Kozelets Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Kozeletsky Nativity Cathedral

The cathedral was built by order of Natalya Demyanovna Razumovskaya (Razumikha - mother of Alexei and Kirill Razumovsky) by architects A. V. Kvasov and I. G. Grigorovich-Barsky according to the design of V. V. Rastrelli between and years. Also in the 18th century, a multi-tiered gilded iconostasis was created - it is believed that with the participation of the architect V.V. Rastrelli. Razumovskaya's court artist, Grigory Stetsenko, painted the cathedral. On the first tier, the temple of the martyrs Adrian and Natalia was built - the tomb of the Razumovskys. After the completion of the cathedral, a grandiose bell tower was erected by the architect Kvasov. In terms of splendor and beauty of architecture, the cathedral ranked among the best architectural creations in the Russian Empire in the mid-18th century. It was also the last prominent temple building in the history of Ukrainian Baroque, after which the time of classicism began.

After a fire caused by lightning, the bell tower was rebuilt this year.

Architecture

A grandiose stone temple of lush, palatial architecture. The architecture of the building is dominated by Baroque features, in some places turning into Rococo forms, and order motifs of Classicism. In plan the building represents a cross. The building mass is divided into two main floors and a basement. The windows are located strictly in a row on the floors. On the ground floor there are unusual porches in the form of pavilions with an arched covering. Here you can see the rustication of the first floor, and in contrast to this, the complex and abundant decorative decoration of the second floor, topped with curved pediments. Four supporting pillars support a system of vaults and five domes placed diagonally, as in ancient Russian churches. Semicircular porches with an open colonnade, ending in low tents, are attached to the main volume on three sides.

The interior is dominated by a central dome and a grandiose multi-tiered gilded iconostasis carved from linden. Here architecture, sculpture and painting appear in indissoluble unity, which is visible in the refined decorative decoration of walls, supports, vaults and domes, as well as in the iconostasis.

Next to the cathedral there is a four-tier bell tower 50 m high (one of the highest in Ukraine). The compositional design of the building is traditionally tiered: the lower tier is decorated with rustication, on the second tier there are bunches of columns

Description

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Kozelets- the most important treasure of the city and one of the most famous architectural structures of the Chernihiv region.

The church was built in 1752-1763. designed by architects I. Grigorovich-Barsky and A. Kvasov. Funds for the construction of the temple were allocated by the mother of Alexei and Kirill Razumovsky, Natalya Razumikha.
This is a five-domed cathedral in the late Baroque style with elements of Ukrainian folk architecture, which stands out for its rich decorative stucco. Side exits to the porch and ground floor add volume to the already large temple. Connoisseurs of beauty will be delighted by the interior of the church. The interior painting was done by the outstanding artist G. Stetsenko, the carving was done by S. Shalmatov. In the Cathedral you can see an ancient wooden iconostasis, which was designed by the famous St. Petersburg architect V. Rastrelli. The 27-meter iconostasis was made of 80 icons (50 of them have survived in our time).
Next to the Cathedral there is a bell tower, which dates back to 1766-1770.

The building is very original; the façade walls concave inwards look especially interesting. The architectural appearance of the building is similar to the bell tower of the Trinity Cathedral in Chernigov. They say that the bell tower offers a wonderful view of the surrounding area (you can even see two great cities at the same time - Kyiv and Chernigov).
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Kozelets)
Throughout history, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary has repeatedly experienced difficult times. Most of all he suffered at the hands of the fascists and Bolsheviks. The temple managed to endure all the hardships. He was much luckier than the rest of his “colleagues” - the cathedral was not dismantled or destroyed. True, for a long time it was not used for its intended purpose: first there was a camp for prisoners of war, then a stable, and a procurement office. Just a few years ago, the majestic cathedral had a “very unpretentious appearance.” It was dirty, cracked and peeling.
After restoration, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary again took its place of honor among the masterpieces of Ukrainian architecture. Is valid.

Address: Kozelets village, st. Komsomolskaya, 9

The cathedral preserves a crypt with the ashes of Natalka Demyanovna Rozumovskaya- mothers of Alexei and Kirill. Near the cathedral, as of 2004, two granite pillars remained, almost untouched by centuries and events, not far from each other on the eastern side. On one of them there is an inscription: “Captain Petr Ivanovich Afendik, born 1804, December 21, died 1864.” On the second tombstone we read: “Here lies the ashes of Konstantin Stanislavovich Mitarnovsky, lieutenant colonel of the 17th Arkhangelsk Infantry Division, born 1834, died 1883.”

