The village of Ladoga in the Leningrad region is one of the oldest settlements in northwestern Russia. It was here that Russian statehood was born in the early Middle Ages. In the second half of the 12th century, the Christianization of these lands began. At the initiative of Bishop Nifont, seven (according to other sources - eight) temples were built in Ladoga. Only the church of St. George in Ladoga and the Assumption Cathedral of the outskirts convent have survived to this day.
History of the construction of St. George's Church
The temple was built after the victory of Russian troops over the Swedes on the Voronega River. The exact date of the start of construction has not been determined, it is only known that the church was built in 1165-1166. In 1445, the walls of the monastery grew around the temple. The founder of the monastery was Archbishop Efimy of Novgorod. Vladyka paid great attention to the repair of the church, as well as to the murals onthe walls of the monastery. After so many years, the frescoes needed to be updated. The artists were faced with the task of preserving the ancient murals and following the previously accepted style and content when creating new frescoes.
At the same time, the temple was covered with a new roof, the altar barrier was replaced, and a two-tiered iconostasis was installed. In this form, the monastery existed until the beginning of the Time of Troubles (XVI-XVII centuries).
In 1584-1586, the Church of St. George in Ladoga was distinguished by gable roofing and a cone-shaped dome. A two-span belfry was attached above the western facade. During the overhaul of the temple in 1683-1684. the gable covering was replaced with a four-pitched one, the drum was raised, four windows were laid, and the window openings were trimmed. Unfortunately, at this time, not enough attention was paid to the frescoes, many of which were knocked off the walls and lost under the new floor.
Scientific restoration of the temple
Interest in ancient Russian painting revived at the beginning of the 19th century. The Church of St. George in Ladoga, whose history goes back centuries, came under the auspices of the Imperial Archaeological Commission. Through the efforts of enthusiasts, most of the frescoes were saved. The images were copied by the artist V. A. Prokhorov, N. E. Brandenburg. Researchers of Russian antiquity V. N. Lazarev, V. V. Suslov studied the artistic features of the frescoes.
In the 20th century, work continued on the restoration of the temple, which was consecrated in 1904. By a happy coincidence, the church of St. George in Ladoga escaped monstrous destruction during the militantatheism. Architects, historians, artists of restoration workshops - V. V. Danilov, E. A. Dobmrovskaya, A. A. Draga and others. In 1996, the restoration work was completed. As a result, the St. George's Church acquired its original appearance. The walls of the temple were freed from alien strata, and now the attention of the parishioners is presented to the attention of the works of ancient Russian art that have survived to this day.
About St. George
The patron saint of the church is the holy martyr George, who prompted his compatriots to accept the Christian faith. The conversion of the inhabitants of Palestine to Christianity occurred as a result of the saint's victory over the forces of evil, known as the Miracle of George and the Serpent.
In those days, the inhabitants of the Palestinian city of Ebal were pagans. The townspeople were very afraid of a terrible snake that lived in the lake and ate people. In order to save his subjects, the king ordered to give one child to be eaten by a snake every day. Once there were no children left in the city, and the king's daughter was sacrificed to the monster.
The girl was standing on the shore of the lake, resigned to her fate, when suddenly, out of nowhere, a rider appeared. It was St. George, riding to the aid of the townspeople. With God's help, in the name of Jesus Christ, the serpent was defeated, tied up and handed over to the Palestinians for reprisal. Seeing the defeated monster, people rejoiced and believed in Christ.
The miracle of George about the Serpent is embodied in the icon of the same name. The face of St. George defeating the monster symbolizes the victory of man over the forces of evil, overtheir weaknesses, passions and doubts in faith. The fight against evil should be not only around you, but also in yourself.
Church of St. George in Ladoga: architecture
As mentioned above, thanks to the fruitful work of many people, the temple was restored to its original form. The building corresponds to the style of religious buildings of the pre-Mongol era. The church is single-domed, has four pillars and three equally high apses. The height of the temple is fifteen meters, and the area of the monastery is seventy-two square meters.
Windows in the northern, southern and eastern facades are arranged asymmetrically. Traditional symmetry can be traced only on the western facade. Thanks to this architectural solution, some dynamics are introduced into the appearance of the temple, while the building does not look classically strict and proportionate.
Asymmetry has a functional meaning: the windows are positioned so that daylight enters the room. Window openings on the north and south facades are constructed in the form of a pyramid. The windows located below open under the choirs. The choir rooms on the second tier of the western corners of the church are connected by wooden flooring. The stairs leading to the choir stalls are located in the western wall.
The eastern curtains of the side facades of the temple are somewhat reduced in size, the apses seem to be pressed into the wall, the drum is noticeably shifted towards the east. The church is not strictly centric, which was typical for the Novgorod architecture of those times. The temple was built on the territory of the fortress, so the masters were forced to take into account the existingbuildings.
Temple painting
St. George's Church is decorated with frescoes from the early 12th century. Byzantine art is intertwined with the social needs of Ancient Russia. The purpose of the murals is to educate people, to introduce parishioners to Christian values. Saint Clement of Rome was especially revered in the Novgorod land.
The frescoes of St. George's Church are made in the same style. The artists of that time possessed the necessary technical skills, felt the color, knew about the perspective and patterns of interaction of drawings with the space of the temple.
Only a fifth of the frescoes have survived to our time. The painting of the dome and the drum with the composition "Ascension of the Lord" is most clearly visible. On top of the altar are depicted the king-prophets David and Solomon, revered by Novgorodians for their wisdom and concern for Christians. The faces of the elders are turned to the rulers: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Gideon, Naum, Ezekiel. Also preserved are images of the Mother of God, the Archangel Gabriel, Bishop John the Merciful, George the Victorious, angels.
Church location
The Church of St. George is located in the village of Staraya Ladoga. This is the oldest settlement in the entire Leningrad region. The first buildings here were discovered in 753. Ladoga is mentioned in The Tale of Bygone Years as the possession of Prince Rurik. According to the Novgorod Chronicle, Prophetic Oleg is buried in the village.
In addition to St. George's Church, in Staraya Ladoga there is a museum of the same name-nature reserve, Old Ladoga fortress, monasteries for women and men.
