At the end of the X-beginning of the XI centuries. there is a restructuring of society on a territorial basis, the tribal community is replaced territorial. This process is also reflected in the history of the urban community, which itself becomes territorial, is formed Konchan-hundred system. In parallel, the growth of the urban district was going on - the city-states were growing and getting stronger.

In 980, Prince Vladimir united Kyiv, Novgorod and Polotsk under his rule and became the sole ruler of Russia. Vladimir set about solving major state problems, he restored the unity of the Russian land again. Strengthened the system of government of the country.

One of the most important state reforms was Baptism of Russia in 988. It turned out to be connected with the internal political crisis in the Byzantine Empire.

The Byzantine emperors Constantine and Basil II asked Vladimir for help against the rebel Varda Foki. Vladimir promised to help the emperors, but on the condition that they give him their sister Anna as a wife. The emperors agreed, but demanded that the prince accept the Christian faith. After the defeat of Phocas, they were in no hurry to fulfill their promise. Then Vladimir captured the city of Chersonesus and threatened to capture Constantinople. The emperors had to agree not only to the marriage of his sister, but also to the fact that Vladimir was baptized not in Constantinople, but in Chersonese. Returning back to Kyiv, Vladimir destroyed the pagan idols and baptized the people of Kiev. The baptism of Vladimir and the people of Kiev was the beginning of the spread of Christianity in Russia.

The baptism of Russia was explained by a number of historical reasons:

1) the developing state did not allow polytheism with its tribal gods and polytheistic religion. This undermined the foundations of the state. "One great prince, one almighty God";

2) the adoption of Christianity contributed to the development of international relations, since Christianity was accepted as a religion in almost all European countries;

3) Christianity, with its idea that everything comes from God - and wealth, and poverty, and happiness, and misfortune, gave people some reconciliation with reality.

The adoption of Christianity contributed to the flourishing of material culture (icon painting, fresco, mosaics, the construction of domes).

With Christianity came writing in the Slavic language. Schools sprang up at the monasteries.

After the adoption of Christianity, the East Slavic tribes united into the Old Russian people.

The role of the church in ancient Russia

By the end of the X-XI century. in Russia, a harmonious system of organization of church religious life appeared. It was created in the image and likeness of the Byzantine church, headed by patriarch. In charge of christian church stood in Russia metropolitan Kyiv and all Russia.

Schools and libraries appeared at churches and monasteries, the first of which were opened on the initiative of Prince Vladimir himself. The first Russian chroniclers, scribes and translators of famous ecclesiastical and secular works, icon painters also worked here.

The church contributed to the development of the country's economy. Prominent church figures, as well as monasteries already in the XI-XII centuries. received land holdings from the Grand Dukes and set up their own economy on them.

A close relationship is being established between secular and ecclesiastical authorities, with the primacy of the former over the latter. In the first half of the XIII century. clearance begins ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Now the competence of the church includes the consideration of cases of marriage, divorce, family, some inheritance cases. The Church also played a significant role in international affairs related to the deepening of relations with Christian states and churches.

The Church promoted philanthropy, tolerance, respect for parents and children, for the personality of a woman-mother, and called the people to this. The church also played a significant role in strengthening the unity of Russia. Church leaders in the future more than once performed the role of peacekeepers in princely strife.

In large cities, church authority over Russian lands was exercised by bishops. In Novgorod, as one of the largest cities, the center of a large region, religious life was directed by the archbishop.

The church opposed Roman-style Christianity. Those who proclaimed a folk pagan culture were considered apostates.

Thus, the church contributed to the isolation of Russia from Western European culture. For Russia, such a statement of the church was unacceptable, since Russia cooperated with many Western European countries that preached the Catholic religion.

The church prospered through the use of the labor of dependent people, robbed people through usury, and so on. Many prominent figures of the church participated in political intrigues. Therefore, the actions of the church caused more negative people.

Acceptance of Christianity in Kievan Rus contributed to its inclusion in the European Christendom, which means that Rus has become an equal element of European civilized development. However, the adoption of Christianity in the Orthodox version had its negative consequences. Orthodoxy contributed to the isolation of Russia from Western European civilization.

Church in ancient Russia.

Regarding the adoption of Christianity in Russia, many studies have been written, based on both ancient Russian chronicles and foreign sources. Numerous works by domestic and foreign researchers show the most complex process of establishing Christianity in Russia, which began long before St. Vladimir. However, Orthodox Christianity became the state religion only as a result of the adoption by Vladimir of some political decision on the official baptism of Russia, which marked the beginning of his administrative reforms.

However, the new diocese became an integral part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. And since their clerical cadres appeared much later, all the first bishops and even priests were Greeks. Fortunately, there were a great many of them in Byzantium. There are up to 6,000 bishops alone! It was these "surpluses" that poured into Russia, into new Russian bread. They were appointed and administered from Byzantium by the Patriarch of Constantinople. Sources testify that during the entire existence of the Kyiv principality, there were only two Russian metropolitans: Hilarion under Yaroslav the Wise (1051) and Klim under Izyaslav (1148). The Patriarch of Constantinople could even send bishops without the consent of the metropolitan. And, of course, he carefully monitored the timely receipt of payments, the sources of which were direct collections of parishioners, income from the church court and monasteries.

The emergence of the first metropolis in Kievan Rus occurred in the 9th century. The Nikon Chronicle reports on the activities of Metropolitan Michael the Sirin, who was appointed to Russia by Patriarch Photius of Constantinople in 862. In any case, a number of historians believe that Byzantium did not need to create a metropolis after the baptism of Vladimir. Some of them put forward the hypothesis that the metropolis was not in Kyiv, but in Pereyaslavl. The Metropolitan of that period Leon had the title "Leon Metropolitan of Russia of Pereyaslav". It is assumed that the metropolitan at the time of the baptism of Russia was John, with whom Vladimir apparently had a damaged relationship as a result of his previous policy of anti-Christian terror. The very first metropolitan after the act of baptism of Russia, who did not raise doubts in reality, was the Greek Theopempt.

The structure of the Byzantine church was such that the presence of a metropolis gave the right to create bishoprics. During the time of Vladimir and Yaroslav, bishoprics were created in all major administrative centers: Novgorod, Belgorod, Polotsk, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl. As new territories were colonized, new bishoprics appeared. AT Rostov land The episcopacy was created to accelerate the process of involving local residents of Slavic and Finnish origin into the orbit of state and church influence. Bishoprics appeared in Galich, Smolensk, and Ryazan during the 11th-13th centuries.

After the death of Yaroslav the Wise, as we remember, a triumvirate of princes arose: Izyaslav in Kyiv, Svyatoslav in Chernigov and Vsevolod in Pereyaslavl. The beginning of the feudal fragmentation of the unified state was reinforced by the creation of two new metropolises: in Chernigov and Pereyaslavl. The influence of the new metropolises was enormous. The Chernigov diocese, for example, covered the area from Chernigov in the west to Ryazan and Murom in the northeast. The appearance of new metropolises was apparently connected with the very close relations of Vsevolod with Byzantium: he was married to the daughter of the Byzantine emperor.

But after Vsevolod became the prince of Kyiv, he achieved the unification of the church leadership, headed by the Kyiv metropolitan. An attempt by Andrei Bogolyubsky in the 60s of the XII century to create a metropolis in Suzdal was not crowned with success. The Byzantine emperor and the Patriarch of Constantinople did not approve of the intentions of Prince Andrei, who understood that this action could remove part of the church hierarchy from subordination to Constantinople. Only in Novgorod was it allowed to create an archdiocese, which achieved the right to elect hierarchs on the spot, and not by appointment from Kyiv.

The role of the church at different stages of its formation was different. In the first decades of its existence, when the church did not yet possess its own property and means, it was largely dependent on princely politics. So judicial rights were granted to the church by princely power. The wealth of the monasteries had its origin in the belief of the Orthodox that the prayer of the monks for the salvation of the soul is stronger than the good deeds of the deceased Christian. Therefore, every wealthy person tried to save his soul by making contributions of land or money to existing monasteries, or even founding them. When the church received its sources of income, its dependence on secular power weakened.

Nevertheless, the presence of a unified church administration with a center in Kyiv allowed the church not only to resist the centrifugal forces of princely strife, but also to exert a decisive influence on the formation of a unified public consciousness, writing, literature, artistic creativity culture in general. The Church has assumed jurisdiction over many civil cases involving family relationships. Moreover, strange as it may seem, the church extended its rights to such a specific institution as the service of weights.

Of course, as a rule, bishops defended the interests of their specific princes, but the Kyiv Metropolitan tried to influence the resolution of inter-princely conflicts. Each achievement of a peaceful agreement was accompanied by a kiss of the cross. However, the influence of church hierarchs was not always decisive. So the participation of the clergy in the cathedral convened by Yaroslav Osmomysl did not become an obstacle to the transfer of power after the death of Yaroslav to Vladimir, and not to Oleg.

Thus, we see that, in contrast to the specific order of reign in Kievan Rus, church organization was a single, subordinate to the Kyiv Metropolitan. And in this regard, until the Mongol-Tatar defeat, the structure of the church did not change. Calling this church Ukrainian or Russian can only be done by a person who experiences a national inferiority complex and seeks by any means to prove the advantages of his nation in hindsight and through fantasies. Moreover, as will be seen later, even in the Polish period, the difference took place to a greater extent not by nationality, but by religion. During this period, the Orthodox Church became a bastion that prevented the complete dissolution of Ukrainians (this is already the 15th-16th century) in the Polish environment.

Single culture Ancient Russia.

Even by modern standards, the territory of Kievan Rus is huge. It is hard to even imagine how the squads of the Kyiv princes and merchants moved through such vast expanses. Nevertheless, cities and villages scattered at such a great distance from each other were united by a single faith and a single culture. Of all the variety of cultural ties, we will consider only architecture. Note that temple architecture came to Russia from Byzantium, that is, the first architects were Greeks, and for this reason the first temples were the latest architectural achievements of Eastern Orthodoxy. The so-called cross-dome composition, which is the skeleton of a building in the form of a cube dissected by 4 pillars (Greek cross), on which the central light drum rests, has become a classic temple construction throughout northern and southern Russia.

Of course, Russian masters contributed to temple architecture elements characteristic of their vision, corresponding to the nature of Russia, the construction technologies of that period. Over the course of two or three decades of the 11th century, cathedrals of St. Sophia similar in structure and of the same name were built in Kyiv, Novgorod and Polotsk. Sophia of Kyiv had 13 domes, Novgorod - 5 and Polotsk - 7. The appearance of three churches of the same type and the same name marked the political and cultural unity of Russia. In general, the presence of majestic temples was for the princes of a kind calling card, evidence of wealth and power. The princes competed not only on the battlefield, but also in the construction of temples, in the manufacture of symbols of princely power from silver and gold.