Afendik Pyotr Ivanovich was the son of Afendik Ivan Antonovich. Afendik Pyotr Ivanovich (12/21/1804 - 02/20/1863), participant in the suppression of the Polish uprising of 1831, was born in the village of Staraya Basan, Kozeletsky district. He began his service in the Narva Dragoon Regiment. From 1819 - ensign, from 1825 - lieutenant, from 1831 - staff captain. Awarded the Order of St. Anne, IV degree, for bravery. 3 1832 - retired captain. He served in the Narva Dragoon (later Hussar) Regiment (1819-1832). He was elected as a deputy from the nobles of the Kozeletsk district commission (1882).

The second tombstone looks like this: on a black granite cube there is a white marble stele with artistic carvings, narrowed at the top, on which an epitaph is minted.

Mitarnovsky Konstantin Stanislavovich, lieutenant colonel, participant in the Russian-Turkish war (1877 - 1878), officer since 1852, major since 1974. For his bravery in the Russian-Turkish war, he was awarded the rank of lieutenant colonel (1883) and awarded the Order of St. Vladimir with swords and bow. He had orders: in 1877 - St. Stanislaus III degree, in 1882 - St. Anne III degree. It was no coincidence that these two military men were buried near the cathedral.

By that time, there was a cemetery on the territory of the cathedral, where not only military personnel were buried, but also other people of position, whose names were associated with the life of Kozelets.

There were several dozen such burials in the cathedral cemetery. Confirmation of the existence of the cemetery is the materials of local historians of Kozelets, the stories of old-timers and workers who Soviet times worked on the restoration of this temple and found the bones of people buried here. Unfortunately, only two tombstones have survived. All others were destroyed either over time or during the war of 1941 - 1945. True, between these two burials there was a third granite pillar approximately 130 cm high with the inscription: “Peace be to your ashes, sufferer.”

Also buried near the cathedral: Bilanovsky Vasily Nikitovich (1810 - 01/13/1889) - retired major general, participant in the Russian-Turkish war of 1828 - 1829; Bocharov Mikhail Ivanovich (1820 - 03/21/1869) retired lieutenant colonel; Kichko Kalina Vlasovich (1827 - 06/05/1877) - retired captain; Lesovsky Grigory Andreevich (1824 - 04/04/1864) - staff captain; Mordovsky Mikhail Yakovlevich (1837 - 04/03/1917) - colonel.

The construction of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is considered to be the work of the architect I. Grigorovich-Barsky in collaboration with A. Kvasov in 1752-1763. commissioned by N.D. Rozumovsky as a related temple-tomb.

However, this is not at all the case. To begin with, let us turn to the phenomenon of the Rozumovsky family using the example of the book “The Razumovsky Family” (A. A. Vasilchikova, vol. 1, St. Petersburg, 1880), where the preface already says: “The Razumovsky counts belong to the second era of temporary workers. They owe their rise only to chance. They did not play a prominent role in the chronicles of our fatherland, they were not distinguished by special, extraordinary talents during the six reigns of Elizabeth, Peter III, Catherine II, Paul I, Alexander I and Nicholas I with a little over a hundred years. There is a family of Razumovskys and does not represent a single commander, not a single quite remarkable statesman. The last sons of the hetman died abroad, where they spent most of their lives.

The Razumovskys, without a doubt, next to the Sheremetyevs, remained the people's favorite nobles of the last century. Even during their lifetime, they, at least Counts Alexei and Kirill Grigorievich, enjoyed public sympathy. Catherine responds in them that she “never knew a family of temporary workers more beloved by everyone.” The reason for this love is not difficult to guess: the Razumovskys, not shying away from enlightenment, lived the life of the people, loved everything domestic."

Have you noticed, dear reader, that even in this short quotation there are already several contradictions, for example: “They did not play a prominent role in the annals of our fatherland” and “not shying away from enlightenment, they lived the life of the people”? And that’s not what we’re talking about now. Let us return to “The Razumovsky Family” and to the first chapter of the book “Origin and Rise.” It says that in the Chernigov province, Kozeletsky district, in the village of Lemekha there lived a registered Cossack Grigory Yakovlevich Rozum. The village of Lemekha was a farm until 1765 and is located on the old postal road from Kyiv to Chernigov between the stations Kozelets and Chemer. Grigory Yakovlevich was named Rozum, as the retelling goes, by neighboring Cossacks from a saying that he loved to repeat: “Hey! What a head, what a rozum!”;

Rozum was a grumpy and scandalous person, his wife Natalia Demyanovna, on the contrary, was sensible and intelligent, she was loved and respected by all her fellow countrymen. They had six children: Danil, Alexey, Kirill, Agafya, Anna, Vera.

