Description of the attraction
The Cathedral of Boris and Gleb was built by the architect Grigory Borisov on the site of the church of the same name in 1522-1524 in the Moscow tradition. The temple is four-pillar, one-domed, with simple and clear forms, a laconic asymmetric silhouette, a helmet-shaped dome and slit-like windows.
The Borisoglebsk Cathedral has been rewritten many times over the course of 400 years of its existence: in the 17th century, in 1783, 1842 and 1912. Each subsequent restoration did not spare the old layers of painting. She was often knocked off the walls, each time preparing a new, most dense and comfortable soil.
In 1956 the architect B. A. Ognev, when analyzing the late brick laying of the main altar niche, discovered a pattern of large stylized shoots on an ocher background (late 17th century). In addition, in the place where the tomb of the founders of the monastery Theodore and Paul is located, Ognev found an interesting composition of the late 17th century. In the niche there are images of the Savior Oglavny, patrons of the monastery Boris and Gleb and the kneeling Fyodor and Paul, and on the arch - the father of Boris and Gleb, Prince Vladimir the Saint, and Leonty Rostovsky.
Under the abbot of the monastery Varlaam in 1783, the interior of the temple was rewritten with the help of glue paints, and in 1842 it was renovated in the same style for the second time. The last restoration of the cathedral was carried out in 1912 (to the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov) under the leadership of a special commission headed by N. V. Sultanov. The team of the artist F. E. Egorova painted the church with oils in the "Russian-Byzantine style." Many sketches were made according to drawings by V. M. Vasnetsov.
The iconographic concept of painting does not follow the old canons. The painting is represented by large compositions, placed in luxuriously ornamented frames of circles, crosses and stylized shoots, in which bright colors are used a lot of silver and gold.
In the dome - the "Almighty", in the walls of the drum between the window openings - 8 archangels with mirrors, at the bottom of the drum - 12 apostles in circles, on the sails - evangelists. The 5 vaults depict the "Days of Creation". On the pillars there are figures of Russian princes (Vladimir, Gleb, Boris, Alexander Nevsky and others). On the wall in the upper part - "Burning bush" and "Assumption", in the lower - "Cathedral of the Holy Father". On the north wall above you can see the "Exaltation of the Cross" and "Vision of Jeremiah", below - "Sermon on the Mount".
In the half-dome of the central altar, Christ in the attire of a priest and 7 apocalyptic elders is illustrated. "Position in the coffin" and "Resurrection" are located on the wall between the windows. Above the area of the high place - 12 apostles and 2 angels with ripids. In the vault of the main altar is the Invisible Eye. In the conch of the deacon there is "Savior on the Ubrus", on the walls - Abraham, Ignatius, Jacob and other saints. The conch of the altar depicts the "Mother of God of the Sign" together with the angels, on the walls - the Moscow metropolitans, including Alexei, Peter, Philip and others. On the altar pillars - 3 ecumenical saints, Patriarch Juvenaly, Nicholas the Wonderworker, Cyril and Methodius and Theodosius of Chernigov.
The iconostasis gilded with red gold, consisting of 6 tiers, recreated in 1912 by I. Zvonarev, has not survived.
In the corner of the church there is a shrine with the relics of the forefathers of the monastery, Theodore and Paul. Its surface is silvered, decorated with a carpet ornament typical of the 17th century, made of carnation flowers and bunches of grapes. On the side walls of the crayfish, you can see 10 gilded chased round medallions, on 2 of them a chronicle has survived, in which there is information indicating that the cancer was performed under Patriarch Joseph.
From the Rostov Borisoglebsk Cathedral originates a unique monument of Old Russian sewing - "Sapega's Banner", dating back to the beginning of the 17th century.