Within the framework of the published work, it is not possible to dwell in detail on the comparison of the features of the cathedrals and churches being built. We note only the main thing. Almost the entire XI century, throughout the territory of Russia, towered, looking up Orthodox churches emphasizing the idea of ​​the unity of the state of Vladimir, Yaroslav the Wise and Vladimir Monomakh. But, starting from the end of the 11th century, at the height of internecine wars, two directions were formed in the architectural style. On the one hand, princes and architects sought to return to forms reminiscent of the grandeur and strength of Yaroslav's time, and on the other hand, to forms that demonstrated the originality of the idea. In other words, there was a struggle between the political and creative principles in temple architecture. It is no coincidence that in 1185 Vsevolod the Big Nest began to rebuild (after a fire) the single-domed Assumption Cathedral in such a way that it resembled the Metropolitan Cathedral of the times of Yaroslav the Wise.

Each theme of the times of Kievan Rus is inexhaustible. We leave out of consideration such important components of culture as ancient Russian literature, philosophy, everyday writing and many others. We also leave such an important topic as dual faith, that is, a bizarre and, no doubt, original for each locality, a combination of a borrowed Christian worldview and rooted traditions of paganism.

In Russia, the first stone churches were built in Kyiv, Novgorod and Vladimir. In the main cathedral of Kyiv, Hagia Sophia, built of plinth, with nine domes, one can feel the influence of masters from Constantinople. A new feature is the surrounding of the temple with an open gallery-ambulance and its erection on a high plinth - basement. Outdoor decoration sometimes imitated traditional wood carvings in stone. This was especially distinguished by the cathedrals of Vladimir - the Assumption and Dmitrovsky, as well as the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl - the pearl of Russian architecture of the 12th century. The motifs of white stone carvings not only resemble traditional Slavic carved wooden patterns, but are in many ways similar to Romanesque sculpture in Western Europe. In the 13-14 centuries, in connection with the Tatar-Mongol invasion, the architecture of Ancient Russia fades almost everywhere, except for Novgorod and Pskov, in order to experience a new rapid flowering in the 15 century, especially during the reign of Ivan III. Novgorod Cathedral of St. Sophia. Yaroslav the Wise until the end of his life was grateful to the people of Novgorod, who put him on the throne of Kyiv. He gave them his beloved son, Vladimir, as a prince, and when he, with the Novgorod retinue, on his father's orders, defeated the Volga Bulgarians and captured rich booty, Yaroslav was not stingy: he gave everything to Novgorod. And the people of Novgorod decided to build the Novgorod Sophia Cathedral, crowned with five domes. Sophia of Novgorod was built for seven years, and its consecration took place in 1052. Saint Prince Vladimir, after the consecration of the cathedral, lived less than a month, died on October 4, 1052, and was buried in the church of Hagia Sophia.

The cathedral was built of simple hewn stone and brick. It has six chapters, of which five are in the middle, and the sixth is on the southwest side above the stairs leading to the choir stalls. The largest dome (middle one) at first had the shape of an overturned cauldron, but then an onion-shaped top was built over it. The middle dome in 1408 was overlaid with copper sheets gilded through fire, while the other domes of the cathedral were covered with lead. The crosses on the heads were also copper, gilded through fire. At the top of the cross of the middle head is a metal dove, which serves as a symbol of the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit over the temple and all those who pray. Originally Sofia novgorod cathedral(like all ancient temples in general) was built with one chapel in the name of the Assumption of the Mother of God, but then five more chapels were built. By appearance the cathedral is a regular quadrangle, rising without ledges from the base to the roof. From the eastern part, it is issued in three semicircles according to the number of its three components: the meal (throne), the altar and the deacon. Before the restoration of 1900, there were three entrances to the cathedral (on the western, northern and southern sides), and then, instead of a window on the northeastern side, another entrance was arranged - for the clergy.

Power at the end of the 11th century rarely remained in the hands of one prince for a long time. In total, the prince appeared in Novgorod for two or three years, then to leave. During this period, Sofia Novgorodskaya lost in the minds of the townspeople inseparable bond with the prince and became a kind of symbol of the Novgorod Republic. A veche gathered near the temple, solemn prayer services were served in it in honor of military victories, the elected were elevated to the highest positions, and the treasury was kept. Therefore, for 58 years the cathedral remained unpainted. There is no exact and definite information about the original wall painting of the cathedral. It is only known that Greek icon painters were specially called in to paint the main dome. Only in 1108, by order of Bishop Nikita, Sophia of Novgorod was decorated with frescoes. And after the death of St. Nikita, the painting of the cathedral continued with the funds that remained after him. About the image of Christ Pantocrator in the dome of the cathedral has survived ancient legend recorded in the Novgorod Chronicle. Tradition tells that the masters who painted the fresco depicted the Savior with a blessing hand. However, the next morning, the hand was clenched. Three times the artists rewrote the image until a voice came from it: “Scribes, clerks! Oh scribes! Do not write me with a blessing hand (write me with a clenched hand). I hold this Great Novegrad in this hand of mine; when this (hand) mine spreads, then this hail will end.” Unfortunately, this image was lost during the Great Patriotic War. In the southern gallery of the temple, the image of Constantine and Helena has been preserved, about which researchers are still arguing. The images of the Byzantine emperor, who proclaimed Christianity the state religion, and his mother, who found in 326 in Jerusalem the cross on which Christ was crucified, are the most suitable for the main cathedral of Novgorod. They clearly demonstrated the triumph of Christianity and the holiness of pious kings. Unusual were the technique of execution and stylistic features of the image. Scientists have established that both the painting technique and the selection of colors were atypical for Russian masters. Therefore, the researchers suggested that this image was painted by a Western European or Scandinavian master in 1144 (or around this year). This hypothesis has a basis, because Novgorod, by its geographical position, gravitated towards the northern countries of Europe. Yes, and in the very appearance of Sophia of Novgorod, features of Romanesque architecture appeared (in particular, the technique of laying walls from huge, irregularly shaped stones). The mighty walls of the temple, built of wild stones with their uneven, rough surface, were not plastered until the middle of the 12th century. But then the plaster gave the cathedral integrity and epic character. Very little remains of the ancient frescoes of the cathedral. Only in the main dome of Sophia of Novgorod, in all its radiant grandeur, Pantokrator the Almighty looks down from heaven.

Church of the Intercession of the Virgin on the Nerl. For more than eight hundred years, the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin has been standing in the Suzdal land, on the banks of the Nerl. On clear summer days, with a cloudless sky, among the greenery of a vast water meadow, its slender whiteness, reflected by the smooth surface of a small lake (the Klyazma oxbow lake), breathes poetry and a fairy tale. In harsh winters, when everything around is white, it seems to dissolve in the endless snowy sea. The temple is so in tune with the mood of the surrounding landscape that it seems as if it was born with it, and not created by human hands. The Nerl River is clean and fast. And the temple was placed here with great meaning: the path along the Nerl to the Klyazma is the gate of the land of Vladimir, and above the gate the church should be like that. It is not in vain that the dedication to Pokrov was chosen for her. The cover is protection and patronage, hope and mercy for the Russian people, shelter and amulet from enemies. The Greeks did not celebrate the Intercession, this is a purely Russian holiday, which Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky personally established. So the temple stood at the mouth of the Nerl, at its confluence with the Klyazma, closing the important waterway of the Vladimir-Suzdal land. Nearby, just a kilometer and a half away, rose the towers and domes of Prince Andrei's palace castle. Apparently, the place for the construction was chosen by the architect not by chance, but dictated by the prince's will. Here the ships sailing along the Klyazma turned towards the prince's residence, and the church served as an element of a luxurious ensemble pushed forward, its solemn monument. The task set before the architects was very difficult, since the place planned for construction lay in a floodplain. Therefore, the architect, having laid the foundation, erected a stone plinth almost four meters high on it and covered it with earth. The result was an artificial hill, which was lined with hewn stone slabs. On this plinth, as on a pedestal, the church was erected.

The Church of the Intercession on the Nerl was born on a restless, but also bright morning for the land of Vladimir, when, in the eyes of contemporaries, the heavenly cover seemed to really overshadow the power of Grand Duke Andrei. Supported by the "little people", the power of the Vladimir ruler over the mercenary boyars was strengthening, and his hand was high against enemies. Rearing leopards on the shields of Andreev's warriors were seen under their walls in Kyiv and Novgorod, and the golden sun of the southern steppes flowed over the spears of the Suzdal squads. From distant Vyshgorod, the prince took to the Zalessky region the famous Byzantine icon of the Virgin and Child, which was destined to become, under the name "Vladimirskaya", a real palladium of Ancient Russia. The arrival of the icon was marked by miracles, in which the people of Vladimir could see the special disposition of the Queen of Heaven towards them. The stay of the icon in the Vladimir troops during the campaign against Volga Bulgaria (1164) predetermined its victorious outcome in the eyes of contemporaries. In the atmosphere of these miracles, a church arose dedicated to a new holiday in honor of the Virgin - Intercession.

The initiative to create the holiday is attributed to Andrei Bogolyubsky himself and the Vladimir clergy, who did without the sanction of the Kyiv Metropolitan. The emergence of a new feast of the Mother of God in the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality it seems to be a natural phenomenon, arising from the political aspirations of Prince Andrei. In the “Word to the Protection” there is a prayer that the Mother of God will protect her people with the divine cover “from arrows flying in the darkness of our division”, a prayer for the need for the unity of the Russian lands. The legend says that the temple at the mouth of the Nerl was dedicated to the victorious campaign of the Vladimir regiments in Volga Bulgaria in 1164, and the Bulgarians allegedly brought a stone here as a kind of indemnity. In the successful outcome of this military campaign, contemporaries saw clear evidence of the patronage of the Mother of God Vladimir prince and Vladimir land. An indirect indication of the connection between the holiday and the Church of the Intercession with the military activities of Prince Andrei can be the fragments of the now lost fresco painting of the drum of the Nerl Church sketched in the last century by F.A. Solntsev. In the piers between the windows here were placed not the apostles and not the prophets, but the martyrs, the campaign "for the Christian faith." The fallen soldiers of Vladimir (and among them prince Izyaslav, son of Andrey Bogolyubsky) should have been added to the list of martyrs.