One day Natalia Demyanovna dreamed that the sun and stars were shining on the ceiling in her house. She recounted the dream to her neighbors, who just started laughing at her. Three days later, at the beginning of January 1731, on a holiday, Colonel Fyodor Stepanovich Vishnevsky passed through Chemer, who was returning from Hungary, where he bought wine for the Empress. Vishnevsky entered the church, was fascinated by the voice and appearance of Alexei Rozum and persuaded the sexton to let his pupil go with him to St. Petersburg. Alexey happily accepted Vishnevsky’s proposal and galloped off with his well-wisher to northern capital. There Vishnevsky introduced Alexey to the then Chief Marshal Count Reinhold Levenvold, who immediately placed the young Ukrainian in the court choir.

After the expulsion of the sergeant of the Semenovsky regiment of the chamber-page Alexei Nikiforovich Shubin, who was the first person at court, Elizabeth turned her attention to the young Rozum. Some time later, it was no longer Rozum, but Rozumovsky, who was appointed manager of one of the royal estates. Following this, Alexei Grigorievich receives the title of gofintendant and begins to manage all the property of Elizabeth Petrovna’s court, and so skillfully that the empress herself in her letters calls him “unhypocritical.” At this time, Alexei Rozumovsky’s mother began to live better, started a tavern...

Soon Rozumovsky becomes a count and enters into a legal marriage with Empress Elizaveta Petrovna (they got married secretly in the fall of 1742 in the village of Peru near Moscow). After such a successful marriage, Alexei Grigorievich’s influence at court becomes enormous. He did not forget about his benefactors: he made Vishnevsky a general, and appointed a sexton as an overseer in one of the empress’s gardens. He did not forget his distant homeland: he achieved the restoration of the autonomy of Ukraine. His brother becomes hetman.

One day Elizaveta Petrovna was planning to visit Ukraine. Roads were repaired and expanded, bridges were strengthened. The Empress liked it in Kozelets; there she met her husband’s sisters. Perhaps it was then that, out of the diplomatic “suggestion” of Alexei Rozumovsky, Elizaveta Petrovna’s desire arose to build the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin.

But be that as it may, in the 63rd volume of the monthly historical magazine “Kiev Antiquity” for December 1898, we find that the cathedral was built at the “funds of the then omnipotent Count Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky... with the close participation of the well-known priest Kirill Nikolaevich Tarlovsky, a native of the city of Kozelets, known as the “wild priest.” The builder of the cathedral was the famous architect of that time, Rastrelli.”

It was then that an iconostasis was ordered in Italy for the imperial church in St. Petersburg. But after it was delivered to the place, it became clear that it was too big in size. “At this time, Count Razumovsky came up with the idea of ​​​​building a cathedral in Kozelets. Empress Elisaveta Petrovna decided to donate this iconostasis for the future cathedral. It was then that the architect Rastrelli was instructed to draw up a design for the cathedral according to the size and size of the iconostasis. Soon the cathedral was built “To the amazed gaze of the simple-minded inhabitants of the city of Kozelets, such a miracle appeared in the form of a cathedral that everyone simply gasped and unanimously decided that not only in Chernigov, but even in Kyiv itself there is no such cathedral,” states “Kiev Antiquity”.

But what the magazine wrote about almost 100 years ago can be completely attributed to our days. As if they were talking about us, let’s read it carefully: “The iconostasis, it seems, has not been repaired since the very foundation of the cathedral, i.e. for almost 150 years, which is noticeable to a fairly significant extent: time takes its toll - the paints and stucco decorations are cracking, some of the latter disappears, the gilding is coming off. The time is not far distant when the majestic iconostasis and icons need repair."

Let me point out again - this was written almost a century ago. And if we add to this that during the Great Patriotic War, the fascist occupiers kept horses in the cathedral and it was not repaired for decades after the war, one can only imagine what kind of restoration it now needs...

