Church of the Tithes - the oldest temple in Kyiv. Which temple is the first stone temple of Ancient Russia

tithe church- the first cathedral of Kievan Rus after baptism. This is a shrine of such magnitude, its role is so great that after its destruction, the idea to restore this temple arose more than once.

Detinets of Ancient Kyiv was a fortified princely settlement: the palace of Kiya, the palace of Princess Olga were located there, Prince Vladimir was born and raised there. And there were pagan temples and the idol of Perun.

Even before the baptism of Prince Vladimir, after his victory in one of the military campaigns, when they were supposed to sacrifice to idols, the lot fell on the Christian baby John. So the first martyrs who confessed Christ were killed - the Varangian Fedor and his son, the infant John. The place of their martyrdom was chosen for the location of the altar of the first cathedral.

The Cathedral of the Tithes was built by Prince Vladimir on own funds. He gave this church a tithe of his income, which is why it is actually called that.

The tithe church was dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos. And not to any of her images or holidays, but to the Most Holy Theotokos as a person. As there is the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, so was the Temple Holy Mother of God in Kyiv. Kyiv is a destiny Mother of God, and the dedication of this temple tells us that initially Holy Ancient Russia chose the Most Holy Theotokos as its patroness.

In addition, the Cathedral of the Tithes was a princely tomb. When Prince Vladimir rested, his relics in the sarcophagus stood in the middle of this temple, along with the remains of his wife, the Byzantine princess Anna. The relics of Princess Olga, the grandmother of Prince Vladimir, were also transferred there. And there were many other princely remains there - the Church of the Tithes was the first tomb of the Kyiv princes, as the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin later became the tomb of Russian sovereigns.

This church was a testament to the symphony of state and church authorities, a demonstration of the belonging of Kievan Rus to Christianity. She was a symbol of the fact that the new state accepted Christ and now already sees its future with Him.

The temple of the tithes was built by Byzantine masters, according to chronicle evidence, immigrants from Greece. It was richly decorated with marble details and due to this it was even called the “marble” temple.

Touching are the words of the prayer-promise of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, uttered by him at the entrance to the newly built church: “... If anyone in this church prays, then hear his prayer, and forgive all his sins, prayers for the sake of the Most Pure Mother of God”. These words are always remembered and prompted to action.

Simultaneously with the Church of the Tithes, new palaces were also erected. This place was the center public life. According to chronicle evidence, a monastery operated here in the 10th century. Archaeological research shows that this is the most interesting, original, most significant part city, its undoubted center. Probably you, if you have been with us, have seen a stone with the inscription: “Where did the Russian land come from.”

The first and second revivals - St. Peter Mogila and architect Vasily Stasov

The first well-known restorer, under whom liturgical life was revived on the site of the Tithes Cathedral, was St. Peter Mogila. In the 17th century, in the southwestern part of the ancient temple, partly using the ruins of its walls, he arranged a small temple with a dedication to St. Nicholas.

Church built by Metropolitan Peter Mohyla

Much later, in 1828, by the highest order of Emperor Nicholas I, St. Petersburg architect Vasily Stasov designed a new church in classical forms on the site of the Church of the Tithes, which did not repeat the plan of the ancient one. It was built on part of its foundations.

In 1842 the temple was consecrated. But less than a hundred years later, in 1936, it was destroyed by the godless authorities. Brick from him went to the construction of the school No. 25 erected nearby.

Tithe church in the 19th century

It must be said that from the time of its destruction to the present day, the ancient remains of the Church of the Tithes have been repeatedly investigated. Under St. Peter Mogila, the first excavations were carried out. In the 19th century, research was continued by the amateur archaeologist Kondrat Lokhvitsky, then by the St. Petersburg architect Nikolai Efimov. They also own the first fixation of the monument. It was in the 20s of the XIX century, then a lot of things remained on the site of the destroyed temple.

Generally speaking, Scientific research the remains of the Temple of the Tithes were flagship in archeology and played big role in the development of this science. This also applies to research in the 20th century, when the restorer Dmitry Mileev for the first time made a professional fixation of the remains of the eastern part of the ancient temple. And after the destruction of the Stasov temple, the remains of the Church of the Tithes were deeply investigated by archaeologist Mikhail Karger.

In the 1980s, stone traces of the outlines of the foundations of an ancient temple were made on the surface of the earth. And we know many examples when people came both singly and in groups and prayed here for the revival of this glorious ancient shrine.

So the aspiration to erect and revive the Temple of the Tithes is not an idea today. This is not a momentary desire of some group of people, a separate community, or some ambitious aspiration of architects and builders. This is the aspiration of all the fullness of the Orthodox Church. And it was and will be until the Church of the Tithes of the Most Holy Theotokos regains its proper significance. It was and will be. A shrine cannot be in the abomination of desolation.

Nun Elena (Kruglyak). Photo: Efim Erichman

Tithe Church: “This work is pleasing to God…”

The anniversary year 2000 from the Nativity of Christ has become a landmark in the history of this place. Then President Leonid Danilovich Kuchma issued a decree on the revival of the Church of the Tithes, given its exceptional importance for Ukraine, along with the Assumption Church of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery. But the matter did not move, did not move into a practical plane. I see in this the providence of God, which prepared this shrine to be revived in due time.

Then, in 2000, we happened to meet with His Beatitude Vladimir. The perspicacious elder listened to us, took out the icons of the Most Holy Theotokos Abbess of Mount Athos and said: “This matter is very pleasing to God and the Most Holy Theotokos, but it is of such a scale that only the Most Holy Theotokos herself knows how to do it and can organize it. Therefore, I entrust your wish to Her.". And he gave us such small icons. I still have this icon.

In 2005, His Beatitude Vladimir blessed Archimandrite Gideon to be engaged in the revival of the Church of the Tithes in order to light the lamp of love in this shrine again.

His Beatitude Vladimir blesses the project of museumification of the Church of the Tithes

It is significant that in 2005 permission was received from the district authorities to install the chapel right on the foundation of the Church of the Tithes. And when they came to the main department for the protection of monuments, its head said: “Wait, you can’t put it there, there will be excavations, and then you will interfere. And when will we restore a large church, this small one - what, break it? No, you should be there and help us prayerfully.”

As a matter of fact, he pointed out the place where the small church of the Tithes Monastery now stands, but it turns out that God chose this place. Because then the parishioners living nearby said that even before the installation of the tabernacle temple, birds were surprisingly persistent, flying in eights around this place ...

The small temple was erected in 2006 for Easter, and on Friday of Bright Week, April 28, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared in it.

The service had already ended, and clergy friends from Elias Church had just come to Fr. Gideon to support him. They stood on the street, and two women parishioners prayed in the temple. Entering the temple, the clergy felt awe and learned from the women that the Most Holy Theotokos had just entered the temple. The Queen of Heaven stopped at the central lectern, prayed with raised hands, and then entered the altar through the open royal gates.