The Church of the Intercession on the Nerl is so light and bright, as if it was not made of heavy stone squares. All constructive and decorative means of expression are subordinated here to one goal - the transfer of the graceful harmony of the building, its aspiration upward. The rhythm of the architectural lines of the Church of the Intercession can be likened to the rhythm of the hymns of those praying in honor of the Virgin Mary carried away under the vaults. It is like a lyrical song materialized in stone. No wonder the ancients perceived the artistic image architectural structure as "voices wonderful from things," like the voice of trumpets praising God and the saints.

The sculptural figure of the biblical singer crowns the middle zakomaras of the temple facades according to the principle of trinity, which was favored in the Middle Ages. Apparently, it owes its appearance on the walls of the Nerl church to the life of Andrei the Holy Fool. One of Andrew's visions speaks of David, who, at the head of a host of righteous people, praised the Mother of God with singing in the temple of Sophia. "I hear David, singing to you: The virgins will come after you, they will be brought to the temple of the kings ...". David was considered one of the prophets who foreshadowed the divine mission of Mary. The Mother of God was called "David's prophecy." The theme of the glorification of Mary is also heard in the girlish masks, stretched out in a row above the upper windows of the facades. These girlish faces with braids are also on the facades of other Vladimir Mother of God churches, and only Mother of God.

The Church of the Intercession on the Nerl is the greatest masterpiece of Russian art, it cannot be found in other countries, because only on Russian soil could it have arisen, embodying the ideal that could have been formed only in Russian soil. It is in such monuments that the soul of our people is revealed.

Assumption Cathedral. The Cathedral Square of the Kremlin is spacious and bright. The architectural ensemble, built on it more than 500 years ago, is unique in its beauty and splendor. Here are the majestic temples-heroes, and the temples are light, bizarre, like toys in comparison with them. The existing cathedrals stand on the site of older ones. The Assumption Cathedral plays a paramount role in the Cathedral Square ensemble. Researchers believe that it was preceded by three churches: a wooden church of the 12th century, the Dmitrovsky Cathedral of the 13th century, and a white-stone church from the time of Ivan Kalita.

By the end of the 15th century, the white-stone temple became cramped for Moscow, badly dilapidated and threatened to fall. Therefore, Ivan III and Metropolitan Filaret decided to destroy the old church and build a new cathedral in its place. Traditional bidding-competitions were announced, the winners of which were the architects Ivan Krivtsov and Myshkin, whose name the documents do not name for some reason. In 1472, the masters began construction, which was not destined to be completed. Two years have passed, and the temple has already been brought out to the very vaults. That day the workers and masons, an hour before sunset, dropped their sleeves, put on their hats, and went home to supper. However, while it was light, many more Muscovites climbed onto the stage to have a look. "Wonderful velmy and exceedingly lofty!" they talked about the new cathedral. But after sunset they left. And then an unheard-of thing happened - the earth shook. The northern wall fell first. Behind it, the western choir and the choirs built with it were half destroyed. The whole city was saddened by the death of the cathedral, and Grand Duke Ivan III decided to call on craftsmen from other countries. In all European countries, Italian work was valued above all else, and in July 1474 a Russian ambassador went to Venice. We learned from faithful people that a good architect from Bologna, Aristotle Fioravanti, was serving with the Doge of Venice. About 20 years ago, he came up with such mechanics that he moved the bell tower with all the bells by 35 feet. In the city of Cento, where the belfry was bent, Aristotle straightened it without removing a single brick. But Doge Marcello resolutely did not want to let his best architect go to distant unknown Russia, and it was unprofitable to quarrel with Ivan III. It was he who set the Tatar Khan against the Turks - the original enemies of Venice. And Aristotle himself did not object to the trip. Despite his 60 years, he was inquisitive as a young man. A mysterious, unknown country irresistibly attracted him to itself. For almost three months the journey continued to distant Muscovy - they left in the winter, and arrived in Moscow in early April 1475. The Italian master looked with interest at the unusual architecture. Most of all, he was attracted by the wooden carvings of window frames, porches and gates. Despite the tiring journey, the Italian refused to rest and went to the construction site the same day. He examined the remains of the ruined cathedral, praised the excellent work of the Russian masons, but immediately noted the low quality of the lime. Fioravanti did not agree to rebuild the north side of the cathedral, deciding to break everything and start anew. However, the architect was in no hurry to start construction. He understood that he could not ignore the customs and tastes of the Russian people, he should not artificially transfer here the forms of Western architecture familiar to him. And so, having finished laying the foundation, Aristotle Fioravanti set off to travel around the country to get acquainted with ancient Russian architecture.

Prince Ivan III advised the Italian to take Vladimir's Assumption Cathedral as a model, and Fioravanti went to the famous capital of the Suzdal princes - the city of Vladimir. Entering the Assumption Cathedral, the architect stopped. On the multicolored majolica tiles of the floor, the glare of the lamps trembled. The vaults, pillars and walls of the temple were covered with a huge fresco depicting the End of the World. Wide, as if careless strokes made human bodies and faces alive, almost tangible. The humanity of the images of the frescoes struck the Italian architect. Even growing up among fine art Italy Fioravanti was delighted with the talent of the Russian artist and immediately asked the translator about his name. “His name was Andrey Rublev,” the interpreter answered proudly. The scope, grandeur and at the same time strict beauty, the remarkable ability of builders to combine the beauty of temples with nature and the surrounding city deep impression into Italian. Full of new thoughts, he returned to Moscow.

For four years, under his leadership, Russian masons and carpenters built the Moscow Assumption Cathedral. Bricks were fired in a special, completely new kiln. It was narrower, longer than before, but so hard that it was impossible to break it without soaking it in water. Lime was dissolved like a thick dough and smeared with iron spatulas. And for the first time in Russia, everything was done according to a compass and a ruler. Fioravanti taught the Muscovites to put iron ties into walls instead of rapidly decaying oak ones, to reduce cross vaults, to make beautiful double arches with “drooping stone”. Soon, Italian techniques became Russian, native, and in the general appearance of any decoration did not even leave a trace of a proper Italian character. A building of strict and solemn architecture grew on the Kremlin hill. Crowned with five gilded domes, the cathedral was visible from various points in Moscow, although it was not at all large. The architecture of the Cathedral of the Assumption struck its contemporaries not only with its solemn monumentality and austerity, but also with its singularity. Repeating the forms of the Vladimir original, Fioravanti decorated the facades of his creation with an arched belt and completed them with semicircles of zakomar, characteristic of Russian architecture. The white stone walls were enlivened by pilasters, a belt of arches and narrow slit-like windows. The Italian designed the inner space of the temple in a particularly original way: it is without a choir and, most importantly, it amazes with its bright expanse that opens at first sight. And inside the cathedral, columns painted with frescoes and decorated with mosaics supported the vaults of a spacious hall, the floor of which was paved with small stones. Above the facades, five helmet-shaped domes majestically and solemnly rose on light drums, picking up the vertical array of pilasters dividing the walls. Much in the Assumption Cathedral resembled ancient Russian architecture, but at the same time it was not a simple repetition of the Vladimir temple. The talented Italian architect managed to combine the achievements of the masters of his homeland with the heritage of the ancient builders of the country that hospitably received him. Fioravanti introduced such new elements as the geometric division of the volumes and facades of the cathedral, the equal sizes of the zakomar, five (instead of three) altar apses, only slightly protruding on the surface of the wall. A talented foreign architect managed to understand that Vladimir was already old capital, and now a new one rose - Moscow. And he also felt that the role of the new temple is great not only in the architectural space of the Cathedral Square of the Kremlin, but also in the life of the entire state.

In the summer of 1479, when the scaffolding was removed, Muscovites saw new temple, built "in all cunning". The chronicler noted that the Assumption Cathedral is like a monolith - "like a single stone." Muscovites were delighted. Assumption Cathedral became the main one in Russia. State acts were announced in it, the most important state documents were kept in the altar of the temple. Metropolitans and patriarchs of All Russia were elevated to the clergy and buried here. Here, at the tomb of Metropolitan Peter and in front of the all-Russian shrine - the icon "Our Lady of Vladimir", the specific princes and "all the ranks" took the oath of allegiance to Moscow and the Grand Duke, and later the Tsar. Before military campaigns, the governors received a blessing in the cathedral, and later Russian princes and tsars were married to the kingdom.

The most significant marriage ceremonies for the state took place in the Assumption Cathedral: Prince Vasily I, son of Dmitry Donskoy, and the Lithuanian princess Sophia Vitovtovna, Ivan III and Sophia Paleolog, Vasily III and Elena Glinskaya - the mother of Ivan the Terrible. The significance of the cathedral was also emphasized by its rich decoration. The painting inside the temple was completed shortly after its consecration. In 1481, "the horseman Dionysius, and the priest Timothy, and Yarets, and the Horse" decorated the cathedral with a three-tiered iconostasis. Perhaps they also painted the altar, and the cathedral was completely painted by 1515. Some picturesque compositions have survived to this day. Among them are “Seven Sleeping Youths of Ephesus”, “Forty Martyrs of Sebaste”, paintings of the Pokhvalsky chapel in the altar, etc. The icons of the cathedral are of exceptional value, for example, the “Vladimir Mother of God” of the Byzantine letter of the 11th century (now kept in the Tretyakov Gallery), “St. reverse side. Saint George was revered as the patron saint of warriors. On the icon, he is depicted as a young man in armor against a golden background. In his right hand he holds a spear, in his left a sword. His face is full of courage and stamina. This image of a warrior, the patron of warriors, embodied the grandeur and solemnity inherent in all the art of that time.

The architecture of the Assumption Cathedral during the 16th-17th centuries was imitated by many builders, and the Assumption Cathedrals in Rostov the Great, the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the St. Sophia Cathedral in Vologda and some others were built under the direct influence of the Kremlin. Joseph Volotsky called the Assumption Cathedral "an earthly sky shining like a great sun in the middle of the Russian land."