By the way, the fact that the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was built by Rastrelli was written in "News of the XIV Archaeological Congress in Chernigov on August 1-15, 1908."

And only in " General history architecture" in the sixth volume we find a statement that the authors of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin were (primarily) A. Kvasov and I. Barsky. "General History..." issued in Moscow in 1968. After all, judge for yourself...

Chernigov region. The temple is recognized as one of the best Ukrainian shrines built in the Baroque era. The Kozelets Cathedral is considered a unique example of temple architecture of the 18th century. The church was erected in 1752–1763 by order of Countess Natalya Razumovskaya, the mother of Kirill and Alexei Razumovsky. To this day, it amazes visitors with its lush decor, as well as its uncharacteristic size and rich decoration for a provincial town.

Information about the temple

All visitors have the opportunity to admire the most valuable decoration of the cathedral - its iconostasis. According to some historians, the iconostasis was made in Italy and was intended for the St. Petersburg Cathedral of the Smolny Monastery. However, after production it turned out that it was too large for Smolny, therefore, at the behest of the Empress, it was donated to the Kozeletsky Cathedral. The height of the iconostasis is twenty-seven meters; the beautiful icons for its decoration were made by the talented Ukrainian artist Grigory Stetsenko. Not only impressive huge size, but also the unique highly artistic carvings and amazing paintings of this masterpiece.

The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kozelets is crowned with five domes on high drums. The construction of this temple is based on an equilateral Greek cross; additional rooms are provided between the ends, which enhance the grandeur of the structure.

Over the long years of its existence, the cathedral has faced many trials. Within its walls there were stables, a prisoner of war camp and even a warehouse for fruits and vegetables. But thanks to the efforts of many people and the painstaking work of restorers, the shrine regained its former grandeur and beauty.

The temple is divided into two parts: upper and lower. The lower church, “warm”, consecrated in honor of the martyrs Andrian and Natalia, is the tomb of the Counts Razumovsky.

By old legend, in clear and sunny weather from the bell tower, which is located next to the temple, you can see both at the same time. The architecture surprises her with its originality. Particularly interesting are the concave facade walls, reminiscent of the view in Chernigov. Climbing to the bell tower is possible only by agreement with the rector of the cathedral.

How to get there

The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located in Kozelets, on Family Bogomoltsev Street, 1. Not far from it you can see and.

Getting to Kozelets is very easy, because the village is located right on highway Kyiv–Chernigov. People travel here regularly from two cities Shuttle Buses and minibuses.

T.G. Shevchenko

I have already told you the history of this temple. After a break of several years, I visited here again, brought my mother on an excursion, and we once again had the pleasure of viewing the masterpiece. We weren’t particularly lucky with the weather; we couldn’t photograph the temple against the blue sky, look how it turned out.

Let me remind you a little about the history of the temple. Not far from Kozelets in the village of Lemeshi lived the family of a poor Cossack Grigory Rozum and his wife Natalka Demeshko. They had as many as 6 children: Alexey, Kirill, Daniil, Agafya, Anna and Vera. They were poor children, grazing other people's cattle. Thanks to Alexei and Kirill, the Razumovsky family soon became famous throughout the empire.

And all because, by the will of fate, the handsome Alexey at the age of 22 became a singer in the court choir in St. Petersburg and caught the eye of Tsarevna Elizaveta Alekseevna. The story of their love is known to everyone, but not many people know that in the small village of Kozelets in the Chernigov region there is a beautiful monument to this love.

It is believed that the temple was built by Natalka Rozumikha, but this is not entirely accurate - she may have been the main initiator of the construction and supervised the construction, however, most likely, her sons themselves - Alexey and Kirill, who at that time became by the will of the royal patroness richest people Russia. Strictly speaking, the main share of participation in the construction of the cathedral belonged to the energetic and educated brother of the favorite, Kirill Grigorievich Razumovsky.

Decor details (I.G. Grigorovich-Barsky)

The authorship, attributed to Rastrelli for many years, was later disputed - there are many elements in the construction inherent in the Ukrainian Baroque, with which Rastrelli was unlikely to be familiar in detail. It is now believed that the project belonged to two architects - Andrei Vasilyevich Kvasov and Ivan Grigorievich Grigorovich-Barsky. The cathedral took 11 years to build - 1752-1763. In the forms of the amazingly beautiful cathedral, elements of different styles can be discerned, but they are all arranged in an unusually harmonious manner. The elegant carved decoration belongs to Grigorovich-Barsky.