Tears flowed spontaneously from six clergymen; grace was palpable in a physical way. The appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos greatly strengthened the community and to this day inspires confidence that through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos God will accomplish the impossible for man.

In 2009 Holy Synod The UOC issued a decree on the formation of the Tithe Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos Monastery.

Existing Church of the Tithes Monastery

Our work is based on research

In 2005, the state made a new decision about the fate of the Church of the Tithes. A decree was issued on the museumification of the foundations and on the decision to recreate the temple after the excavations were completed. Museumification is giving a monument of history and culture such a state when it is ready to be exhibited, to be visited by tourists and pilgrims. And a lot has already been done to date.

In 2005-2014, a large amount of research, survey and design work was carried out. In 2011, an all-Ukrainian competition for museumification and revalorization of the Church of the Tithes was held. By the grace of God, our project became the winner of this competition.

Comprehensive archaeological excavations carried out in 2005-2011 provided invaluable evidence of this monument and made it possible to compile its integral characterization. For example, it used to be believed that at first a six-pillar core was built, and then the Church of the Tithes was built with galleries.

However, it turned out that the temple was immediately built with galleries, this is the original plan. After all, at that time it was the Grand Duke's Cathedral. And the cathedral itself was part of an even more complex complex, the full name of which now sounds like an archeological monument of national importance "The Detinets of ancient Kyiv of the VIII-X centuries with the foundation of the Church of the Tithes of the X century."

Now we know where in the stain of the Church of the Tithes there is an archaeological layer, and where it is not. According to the results of archaeological research, the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine determined the possible places for the installation of supports for the museumification of the Church of the Tithes. After all, we do not have Cairo or Jerusalem, we cannot demonstrate authentic archaeological remains in the open air. Therefore, a room must be created where the appropriate temperature and humidity conditions will be maintained, and proper ventilation should be provided. This will save the monument.

In addition, there are many archaeological finds made on the site of the Church of the Tithes, which are now scattered scattered in various museums, partly in St. Sophia of Kyiv, in National Museum history of Ukraine. Even in the Hermitage there are material fragments that belonged to the Church of the Tithes. And, of course, it is logical that all this be exhibited in one place and give a complete picture of this monument.

Scientific and technological, topogeodetic, engineering and geological studies were also carried out, a comprehensive engineering survey of the state of the remains of the foundations of the Church of the Tithes and the buildings adjacent to the monument was made.

Specialists conducted historical, archival and bibliographic research, systematized written evidence about the Church of the Tithes and its surroundings, as well as about the history of research that was carried out here at different times.

In December 2011, temporary conservation of the foundations of the Church of the Tithes was carried out, which makes it possible further work on complex museumification.

Our idea is to preserve all archaeological material: both the remains of the Church of the Tithes of Prince Vladimir, and other archaeological layers, including the remains of the 19th century Stasov Church. This will allow you to vividly demonstrate the entire history of the temple.

Nun Elena (Kruglyak). Photo: Efim Erichman

Tithe church above the museum: how to do it

The remains of the ancient temple are now below the surface of the earth, so the museum will be in the stylobate. Visitors will be able to enter there, and there it will be possible to conduct regular lectures for students and schoolchildren. Pilgrims and tourists will view the remains of the Church of the Tithes from special bridges, and only scientists will have direct access to the remains themselves, for whose work all conditions will be created in the museum.

A reinforced concrete slab is designed on the supports. It is calculated in such a way that at the top it would be possible to erect a temple of the same size as the Church of the Tithes of the era of Prince Vladimir.

As already mentioned, in the spot of the Temple of the Tithes, places were identified where we can put up supports painlessly for the cultural layer. The technology that exists now allows you to do this completely safely. It is planned to use bored reinforced concrete piles with a depth of twenty meters in casing pipes as column supports. According to the current building codes, their use is permissible in the conditions of the close location of the monuments, it will not cause any movement of the soil at all. And this is not some new technology - it has been tested for decades. Any designer will say that already fifty centimeters from the installation site of this pile there are no ground movements, which means that the preservation of the ancient remains of the Church of the Tithes is ensured.

The layout of the supports is made in such a way that the space of the museum is as free as possible. Now we are armed with such scientific capabilities that all loads are calculated in advance. The remains of the foundations of the Church of the Tithes are a monument of national importance, and all work here is carried out exclusively with scientific support.

To bring the project to life, it will be important to choose a high-quality contractor, a direct contractor. The responsibility is enormous. This issue will require detailed study in the future.

It's good that we live in the 21st century. According to the results of archaeological excavations in the 10th century, the builders of the Church of the Tithes, when faced with such soils as in Kyiv, laid wooden beds under the foundations, they were fastened with wooden pegs. This is clear to us now - in order to harm the monument, nothing worse can be imagined: the tree rots, then voids form, and, naturally, subsidence is inevitable ...

At present, an invaluable experience of museumification has been accumulated archaeological sites. Of the world analogues that we focus on, the most successful and modern, in our opinion, is Archaeological Museum Acropolis in Athens.

Nun Elena (Kruglyak). Photo: Efim Erichman

Reconstruction, replica, re-creation of the Church of the Tithes

If we talk about the future temple, it is logical to want to get as close as possible to the image of the Church of the Tithes under Prince Vladimir, as far as possible. I want to immediately answer your question directly: this is not a reconstruction, not a replica, this is revival of the shrine of world significance. We need to be aware of two major tasks– careful preservation of the authentic remains of an ancient temple, a symbol of the adoption of Christianity by Ancient Russia, and the revival of liturgical life in this holy place. To make it clearer, let's turn to world analogues.

You and I know that the Jerusalem Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which was built by Queen Helena, was once destroyed and rebuilt by the Crusaders. Even his Holy of Holies - Cuvuklia was destroyed several times. And is it even possible to admit the thought that this shrine would not have been revived? The expression of the will of God in this case can be considered the descent of the Holy Fire, confirming the presence of the Living God. The temple in Bethlehem, which was built by Queen Helen over the cave of the Nativity of Christ, was also destroyed. And in its place, a few centuries later, a new temple was also built, in which services are held to this day.

Let's remember the basilica in Nazareth: it was built in 1969 over the archaeological remains of the house where the Holy Family lived. Divine services are held there, this is a very revered place. And the Basilica of the Martyr Clement in Rome, where are there four levels of layers? Temple of Demetrius of Thessalonica, where myrrh-streaming relics were kept in an ancient crypt, and which was revived after destruction. Now there is a beautiful basilica on top. And there are dozens of such examples in the world ...

The new temple in Kyiv is not a reconstruction or a replica. The etymology of these words is completely unsuitable for conveying the meaning that we now want to put into our works. We should revive this place.

Incidentally, according to international legal norms for the protection of cultural heritage, the main goal of protecting a monument is the revival of its functions and the introduction of a monument into modern life.