Intercession Cathedral. When the Russian troops took Kazan and firmly established themselves on the banks of the Volga, Tsar Ivan the Terrible ordered to build a church with eight chapters near the walls of the Moscow Kremlin - according to the number of victories won. He recently returned from a campaign, Moscow met him with great rejoicing: bells rang, people with laughter and sobs threw festive clothes under the hooves of the royal horse: many relatives and friends were languishing in the Horde captivity. Beloved wife Anastasia Romanovna was relieved of the burden by the heir - it was also a holiday. The chronicle reads: "... the tsar and Grand Duke Ivan Vasilievich ... commanded to put the Church of the Intercession from the limits of the Kazan victory, that God conquered the Bezserman family of the Kazan Tatars to the tsar ...". The brilliant architects Barma and Postnik were instructed to perpetuate this victory. There are legends that after the construction was completed, the king ordered the architects to gouge out the eyes of the architects so that they could not build anything like it again. The architects violated the king's command - to build an eight-domed church. Not afraid of the royal wrath, they remained true to the principles of art and built not an 8-domed, but a 9-domed temple, thereby including in the construction that missing element that determined the perfection of the entire composition. A fantastic stone flower bloomed on Red Square - "on the moat" at the Spassky Gate. The walls were full of red and white, the domes shone with dazzling silver - one above each temple, and four small domes on the Entrance to Jerusalem aisle, and eight domes at the base of the central tent. And the tent was not simple - in plan it had the shape of an eight-pointed star, as if repeating the plan of the temple itself. It was roofed with green tiles, and here and there green tiles flared with lights, emeralds. Where is the beginning, where is the end? Everything is round, everything is merged in the new church; it seems as if she is slowly spinning, as if dancing among the hubbub and hustle of the big Moscow bargaining. And it is imperceptible to the eye that there are only three forms in the church - a tent, a tower and a small temple. A marvelous bush is growing in the square, shoots are stretching - after all, even in a flower the balance is perfect, but it is not dry, not boring, and whose soul does not rejoice at the sight of it? In 1588, on the northeastern side of the cathedral, a chapel was added over the grave of the holy fool Basil the Blessed, who died at the age of 82 and whom, as they say, Ivan the Terrible himself honored and feared, "like a seer of the heart and thoughts of men." Since then, the colloquially used name of the temple has taken root.

The basis for the construction of the Intercession Cathedral is formed by a slender and elongated main tent, crowned with a small cupola. It is surrounded by four lower and massive towers with powerful domes. Between them are four other, even smaller chapters. But, growing towards the center, the towers do not form a pyramid. Rather, it is a kind of friendly conversation in which each interlocutor, listening to others, maintains his opinion. The middle tent rises above the side tents, but does not dominate them, does not press on them. The lateral pillars are heavier, more massive than it, but the rapid upward movement is not so pronounced in them. The small cupolas at the corners serve as an intermediate step; in their slenderness they are similar to the middle tent, and in shape - to the side ones. In the Intercession Church there is no complete symmetry (as, for example, in a Gothic cathedral with its two identical towers bordering the facade), but here the only living balance of parts was found. The architectural scenery of the cathedral was made of white stone and at first completely covered the brick walls. The richness of decorative forms gave it such a fabulous character that no other ancient Russian temple had before it. But for all the splendor of the decorations, the scenery of St. Basil the Blessed is decisively different from the decor of the Muslim East. The flat patterns and colored tiles of the East are of such a fractional nature, with their motley colors they create the impression of such a shimmer that even the most massive dome loses its materiality, as it seems to be covered with a carpet.

Intercession Cathedral was often compared with Indian temples. But in them the forms are rather weakly divided, they seem to swell, they contain a simply monstrous heap of reliefs, floral ornaments and all kinds of carvings. All this strikes the human imagination, like an outlandish fairy tale. On the contrary, the Western European temple of the Renaissance consistently and logically subordinates each separate part to the whole, hence the persistent attraction to geometric forms - a cube, a cylinder, etc. The Russian temple was created on the verge of two worlds - East and West, it forms a well-organized and orderly whole: each part of it expands freely, stretches upwards and grows like a lush flower. During its more than four centuries of history, this unique work of world architecture has survived numerous fires. Reconstructions and repairs increasingly changed the original appearance of the temple. In 1930, when the stone Mausoleum was built and the Red Square was reconstructed, the monument to Minin and Pozharsky was moved to the cathedral, thanks to which almost all the domes can now be seen from the square at a glance. In 1934, the demolition of the dilapidated quarter opened up a view of St. Basil's Cathedral and from the side of the Moscow River.

Cathedral of the Archangel. In 1505, the Venetian architect Aloysius (Aleviz the New, as he was called in Russia) laid the foundation for a new cathedral - the Archangel Cathedral, which was completed in 1508. This temple, the second largest after the Assumption Cathedral, was supposed to serve as the tomb of the Russian Grand Dukes, which it was before Peter I, when the tsars began to be buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Compared to the austere and majestic Assumption Cathedral, the Archangel Cathedral is more ornate. Its southern and northern facades are divided into 5 sections vertically, which corresponds to the internal structure, and into two floors horizontally. This technique, taken from Venetian architecture, violates the generally accepted principle of identifying internal device buildings outside. There is no choir inside the temple. Therefore, the entire external decoration does not carry any constructive load, as it was in the Assumption Cathedral. On the traditional Orthodox basis of the church building, the architect superimposes the details and elements of the classical order, without attaching any particular importance to it. Aleviz fills the semicircles of traditional Russian zakomar with very decorative details in the form of huge sea shells, hitherto unseen in Russia. The construction of Aleviz had a very great influence on the decorative design of Russian churches in subsequent decades.

Ivan the Great belltower. In 1505-1508, another Italian architect, Bon Fryazin, erected a church "under the bells" of John of the Ladder on the site of the old building. At first, it was two-tiered, its tent rose 60 meters. It simultaneously served as both a bell tower and a watchtower. With its severe appearance, it looked like a donjon of a Western European castle. In 1600, Tsar Boris Godunov ordered to build on the bell tower, making it two tiers higher, and to crown it with a golden dome, as evidenced by the eloquent inscription placed high on the drum of the dome in three horizontal belts. As a result of the superstructure, the height of the bell tower became 81 meters. Since then, it has acquired the appearance that we now know, and rightfully began to be called Ivan the Great, becoming the main Moscow vertical for many centuries. In Moscow, it was strictly forbidden to build buildings higher than Ivan the Great. This was primarily due to the fact that the bell tower remained the main watchtower and fire tower. But, of course, there was also a symbolic meaning in this.

Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye. The development of wooden architecture led to the transfer of the form of an 8-sided tent to stone architecture. This type of temples became widespread in the 16th century. The most striking example of stone tent architecture of the 16th century is the Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye, erected in honor of the birth of Ivan IV (the Terrible) in 1532 on the high bank of the Moskva River. Its height is 62 meters, the thickness of the walls is from 2 to 4 meters. This is no longer a cross-domed church inherited from Byzantium. In plan, the building is an equilateral cross. This pillar-shaped church has no supports inside, there is no usual apse outside. The building was erected on a high basement, surrounded on all sides by galleries. The interior of the temple is very small: 8.5 x 8.5 meters with a very significant - 41 meters - height. The aspiration upwards of all volumes of the Church of the Ascension, the rhythm of decorative details, perfectly matches the task of creating a memorial temple. It is clear that the main figurative impression should be created by the external appearance of the building. Until the 18th century, sculptural monuments were not known in Russia. If it was necessary to perpetuate some event or place, then a temple or a chapel was erected.

Church of the Intercession in Fili. Two stages are clearly traced in the architecture of the 17th century: the first half - the middle of the century and the second half - the end of the century. The first stage is characterized by the addition of the "classical" type of the Old Russian townsman temple - a small 5-domed pillarless building with a "false five-domed", brightly colored, with an abundance of decorative details, with the construction of a "ship" of three parts: a bell tower, a refectory, a church. A striking example of this type of church is the Church of the Trinity in Nikitniki in Moscow or the Church of the Nativity in Putinki. The last bright stage in the development of ancient Russian architecture was the "Naryshkin baroque". This style has nothing to do with European Baroque. Here, in stone architecture, traditional forms of Russian wooden architecture are used: "octagon on a quadrangle", the connection of the church with the bell tower under one dome - "the church under the bells", love for carved patterns, a beautiful centric plan. The most remarkable monument of the "Naryshkin baroque" is the Church of the Intercession in Fili, built in 1692-94. Its plan is similar to a quatrefoil, in each "petal" of which there is a vestibule with a cupola. On the central quadruple, raised on a high basement and surrounded by an open-air gallery, three octals were erected, the upper ones with a ringing. The temple fits very nicely into the surrounding landscape. As if with lace, the white-stone pattern encircles and frames all the details, elegantly standing out against a dark red background. Pyramidal silhouette, centricity, aspiration upwards allow us to rightly attribute this monument to temples-monuments.

Kizhi. The word "Kizhi" is short and somehow strange, mysterious, not Russian... Once upon a time, in the distant pagan times, the Karelians called this a place for games, kizhat, or rather, pagan Old Believer games. In the old days, it could be called "Kizhasuari" - the Island of merrymaking, one of the sixteen hundred and fifty islands of Lake Onega. The lake is wide, free, in bad weather it is gloomy, as if leaden, and on clear days it sparkles under the rays of the sun, which is dim in the north and therefore especially affectionate and desirable. In the transparent depths of the lake, reflected clouds are slowly floating, and wooded islands have capsized into the coastal waters. And for a moment one loses the idea of ​​where the real, tangible world ends and the ghostly, almost fantastic world begins... Kizhi is a small island off the northwestern shores of Lake Onega. It - unlike the neighboring ones - is almost treeless, only in some places a little alder or willow along the banks. From a distance, it seems flat, barely rising above the water. From south to north, the island stretches for 7-8 kilometers in length, in width - up to one and a half. On Maryanina Gora (the so-called low hill in the center of the island), one of the earliest Orthodox churches in these parts was built in ancient times. As a rule, they arose on the site of pagan temples. But then the church fell into disrepair, the service in it was not ruled for almost a hundred years, and soon it burned down from a lightning strike. Maryanina mountain was empty, and new church- Preobrazhenskaya - raised in another place, closer to the southern tip of the island. It was erected here in 1714, at the height of the Northern War. It was that significant time when Russia was firmly established on the shores of the Baltic, becoming a powerful maritime power. For Karelia, Pomorye and Zaonezhie, the Northern War was of particular importance. The border with Sweden - this age-old source of danger for the peasants of the frontier graveyards - was again pushed to the west. The people breathed more freely, the opportunity to return to peaceful labor and creative activity opened up before them again. It was in this atmosphere of a nationwide patriotic upsurge that the image of the Church of the Transfiguration arose - a majestic hymn to the Russian people in honor of their historical victories. It is no coincidence that an old legend directly links the construction of the Church of the Transfiguration with the personality of Peter I. “Peter I,” it says, “traveling from Povenets by Lake Onega, stopped at the Kizhi Island, noticed a lot of felled forest and, having learned about the construction, drew a plan with his own hand.”

