DOI article:
Brumfield, William Craft: Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-century church architecture in Vologda Province
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48915#0044
SlXTEENTH- AND SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY CHURCH ArCHITECTURE IN YOLOGDA PROYINCE
39
structures were substantially modified in the 18th and 19th centuries. The architectural
monuments of Veliki Ustug can be defined as attractive provincial variations of parish church
architecture from central and western Russia, and the city is distinguished primarily by
the harmony of its architectural ensembles within the natural setting along the Sukhona River.
The Trinity-Gleden Monastery, although visible from Veliki Ustug, is situated on
the opposite bank of the Sukhona and some five kilometers to the Southwest of the city. In fact,
the monastery occupies the site of the area’s earliest historical settlement, known as Gleden;
but devastating raids in 1436 and 1438 by the forces of Vasily Kosoi and his allies led
to abandonment of Gleden as a town.13 However, the monastery, which was presumably
established no later than the middle of the 13th century, continued to exist on the site, with its
three churches rebuilt in wood.14 The earliest masonry structure is the monastery cathedral,
dedicated to the Trinity (ill. 9). Construction work began in 1659 with the support of donations
by Siła and Ivan Grudtsyn, from one of Ustug’s wealthiest merchant families. Subseąuent
financial and legał difficulties after the death of the brothers halted construction for much of
the 1660s until 1690. The structure was finally completed only at the end of the 17th century.15
The cathedral’s design and exterior form owe much to the slightly earlier Cathedral
of the Archangel Michael (1653-6) at the monastery of the same name in Ustug itself (ill.
10). Both are elevated on a high socle, or podklei', both have walls that rise to a cornice
underlying the curved gable ends, or zakamary (a distant derivation from early Italian
influence, such as the Archangel Michael Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin); and each has
a level, four-sloped roof placed over the zakamary (as opposed to a roofline following
the contours of the curved gables).16 Each also has a raised porch, or parvis, attached to all
but the east faęade. There are other similarities, and some differences, such as the position
of the free-standing beli tower: at the northwest corner of the Archangel Cathedral and
directły to the west of the Trinity Cathedral (the latter being a highly unusual arrangement
for a beli tower in relation to a monastery cathedral).
But the major difference between the two main monastery cathedrals of Veliki Ustug
concerns the interior structure. The Archangel Michael Cathedral has four pierś, in the
traditional inscribed-cross arrangement. In contrast, the Trinity Cathedral has two pierś in
a plan that resembles the Solvychegodsk Annunciation Cathedral of a century earlier. There
are, however, significant differences between the latter two structures. The Annunciation
Cathedral has two massive bays on the north and south faęades that accurately reflect
the interior spatial division, whereas the pilasters dividing the north and south faęades
13 Chronicie references to the two raids by Vasily Kosoi and the Viatchane are contained in A. A. TITOV, ed., Letopis’
Yelikoustiuzhckaia, Moscow: Trapeznikov, 1889 p. 28.
14 There is no documentary evidence as to the datę of the founding of the Trinity-Gleden Monastery, but it is clearly one
of the earliest monastic institutions in the north. For a discussion of possible dates, see SHIL’NIKOVSKAYA, Yeliki Ustug,
op. cit. pp. 113-4.
15 After the death of the first two brothers, the third brother, Vasily Grudtsyn, was left a beąuest by his father-in-Iaw, Filaret
(who had become an elder at the monastery) to complete the cathedraFs construction. Vasily did not honor the agreement,
and not until the hegumen of the monastery appealed to Patriarch loakim in Moscow did Grudtsyn release the money for
construction around 1690. SeeBOCHAROV, VYGOLOV,Sol’vychegodsk, op.ciL pp. 249-50. Further Information on the
Trinity-Gleden Monastery and its cathedral is contained in SHIUNIKOSKAYA, Yeliki Ustug, op. cit. pp. 113-7. Shil’nikovskaia
notes (p. 117) that by the 19th century, the Trinity Monastery had become so impoverished that it was placed in the care of the
Archangel Monastery, and conseąuently there was no further construction that might have damaged the ensemble created
in the 17th and 18th centuries.
