RYAZAN KREMLIN

Up to the 18^th century, the present day Ryazan had been known under the name of Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky. Located some 50 km down the Oka River, the town of Ryazan used to be the capital of Ryazan Principality from the 11^th to the 13^th century. In 1237, it was destroyed by the Mongols and the capital moved to Pereyaslavl. It was not until 1778 that Pereyaslavl was renamed into Ryazan. All that had been left of the old Ryazan were its earthen ramparts, whereas Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky evolved and saw the number of its stone temples and palaces rise in the 15–17^th centuries. Those monuments are still there inspiring a sense of awe in the beholder to this day.

Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky was founded in 1095. Little more than just another Ryazan fortress back in the 12–13^th centuries, Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky became the Principality's new capital in the 14^th century and, as such, needed to be made impregnable. No sooner said than done: new wooden walls sprung up all around the town. Glebovskaya Tower, Ryazan's first stone tower, was added later in the 16^th century. There is currently a bell tower standing in its place.

In the 16^th century, the place where now stands the bell tower was occupied by Glebovskaya Tower, Ryazan Kremlin's only stone tower. In the 18^th century, it lost its defensive significance and was dismantled. Back then, people did not see any value in items of historical heritage, so they demolished the tower without any second thoughts. The decision to build a bell tower was taken in 1783. It took three years to collect the required donations from local residents, but the construction was not started until 1789. Stepan Vorotilov, an architect hailing from Kostroma, was invited to lead the project. His revised plan was used in 1797 to erect the first level of the tower. A long break followed, and the construction did not resume until after the French invasion of Russia was over. The second level was built in 1816 using the project developed by architect Franz Russko. The financing was provided by Nikolay Ryumin, a rich merchant from Ryazan.

Up to the 17^th century, the present day Nativity Cathedral had been the Assumption Cathedral. But, at a certain point in time, it became too small to serve as the city's main temple. So, in 1677, Archbishop Joseph of Ryazan petitioned to tsar Feodor III of Russia to grant approval for the construction of a new cathedral. The tsar gave his consent. As there was not enough space for the construction site, the builders had no other choice but to demolish the powder storage facility. However, the construction did not start until 1684. The mandate was given to architect Feodor Sharitin and his apprentices Kalinin and Susanin. The construction dragged on for three years well into 1686 when the ground floor was finally finished. The feckless headmen were fired and the municipal authorities decided to waste no time and bring an architect over from Moscow. According to a legend, the architect who came to Ryazan to complete the cathedral was the famed innovator Osip Startsev. There is no certainty as to who was put in charge of the project, but the construction gained momentum and was nearing completion in 1692. The building was completed all the way up to the dome and the drums were halfway finished when all of a sudden...

The cause of the collapse remains a mystery up to this day. One of the versions puts the blame on the erroneous choice of the construction technology and calculation mistakes, while the other suggests that the collapse was caused by the moving soil as, up to the 17^th century, the construction site had been occupied by the Bystroye Lake. After the debris was cleared, the authorities had to start it all over again and announce a new bidding to find the builders. The tender was won by Yakov Bukhvostov, a prominent Russian architect of the late 17^th and early 18^th centuries.

The construction lasted for seven years: by the end of 1699, the building was ready for topping off, but it took another two years to complete the iconostasis and façade. The church was consecrated on 15 August 1702. Yakov Bukhvostov took Moscow Kremlin's Assumption Cathedral as a model for the new church in Ryazan. Back then, all Russian cities were eager to emulate religious buildings from the capital. Much later, in the 19^th century, the same thing happened with Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. But let's go back to Ryazan's cathedral.

From the ground to the top of the cross, the cathedral is 71 m high. The largest part of the building is represented by a 28 m high, 31 m wide and 45 m long parallelepiped, which is placed on top of the ground floor. It would be little more than a simple cube, if it was not for the splendid white stone ornamentation.

The design of the Assumption Cathedral is related to the so-called "Naryshkin architectural style", which emerged at the time of Peter the Great's youth. Back then, the tsar's passion for the West prompted the traditional Russian architecture to embrace new European styles. Previously, this style was known as Naryshkin Baroque (many researchers still use that term). But Baroque architects were primarily concerned with plasticity and forms rather than the building's decorative elements. A cubic cathedral can therefore not be classified as Baroque. St Petersburg's Smolny Cathedral and Moscow's St Clement Church would be more suitable examples of Baroque architecture. The Naryshkin style got its name from the Naryshkins, Peter the Great's maternal relatives who commissioned most of Moscow's churches built in that style. In Europe, this type of architecture is classified as mannerist, but there is no such term in the Russian architectural tradition. So the best thing to do would be to agree with the contemporary researchers and refer to it as the Naryshkin style (rather than Baroque).

The constructors did a great job applying masterful carving techniques, with ornamental plants chosen as the key exterior design theme. One can find here grapes, leaves, flowers and fruits, some of them fairly realistic, while others produced in an entirely abstract manner. One thing is for sure, though: none of the decor elements is quite the same as the others.