The temple is two-story - it has an upper (main) tier and a lower temple-tomb. Natalya Demyanovna, who did not live to see the end of construction, was buried here in 1762.

More than once I was convinced that the cathedral is surprisingly unphotogenic - photographs cannot recreate its charm and harmony. No matter how many images I have seen, none quite capture the charm of the original. The only thing more beautiful than it is the interior of the cathedral itself. I remember my first impression when I first entered the cathedral three years ago and saw the iconostasis: “Ah!!” - and froze. My mother reacted exactly the same way.

They say that Empress Elizabeth initially planned to place the carved iconostasis, most likely made in Rastrelli’s workshop, in the Smolny Monastery, but then changed her mind and gave it to the Razumovskys for their family church. By the way, Elizabeth once visited Kozelets - during her trip in 1744 from St. Petersburg to Kyiv, she visited the homeland of her beloved and met his family.

The iconostasis is so huge that its side parts did not fit in the temple; they had to be removed and moved to the church in neighboring Lemeshi (more on that a little later), where they were not preserved. The striking decoration of the iconostasis was the massive silver gate, which today has been irretrievably lost. The icons mounted in the iconostasis (there should be 72 of them) were partially lost, partially transferred to Chernigov art museum. A number of them are under restoration. It is assumed that some of the icons were painted by the Razumovskys’ favorite artist G.A. Stetsenko.

They say that now this is the highest iconostasis in an Orthodox church in the CIS - 27 meters. It has 5 rows, but I didn’t see a clear division into canonical ranks - baroque assumes some liberties in following the canons. The rest of the temple was deliberately not painted, so as not to distract from the iconostasis and not “ripple”. The inside of the cathedral is decorated only with white stone carvings, echoing the exterior decor.

Interior decor elements

I was not able to take many photographs of the interior, although I planned to do so - we were asked to leave the temple by an attendant - she was closing the cathedral. I think it was not her whim: the tourists who arrived by bus finished their inspection and hurried to the book and icon shop, and the attendant is also a saleswoman in the shop. If you are visiting the cathedral, also visit the shop - there are good guidebooks here.

A bell tower was erected next to the temple in 1766-1770. Initially there were 5 tiers, but in 1848 the upper tier burned down and they did not restore it. Now the height of the bell tower is 50 meters.

Churches and temples of Kozeletsky district

Danevsky St. George Convent

The monastery is located on the right bank of the Oster River between Kozelets and the village of Danivka on a small hill. Thanks to the exquisite silhouette of the cathedral with three Baroque domes, the monastery complex dominates the panoramas of the Oster River valley for many kilometers.

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and bell tower

The stone cathedral with a bell tower is located in historical center town of Kozelets, on the main street near central square. Both buildings are the main town-planning dominants, reigning in the buildings and the surrounding landscape. Now the immediate surroundings of these monuments is the city park, in which the house of the regimental chancellery is located. Nearby stands St. Nicholas Church.

The five-domed cathedral was built in 1752 - 1763. according to the design and under the supervision of the architect A. Kvasov with the participation of the Kyiv architect I. Grigorovich-Barsky, who decorated the facades and interior, commissioned by Countess Natalya Demyanovna Razumovskaya, mother of the brothers Alexei and Kirill Razumovsky. Construction was carried out at the expense of the Razumovsky family under the control of Hetman K. Rozumovsky. The bell tower was built in 1766-1770. according to the project of A. Kvasov by the architect S. Karin, also at the expense of the Razumovskys.

The cathedral underwent some changes and reconstruction: at the end of the 18th century. The open verandas in front of the three portals were built on and turned into arcaded rotundas, covered with tent roofs of plastic forms. In the 19th century The shapes of the baths have been changed. After the fire of 1848, the two-tier baroque bell tower was replaced by a spherical dome with a spire.

The interior features a large (over the entire width of the cathedral) four-tiered iconostasis in the Rococo style, designed by the architect V. Rastrelli. All details were carved from linden wood, the main background was dark blue, and a gilded carved ornament stood out on it. The icons were made by local craftsmen under the guidance of the famous artist, court artist K. Razumovsky G. Stetsenko (1710-1781).