This place cannot be just a monument, it is wrong to make it only a museum or, even worse, leave the ancient foundations under wraps. When the tracing of the foundations was already done, animals were walking there ... And what is the meaning of this, what is the spiritual meaning?

And how can we interrupt the liturgical thread that began at this place many centuries ago? As His Beatitude Vladimir said when the small church was erected: “You have finally lit the lamp of love that was in this place.”

This is what the goal is. We are not a dead child, not a doll, not a coffin erected. This is not a mausoleum, not a cardboard box, not a model of something. This is an active, living House of God. Only our task is to make it as close as possible to the image of the Byzantine temple built by Prince Vladimir.

If the task were simply to build a temple, it would cost nothing to accurately recreate it in the forms of Stasov, there are graphic materials, there are many photographs left. But then the spiritual, cultural and historical significance of this place will not be conveyed. After all, it was Prince Vladimir who built this first temple here.

It is completely logical that the recreated temple will be designed in the motives of the 10th century. We invite everyone to cooperate - archaeologists, architects, scientists, museum workers. Our business requires deep study and the right compromise. This is exactly what we are doing, exploring the results of archaeological excavations and all the existing historical information about the Church of the Tithes.

One of the projects of the Church of the Tithes

Tithe Church. business of life

I realized for myself that the revival of the Church of the Tithes is a matter of life. This will be the fruit of common, conciliar efforts - creative and scientific workers, historians, Byzantologists.

At one time, state money was allocated for museumification. Now the community is taking the initiative to revive the temple. The project will not be done with public money, the current situation in the country is not like that. Probably, this is the will of God, so that out of love for the Most Holy Theotokos, out of a great desire to serve God, this deed is accomplished ...

Once upon a time, Prince Vladimir gave a tithe of his income to the Church of the Tithes. Imagine with what a pure heart, with what love for God he did this. Therefore, my personal opinion is that it is a great honor to participate financially in this matter. Naturally, this is a nationwide affair, it will be necessary to collect people's money. Anyone can be a part of this process.

If we talk about the temple ... Probably King Solomon would have been shocked by the possibilities of today's temple building and what materials can be used. We try to make the most of all the achievements of science. After all, a lot has now been studied, including those monuments that were created in the same era with the Church of the Tithes and before it.

To work on the project, it is necessary to study the fullness of the heritage that the builders of the Church of the Tithes in the 10th century could only see, as well as later churches, the models for which the Church of the Tithes became after its construction. Previously, it was very difficult for an architect to simultaneously see and study the temples in Constantinople, Greece, and Bulgaria. Now there is such an opportunity.

The issue of museumification and revival of the Church of the Tithes must be addressed in conjunction with the study and museumification of other structures in the city of Vladimir.

Nun Elena (Kruglyak). Photo: Efim Erichman

Everything has its time. We consider it providential that the Church of the Tithes was not restored earlier. They probably weren't ready for it yet. Neither spiritually nor technically.

The revived Church of the Tithes will be the fruit of the joint efforts of the Church, the state, architects, scientists and artists, museum workers, and most importantly all those who pray for the success of this Cause, pleasing to God. After all, the most important thing is to fill them with burning hearts for the Lord, thirsting for enlightenment, union with God and forgiveness of sins, along with the construction of the walls. We consider this work of ours as a contribution to achieving peace on our Ukrainian soil.

In modern architectural practice, it is the restoration of an object with the reaffirmation of its value, its rethinking and updating.

With God, a thousand years are like one day...

Archimandrite Gideon (Charon)

Word of the Vicar of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos of the Tithes MonasteryArchimandrite Gideon (Charon):

On the millennium anniversary of the blessed Assumption of Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, we offer the Bloodless Sacrifice at the place where St. Vladimir once erected in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos the first cathedral in Kievan Rus - the Church of the Tithes.

The chronicler testifies about the prayer of the holy prince, with which he entered the built temple:

“Oh my God! Look from heaven and see, and visit Your vineyard, and do it, plant Your right hand, these new people, with them you turned hearts into reason, know you the true God; and look at this church, which you have created, your unworthy servant, in the name of the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary the Mother of God; and if anyone in this church prays, then hear his prayer, and forgive all his sins, prayers for the sake of the Most Pure Mother of God.

With God, a thousand years are like one day and one day is like a thousand years… More than a thousand years have passed since the new Church of Christ was born in the firmament of heaven after the Baptism of Russia, and Saint Prince Vladimir erected a cathedral in honor of the Most Pure Theotokos. And now the heavenly Church and the earthly Church in this triumph gather together.

The Patriarch of Jerusalem, addressing me, the rector of the Church of the Tithes, said: “The city of Kyiv is the second Jerusalem. It also stands on seven hills. Just as in Jerusalem the greatest shrines are the Holy Sepulcher and Golgotha, and all other shrines are united with them by history and grace, so in the city of Kyiv the greatest shrine is the Church of the Tithes of the Most Holy Theotokos. After all, it was built on the spot where for the first time in the Slavic land blood was shed for Christ by the holy first martyrs Theodore and his infant son John. And how on Mount Sinai the legislation was given Jewish people, so from here, from Starokievskaya Mountain, the place “from where the Russian land went”, the light of Christ’s truth, the light of the Holy Gospel spread from south to north and from west to east to all corners of Ancient Russia, to where Ukraine, Russia now stretch , Belarus.

There is no future without a past

This place should not be in the abomination of desolation. According to the blessed memory of His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Volodymyr, with whose blessing the process of reviving the Church of the Tithes began: "... the lamp of divine love has been lit again in this place." And her fire must be maintained. We need to enlighten the people of God regarding the exceptional role of the Temple of the Tithes in history. It is necessary to unite our efforts for the revival of this shrine.

Revival in every sense of the word has already begun: prayer is going on at this place, sacraments are being performed. Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine prays for the success of this work and blesses it, and supports all the fullness of the Orthodox Church. Here, prayers must be constantly lifted up for our people, for our Orthodox Church, for peace on our land and throughout the world.

And of course, in this holy place, with special solemnity and trepidation, we remember the Assumption of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. Here he lived, here he erected his offspring - a temple in honor of the Most Pure Mother of God. It was in this temple that the relics of the holy prince were kept after his dormition.

Tithe Church of the Most Holy Theotokos - the mother of Russian churches

We cannot be Ivans who do not remember kinship. For without the past there is no future. The fifth commandment of the Lord says: "Honor your father and your mother, and it will be good, and you will live long on earth."

The Church of the Tithes of the Most Holy Theotokos is the mother of Russian churches. And we must pay due respect to it, because it was destroyed by the godless authorities and is in desolation. Right now the Church of the Tithes of the Most Holy Theotokos needs our help. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this activity.

The time has come for all of us to take care of the mother of Russian churches - the house of the Most Holy Theotokos. And our Most Holy Lady Theotokos will take care of the faithful servants of our Lord, and with Her Maternal prayers peace will reign on our land.