The cathedral stood there unaffected for some one hundred years. But the forces of nature were implacable, as the temple is located at a place open to all winds. Storms would often blow away the domes and the roof, while the wind would nibble away at mica elements and force the snow inside the building during winters. Summers brought troubles, too: birds chose the cathedral's iconostasis as the suitable place for nesting and hatching, and would outchirp the priest during church services. The soil was no good either, and the first cracks started to show in the walls by the beginning of the 19^th century, when all of a sudden...

The Assumption Cathedral boasts many superlatives: it is both the biggest and most impressive one in terms of ornamentation. But there is one thing that makes it inferior to the other churches – its age. The Nativity Cathedral holds the leadership in that respect, as it is Ryazan's oldest building. It was built in the late 14^th century by Oleg, the Grand Prince of Ryazan. Back then, it was Ryazan's main church known as the Assumption Cathedral. It was not until the completion of the new Assumption temple that the church was renamed into the Nativity Cathedral. Rebuilt several times in line with the prevailing architectural styles, it got its final look in the 19^th century with nothing to remind of its ancient history. It ended up being an example of provincial classicism influenced by the naive attempts to make the building look "old" – a sign of the emerging Russian Revival style.

The Cathedral of the Archangel looks tiny in comparison to the Assumption Cathedral. Hidden behind its larger neighbour, it remains in the shadow most of the day. But once you see it, you will notice straight away that this is an old temple. Built in the late 15^th century as a family chapel of Ryazan's princes, it did not undergo major refurbishments later on and managed to retain its original architectural look. By 1756, though, it fell into disrepair and was not safe enough to hold church services. The cathedral stood abandoned for half a century until it was finally restored in 1819. It stands to note that, similarly to Moscow's Kremlin, Ryazan's Assumption and Archangel Cathedrals are not far apart from each other. The difference is that Moscow's Cathedral of the Archangel was used as a burial site for the great princes, while Ryazan's Archangel temple served as the final resting place for bishops.

It is commonly known as Oleg's Palace, but this name belongs to the realm of fantasies. The cornerstone of this building was laid in the mid-17^th century, while Prince Oleg had died in 1402. This oblong three-storey structure was actually built for Ryazan's bishopry, but many historians believe this site to have been occupied by the princely court in the 13–15^th centuries. Another interesting fact about the palace's name: there is some evidence that, back in the 17–18^th centuries, an oval frame with an image of Prince Oleg was located right under the palace's roof.

This building gives a rundown on architecture and residential construction techniques in the 17–18^th centuries. The first two floors on the left-hand side date back to the mid-17^th century. In accordance with the architectural tradition predating Peter the Great, the first floor of the building is rather unassuming, while the second one is more ornate. There is hardly any logic behind the window placement. Nor is there any sign of symmetry. The third floor on the right-hand side dates back to the 1690s, the time of Peter the Great's youth. With its exquisite ornamentation and finely cut capitals, it looks more European. The left-hand side of the building, though, is a fine example of early Classicism dating back to the epoch of Catherine the Great. Hence, the general orderliness and use of geometry.

Apart from the bishops' residence, the Bishop Court features several other buildings dating back to the 17^th century. The biggest ones are the choir building and the consistory. Both of them were built in the mid-17^th century, presumably by the same architect – Yuri Yershov. The latter is also believed to have constructed the first level of the bishop house.

At the farther end of the Bishop Court and the Kremlin lies another noteworthy building of the 17^th century, a veritable town house predating the epoch of Peter the Great. The building consists of seven isolated two-storey sections with no stairs inside. The premises can only be accessed from the outside, with dedicated wooden stairs leading to the second floor of each section. The restorers reconstructed just one of those stairs for illustrative purposes. The rear wall of the building has neither doors nor windows. In the 17^th century, it overlooked one of the Kremlin's streets and served as the Bishop Court's defensive enclosure. The structure was originally used as a storage facility for grain and other foods, but in the 19^th century it was refurbished as an inn... An inn for common people.

The Saviour Transfiguration Monastery is believed to have been founded in the late 13^th or early 14^th century. It was not until the 17^th century that the Monastery saw its first stone building – the Epiphany Church, which was built in the 1640s and can be seen in the photo above. From afar, it seems to be attached to the Assumption Cathedral. As a matter of fact, the bells of this church are the first ones to start tolling in the morning. This tradition goes back to the 1520s, when both the church and the bell tower were made of wood. The Epiphany Church stands by the Monastery's enclosure, while the Saviour Transfiguration Cathedral rises smack in the middle of the precinct. The Cathedral's decor deserves a scrupulous look.

Now we are heading to the farthest reaches of Ryazan's Kremlin to find yet another temple – the Holy Spirit Church. In the 15–18^th centuries, there used to be an entire Holy Spirit Monastery, but today's temple is all that has been left of it. Yet, best things always come in small packages. This is the only tent-roofed church in Ryazan and one of Russia's few temples with two tented roofs dating back to the 17^th century.