Description of the attraction
Nativity of Christ Cathedral is an Orthodox five-domed white-stone cathedral in the city of Kargopol, Arkhangelsk region.
The cathedral was founded in 1552 and was built for 10 years, most likely by craftsmen from Novgorod. At first it was simple in volume, in plan it had a rectangular shape, 2 floors and stood on a basement. There is a version that the temple was originally covered with a timber with impressive overhangs of roofs, and wooden staircases, arranged on three sides, led to the upper (summer) church. The stairs were decorated with ornate porches. After 100 years, a small side-chapel of Saints Philip and Alexy was added to the cathedral on the north side. Then another side-chapel was formed at the southern wall - in the name of the All-Merciful Savior, and at the western one - a gallery and a covered porch, and, following the fashion of the 17th century, they were lavishly decorated with white stone carvings. In 1765, a fire broke out, and the cracked walls of the cathedral were fortified. Some of the wall paintings that survived the fire were damaged, since for 5 years the cathedral stood in the open air, and no one repaired it. The cathedral housed the miraculous Kazan icon of the Mother of God. In 1936, the Nativity of Christ Cathedral became part of the Kargopol Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve.
The Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ is built of white stone and brick, a six-pillar, five-domed, three-apse church on the basement. Its first tier contains a unique collection of "heavens" from the temples and chapels of the Kargopol region. The second tier contains a carved five-tiered iconostasis dating from the 18th century, part of a medieval fresco. The walls are currently painted white, with only a small area of medieval frescoes visible on the west side. Only what was built after 1765 has survived from the icons. A peculiar element of the external structure is an iron beam in the form of a hand, visible from the main stone drum. Attached to its end is a chain that holds the central chandelier. Over time, the building of the cathedral went into the ground by almost a meter.
Among the icons of the cathedral, "The Nativity of Christ" and "The Position of the Robe of the Mother of God, with the Deesis and the Selected Saints" stand out. The icon "Nativity of Christ" (II half of the 16th century) measures 155 x 180 cm. It conveys in detail the Gospel tradition of the birth of Christ. The icon lacks a single compositional center, one scene smoothly flows into another. Created by a good master of her time, it is distinguished by a kind of spontaneity of interpretation, which is characteristic of folklore. "Heaven" is made in the form of a part of a circle at the top of the icon. The first scene is the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. Mary is depicted riding a white horse. In the center of the icon, you can see the birth of Christ surrounded by angels. Magi galloping on horses are depicted in the upper corners of the icon. Below, on the right side, an angel tells the sleeping shepherds about the birth of Christ. Lower - Two women are washing the baby. Even lower, the shepherds glorify the Infant with music. On the left side, three wise men offer gifts. To the left - Joseph is talking with the old man. Currently, the icon is kept in the Russian Museum of St. Petersburg.
The icon "The Position of the Robe of the Virgin, with the Deesis and the Selected Saints" dates from the middle of the 16th century. Dimensions - 38 x 46 cm. In the center - the Mother of God, pointing with both hands at the Blakherna Church, which shows the ark with the robe of the Mother of God. The blessing hand of God the Father is visible at the top right. The upper field displays the half-length Deesis, consisting of 7 figures: the Apostle Peter, the Archangel Michael, the Mother of God, Jesus, St. John the Baptist, the Archangel Gabriel and the Apostle Paul.