The revival of our first Cathedral of Ancient Russia is important for the establishment of Orthodox spirituality and the unification of the East Slavic peoples around the Gospel truths. This is all the more important now, when there is a war in Ukraine.

Just as scattered Slavic principalities once burned in the fire of civil strife, so now our peoples are subjected to a similar division. And it is precisely the Cathedral of the Most Pure Mother of God, erected by the Holy Prince Vladimir, now, as then, can and should become a unifying symbol for our peoples.

Tithe Church. Road map:

Movies about Tithe Church:

When it comes to the earliest stage in the history of Christian Russia, one has to come to terms with the fact that very, very little is known about it from written sources. Imagine, more than 120 years have passed from the time of Epiphany to the time of the creation of The Tale of Bygone Years. It was not for nothing that by that time they were already arguing where Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich himself was baptized: who said - in Korsun, who - in Kyiv, and who - somewhere else.

First Cathedral of Christian Russia

The same applies to the main cathedral of Kievan Rus - the Church of the Tithes. Almost eight centuries have passed since the death of this monument, but to this day there are disputes about it.

However, in fairness it should be noted: the Church of the Tithes was neither the first temple of Kyiv, nor the first cathedral of Kyiv, nor the first stone church of Kyiv, nor even the first building of Vladimir after baptism. Sources directly call the church of Elijah on Podil even before the Baptism of Russia, and they say that the temple was a cathedral, which means there were others. Mikhail Karger mentioned that he found the remains of this temple during the excavations of the Kyiv Podil, and says that it was made of stone.

After baptism, Vladimir erected several wooden churches, and then started building the main church of his country.

In all ancient sources it is written that the temple was dedicated to the Mother of God, but it does not say which one. Dormition? Christmas? Reese's position?

This we do not know. Moreover, we do not know for sure even the year of laying the temple. Different chronicles name the years 989, 990 and 991. So what do we know for sure?

A bit of history

The temple was consecrated in 996 - on this date all sources converge. We know for sure that it immediately received the name of the Church of the Tithes - Vladimir allocated one tenth of the income of the prince's treasury for its maintenance.

Then the bones of Vladimir's brothers - Yaropolk and Oleg, who fell in the struggle for the princely throne (and, I must say, not without the participation of the future baptist of Russia) were buried in the temple. At the same time, a unique procedure was done with the bones: they were baptized.

They buried in the Church of the Tithes and the first Christian ruler of Russia - Olga. During the excavations, a marble sarcophagus was found - it is believed that it was in it that the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles princess rested.

In 1039 the Church of the Tithes was re-consecrated. Why? Unknown. Maybe it was being completed, maybe there was a fire. In any case, there is very little information about her further: around 1037, a new “ main cathedral”- Sophia of Kyiv, which has survived to this day, and the center of the spiritual life of Russia under the son of Vladimir Yaroslav the Wise moved here.

The tithe church stood until 1240, when it was destroyed during the capture of Kyiv by the troops of Batu: it collapsed - either the attackers tried hard, or the fleeing people crowded so much that the temple could not withstand its weight.

In the 1630s-1640s, Metropolitan Peter Mohyla built a small church in the southwestern corner of the ruins of the ancient temple. The temple stood until 1828, when instead of it on b about more territory ancient church built a new one, designed by architect V.P. Stasov, having previously carried out excavations. In 1824, they were led by archaeologist K.N. Lokhvitsky, but the quality of his work was recognized as terrible even at that time, so in 1826 Lokhvitsky was replaced by the architect N.E. Efimov. In 1908-1911, those parts of the Church of the Tithes that did not fall under construction were excavated by D. Mileev, his work in 1912-1914 was continued by his student P. Velmin. In 1938-1939, after the demolition of the Stasov church, the unexcavated by Mileev and Velmin were studied by M.K. Karger, whose master plan of excavations has become a textbook.

But even these excavations turned out to be incomplete, the recording of their results was not very satisfactory, and they themselves practically destroyed a significant part of the surviving ruins of the monument. That's why most of what we know about the temple is debatable information. A simple indicator: even if we talk about the plan of the church, more than a dozen of its reconstructions have been introduced into scientific circulation - and how many attempts have been made to reconstruct the appearance of the Tithe Mother of God!

The temple was quite large: 35 x 37 m (on the foundations, without apses). It was built from plinths (an ancient thin brick) - tiles measuring 31 x 31 x 2.5 cm. Here is such an example of ancient Russian architecture.

A little about the word "architecture" itself. In Ancient Russia, only stone construction was called this word. "Build" - build, create; "zdo" - clay, from which the plinth was made. By the way, in this way, the word "Creator" literally means "sculpted from clay" - let's remember how (according to Old Testament) created man. Yes, and the annals separated stone and wooden construction: when the term “congress” was used, then a stone building was definitely meant, when “post a vi" - wooden. So from the point of view of an ancient Russian person, “wooden architecture”, the museums of which now exist both in Russia and Ukraine, is an oxymoron.

It would seem that after the excavations of Karger and the museification of the “plan” of the church, one can put an end to it - there is a lot of obscurity, but where do you get new data from?

New discoveries

However, it turned out that there is where.

Since 2005, the foundations of the temple have been completely excavated by Russian and Ukrainian archaeologists again (the excavations were led by outstanding archaeologists Gleb Ivakin (Kyiv) and Oleg Ioannisyan (St. Petersburg). This time, the excavations were carried out as carefully as possible, slowly, fixing each stone.

Scientists have come to the conclusion that the temple was actually not at all what architectural historians thought it was. And all existing reconstructions contain at least one very serious error.

Firstly, it can be considered proven that this temple was built immediately. Until now, it was believed that the core of the monument was built in 989-996, and in the 11th century it was additionally built with galleries (at least partially). It turned out that all the elements of the plan of the temple, from the laying to the consecration, took shape in one period, but in the process of construction, the design and type of construction changed.

At first, as it was believed until now, the temple was built as a cross-domed one. This is how almost all ancient Russian churches were built up to Mongol invasion, with the exception of a few rotunda buildings.

But the Church of the Tithes is the main temple of the new Christian state. He had to be big. Of course, Russia did not have its own master architects, and in Byzantium of that time they simply did not build such large cross-domed buildings.

Having already begun construction, the architects realized that cross-domed vaults of this size would not work for them, and they built a basilica that was easier to work with and familiar to them. Archaeologists have found very interesting fact: the builders even had to dismantle part of the already built building - fragments of masonry were found in the ancient moat, which was filled up during the construction of the Church of the Tithes.

in Kyiv, the first stone church of Dr. Russia, dedicated to one of the Mother of God feasts (see below), erected in 990/1-996. at the command of equal book. Vladimir (Vasily) Svyatoslavich on Starokievskaya Hill, near the princely residence.