The bell tower stands separately from the cathedral within its enclosure; it used to be a gate tower. It is four-tiered, with a deep basement. It has a total height of 50 m to the cross. It is designed in Baroque style. The plan is a square with concave edges and cut corners. The architecture is order: the lower floor is decorated with rustication, the upper floors are decorated with cornerstone bunches of columns along the arched bell openings: Tuscan order - on the second tier, Ionic - on the third, Corinthian - on the fourth.

The Kozeletskaya bell tower belongs to a small typological group of the so-called large bell towers of the Left Bank, which were erected in the 1770s. and combine the two main types of bell towers known in the 18th century. in Ukraine - order (type of the Great Lavra Bell Tower in Kyiv) and tiered Chetveriks. This rare type includes, in addition to the bell tower of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Kozelets, also the bell towers of the Chernigov Trinity and Pereyaslavl Ascension monasteries.

Both structures were destroyed during the Second World War. The cathedral was restored in 1946 and during 1961-1982, the bell tower - in 1961-1970. The restoration of the cathedral iconostasis was carried out during the 1980-1990s. Some of the icons have been lost. Now the cathedral and bell tower are architectural monuments of national importance.

Built in 1866–1874. It was built of brick, five-domed, four decorative side domes, cross-shaped in plan, with risalits on the southern and northern facades and two apses along the east-west axis. Smooth plastered walls are topped with a profiled cornice. Vertically elongated window and door openings with semicircular lintels are framed by flat platbands. The interior has a pronounced cross-dome spatial solution. The central chapter with eight light openings in the octagonal drum is crowned with a decorative cupola. The inner corners of the octagonal drum in the interior are rounded.

The drum of the central chapter rests on girth arches and is covered with a dome. On the sails there is painting on metal sheets, and in the walls of the drum there is also oil painting.

The vaults above all parts of the monument are brick, above the eastern and western branches - semi-circular - combined with a closed vault, above the northern and southern - semi-circular, above the corner chambers - closed vaults, the heads of the chambers - square in plan with cut corners - perceived as the upper tier of the corner towers .

Restoration work, which began in 1975, provides for the complete restoration of the monument to its original forms. The restoration is being completed.

The monument represents a rare example of a unique interpretation of what was traditional for the Left Bank of Ukraine in the 17th–18th centuries. cross five-domed church during the period of “historicism”.

Currently, the church houses the Museum of the History of Weaving of Chernihiv Region.

The stone baptized single-domed church stands in the historical center of the city of Kozelets on the banks of the Oster River not far from the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin. The location of the temple marks the southern border of the Kozeletsk fortress of the 17th-18th centuries. Due to its location above the floodplain and high tiered top, the temple is an important urban landmark.

Built in 1781-1784. instead of a wooden church, commissioned and funded by priest Kirill Tarakh-Tarlovsky, nicknamed Wild Pop, who, according to legend, married the Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna to Alexei Razumovsky in Kozelets.

Despite renovations, particularly in 1811, the monument has well preserved its original architectural forms in the late Baroque style, with the exception of the bathhouse, the completion of which was replaced in 1811 by a spherical dome. During 1981 - 1989 Restoration work was carried out, during which the lost end of the bathhouse was restored.

In the interior, the unity of the internal space is achieved with the help of high arches that unite all spatial areas and subordinate them to a high, generously lit dome. The western and eastern bases are covered with cylindrical vaults, the southern and northern ones - with incomplete closed vaults, the deacon and altar - with complex conch vaults, turning into cylindrical vaults, the apse and contrapse - with conchs.

St. Nicholas Church in Kozelets is a typologically unique, highly artistic monument of the final stage of development of the Baroque style in Ukrainian architecture.

St. George's Goddess (St. Michael's Church) is a monument of ancient Russian architecture of the 11th century, located at the entrance to the city from the south on a high hill. “Yuryeva” it was named in honor of its benefactor Yuri Dolgoruky, it was he who decorated his court church with frescoes similar to those of St. Sophia of Kyiv.

The temple was built as the church of the princely castle by decree of Vladimir Monomakh in 1098, and in the 12th century, at the request of Yuri Dolgoruky, it was decorated with fresco paintings. The church received its name “St. George’s Goddess” after Prince Yuri Dolgoruky, who once belonged to Oster.

Oster St. Michael's Church has been repeatedly destroyed throughout history. First, in 1152, it suffered at the hands of Prince Izyaslav Mstislavich, who burned the city. It was restored by the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Vsevolod Yuryevich, in 1195. The next time the shrine of Yuriev was destroyed during the Tatar-Mongol raid in 1240.

