of this style in Moscow is the beautiful Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye, which rises on a high hill on the bank of the Moscow-river. The example of the second type, tower-like, is located very closely: it is the Church of St.- John the Baptist (Ioann Predtecha) in Dyakovo. The legendary St. Basil’s Cathedral is a fabulous combination of both types: it consists of a hip-roofed cathedral in the middle surrounded by eight tower-like churches.