Church of the Transfiguration rises to 37 meters - this is the height of an 11-storey building. It is all cut down from wood - from the base to the top, to the tip of the wooden cross on the upper dome. It is customary to say that “without a single nail”! Only the scaly clothing of the domes - the plowshare - is nailed with forged nails, one carnation for each plowshare. Forged - means, tetrahedral in section. This is to ensure that the scales stand precisely and firmly, do not toss and turn. All other parts of the church were made without nails - because there was no need for them, such was the tradition of Russian carpentry. Accuracy and long-term stability were achieved by more reliable means. By virtue of this very tradition, the Church of the Transfiguration was built using only an ax and a chisel, without the slightest intervention of a saw, although the saw had long been in use. The Russian carpenter's ax is an amazing tool! An ax in the hands of a northern carpenter is a truly universal tool. Of course, it would be more convenient to cut the logs with a saw, but the force of habit, the power of ancient traditions were too great, and the logs were cut with an ax, so much so that not the slightest notch remained. At the same time, the capillaries of the tree were compressed, and it absorbed less moisture. And with the same ax and chisel they wove the finest lace of ornamental gaps. You wonder when you look at the fit of the logs. After all, log cabins were usually caulked (and they are still caulking!) - some with tow, some with moss. Here it was simply impossible - so tightly, so precisely, the logs of the crowns fit one to another.

The Church of the Transfiguration has twenty-two domes. Lancet “barrels” swept their wings to the sides - like kokoshniks of Russian beauties. And on the crests - slender drums and onion domes with crosses, covered with scales of a silvery plowshare. On the northern white nights they glow with a mysterious phosphorescent brilliance, on a gloomy day they seem dull silver, on a fine day they turn blue. Sometimes they turn bright white, like polished aluminium, sometimes they are dull and leaden, or mossy and green, or brown like earth ... But most strikingly, they change when the sun sets behind distant islands: then the domes slowly flare up under a cold green sky, fill up heat and do not cool down for a long time. One tier, another, a third, a fourth... Higher, higher, and now the upper head crashed into the very sky, crowning this whole grandiose pyramid. There is a legend among the people about the builder of the Church of the Transfiguration that, having finished the work, he threw his ax far into Lake Onega and said: “Master Nestor built this church, there was not, is not and will not be like that.” Yes, there is no such thing and never will be! Domes, domes... They literally stun at first. Sometimes, especially at sunrise or sunset, it seems that the church is not a creation of human hands, but a miracle of nature itself, an unprecedented flower or a magical tree that has grown in this harsh northern region. It has something of the fabulous tower-towers, and at the same time it exudes heroic, epic epic, uncomplicated simplicity of peasant buildings. But the most amazing and wonderful thing is something else. The more and more attentively you peer into the Church of the Transfiguration, the more you are struck not by the fantastic cascades of domes, but by the impeccable architectural composition, the unique combination of artistic improvisation and strict classicism of all proportions and details. Everything is very simple, because it’s not without reason that people say: “Where it’s simple, there are a hundred angels, and where it’s tricky, there isn’t a single one.” The inseparability of beauty and usefulness is the most important feature of real architecture, and in the Church of the Transfiguration, both of these principles are firmly connected.

At the base of the church is an octagon, an octagonal frame. This form was used in the old days for tall, voluminous buildings, and besides, it had many other advantages. The octagonal base gave more opportunities for building aisles, galleries, porches, which was convenient and gave the whole building majesty and picturesqueness. So, in terms of three successively decreasing octagon, placed one on top of the other and lined from below with four cuts - on the cardinal points. The Church of the Transfiguration does not have a facade, there is no division into the main and the secondary. You perceive it all as a living organism, like an unprecedented tree, which stretches with its branches-domes to the sky. The stepwise rising onions of the domes seem to be all the same, but you look closely - a slightly noticeable alternation of larger and smaller ones. The ancient architects were well aware that without such an alternation, unity would turn into a dull monotony. It is built of horse pine, especially strong and resinous, grown on very dry ground. Walls were cut from it, and aspen was used for plowshares. What appears to be a scale from below is actually a rather large (up to 40 centimeters long) plate hewn with an ax, convexly rounded, stepwise tapering downwards. This is a kind of special wooden tile. These plates are overlapped, on 22 domes of the Church of the Transfiguration - 30,000 such plates! Aspen goes to the plates because it lends itself well to processing, does not crack and does not warp in the rain and sun. The hewn, rounded with an ax plate is silky to the touch, from time to time it only seems to turn gray, acquiring a bluish gloss and at the same time, as it were, mirror properties.

There are almost no purely decorative details in the Church of the Transfiguration. The artistic basis in them is inseparable from strict practical expediency. The builders of the Church of the Transfiguration thought not only about the beauty of lines and architectural volumes. They were also worried about the path of a small raindrop from the topmost cupola to the ground. After all, in the end, it also depended on how long this beauty would stand in Kizhi. The path of a raindrop from the cross of the central head to the ground can tell a lot. From ploughshare to ploughshare, from dome to barrel, from barrel to policeman, then to the water tank, from tier to tier, from ledge to ledge... Everything is combined into a technical system of water drainage and protection of the building from precipitation, thought out to the smallest detail. There is even a possibility, if raindrops still penetrate through the roof, fall into the "sky" and damage his painting. Foreseen and warned... Inside the lower octagon, a second gable roof was made - from thick boards, a layer of birch bark and a birch bark crate. Under the junction of its slopes lies an inclined dugout tray, along which water (if it nevertheless penetrates inside) flows out. Even if the tray leaks, in this case, a second similar tray is made under it, insuring.

By its type, the Church of the Transfiguration is a summer (or cold) church. They served in it only on especially solemn occasions, on the days of local patronal holidays, and even then only during the short northern summer. She does not have winter frames and double doors, insulated floor and ceiling. In summer churches there is less dampness, through cracks and openings there is continuous natural ventilation and drying of all rooms, parts and structures. They have stronger air draft, which means that the tree dries out faster and there is less danger of rot, dangerous fungi and insects. The Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior became, as it were, the swan song of ancient Russian wooden architecture. This is not an ordinary rural temple, but a memorial building, a monument-monument. After the construction was completed, master Nestor threw an ax into Lake Onega so that no one else could build anything like it. For glory native land and the Transfiguration Church has been standing in Kizhi for two and a half centuries.

1. Church in ancient Russia

a) Baptism

Although officially Russia has been considered Orthodox since 988, the struggle between Orthodoxy and paganism has continued throughout history. medieval church. The pagans passed down spells and spells from generation to generation, decorated houses and clothes with pagan ornaments, performed pagan rituals, turned to the Magi for help: healers and amulets makers, listened to the narrators of pagan myths - "blasphemer". From the latter, Orthodox fighters against paganism formed the word "blasphemy". Pagan games were held in the city squares. In the church teaching of the 12th century. describes crowded pagan gatherings in any weather and empty churches. Why did Russians adopt the unpopular Byzantine faith in the tenth century?

Christianity spread in the world in two ways: the first - with the swords of Christian armies (for example, among the Saxons, Western Slavs, Balts), the second - through the state or tribal elite. The French medieval historian Jacques Le Gough notes: Christian preaching almost always failed when it tried to reach out to pagan nations and convince the masses. But, as a rule, she succeeded when she attracted leaders to her side.» . The reason is also known. The ruler who adopted Christianity received the divine sanction of his power, for " no power from god". The subjects in the church were solemnly taught: “ Slaves obey your masters according to the flesh in everything, not only serving them in the eyes, but in simplicity of heart, fearing God. And everything that you do, do it from the heart, as for the Lord, and not for people, knowing that in reward from the Lord you will receive an inheritance»; « Slaves, obey the masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling, as to Christ. Not only with visible helpfulness, like people-pleasers, but like servants of Christ, fulfilling the Will of God from the heart. Serving with diligence as to the Lord and not to men», « Servants with all fear, obey the masters, not only the good and meek, but also the stern» .

The chronicle tells about the baptism of Russia: People went with joy, rejoicing and saying: “If it wasn’t good, our prince and boyars would not have accepted this.» . In the light of the foregoing, the adoption of Christianity by "our prince and the boyars" is not surprising. But how peacefully was the new religion affirmed in the lower classes?

According to the same chronicle. on the eve of baptism, Perun was thrown into the river and " crying unfaithful people to him”, therefore, discontent took place. The chronicle appeal of Prince Vladimir to those Kievans who do not wish to be baptized is indicative: “ my opponent will be" or even " will be contrary to Christ God and our power and n e will be spared from us» . Metropolitan Hilarion in his "Sermon on Law and Grace" frankly wrote: And there was not one who resisted his pious[Vladimir] command, and if anyone not with love, but forced to baptize with fear because his piety[Vladimir] associated with power» . One of the sources included in Tatishchev's "History" added the following to the official narration about the baptism in Kyiv: " Others followed the need, but petrified in heart, like an asp, deafly plugging their ears, they went into the deserts and forests, but they would perish in their wickedness.» . The Tale of Bygone Years reports a logical consequence: “ The riots have multiplied". The Christian bishops demanded the most severe measures from the prince: Why don't you execute robbers"? It is logical to assume that it was the Christian clergy who especially suffered from the newly appeared robbers. " I'm afraid of sin", - responded the prince with obvious irony. It should be taken into account that on pagan Russia there was no death penalty, there was blood feud and a fine (vira), the demand of the bishops was based precisely on Christian, Byzantine legislation. Such a literal interpretation of “Thou shalt not kill” did not suit the bishops: “ You were appointed by God to punish the evil, and to the good for mercy. You should execute the robbers» . After some time, the bishops figured out the situation: Vira turned out to be one of the main sources of princely income, a tenth of which went to the clergy. Vira was restored, and as early as the 12th century, the churchmen themselves collected it in the villages that belonged to them.

With special difficulty was the Christianization of Novgorod. The story of the "Joachim Chronicle" is well known.

« 6499(991). In Novgorod, people, seeing that Dobrynya was going to baptize them, made a veche and swore all of them not to let them into the city and not to let them refute the idols. And when he arrived, they, having swept away the great bridge, came out with weapons, and no matter what threats or affectionate words Dobrynya exhorted them, they did not want to hear, and they brought out two large crossbows with many stones, and placed them on the bridge, as on their real enemies. The highest above the Slavic priests, Bogomil, who because of his eloquence was named the Nightingale, forbade people to submit.