Pre-Mongol period

Archaeological studies of Starokievskaya Gora revealed that D. c. was erected on the site of a vast burial ground (about 150 burials were found), which was created during the 10th century. (Arabic coins minted in 961-976, oval Scandinavian brooches of the middle - 2nd half of the 10th century, weapons, etc.) were found in the burials. According to archaeologist K. A. Mikhailov, the temple was built on “the ancestral burial site of representatives of the Kyiv princely house or members of the Rurik family who died before the official adoption of Christianity in 988”, which explains the “unusual preservation of a large number of magnificent pagan burials under the foundations” D. c. (Mikhailov. S. 37, 42).

For the construction of D. c. book. In 989, Vladimir sent ambassadors to the K-pol, who brought to Kyiv “masters from the Greeks” (PVL, p. 54). The data of the source are confirmed by numerous Greek. graffiti, to-rye were visible on the preserved south-west. parts of D. c. still in ser. 17th century In terms of D. c. (42´ 34 m) a compositional core is singled out - a 3-nave temple with a large (7´ 6.5 m) domed square and a narthex. On 3 sides, the building was surrounded by galleries with many additional volumes. After research con. 30s 20th century it was believed that these extensions appeared under St. book. Yaroslav (George) Vladimirovich. However, in the course of architectural and archaeological research in 2005-2006. it was found that the galleries were erected at the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries, under Prince. Vladimir Svyatoslavich. D. c. was located in the center architectural ensemble, which included several stone buildings, may have been a princely palace cathedral. The destruction of most of the foundations of the temple complicates the reconstruction of its original plan and appearance(at the present time there are 15 reconstructions of D. c.). Mn. questions of volume-spatial reconstruction of the cathedral (the number of domes, the location of the stairs to the choirs, etc.) remain unresolved.

The temple was exquisitely decorated: the walls and vaults were covered with fresco and mosaic paintings, the floor was lined with mosaics and stone slabs. Marble carved slabs of the pre-altar barrier and choir fences, columns of triple arcades of the choir, the use of local types of stone - pyrophyllite slate, red quartzite, limestone - gave the interior of the cathedral a solemn look.

Back in 995/6, by order of Prince D. c. was entrusted to Anastas Korsunyanin (who was, apparently, the steward of the church), the clergy were priests who came with the book. Vladimir from Korsun (Chersonese); next to D. c. before the last third of the 11th century a domestic courtyard was built on the mountain (PVL. S. 27, 86), which indicates the presence of a choir in the cathedral. In 996, after the completion of construction, Prince. Vladimir invested in D. c. icons, vessels, honest crosses”, as well as “medyans two temples and 4 copper horses, even now to stand behind the Holy Mother of God, as if ignorantly I think I’m a marble being”, taken out by him after July 27, 989 from Korsun (Ibid. S. 52, 54). After the consecration of the temple, Prince Vladimir “on that day, a boyar and an elder of the city, and distributing a lot of property to the poor” (Ibid., p. 55). Day of consecration D. c. was celebrated by the Russian Church on May 12, as evidenced by records in Old Russian. parchment calendars, prologues and obikhodniks (Loseva O. V. Rus. calendars of the XI-XIV centuries. M., 2001. P. 338).

There are several hypotheses regarding the dedication of the temple. Metropolitan Eugene (Bolkhovitinov) believed that D. c. was consecrated in honor of the Dormition of St. Mother of God. This t. sp. received support in later historiography (Voronin N. N. Architecture of Kievan Rus // History of Russian Art. M., 1953. T. 1. S. 117; Ilyin. 1965. S. 266-268; Rapov. 1988. S. 242-244; Kuchkin, 1997, p. 178 and others). D. c. called Uspenskaya in Great Russian. sources of the 16th century: in Tverskoy Sat. (1534), in the Chudov edition of the Life of St. Vladimir, in some versions of the prologue Life of St. Vladimir, as well as in the southwestern Russian sources of the 17th-18th centuries, in particular in the memorial book of the Kiev-Pechersk archim. Joseph (Trizny; 1647-1655) (Kuchkin. 1997. S. 221). The opinion that D. c. could have been dedicated to the Nativity of St. Theotokos, relies on allusions to the service of this holiday, contained in the "Sermon on Law and Grace" by Metropolitan. Hilarion, which was probably pronounced in D. c. In addition, from the 17th century feast of the Nativity of St. The Mother of God was the patronal church for the Church, which was reflected, in particular, in the name of the site of wooden and earthen fortifications built in the 2nd half. 17th century in the Upper City of Kyiv. It should be mentioned that Ep. Titmar of Merseburg in his chronicle (1018) calls D. c. the temple of the “Martyr of Christ Pope Clement” (Nazarenko. 1993. S. 136, 141; Dr. Rus in the light of foreign sources. 2000. S. 319). Apparently, he repeated the everyday name of the temple - according to the relics of the revered saint located here.

According to the chronicler, in D. c. after the completion of its construction (996), the Charter of Prince. Vladimir about giving her a tithe of princely income: “I give this Church to the Holy Mother of God from my estate and from my city a tenth” (PVL. S. 55; the original text of the Charter has not been preserved, the archetype of existing editions dates back to the middle - 2nd floor 12th century). Anastas Korsunyanin was entrusted with managing the tithe. It can be assumed that it was intended not only for the maintenance of the temple, but also for general church needs, its distribution was carried out under the direct control of the princely authorities (cf .: Florya B.N. On the material support of the Church in Russia and in Western Slavic states during the period of feudalism // DGSSSR: 1985. M., 1986. P. 117). Later material well-being of D. of c. It was supported not only by tithes, but, obviously, over time, it was replaced by another form of security that was less costly for the princely power. So, for example, in 1170 South Russian. the chronicler notes that the Polovtsy robbed the rural district of the cities of Polonny and Semych. At the same time, it is noted that in Polonny there was a church of St. Mother of God, and the city itself belonged to D. c. (PSRL. T. 2. Stb. 556).

In 1039 Metropolitan Theopempt in the presence of Prince. Yaroslav the Wise again consecrated D. c. As far as can be judged from the preserved foundation masonry, to D. c. during this period, no new objects were added, but this does not exclude the possible restructuring of the upper parts, the interior, etc. In 1018, during the strife, Anastas Korsunyanin left Kyiv, taking to Poland the treasury seized in the capital of Russia by Boleslav I the Brave ; in 1026 the princely civil strife ended and the prince was established in Kyiv. Yaroslav the Wise.

In the 1st floor. XII century. D. c. has undergone significant restructuring. The sections of foundations and walls adjacent to the southwestern corner of the building, in front of the west. a new porch appeared at the entrance. In the galleries, the floor was decorated with glazed tiles, the variety of shapes (square, 3-coal and 8-coal) made it possible to imitate marble floor mosaics from the time the church was built. According to the list, “to the whole city of Rus, far and near” (the original version refers to the last third of the XIV century) “the Holy Mother of God of the Tithe Stone was about half a third (25. - A. K.) verses” (PSRL. T. 3. P. 475; according to a number of researchers, such a number of “tops” seems excessive). In chronicles from the 2nd half. 12th century the bells of D. c. In the XIX-XX centuries. in the immediate vicinity of the cathedral, 2 bells were found, which, obviously, belonged to this temple.

