Church of the Intercession on the Nerl
Encyclopedia
The church is situated at the confluence of Nerl and Klyazma River
Klyazma River
The Klyazma River is a river in the Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Ivanovo and Vladimir Oblasts in Russia, a left tributary of the Oka River. The length of the river is 686 kilometres. The area of its drainage basin is 42,500 km². The Klyazma River freezes up in November and stays under the ice...
s in Bogolyubovo
Bogolyubovo
Bogolyubovo is an urban-type settlement in Suzdalsky District, Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located some north-east of Vladimir. Population: 3,900 .Bogolyubovo was once the residence of the Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky...
, 13 km north-east of the ancient capital of Vladimir
Vladimir
Vladimir is a city and the administrative center of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located on the Klyazma River, to the east of Moscow along the M7 motorway. Population:...
.
The church was commissioned by Andrei Bogolyubsky
Andrei Bogolyubsky
Prince Andrei I of Vladimir, commonly known as Andrey Bogolyubsky was a prince of Vladimir-Suzdal . He was the son of Yuri Dolgoruki, who proclaimed Andrei a prince in Vyshhorod . His mother was a Kipchak princess, khan Aepa's daughter.- Life :He left Vyshhorod in 1155 and moved to Vladimir...
. According to some sources in the literature, it was built in 1165 to commemorate Andrei's slain son Izyaslav. But Izyaslav died in autumn 1165, and the church could not have been built before the winter. The actual date of the church's construction, based on the analysis of ancient Russian Chronicles by Prof. Zagraevsky
Sergey Zagraevsky
Professor Dr. Sergéy Zagraévsky is a well-known Russian-Jewish painter, architectural historian, writer and theologian.- Biography :...
, is 1158.
The monument is built in white stone, and has one dome and four columns in the interior. Its proportions are elongated on purpose to make its outline seem more slender, although this architectural solution made its interior too dark for holding divine services.
For centuries, the memorial church greeted everyone approaching the palace at Bogolyubovo
Bogolyubovo
Bogolyubovo is an urban-type settlement in Suzdalsky District, Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located some north-east of Vladimir. Population: 3,900 .Bogolyubovo was once the residence of the Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky...
. In spring, the area would be flooded, and the church appeared as if floating on water. The church itself has not been touched by later generations; only the dome's shape has been slightly changed, and porch-galleries were added in the 12th-century, rebuilt in 18th-century and then demolished. The walls are still covered with 12th-century stonecarvings.
In 1992, the church was added to the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage List as part of the site White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal
White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal
The White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal is the name of a World Heritage Site in Russian Federation. The patrimony embraces eight medieval limestone monuments of Zalesye:*The Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir ;...
.
Literature
- Prof. Sergey ZagraevskySergey ZagraevskyProfessor Dr. Sergéy Zagraévsky is a well-known Russian-Jewish painter, architectural historian, writer and theologian.- Biography :...
. On the Question of the Construction and Date of the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin on the Nerl. Chapter from the book New Research of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum’s Architectural Monuments. Moscow, 2008.