We stood on the trading side, walked through the markets and streets, and taught people as best we could. But to those perishing in wickedness, the word of the cross, which the apostle spoke, was foolishness and deceit. And so we stayed for two days and baptized several hundred people. The skinny thousands of Novgorod Ugony, went everywhere and shouted: "It is better for us to die than to give our gods a mockery." The people of this country, having become furious, ruined the house of Dobrynya, plundered the estate, beat his wife and relatives. Thousand Vladimirov Putyata, a smart and brave man, having prepared a boat and choosing 500 people from Rostov, crossed over the city to the other side at night and entered the city, and no one was careful, since everyone who saw them thought they saw their soldiers. He, having reached the court of Stealing, immediately sent him and other first husbands to Dobrynya across the river. The people of that country, having heard about this, gathered up to 5000, surrounded Putyata, and there was an evil slaughter between them. Some went and the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord was swept away and the houses of Christians began to be robbed. And at dawn, Dobrynya arrived in time with the soldiers who were with him, and he ordered some houses to be set on fire near the shore, which people were very frightened of, and they ran to put out the fire; and immediately they stopped whipping, and then the first men, having come to Dobrynya, began to ask for peace.

Dobrynya, having gathered the soldiers, forbade robbery, and immediately crushed the idols, burned the wooden ones, and broke the stone ones and threw them into the river; and there was great sorrow for the wicked. Men and women, seeing this, with a great cry and tears, asked for them, as if for real gods. Dobrynya, mocking, said to them: "What, crazy, you regret those who cannot defend themselves, what good can you expect from them." And he sent it everywhere, announcing that everyone should go to baptism.<...>And many came, and the soldiers dragged those who did not want to be baptized and baptized, men above the bridge, and women below the bridge.<...>And so baptizing, Putyata went to Kyiv. That is why people reproach the Novgorodians, they say, Putyata baptized them with a sword, and Dobrynya with fire» .

Confirmation of the events described in the Joachim Chronicle was discovered by the Novgorod archaeological expedition led by Acad. V. L. Yanina. Dendrochronological analysis of wooden pavements in Novgorod makes it possible to date one or another layer with an accuracy of up to a year. Under the tier of 989-990, in coastal quarters, traces of an unusually large fire were found (within the excavation - 9,000 sq. M.). Large treasures were found in the same layer, hidden under the floor - a domestic treasury. Thus, in the year of baptism, the coastal quarters of Novgorod, indeed, perished from fire. The events, according to V. L. Yanin, were not bloodless, since the owners of the treasures found did not return to the ashes of their homes.

"The Life of the Grand Duke Vladimir" tells: " ordered to put holy churches everywhere, in cities and villages, and to create honest monasteries everywhere, to destroy idol temples and give them possession» . « And striving not only to Kyiv, but also to enlighten his entire state with the light of faith, Vladimir sent people to all Russian cities to baptize the peoples, but he imposed a heavy tribute on those who did not want to be baptized.» . According to The Tale of the Placement of Christianity in Murom, the baptists lured people into the new faith by tax cuts (“ dues easy"), a " sometimes torment and wounds threatening them[pagans]”, mocked pagan shrines: “ idols poprash and crush and create without a trace» . The same is told in the "Life" of the Rostov Bishop Isaiah, describing how Isaiah from Rostov " bypasses other cities and places in the Rostov and Suzdal regions", and where " finds idols, sets them all on fire» .

The "rule" of Metropolitan John (1089) established "violently punish for evil», « but do not kill to death, nor circumcise the body" those who " sorcery and sorcery"create, and even then in advance" words and punishment "trying to" turn from the evil» . In the Synodal edition of the church charter of Prince Vladimir, among the offenses subject to church punishment, are listed: “ or who prays under a barn, or in a grove, or by the water and again sorcery, sorcery» . The Trinity edition of the charter (16th century) also included those who “ they pray to creatures, the sun, the moon, stars, clouds, winds, wells, rivers, dubia, mountains, stones» .

In 1227, four Magi were seized in Novgorod, taken to the court of the archbishop, and then burned, despite the intercession of the boyars. Researchers associate this execution with the use of Byzantine church law in Russia - the “Nomocanon of Patriarch Photius” translated in Ancient Russia read: “ Neither the bird-reader, nor the priest, and none of their servants, during such a rite, should enter anyone on any business, even their friends, otherwise he himself is burned and the one who called him is subject to confiscation of property» . A year later, the archbishop was expelled by the townspeople.

A letter from the Pskov abbot Pamphilus (beginning of the 16th century) has been preserved, the author of which gives an interesting description of the pagan holiday on the night of Ivan Kupala and demands that the governor of the city eradicate pagan rites. " The false faith of idols has not yet disappeared here, holidays in honor of idols, satanic joy and merriment ... When the great holiday comes, the day of the Nativity of the Forerunner[pagan night of Ivan Kupala], then, on that holy night, almost the entire city goes into a frenzy, and rages from tambourines, and snot, and the buzz of strings, and enjoys all kinds of obscene satanic games, splashing and dancing ... the magi-husbands and wives-sorceresses go out into the meadows and swamps, in the steppe and oak forests, looking for deadly grass ... But you, my lords, are the true rulers and formidable support of this Christ-loving city! With your brave courage, from such beginnings of idol service, this people created by God» . At the Stoglavy Council (1551), another prohibition of pagan rites was adopted: About the games of the Hellenic[pagan] demons. And many more from foolishness are a mere child[vulgar] Orthodox Christians in towns and villages create Hellenic demons, various games and dances on the eve of the Nativity of Christ and against the feast of John the Baptist at night and on the feast all day ... From now on, it is fitting for Orthodox Christians instead of these demons to come to the saints on such holy and honorable holidays churches of God and practice prayer ... and listen to the divine scripture with attention and the divine liturgy with fear of coming ... all Orthodox Christians do not go to such hellish demons either in cities or in villages» .

According to the royal decree of 1649: " It was known to the Sovereign that ... some people call those sorcerers, and sorcerers, and ungodly women into their house to small children, and those sorcerers perform all sorts of demonic sorcery over the sick and over babies and excommunicate Orthodox peasants from the orthodoxy; yes, in cities and districts, many people, male and female, converge at dawn and perform magic at night, from the solar descent of the first day of the moon they look and in a thunderous storm on the rivers and lakes they bathe, they hope for themselves from that health ... And the Great Sovereign .. ordered to make an order about those ungodly deeds so that Orthodox Christians would lag behind such demonic action ... and which people will not lag behind from all ungodly deeds ... those people should be punished ... beat with batogs» .

In connection with the persecution of the pagans, a well-known peasant superstition arose: if you met a priest - unfortunately. The ethnographer S. Maksimov wrote about this: “ Superstitious folk custom when meeting with priests, revered as a bad sign, indicating some precautions, such as throwing chips on the trail and other tricks, was born in ancient times ... The interpreters explained to us that during pagan times in Russia, the priest, as a representative of the new faith, a preacher of Christianity and a baptist , could be formidable for those who are still stagnant in idolatry. When a stranger took off his hat in front of him, he folded his hands so that right hand fell on the palm of the left, and came under the blessing, which means that the person is right: receive the blessing and go on your way. Otherwise, say: who are you, and what do you believe in, and do you know how to put a cross on your forehead; if you haven’t learned anything and haven’t learned anything, go to the civil authorities. This power will “pay for bailiffs” and will help the spiritual clergy to introduce a new sheep to the flock of the faithful by more reliable and impressive means than an oral persuasive sermon.» .

Russian pagans answered adequately. In Novgorod in 1066 Bishop Stephen was strangled, in the 70s. his successor was protected from the Novgorod common people by the prince and his retinue. Already in 1228, Archbishop Arseny of Novgorod was expelled from the city - accusing him of causing a crop failure. In Zalessky Rus, in Rostov in the 11th-12th centuries. Bishops Theodore and Hilarion were expelled, Leontius was killed. In Vyatka, the pagans killed the baptist - the monk Kuksha. Already in the 18th century, Archpriest Dimitry Sechenov reported on the rebellion of Russian idolaters from the Yaroslavl province who tried to kill him. Resistance acquired an organized character under the command of the Magi. In 1024, the Magi raised an uprising in Suzdal, the prince " having captured the Magi, he expelled some, and executed others» . A certain sorcerer began to prophesy in Kyiv, attracted a lot of people, but " went missing one night, allegedly carried away by the devil. Another sorcerer appeared in Novgorod, where he began to blaspheme the Christian faith and promise miracles. The power of the Novgorod bishop was shaken, and when he, wearing a festive vestment and taking a cross in his hands, called on the people of Novgorod to divide into those who believe in the sorcerer and believe in God: “ Prince Gleb and his squad went and stood near the bishop, and the people all went to the sorcerer". The situation was resolved with little bloodshed. The prince, hiding an ax under his cloak, approached the sorcerer and struck up a conversation with him: Do you know what will happen to you today?». « I will do great miracles", - answered the unsuspecting clergyman. The prince took out a hidden ax and with one blow confounded the seer's gift of the pagan. Naturally, there is no condemnation of such a theological argument as treacherous murder on the part of the chronicler's author. " And he fell dead, and the people dispersed. So he perished in body, and surrendered his soul to the devil", - the Orthodox monk summed up with satisfaction.

The baptism of Russia was accompanied by violence, although not as bloody as in countries where Christianity was brought by foreign armies.

b) Church in the socio-political life of Ancient Russia.

Savage punishments, the death penalty, groveling before those in power - what the Orthodox Church did not teach our ancestors. She taught both by word and by example. Let's consider in order.

As soon as they appeared in Russia, the clergy hurried to acquire slaves. Russkaya Pravda singled out the monastic serfs in particular. In the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery on " slave girls" lay the duty of grinding wheat with hand mills. The death in 1066 of Bishop Stephen has already been mentioned: his own serfs strangled him» . The story of Bishop Luka Zhidyata also testifies to the hostility of serfs towards spiritual owners. " There was slander against Bishop Luka from his serf Dudika; and went[bishop] from Novgorod to Kyiv, and Metropolitan Efrim condemned him, and he stayed there for 3 years". As a result, Luka was acquitted, " accepted his table in Novgorod and his region: Dudika, on the other hand, cut off the nose and both hands of the serf, and he fled to the Germans» .