Church services were not held until the 17th century. In 1695, the church was restored again and even an additional altar was installed in the name of the Holy Trinity in the choir. In 1753, during a thunderstorm, the temple was struck by lightning, as a result of which the wooden top burned down, and the masonry began to collapse as a result of the hill shifting towards the river. At the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. Most of the volume of the building was dismantled due to its emergency condition; only the altar part (apse and part of the south-eastern wall) was preserved.

Restoration work according to the project of the architect P. P. Pokryshkin was carried out only in 1907 according to the project of the architect P. P. Pokryshkin. Conservation work was carried out in 1924 and 1950. In 1977-80, conservation of the remains and restoration of the fresco painting of the 12th century were initiated, the remains of which were preserved in the interior of the apse. (Artist V. I. Babyuk). A copy of the fresco “Eucharist” is kept in the Sofia Reserve

Oster

The news of the foundation of the wooden Church of the Resurrection dates back to 1790. The stone church was built in 1845 at the expense of the merchant brothers Ilya and Pavel Tsilurikov. The church even has two additional altars: Elijah, and Peter and Paul. One of the founders of the temple is buried near the walls of the Church of the Resurrection.

The basis of the temple is a single-bath type of cruciform structure, common at that time, in the style of late classicism. It is characterized by an elongated hall and an attached bell tower. A large hemispherical dome rests on a high drum; the temple is decorated with four-column porticoes on the south and north sides of the building. The three-tier bell tower was erected somewhat later than the temple and has pronounced Baroque features.

The iconostasis was built by merchants in 1857. At the end of the 80s of the last century, research was carried out in the temple, during which dozens of icons were discovered here, which are considered monuments of art. Among them is the image of St. Barbarians (authors Vasily Levchenko and his wife Anastasia), St. Nicholas, Archangel Michael, as well as icons in the iconostasis.

Oster

The stone single-domed church of the tetraconch type stands in a flat area on a low hill in the center of the village and is its main architectural dominant. It is clearly visible from the Kyiv-Chernigov highway.

Built by order and at the expense of Count Alexei Razumovsky over the grave of his father, the Cossack Grigory Rozum, according to the design of the architect A. Kvasov. Construction began in 1755, the temple was consecrated in 1760. In 1865, according to the design of the Chernigov architect A. Kutsevich, the western porch with a bell tower was added, while the western conch was dismantled. In 1760, a four-tiered iconostasis in the Rococo style was installed in the temple. It contained icons made by the artist A. Voskoboynikov (the iconostasis has not survived). In 1913 - 1914 At the invitation of the descendant of the founder, Prince A. Rozumovsky, outstanding Ukrainian artists Mikhail Boychuk, his wife Sofia Nalepinskaya-Boychuk and Timofey Boychuk’s brother worked on the restoration of the iconostasis and painting in the interior. The restoration was not completed due to the outbreak of the First World War. In 1974-1982. the monument was restored (architects I. Ivanenko, N. Selivanova, V. Tregubov).

The Church of the Three Hierarchs in Lemeshi is the very first and most outstanding representative of tetraconch type temples in Ukraine. Stylistically, it marks the transition from Baroque to Classicism.

village Lemeshi.

Built 1782–1796 The monument has been preserved in its original size. The church is made in the forms of mature classicism, made of brick, cruciform in plan, with a rounded altar part and corner chambers in height equal to the main volume, due to which the external outline appears cubic with small risalits in the center of each facade, corresponding to the branches of the cross plan. Each risalit is decorated with a monumental, complicated portico with a pediment on four paired low columns of the Doric order, supporting an arch with a triangular pediment completing the wall. A wide staircase leads to the western portal. The structure is single-domed and ends with a dome on a cylindrical drum; the corner rooms have decorative domes made of metal. In the northern and southern corner chambers there are wooden stairs leading to the choir.

The walls are rusticated (corner volumes), decorated with niches of various configurations, window openings are framed with smooth platbands with locks. The metal bars in the windows have been preserved.

The leading role in the interior is given to the well-lit under-dome space. Supported arches supported by four pylons and sails carry a light drum covered by a domed vault. The drum ring has oil painting, similar in nature to the illusionary painting that was common at the turn of the 19th century.

The monument is of interest as an excellent example of classicism architecture of the late 18th century, professionally designed in good proportions and a harmonious combination of elements.

With. Petrovskoe