March 8-10, 1169, during the capture of the Russian. Princes of Kyiv, the city was severely devastated, among the victims of South Russian. the chronicler notes "and the Tithe Mother of God." The victors "uncovered the churches with icons, and books, and robes, and bells, worn out ... and all the shrines were taken up" (Ibid. T. 2. Stb. 545). In 1203, during the capture of Kyiv, Prince. Rurik (Vasily) Rostislavich, “robbed the Metropolitan of St. Sophia, and plundered the Holy Mother of God of the Tithes, and all the monasteries, and icons of odrash, and others poimasha, and honest crosses, and sacred loans, and books and ports of the blessed first princes, hedgehog hedgehog hung in the churches of the saints as a memento for yourself, then put everything in your own full”, the clergy were either killed or taken prisoner (Ibid. T. 1. Issue 2. Stb. 418-419).

In the beginning. dec. In 1240, the Horde captured the main part of Kyiv. The last defenders of the city, led by the voivode Dmitr, were held about Sophia Cathedral, where they created a defensive line, but after a fierce battle they were driven out of there and took refuge in the D. c. From a large crowd of people, including townspeople, many of whom brought property with them, the vaults of the temple collapsed (“running away both on the church, and on the church mosquito and with their goods, the church walls fell down with them from burden” - Ibid., T. 2, St. 785). (According to the assumption of M.K. Karger, the cause of the collapse of the D. c. was the action of wall-beating guns. However, the chronicler, who described in detail the siege and assault on Kyiv, does not mention this fact, moreover, during the siege, the doors of the church would rather have been knocked out, but not thick stone walls.) Perhaps, after the destruction of the temple, the ruins were cleared and the bodies of the dead were excavated, as evidenced by a large mass grave found in front of the apses of the temple. Survived was only an insignificant part of the shrine - zap. third south. gallery (survived thanks to the repair of the XII century.?).

Shrines and princely burials in D. ts.

In the temple were brought St. Vladimir from Korsun relics of St. Clement, Pope of Rome, and his disciple Thebe. About their wide veneration in Kyiv in domong. time there are a number of testimonies, including foreign ones: kn. Yaroslav "showed" the heads of the saints Pope Clement and his disciple Thebes to members of the French embassy (including Bishop Roger of Chalon), who arrived to woo the prince. Anna Yaroslavna for French. box Henry I (Dr. Rus in the light of foreign sources. 2000, p. 354). Jacob Mnich and the author of The Tale of Bygone Years mention the relics of "other saints" brought by Prince. Vladimir to Kyiv from Korsun, perhaps they were also in D. c. and were lost in the 2nd half. XII - 1st floor. 13th century The "Tale of Bygone Years" says that in 1007 "the saints were brought to the Holy Mother of God", but it is not reported whose relics they were (PVL, p. 57).

According to the legend originating from the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery about the first Kiev Metropolitan. St. Michael, “the primate died in 992 and was buried in the Church of the Tithes; then, around 1103, under Abbot Feoktist of the Caves, his relics, found incorruptible, were transferred to the Anthony Cave, and from there already in 1730, by the Highest decree, they were transferred to main church Kyiv Lavra "(Makariy. History of the Republican Center. Book 2. S. 28-29). The book Power of the royal genealogy (middle of the 16th century) reports the transfer to D. c. book. Vladimir and Met. Leont (Leonty) of the relics of St. kng. Olga (metropolitan Macarius (Bulgakov) dates this event to 1007), the relics rested in a stone sarcophagus, after. were lost (these facts are not reflected in the commemoration book of Archim. Joseph (Trizna). In 1011/12 in D. c. was buried St. kng. Anna, in 1015 - her husband, Equal to the Apostle. book. Vladimir.

Their remains rested in 2 marble sarcophagi in the middle of the temple (which does not correspond to Byzantine practice), were lost after the destruction of the church in December. 1240 During the dismantling of the ruins of D. c. in 1632/36, according to Metropolitan. Samuel (Mislavsky), Met. St. Peter (Grave) found the alleged coffins of Prince. Vladimir and kng. Anna.

The main part of the burials of the XI century. in D. c. (Karger during the excavations discovered 8 sarcophagi in the temple and 2 sarcophagi outside the temple) belongs to representatives of the princely dynasty. Archim. Joseph (Trizny) reports under 1007 about the reburial in the church of the bodies of 2 Polotsk princes, descendants of St. Vladimir, - Izyaslav Vladimirovich († 1001) and his son Vseslav († 1003) (RGB. Trinity. F. 304 / I. No. 714. L. 361 ob. - 362). In 1044, by order of led. book. Yaroslav Vladimirovich over the remains of his pagan uncles - Kyiv Prince. Yaropolk Svyatoslavich and the Drevlyansky Prince. Oleg Svyatoslavich - a rite of baptism was performed, after which they were buried in the D. c. Oct 3 1078 in the temple in a marble sarcophagus was buried who died in the battle on Nezhatina Niva Kyiv prince. Izyaslav (Dimitry) Yaroslavich (PVL, p. 86). One of the last burials in D. c. was the burial on 16 Nov. 1093 book. Rostislav Mstislavich († 1 Oct. 1093), grandson of Grand. book. Izyaslav Yaroslavich (Ibid., p. 95).

In XI - ser. 13th century D. c. was one of the centers of pilgrimage to Yuzh. Russia. So, in 1150, the Galician prince. Vladimirko Volodarevich, going around the Kyiv shrines, first went to Vyshgorod, where he bowed to the relics of St. princes Boris and Gleb, returned to Kyiv and "came to St. Sophia", and then "I went to the Holy Mother of God of the Tithes, and from there I went to the Holy Mother of God of the Caves Monastery" (PSRL. T. 2. Stb. 403).

