Description of the attraction
The sacristy is located almost opposite the belfry, smoothly passing from the facade into the steps that lead to the main square of the monastery. The walls of the building are painted red, while the window frames, as well as the girdles, are painted white. The sacristy has three tiers and is completed with a small blue dome decorated with gold stars.
According to chronicle sources, the builder of the Sacristy was Abbot Korniliy, who was the former abbot of the Pskov-Caves monastery, which worked there from 1539 to 1570, during the period of especially significant activity of which the monastery underwent a rapid development of church construction.
The building of the Sacristy is located on the natural relief line, which is why the northern facade has three floors, and the western facade has only two. Judging by the proportions of the entire building, then it can be safely attributed to the cubic type, covered with a faceted vault, as well as a small club. In the upper part of the roof there is a light faceted drum, on which there is a cupola. The facade, located on the south side, has a fairly large two-tiered porch made in the style of Pskov architecture. The premises located on all three floors are covered with vaults, while the height is constantly and slowly increasing from the bottom floor to the topmost. The overlap of the basement floor is made in the form of a box vault, and the second floor, which is directly representing the Sacristy, is covered with a vault in the form of an irregularly shaped cross, as well as stripping over all openings.
On the second floor there is a library room; it is covered by an octahedral vault, which smoothly turns into a drum of light located in the very center. Dormer windows are literally cut into the vaults on all four sides of the world. The cross vault on the first tier of the porch rests on round pillars and a wall, while the second tier of the porch is covered with a cylindrical vault; there are specially made openings in the walls, decorated with an arched finish. A small porch is crowned with a pediment equipped with window openings.
The facades of the sacristy are especially picturesque, which is facilitated by the unique contrasting color, as well as the plastic forms of the general relief decor. As already mentioned, the building itself is painted with red ocher, against which the embossed, white-painted platbands, decorated in the form of neat columns with carved ends, as well as roller pediments with weight locks, stand out. In addition to all the above details, the façade was divided by horizontal rods located between the first, second and third floors with the addition of a roller kiot frame directly above the entrance to the basement (first) floor.
The porch of the Sacristy of the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery is almost completely whitewashed, which creates the illusion of separation from the main volume and exactly corresponds to the white walls shown directly opposite the belfry. An incredible richness and festivity is given to the exterior of the building by the green-painted hip-roofed roof, as well as the dark blue dome with gilded stars.
The Sacristy holds a large number of items related to church utensils, and many of them have become interesting examples of applied Russian art of the 16-19 centuries. Certain works of applied art include contributions that are closely associated with the names of famous historical figures, for example, Boris Godunov, Ivan the Terrible, Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, Anna Ioannovna, Peter the Great and many others. It was in this place that silver and gold crosses were kept, richly decorated with gems and large expensive pearls, the Gospels, decorated in precious frames, silver and gold vessels, miter, chased censer, brocade vestments and other interesting things that were distinguished by a high class of artistic work. All these valuable items were taken away by the German invaders during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, after which they were returned with the help of the FRG government to the city of Pechora in 1973.