The Middle Ages is the time of the deepest contradictions between ceremonial and actual morality. The official parade Christian morality was meek and philanthropic. The same Luka Zhidyata taught: “ Forgive brother brother and every man, do not return evil for evil» . The actual manners, as we have seen, were severe and ruthless. Another example. Very pious, Christ-loving”(an epithet from The Life of St. Theodosius”) Prince of Kyiv Izyaslav Yaroslavovich is a frequenter of the Pechersk Monastery and a favorite of the Abbot of St. Theodosius - was expelled by the townspeople from Kyiv. Returning from exile, the prince sent a punitive detachment in front of him, which executed many citizens , « and blinded others» . Blinding is a common method of getting rid of enemies in the Middle Ages, Russian princes borrowed it from Byzantium. Another Byzantine custom - cutting off hands - did not take root right away. In ancient Russia, only the church serf Dudik and the heretic bishop Fedor were punished in this way (about the latter in the chapter: "Persecution of heresies"). In secular legislation, self-mutilation was established only in the 15-17 centuries.

As we remember, the first demand of Christian bishops on Russian soil was the introduction of the death penalty. A hundred years later, the Metropolitan of Kyiv taught Vladimir Monomakh: There is zeal for God and vengeance for God's enemies. But next to him - malice and envy, as well as in the mind - good faith and evil faith. And look what happened from the evil: Cain left the virtue of feeling, that is, jealousy of God, and chose malice and envy, and killed his brother Abel, and was condemned to sevenfold vengeance from God. But Moses did not keep his anger that way, but when he saw an Egyptian husband beating a Jew, he killed him for the sake of the jealousy of God. And again, when he himself ascended the mountain to God, leaving the people below with Aaron, and he hesitated, the people bowed to idolatry and began to worship the head of the calf, cast in a fiery furnace of gold and silver. And descending from the mountain, he broke, in anger, the tablets of the law that he was carrying, and he himself took a spear for the sake of the jealousy of God, and took others with him, and beat many multitudes with him - this is how God's wrath manifested itself. And what did Phinehas do for the jealousy of God? He, having found a foreign wife who had been fornicating with an Israelite husband, pierced and killed both of them with a spear, stopping the death of the people beaten by the Midianites because of iniquity, and this was credited to him [Numbers, 25: 6-11, after the murder of the Jew and the Midianite woman by Phineas The Lord "turned away his wrath from the children of Israel ... and did not destroy" them]. Similarly, Elijah, having slaughtered the shameless priests because of the jealousy of God, was praised. Both robbers and pagans kill, but out of malice and for the sake of property» . Before us is the philosophy of pious murder justified by examples from the Bible: pagans kill out of malice and self-interest, Christians - for the sake of revenge on God's (read - church) enemies. Let the prince follow the example of Moses, Phinehas, Elijah (the same examples were given to monarchs by subsequent shepherds: St. Joseph Volotsky, Patriarch Philaret) and do not spare the enemies of the holy church. As I. S. Berdnikov, teacher of canon law at the Kazan Theological Academy, noted, one of the oldest provisions of church law says that the state is obliged to help the church punish religious criminals. The Russian Church acted in the same way as the Western Inquisition - it did not punish the criminals itself, but handed them over to the secular authorities for execution.

The hand washes the hand, the church honestly paid the secular authorities for the "roof". Luka Zhidyata taught the flock: Fear God, honor the prince - we are slaves, first of all, of God, and then of the master» . Metropolitan Nikifor addressed Vladimir Monomakh in the following way: “ This word is addressed to you, our valiant head and of all the Christ-loving land - to you, whom God understood from afar and predestined, whom from the womb he consecrated and anointed, mixing from royal and princely blood» . Or the record of the monk-chronicler: “ And the apostle Paul says: "Every soul obeys the authorities." By earthly nature, a king is similar to every person, but by the power of dignity, like God - the great Chrysostom prophesied. Thus, to oppose authority is to oppose the law of God.» .

In pre-Mongol Russia, the clergy were entirely subordinate to the princes. So Bishop Nicholas sent from Constantinople, confirmed in Rostov by the metropolitan, the prince sent back: “ The people of our land did not choose him, but if you put him, then keep him where you want, but put Luka for me» . It happened that the princes or veche (in Novgorod) removed the bishops from the pulpit for some misconduct, without asking the permission of their spiritual authorities. At their will, the princes could rank this or that churchman as a saint. The Caves hegumen Theodosius was a firm supporter of the Kyiv prince Izyaslav. The son of Izyaslav, Grand Duke Svyatopolk, ordered Theodosius to be canonized as a saint: “ God put in the heart of Theoktist, Hegumen of the Caves, and began to proclaim to Prince Svyatopolk, so that Theodosius was entered in the Synodik, and[Svyatopolk] he was glad, he promised and did it: he ordered the Metropolitan to write in all the Bishoprics, and all the Bishops happily entered to commemorate» .

During the years of princely civil strife, church hierarchs sometimes got confused - the power of which particular prince comes from God.

In 1018, Kyiv was taken by the troops of the Polish king Boleslav and Svyatopolk the Accursed (the latter is known in history as the murderer of his brothers: St. Martyrs Boris and Gleb). Metropolitan of Kyiv honorably met Boleslav and Svyatopolk in St. Sophia Cathedral, and then, as Boleslav's ambassador, went to Yaroslav the Wise for negotiations.

In 1073, the Kyiv prince Izyaslav was expelled from the city by his brothers, one of them, Svyatoslav, took the princely throne. In support of the exile came the Pechersk Monastery, to which Izyaslav gave part of the princely land back in 1062 - “ mountain» above the cave for the construction of monastic buildings. Svyatoslav gave the monastery another plot of princely lands and 100 hryvnias of gold. The monks recognized the power of the new prince. Some resistance was put up by one abbot of the monastery, Theodosius, but, according to his Life, he surrendered to the persuasion of the brethren and “ stopped blaming the prince» .

In 1164, after the death of another prince, the throne of Chernigov was vacated. The son of the deceased, Oleg, was absent. The widowed princess, the boyars and the bishop agreed to hide the death of the prince until Oleg arrived, since the nephew of the deceased, Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich of Novgorod, could also claim the reign. " And they kissed the Holy Savior on that, as if they could not be sent to Vsevolodovich of Novgorod; Bishop Anthony was the first to kiss St. Spas, and then the squad kissed». « And the bishop said: I am informing you of that matter, may God be to me and the Mother of God, that I will not send to Vsevolodovich in any way, nor will I put news; moreover, sons, I tell you not to perish in soul, and not be traitors like Judas". After this pathetic appeal, the bishop secretly sent the following message to Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich, urging him to capture Chernigov: “ the squad is far away in the cities, and the princess sits bewildered with the children, and what to profit from [« goods»] she has a lot, but you will go quickly, since Oleg has not yet entered, and of your own free will you will conclude an agreement with him". Antony's plan, for the most part, succeeded. Oleg managed to enter Chernigov, but he did not have enough time to concentrate forces sufficient for defense there, and Svyatoslav occupied several important strategic points. According to the peace treaty, Svyatoslav received Chernigov. The chronicler's assessment of Anthony's behavior is characteristic: “ Behold, speak more[the above words about Judas and others] flattery is melting in oneself - byache bo comes from Greeks» . As you can see, the Greeks in Russia had a low reputation (cf. “ the essence of the Greeks are flattering to this day» ). Not the best representatives of the Byzantine clergy went to distant Russia: priests deprived of their place for this or that misconduct, and adventurers who dreamed of getting rich quickly. Let's see in what ways the spiritual fathers collected earthly riches in Russia.

c) Do not lay up for yourselves treasures of the earth

From ancient times, the clergy served in Russia (and not only in Russia) as a symbol of greed. It is enough to read our proverbs. " He has poppy eyes. You won’t get good at priest’s eyes», « Ass, what a sheaf, what a haystack - everything is one (everything is small), "Priest's envious eyes, raking hands», « The priest's belly is sewn from seven sheepskins», « Be born, baptize, marry, die - give money for everything», « The priest does not have pockets, but bags» . Written sources confirm and complement folklore.

One of the sources of church income was the court, or rather, cases related to family and marriage, inherited by churchmen from pagan priests. As the main punishment, the church practiced monetary deductions in its favor. For the marriage of close relatives - 80 hryvnia to the bishop and a divorce. For bigamy - 40 hryvnia to the bishop, and the second wife for imprisonment in a church house. For a connection with a godfather - 1 hryvnia, with the wife's sister - 30, with a stepmother - 40, with a nun - 100 (the punishment of the nun is at the discretion of the bishop). For bestiality - 12 hryvnia and penance. Instead of penance - church punishment in the form, for example, of a certain number of prostrations per day - paid church services could be ordered (see "Questioning Kirik", 12th century). The Church faithfully stood guard over the interests of wealthy sinners.

Next, tithe. A tenth of their income provided "to the wonderful Savior and his wonderful mother" (i.e. the corresponding church) Prince Vladimir. Under the year 1086 we meet confirmation that Prince Yaropolk " the tithe was given by the holy Mother of God from all his estate all the time» . In the 12th century, Bishop Simon of Vladimir and Suzdal wrote to Polycarp, a monk of the Caves Monastery, that he himself would gladly leave the episcopate and become a simple monk in the Caves Monastery, despite the fact that “ you yourself know the power of our hierarchship. And who does not know me, a sinner, Bishop Simon, and this cathedral church, the beauty of Vladimir, and another, Suzdal church, which I myself created? How many cities and villages they have, and they collect tithes from them throughout that land - and our insignificance owns all this. And I would have left all this, but you know how great the spiritual work lies with me.» . Church hierarchs have easily dealt with the temptation to leave rich episcopal bread at all times.

The third form of provision for churchmen - feeding, the right to receive all income from a certain area - concerned mainly monasteries (see the corresponding chapter).

Not all churchmen were satisfied with a "legitimate" income. Bishop of Rostov Leon church robbers and priests”(i.e., overlaid the churches with additional taxes in favor of the bishops). His successor Fedor was " as insatiable as hell», « extorting from all estates". We know about the actions of both money-grubbers due to the fact that they were later convicted on charges of heresy. Meanwhile, their behavior was no exception. About the Novgorod Bishop Nifont in the Novgorod Chronicle, the news was preserved that he robbed the church of St. Sophia and departed for Constantinople, according to some researchers, in order to achieve placement there on the Kyiv metropolitan throne. Nifont did not recognize the then Metropolitan of Russian origin Klim Smolyatich, because he was elected without the consent of the Patriarch of Constantinople. In Byzantium, the Bishop of Novgorod exhausted a lot of estates and distributed it to the Patriarch of Constantinograd and other people there» .