2nd floor XIII-XX centuries

After the collapse in 1240, the temple was not restored. XVI - beginning. XVII century The church, which was called the church of St. Nicholas the Tithes after a temple icon, belonged to the Uniates; there was a large city cemetery around it, where burials were made in the 16th-18th centuries. In 1635, thanks to the efforts of Met. Peter (Tombs) the temple became Orthodox, repairs were made in it, the ruins were dismantled. In the beginning. XIX century, as shown by archaeological research and analysis of the images of D. c., in the church of the time of Metropolitan. Peter the walls of the ancient cathedral were used. At the same time, probably, the altar part was cleared and the search for mortgaged shrines in place of the thrones was carried out. This is evidenced by the excavations in central parts apses discovered during excavations in 1908

After the occupation of Kyiv in 1654 by Moscow troops during the Russian-Polish. war updated D. c. was consecrated. According to the “Painted list of the city of Kyiv in 1700”, from the west. On the side of the stone church was "a wooden table attached and at the top a chapel of the holy supreme apostles Peter and Paul." In the eighteenth century D. c. several once repaired, in particular in 1758 at the expense of the Mon. Kyiv Frolovsky Mon-rya kng. Dolgorukova. In 1828-1842. according to the project of the architect. V. P. Stasov in the "Russian-Byzantine style" a new church was built, which was inferior in size to the building of the time of the book. Vladimir. During its construction, the old temple was dismantled, construction material(brick of the 10th-12th centuries, stones) were used in the new foundation. This church was destroyed in 30s XX century, parts of the foundations and individual details of the interior, found during excavations in 2005-2006, have been preserved from it. Fragments of plaster types with the remains of wall paintings from the ancient D. c. (based on materials from the Karger collection 1948) are stored in the State Geological Museum.

Archaeological study of D. c. carried out in the 1920s. XIX century (K. A. Lokhvitsky and N. E. Efimov), at the beginning. 20th century (D.V. Mileev), on the eve of the Great Patriotic War (T.N. Movchanovsky, Karger) and in 2005-2006. (G. Yu. Ivakin, V. K. Kozyuba).

Source: Golubev S . T . Materials for the history of Western Russian. Churches // CHIONL. 1891. Prince. 5. S. 5-192; he is. Historical topographic research and notes about ancient Kyiv // TKDA. 1899. No. 12. S. 574-599; Priselkov M . D . Trinity Chronicle: Reconstruction of the text. M.; L., 1950 (by order); DRCU (by order); Nazarenko A . AT . German Latin-language sources of the 9th-11th centuries: Texts, translation, comments. M., 1993; PVL. SPb., 19962 (by order); Kuchkin V . BUT . Princely commemoration book as part of the Kiev-Pechersk Paterik of Joseph Trizna // DGVE, 1995. M., 1997. S. 220-221, 172, 177-180; PSRL. T. 1. Issue. 1-2; T. 2; Vol. 3 (by order); Dr. Russia in the light of foreign sources / Ed.: E. A. Melnikova. M., 2000; Beauplan G. L ., de . Description of Ukraine / Per. from French: Z. P. Borisyuk. M., 2004.

Lit .: Brief source. Description of the Tithes Cathedral Church in Kyiv. St. Petersburg, 1829. Poltava, 18492; L[edinets] in P . G . Why the Church of the Tithes in Kyiv is known among the people under the name of the Tithes Nicholas // Kyiv. old. 1883. No. 8. S. 755-757; Ainalov D ​​. AT . On the question of the construction activity of St. Vladimir // Sat. in memory of St. equal to ap. book. Vladimir. Pg., 1917. Issue. 1. S. 21-39; Karger M . TO . Princely burial of the XI century. in the Tithes c. // KSIIMK. 1940. Issue. 4. S. 12-20; he is. Archaeological research. Dr. Kyiv: Reports and materials (1938-1947). K., 1950. S. 45-140; he is. Ancient Kyiv. M.; L., 1958. T. 1; 1961. Vol. 2; Korzukhina G. F . To the reconstruction of the Desyatinnaya c. // Owls. Arch. 1957. No. 2. S. 78-90; Ilyin M . BUT . About the name of the Tithes c. // There. 1965. No. 2. S. 266-268; Shchapov Ya . N . Princely statutes and the church in Dr. Russia, X-XIV centuries. M., 1972. S. 33, 35, 38, 40, 49-50, 63, 76, 99, 116, 123-132, 303, 307-308; he is. Church in the state system. authorities dr. Russia: Tithing and its origin // "The Baptism of Russia" in the works of Russian. and owls. historians: [Sat. Art.]. M., 1988. S. 245-257; he is. State and Church Dr. Russia, X-XIII centuries. M., 1989. S. 7, 11, 28-32, 38, 42, 76-77, 79, 87, 89, 125, 137, 193; Muryanov M . F . About the Church of the Tithes of Prince Vladimir // Vost. Europe in Antiquity and the Middle Ages: Sat. Art. M., 1978. S. 171-175; Krasovsky I . FROM . Reconstruction of the foundation plan of the Desyatinnaya church. in Kyiv // Sov. Arch. 1984. No. 3. S. 181-189; he is. About the plan of the Tithes c. in Kyiv // Ros. Arch. 1998. No. 3. S. 149-156; Pucko V . G . "Virgin of the Tithes" and the early iconography of the Intercession // FS für F. von Lilienfeld. Erlangen, 1982, pp. 355-373; he is. "The Mother of God of the Tithes" - a myth or a historical reality? // Ruthenica. K., 2006. V. 5. S. 162-169; Tikhomirov M . N . About the public the basis of the institute of tithing // "Baptism of Russia" in the works of Russian. and owls. historians. 1988. S. 258-264; Logvin N . G . The original appearance of the Tithe c. in Kyiv // Antiquities of the Slavs and Russia: [Sat. Art.]. M., 1988. S. 225-230; Rapov O. M . Rus. church in the IX - 1st third of the XII century: the adoption of Christianity. M., 1988. S. 240-244; Kampfer F . Eine Residenz für Anna Porphyrogenneta // JGO. N. F. 1993. Jg. 41. S. 101-110; Church of the Mother of God of Tithes in Kiev: Until the 1000th anniversary of consecration. K., 1996; Mednikova E . Yu ., Egorkov, A . N . On the Technology of Painting the Tithes Church: (Based on materials from the collection of M.K. Karger, 1948) // Ros. Arch. 2000. No. 2. S. 61-69; Kozak N . Litopisni "Maistri from the Greeks" and the Church of the Tithes near Kiev // Visnik of the Lviv University. Ser.: Artistics. Lviv, 2002. VIP. 2. S. 115-122; Mikhailov K. BUT . Kyiv pagan necropolis and c. Virgin of the Tithes // Ros. Arch. 2004. No. 1. S. 34-45; Richa V. Kiev - Another Jerusalem: (From the history of political thoughts and ideology of middle Russia). K., 2005; Aleksandrovich V. "The Virgin of the Tithes" - a pozirna old-Kyiv relic // Ruthenica. K., 2005. T. 4. S. 161-168; Kozyuba V. [K .] The service of the sadibi of the Church of the Tithes near Kiev in 1908-1914: (For the materials of the disciples of D.V. Milyev) // Ibid. pp. 169-214.

