Description of the attraction
In the southeastern part of the Yaroslav's Court, practically on the bank of the Volkhva, there are two churches that are connected by a direct brick passage - this is the Church of Michael on Mikhailov Street and the Church of the Annunciation on Vitkov Lane (on Torgu). The first of them - the Church of Michael - was built in 1300-1302, but in 1454 it was rebuilt again on the old basis, and as a result of a major alteration carried out in the 19th century, only insignificant fragments and parts of the lower walls, as well as foundations, have survived. The ancient architectural appearance of the temple is almost imperceptible.
The Church of the Annunciation, standing very close by, has been preserved somewhat in its best condition. It was erected in 1362 and then extensively rebuilt in 1466. One can judge that there was another restructuring here in the 16th century - this is evidenced by the decor of the southern facade. Only at this time could a simple cornice appear on the southern facade, on which the level of the church basement was marked, and a belt made of pentagonal flat niches. Apparently, at about the same time, a brick transition was made between the two churches in the form of an octahedral bell tower, forming a unique and unified architectural ensemble.
St. Michael's Church is a two-story gallery with a hipped-roof bell tower, located above the central part, which unites it with the Church of the Annunciation. The lower floor of the gallery has three pairs of powerful square pillars on which the cross vaults are located. The second floor of the gallery has an elongated room that stretches from south to north and is covered with corrugated vaults. Between the first and second floors there is an unusual decorative belt, skillfully made by means of pentagonal niches. Two windows are carved on the upper floor of the eastern facade - one of them is large, decorated with a semicircular end and placed in a special niche with a pair of shelves in the upper part, and the second is quite small, overlooking the southern part and decorated with a keeled end. The entire gallery has a gable board floor. The second tier of the gallery is equipped with a bell tower, which organically ends with a hipped roof.
Some of the remaining fragments of painting dating back to the 19th century are partly preserved to this day on pillars. The southern part of the gallery has a belfry, and bells, beautiful in their simplicity, hang in its arched aisles. As early as the 18th century, the bell tower was partially altered due to the suspension of new bells.
In 1775, there was an unforeseen fire in the churches; in this regard, both buildings lost their coverings, and by the beginning of the 19th century only ruins remained. In the 19th century, the central arch was re-laid, and the vault under the bell tower was cut down. The doors and windows on the second floor of the gallery were to be overhauled, and vaults were arranged in place of the wooden frame. In the bell tower itself, the stairs were completely redone, which were then replaced with new ones. In addition, the railings, platforms and cornices were subject to alteration.
During the Great Patriotic War, the bell tower and the passage were deprived of completions and coverings, which significantly influenced the appearance of the church. Restoration work on the restoration took place during 1960-1961. The alteration was based on the restoration work, during which the original form of the gallery of the 16th century was achieved, which was not a hindrance to the work carried out in the 17-19th century. The bell tower has been restored to its 17th century shape. The author of the project and the study of the restoration was L. E. Krasnorechiev.