16 On the architecture ofthe Archangel Michael Cathedral, seeBOCHAROV,VYGOLOV,So/Tyc/zego4sC op. cif pp. 196-203.
39
structures were substantially modified in the 18th and 19th centuries. The architectural
monuments of Veliki Ustug can be defined as attractive provincial variations of parish church
architecture from central and western Russia, and the city is distinguished primarily by
the harmony of its architectural ensembles within the natural setting along the Sukhona River.
The Trinity-Gleden Monastery, although visible from Veliki Ustug, is situated on
the opposite bank of the Sukhona and some five kilometers to the Southwest of the city. In fact,
the monastery occupies the site of the area’s earliest historical settlement, known as Gleden;
but devastating raids in 1436 and 1438 by the forces of Vasily Kosoi and his allies led
to abandonment of Gleden as a town.13 However, the monastery, which was presumably
established no later than the middle of the 13th century, continued to exist on the site, with its
three churches rebuilt in wood.14 The earliest masonry structure is the monastery cathedral,
dedicated to the Trinity (ill. 9). Construction work began in 1659 with the support of donations
by Siła and Ivan Grudtsyn, from one of Ustug’s wealthiest merchant families. Subseąuent
financial and legał difficulties after the death of the brothers halted construction for much of
the 1660s until 1690. The structure was finally completed only at the end of the 17th century.15
The cathedral’s design and exterior form owe much to the slightly earlier Cathedral
of the Archangel Michael (1653-6) at the monastery of the same name in Ustug itself (ill.
10). Both are elevated on a high socle, or podklei', both have walls that rise to a cornice
underlying the curved gable ends, or zakamary (a distant derivation from early Italian
influence, such as the Archangel Michael Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin); and each has
a level, four-sloped roof placed over the zakamary (as opposed to a roofline following
the contours of the curved gables).16 Each also has a raised porch, or parvis, attached to all
but the east faęade. There are other similarities, and some differences, such as the position
of the free-standing beli tower: at the northwest corner of the Archangel Cathedral and
directły to the west of the Trinity Cathedral (the latter being a highly unusual arrangement
for a beli tower in relation to a monastery cathedral).
But the major difference between the two main monastery cathedrals of Veliki Ustug
concerns the interior structure. The Archangel Michael Cathedral has four pierś, in the
traditional inscribed-cross arrangement. In contrast, the Trinity Cathedral has two pierś in
a plan that resembles the Solvychegodsk Annunciation Cathedral of a century earlier. There
are, however, significant differences between the latter two structures. The Annunciation
Cathedral has two massive bays on the north and south faęades that accurately reflect
the interior spatial division, whereas the pilasters dividing the north and south faęades
13 Chronicie references to the two raids by Vasily Kosoi and the Viatchane are contained in A. A. TITOV, ed., Letopis’
Yelikoustiuzhckaia, Moscow: Trapeznikov, 1889 p. 28.
14 There is no documentary evidence as to the datę of the founding of the Trinity-Gleden Monastery, but it is clearly one
of the earliest monastic institutions in the north. For a discussion of possible dates, see SHIL’NIKOVSKAYA, Yeliki Ustug,
op. cit. pp. 113-4.
15 After the death of the first two brothers, the third brother, Vasily Grudtsyn, was left a beąuest by his father-in-Iaw, Filaret
(who had become an elder at the monastery) to complete the cathedraFs construction. Vasily did not honor the agreement,
and not until the hegumen of the monastery appealed to Patriarch loakim in Moscow did Grudtsyn release the money for
construction around 1690. SeeBOCHAROV, VYGOLOV,Sol’vychegodsk, op.ciL pp. 249-50. Further Information on the
Trinity-Gleden Monastery and its cathedral is contained in SHIUNIKOSKAYA, Yeliki Ustug, op. cit. pp. 113-7. Shil’nikovskaia
notes (p. 117) that by the 19th century, the Trinity Monastery had become so impoverished that it was placed in the care of the
Archangel Monastery, and conseąuently there was no further construction that might have damaged the ensemble created
in the 17th and 18th centuries.
16 On the architecture ofthe Archangel Michael Cathedral, seeBOCHAROV,VYGOLOV,So/Tyc/zego4sC op. cif pp. 196-203.