The disinterestedness of the clergy was already considered an exception in the period under review. Metropolitan Klim Smolyatich dissociated himself from those churchmen, “ who join house to house, village to village, acquire an outcast in [peasants expelled from the community], and syabrs [community peasants ], boards and reaps, wastelands and arable lands. I, cursed Klim, am completely free from all this.» . Already at the beginning of the 13th century. The greatest praise for the bishop was: that was a blessed bishop, chosen by God, and a true shepherd, and not a hireling; this is a lamb, and not a wolf, not a hitting wealth from other people's houses, not taking it, boasting about it, but more than exposing a robber and a bribe-taker» . Historian B. A. Romanov comments on this passage: “ first of all, declaring that he was a conscientious shepherd: not a covetous man, not a robber, not a bribe-taker, but an accuser of all such. A literary device behind which stands life itself, with its more than a century of experience: it was necessary to exclude images that suggest themselves, in order to then put in their place features that otherwise might seem far-fetched, conditional, and therefore implausible» .

The lower clergy did not lag behind the hierarchs in collecting earthly treasures. In the second half of the 12th c. Bishop Ilya of Novgorod addressed his priests with the following admonitions: I see more and hear, you drink before dinner, "and" in the evening you got drunk, and in the morning you do the service". On whom, looking at, should the laity abstain (“ in plain language"") - they drink all night (" through the night”) all the way! And the everyday situation behind this episcopal cry was this: it was the devil who put it in our minds. get from drunk people, putting aside hope in God; we put her on drunk people", and with her" went to the evening feast» . That is, feasts were used by the lower clergy to beg for handouts from the wealthy. Daniil Zatochnik (13th century) writes about the same: “ bypass the villages and houses of the powerful of this world, like flattering dogs. Where are weddings and feasts, there are monks and nuns» . Although the church declared usury a sin (Luka Zhidyata: “ don't let it grow»; Serapion Vladimirsky: " brothers, let us turn away from evil, gain through interest”), it was the priests who she had to denounce for violating the ban. Bishops sternly threatened usurers in cassocks: “do not worthy to serve, who does not leave him"(Bishop Nifont)," about whom I find out, then I will take away the money and punish"(Bishop Ilya).

The exorbitant wealth of the clergy aroused the appetite of the secular authorities. Bishop Kirill was rich in money and villages and all goods and books, and it’s easier to say, he was so rich in everything, like none of the bishops who were before him in Suzdal» . In 1229, an assembly of princes, under an unknown pretext, took away all the property of the overweight pastor. Fortunately for the churchmen, ten years later they had a powerful patron who protected church property from all attempts for many years. More on this in the next chapter.

Notes.

1. Until the 17th century. church teachings against paganism were copied, until the 18th century. in the church breviaries there were questions to the confessors - whether he went to the Magi, whether he followed their instructions (B. Rybakov. Paganism of ancient Russia. - M .: Nauka, 1988. - P. 773). Already in the 40s. 18th century Bishop Dmitry Sechenov reported on the attack on him by Russian pagans (S. Solovyov. History, 1743).

2. B. Rybakov. The paganism of ancient Russia. - M.: Nauka, 1988. - S. 766-778

3. J. le Goff. Civilization of the Medieval West. - M.: Progress-Academy, 1992. - S. 140

4. Bible. 1 Pet. 2, 18; Qty. 3, 22; Tit. 2, 9; Eph. 6.5

5. Radziwill Chronicle: Text. Study. Description of miniatures // RAS. - M .: Glagol - St. Petersburg: Art, 1994. - P. 85

8. PSRL. T. 9. - S. 57; PSRL. T. 21. Part 1. - S. 106

9. Hilarion. Word about the Law and Grace // Zlatostruy: Ancient Russia of the XXIII centuries. - M .: Young guard, 1990. - S. 117

10. V. N. Tatishchev. Russian History: in 7 vols. T. 2. - M.-L., 1962. - P. 63

11. How Russia was baptized. - M., 1988. - S. 150; N. Shelkopryas. The death penalty in Russia: History of formation and development: IX-ser. 19th century - Minsk, 2000. - P. 14

12. Radziwill chronicle. – p. 91

13. Diploma of Mstislav Vladimirovich to the Yuryev Monastery // Reader on the history of Russia from ancient times to 1618. - M., 2004. - S. 262

14. Unfortunately, the “Joachim Chronicle” was preserved only in Tatishchev’s “History”. The chronicle was compiled in the 17th century, while the compiler relied on earlier sources, see V. Yanin. Day of the tenth century // Knowledge is power. - 1983. - P. 17

15. V. Tatishchev. Russian history: in 7 vols. T. 1. - M.-L., 1962. - S. 112113

16. A. Froyanov. Beginning of Christianity in Russia. - Izhevsk, 2003. - P. 96; V. Yanin. Day of the tenth century // Knowledge is power. - 1983. - P. 17; He is. Russian city. Issue. 7. - M., 1984. - S. 55; B. Kolchin. Dendrochronology of Novgorod // Materials and researches in archeology. No. 117. - M., 1963. - P. 85; S. Yanina. Nerevsky treasure of Kufic coins of the 10th century // Materials and researches in archeology. No. 55. - M., 1956; S. Yanina. The second Nerevsky treasure of Kufic coins of the 10th century. - Materials and research on archeology. No. 117

17. Library of Literature of Ancient Russia. T. 12 // RAN. - St. Petersburg: Nauka, 2003. - S. 397

18. Life of the Grand Duke Vladimir // Biographies of memorable people of the Russian land: XXX centuries. - M .: Moskovsky worker, 1992. - S. 20

19. The story of the establishment of Christianity in Murom // Tsit. by A. Froyanov. Beginning of Christianity in Russia. - P. 94; Wed A. Dvornichenko. Ancient Russian society and church. - L., 1988. - S. 12

20. Library of Literature of Ancient Russia. T. 12 // RAN. - St. Petersburg: Nauka, 2003. - S. 258

21. RIB, VI, pp. 7 and 4

22. Old Russian princely charters of the XI - XV centuries. - M.: Nauka, 1976. - S. 23

23. Ibid. – p. 78

24. PSRL. T. 10. - S. 94

25. M. Benemansky. City law. Its meaning in Russian law. - M., 1917. - S. 101; V. Zhivov. The history of Russian law as a linguosemiotecheskaya problem // Research in the history and prehistory of Russian culture. - M., 2002. - S. 222 (note 36); A. Bulychev. Between saints and demons. - M., 2005. - S. 46

26. Nomocanon of Patriarch Photius of Constantinople. Part 2. - Kazan, 1899. - S. 308-309

27. Message from Abbot Pamphilus // Monuments of Literature of Ancient Russia. - M .: Fiction, 1984. - S. 320321

28. Stoglavy Cathedral of 1551 // Reader on the history of the USSR from ancient times to the end of the 18th century // Comp. prof. P. P. Epifanov, O. P. Epifanova. - M.: Enlightenment, 1989. - S. 122

29. Historical acts collected and published by the Archeographic Commission. T. 4. - S. 124–126

30. Winged words as interpreted by S. Maksimov. - St. Petersburg, 1899

31. PSRL. T. 1. - S. 148

32. PSRL. T. 1. - S. 148, 174-175, 180-181

33. Reader on the history of the state and law of Russia. - M., 2000. - S. 15

34. Patericon of the Kiev Caves Monastery. - St. Petersburg, 1911. - S. 123

35. PSRL. T. 3. - S. 473

36. PSRL. T. 3. - S. 182-183

37. Instruction to the brethren // Zlatostruy: Ancient Russia X-XIII centuries. - M., 1990. - S. 152

38. PSRL. T. 1. - S. 174

39. Message from Nicephorus, Metropolitan of Kyiv, to Prince Vladimir, son of Vsevolod, son of Yaroslav // Zlatostruy. - S. 174

40. I. S. Berdnikov. A short course in church law. T. 2. - Kazan, 1913. - S. 973, 981

41. Instruction to the brethren // Zlatostruy. - S. 152

42. Ibid. – p. 173

43. Radziwill chronicle. – S. 225226

44. Op. by A. Dvornichenko. Ancient Russian society and church. - L., 1988. - S. 19

45. PSRL. T. 9. - S. 141

46. ​​Titmar of Merseburg. Chronicle. - M., 2005. - S. 177-178

47. Kiev-Pechersk Patericon // Library of Literature of Ancient Russia. T. 4. XII century. - SPb., 2000. - S. 320

National history. Crib Barysheva Anna Dmitrievna

3 THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN THE LIFE OF ANCIENT RUSSIA

The Russian Church from the moment of its creation began to be regarded as part of the Ecumenical Church of Constantinople. The metropolitan was appointed by the patriarch. In part, this circumstance took place due to the desire of Byzantium to control the policy of the Kyiv principality. Nevertheless, Russian foreign policy maintained its independence thanks to the persistence of the first princes. Yaroslav the Wise appointed the Russian priest Hilarion as metropolitan, thereby putting an end to the dispute with the Greeks.

And yet it is difficult not to appreciate the influence of the Russian Church on the life of the Slavs. If you look at the changes that have taken place, they affected all spheres: politics, economics, culture and spiritual life.

The church has never been in poverty from an economic point of view: the prince donated his own tithe to her. In addition, new economic entities appeared - monasteries. They partially sold their products on the market, and partially stored them for future use.

The church grew rich faster than the great princes, since the struggle for power bypassed it, there was no destruction of material values ​​even in the later years of the Mongol-Tatar invasion.

Christian morality has made its own adjustments to political life: the relationship of domination and subordination began to be regarded as correct and pleasing to God, and the church received the place of guarantor and arbiter in political reality. Tribal separatism and liberties were suppressed as demonic intrigues, in addition, the introduction of monotheism called into question the expediency of tribal organization and the priority of revered local gods. One faith and one ruler of all Russia - this is the formula of a new religion.

It is impossible not to appreciate the contribution of the Christian Church to the culture of ancient Russian society: the first sacred books appeared, the monk brothers Cyril and Methodius from Bulgaria invented the Slavic alphabet.

Among the population of the Kyiv principality, the percentage of literate people increased.

If Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich could not read, then his son Yaroslav himself could enjoy the work of ancient Greek poets.

For the Slavs, who lived according to the laws of the pagan world, Christian norms seemed unusual: "do not kill", "do not steal" and formed a new pattern of behavior.

Christianity provided an opportunity for all Slavs to feel like citizens of one country, united by one religion, language and spiritual fathers.

The international prestige of the Kyiv principality increased: the royal houses of Europe wished to intermarry with the Russian princes as equals. The daughters of Yaroslav the Wise became the spouses of the French, Hungarian and Norwegian kings. And he himself was married to the Norwegian princess Ingigerd.