A. V. Kuzmin

The first known stone temple of Ancient Russia is the Church of the Tithes in Kyiv (end of the 10th century)

The first monumental churches in Russia were built according to the Byzantine model. So, according to the Russian chronicle, the first brick church of ancient Kyiv - tithe(989-996) - built by "Greek masters" who came from Byzantium. The Tale of Bygone Years reports on this event in detail, which is rare for ancient Russian chronicle writing: "In the summer of 6497 (989) ... Volodimer ... think about creating a church of the Most Holy Theotokos, and sending masters from the Greeks.. The later chronicle - Book of Power - reports in more detail "... coming from the Greeks to Kyiv to the autocratic Christ-lover Vladimir, masters of wisdom, who skillfully build stone churches and floors, with them stonecutters and other workers". After a fire in 1017, this church appears to have been significantly rebuilt. The tithe church has not survived to this day. Its original name is Church of the Assumption of the Virgin It was called the tithe because Vladimir I gave a tenth of the income of the princely treasury for its maintenance. In 1240 the building was completely destroyed. The interior view of the Church of the Tithes impressed the people of Kiev both with the complex multifaceted organization of space, which is not characteristic of wooden churches, and with the richness and colorful decoration.

The church was built not as a simple palace temple, but as a cathedral; that is what the chronicler Nestor calls it in his Reading about Boris and Gleb. Secondarily, apparently after some rebuilding, the church was consecrated in 1039 under Yaroslav the Wise. Chronicles report about the burial of princes in it, about repeated defeats and sad fate this building, which served as the last stronghold of the heroic defenders of Kyiv in the tragic days of December 1240. The hordes of Batu, who broke into the citadel through the Sophia Gate, besieged the Church of the Tithes, where many people locked themselves. With battering rams, the Tatars began to destroy the building until the vaults collapsed.

According to the remains of the ancient building, it can be concluded that it was a monumental six-pillar temple, surrounded by galleries - "ambulances" (a later echo of ancient colonnades). According to written sources, the temple had twenty-five domes. Some decorative details of the Church of the Tithes have survived: fragments of marble columns with carved capitals, the remains of slate (slate) ornamental bas-reliefs, parts of marble mosaic floors, a detail of a profiled pillar, fragments of frescoes and mosaics.

The main cross-domed building of the church was divided by pillars into three longitudinal naves and ended on the east side with three altar semicircles - apses. On three sides, except for the eastern one, the building was surrounded by a gallery, in the western part of which there was a baptismal tower and a stair tower for climbing to the second tier - choirs.

It was possible to install the brickwork system of the building - "with hidden rows of bricks". Later, such masonry was used in Russia throughout the 11th century. Bricks used in Byzantine architecture, as well as in Russia in the X-XI centuries. - "plinfa"- had a small thickness (2.5-4 cm) and a shape close to a square. The ligation of the seams was achieved in this way: if in one row of masonry the ends of the bricks went out to the front surface of the wall, then in the next, adjacent row, they were somewhat shifted inward. Thus, not all rows of bricks faced the facade, but only through one row, while the intermediate rows were "drowned" into the wall and covered with mortar from the outside. And since the thickness of the joints of the mortar was approximately equal to the thickness of the bricks, then on the front surface of the walls between the rows of bricks there were strips of mortar, equal in width to about three thicknesses of the bricks.

This seemingly purely technical technique was also used by architects for artistic purposes. Wide stripes of pink mortar (lime mortar with an admixture of opulence, i.e. crushed brick) alternated with thin rows of bricks, creating a kind of striped surface of the walls, elegant and decorative.

Inside the temple was decorated with frescoes, mosaics, marble panels. The floor was inlaid with multicolored marbles in geometric patterns. The church was called "Marmorian", which is confirmed by numerous finds of marble details.

This magnificent church became the court temple of the Grand Duke. Perhaps its prototype was the church of Theotokos Faros, which was part of the palace complex of the Byzantine emperor. It is believed that she was chosen as a model by Anna, the wife of Vladimir, the former sister of Emperor Basil II.

There are several reconstructions of the plan and volume of the Church of the Tithes, but the construction of its western part is still unclear. Thus, it is difficult to establish whether the structure of the foundations was complicated as a result of later reconstructions, or whether there were changes in the plan during the construction process.

The significance of the Church of the Tithes, which became the burial place of Prince Vladimir, is exceptionally great in the history of ancient Russian architecture. Its construction was the first school for ancient Russian architects, and its architecture served as a model for subsequent church buildings, in particular, already at the beginning of the 11th century - in Tmutarakan and Chernigov (

Built in Kyiv in 989-996.

Created by order of Vla-di-mi-ra Holy-sla-vi-cha vi-zan-tiy-ski-mi, ve-ro-yat-but hundred-person-us-mi, mas- te-ra-mi in the place of the tongue-che-go kur-gan-no-go mo-gil-no-ka. Before the os-vya-sche-tion of So-fiy-sko-go so-bo-ra (1037) - the cathedral-federal so-boron. The name is in-lu-chi-la from de-sya-ti-na, on-signed by prince Vla-di-mir-rum on her holding.

From-the-initial-project of the Tithe Church in the process for-lo-the-fun-da-men-tov was from-me-nyon: instead of a hundred ku-pol-noy ba-zi -li-ki was co-built with a three-nave cross-sto-in-ku-pol-ny temple (42 × 34 m) with a large under-ku-pol-ny square ( 7 × 6.5 m) and nar-tek-som, ok-ru-wife-ny from-kry-you-mi two-i-rus-ny-mi ha-le-rey-mi. In the 11th century, ga-le-rei would have been covered with plin-foy, in the 12th century, after the earth-le-try-se-niya, re-lo-same-we are separate learning-st -ki fun-da-men-tov and walls, a new building was added.

In-ter-er of the Church of the Tithes uk-ra-sha-li mo-for-ic-car-ty-ns and frescoes, stone carved slabs, marble lon-na, a fragment of a relief-fa with from-o-ra-same-ni-em Bo-go-ma-te-ri with Christ (stored in the Museum of History Uk-rai-ny and za-ved-ni-ke "So-fiya Ki-ev-skaya"). The floor is on-roof-wa-whether mo-zai-ki from mra-mo-ra and smal-you, mar-mora-nye and pi-ro-fi-li-that-slabs-you, in ha-le- re-yah - pouring slabs. Sna-ru-zhi the walls of the Church of the Tithes were osh-tu-ka-tu-re-na, had Greek over-pi-si; roof-shu-roof-wa-li fox-you-lead, su-sche-st-vo-va-li ke-ra-mic water-to-hundred-ki. Ut-var, de-ta-whether the ub-ran-st-va of the church-vi, the relics of St. you-ve-ze-ny by the Kievan prince Vla-di-mi-rum Holy-sla-vi-what from Har-so-na (Kher-so-ne-sa). In the Church of the Tithes, on-ho-di-lis-marble-sar-ko-fa-gi of Vla-di-mi-ra and his wife Ann-na, would it be ne-re-not-se-ny the remains of princes Ol-gi, Yaro-half-ka Holy-sla-vi-cha, Ole-ga Holy-sla-vi-cha, later on-ho-ro-not-we princes Izya-slav Yaro-slav-vich and Ros-ti-slav Msti-slav-vich (prince of Kiev in 1159-1161, 1161-1167).