The Rostov Kremlin is a unique object - it never served the cause of defense, and it was erected at a time when the fortresses were no longer built.
History of creation
At the end of the 17th century, Iona Sysoevich, a man of statesmanship and outstanding organizational abilities, was appointed metropolitan in Rostov the Great. He participated in church councils, communicated with the tsar, but fell out of favor and was forced to unleash all his energy on activities in the Rostov diocese. Jonah had ample material resources, good connections, all this allowed him to develop his favorite business on a large scale - construction.
Jonah's reign is the golden age of Rostov architecture. The patriarch built a lot both in Rostov and in the surrounding monasteries, but the construction of the metropolitan residence brought real glory to him and to the city. It is the center of the ensemble, to which the Metropolitan Garden adjoins from the south, and the area with the Assumption Cathedral in the north.
Description
The bishop's courtyard is surrounded by fortress walls with towers and really resembles a fortress. And not only reminds, many fortification techniques were used in the design. Therefore, in the 19th century, the metropolitan court was called the Kremlin, although in fact it never was.
At the end of the 17th century, the fortresses were no longer built, and by the beginning of the 18th it became clear that the monastery walls could no longer serve the cause of defense, since improved artillery easily pierces them.
And yet, Jonah's residence has many features of a serf. It is surrounded by walls with 11 towers. Under gate churches and square towers, articulated passages are made with a turn. All gates were closed by gers - lowering gratings, and the passages themselves could be shot in several directions from special loopholes hidden in the thickness of the wall.
The windows on the towers of the northern and western facades are decorated with ornate platbands. The rest of the towers have everything you need for defense - loopholes for shooting and mashikuli.
Despite numerous serf attributes, the Kremlin was hardly conceived to perform a defensive function. All architectural forms of this structure were supposed to inspire the idea of the supremacy and power of church authority.
The northern gate overlooks the Cathedral Square, through which the Metropolitan marched to the Assumption Cathedral on holidays. Above the passage there is a gate church, consecrated in honor of the Resurrection of Christ. The 16th century cathedral was the tuning fork that determined its architectural features. Its volumes and decor are repeated: a slender five-domed head, arkatures on drums, tongs-pediments imitate zakomaras. The church stands on a high two-story foundation - a basement, decorated from the side of the square with three arches and an icon case with a fresco of the Descent into Hell. Between the small windows there are niches with colored tiles. On three sides, the church is surrounded by a gallery with arches.
The Church of the Resurrection is pillarless. Its interior is a single space, undivided by rows of columns. The walls are painted over the entire surface. In the churches built under Ion Sysoyevich, you can observe a unique phenomenon - the iconostasis is written right on the eastern wall.
The western gate was intended for the entrance to the metropolitan courtyard of distinguished Moscow guests. The passage overshadows the church of St. John the Evangelist. Its front facade is decorated like an elegant tower. The five-domed church bears slender drums with green poppies.
In the center of the ensemble is the Church of the Savior on Senyakh. Once it was the metropolitan's home church. Outwardly, it is modest - small, one-headed, but tall and, the only one in the whole ensemble, with a gilded head.
Behind the light artistic processing of the facade, a luxurious, completely unique interior design is hidden. The room is square in plan and stretches upward like a tower. The frescoes here look especially monumental due to the small size of the temple.
The White Chamber is attached to the church. Previously, it was a ceremonial refectory, but now it houses museum halls.
There is a metropolitan courtyard and a traveling palace for eminent guests. This is the Red Chamber, among the civilian buildings of the ensemble, it stands out for its special elegance. The porch, numerous platbands, different-sized volumes, each with its own roof, make it look like a fairytale tower.
The Russian 17th century was characterized by an ensemble of architectural thinking - monasteries were built according to a single plan, cities were striving for regularity. In monasteries, as a rule, the center of the ensemble was the cathedral, in the Rostov Kremlin this role is played by the courtyard with a pond. This is not just a space around which buildings are organized, it is the dominant image. The courtyard symbolized the Garden of Eden, and the entire ensemble - the heavenly city.
By the will of its creator, the Rostov Kremlin from any point of view presents a picture surprisingly picturesque and harmonious. He appears before us either harsh and majestic, or elegant and festive. The multi-voiced roll call of its domes creates an impression of amazing musicality.
Late alterations have slightly changed the appearance of the Kremlin; it has not lost the features of an ensemble, born according to a single plan and inspiration. All buildings of the Rostov Kremlin are distinguished by stylistic unity, and the Dormition Cathedral of the 16th century is the common tuning fork. The Kremlin is an amazing ensemble that combines the features of the white-stone architecture of pre-Mongol Rus with the cheerful decorative beginning of the 17th century. Undoubtedly, its creators, Metropolitan Jonah and stone craftsman Pyotr Dossaev, had an extraordinary talent.
How to visit
The Kremlin is one of the main attractions of Rostov the Great, the exact address: Rostov, the Kremlin. The official website of the museum tells in detail how to get there, book an excursion or organize an independent visit. You can get from Yaroslavl to Rostov by bus or train. Museum opening hours are from 10 am to 5 pm, except for the first day of the year. On Fridays and Saturdays, the territory of the Kremlin is available until eight in the evening, but you can climb the fortress walls only in the summer.
