Church of the Savior on Kovalev

Photos

  • Церковь Спаса на Ковалёве. Photo 1
  • Церковь Спаса на Ковалёве. Photo 2
  • Церковь Спаса на Ковалёве. Photo 3

Description

The Church of the Transfiguration on Kovalevo is an inactive Orthodox church located near Veliky Novgorod. It is the former cathedral of the Kovalev (Spassky) Monastery, one of the small suburban monasteries of Novgorod, founded on donations from the rich and noble people of the city. The temple was built by order of the boyar Ontsifor Zhabin in 1345.

This is a single-domed four-pillar church with a roof covering and corner blades. It has one apse, with side aisles, one of which is the family tomb of the Zhabins. In the northern aisle, stone crosses are embedded in the walls, which were probably a gift from the ktitors.

The monastery on Kovalevo existed until 1764, after which it was abolished as part of the secularization reform of Catherine II. However, the church continued to function until the 20th century. During the Great Patriotic War, the temple was destroyed to a height of 5 meters. In 1970-1974, a new church was built in its place according to the design of Leonid Krasnorechyev, which included preserved parts of the ancient walls.

The church was painted in 1380, as evidenced by the inscription on the western wall. The painting was commissioned by boyar Afanasy Stepanovich and his wife Maria. The frescoes were cleaned in the 1910s and then restored by restorers during the Soviet period. The images on the frescoes testify to the mystical attitude towards light and ascetic ideas of that time.

The church has special architectural and interior features, such as the presence of niches in the walls, half-box vaults and a minimal number of window openings. Inside the temple, four square pillars were moved towards the walls, freeing up the central space.

The remaining buildings of the monastery, including the bell tower, cells and fence, remained wooden for a long time. In the 16th century, a stone refectory with the Church of St. Nicholas was built. The monastery was abolished in 1764, and its buildings were gradually dismantled.

Comments

Login to write a comment