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RUSSIAN ART AND ARCHITECTURE
THROUGH THE CENTURIES

 
 

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin

 
 

Similar to the Saint Nicholas cathedral's early structural shape is the cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin of the Antoniev Monastery, built in 1117. The monastery is located at the north-east outskirts of the city on the right bank of the river Volkhov. The silhouette of the cathedral has been changed several times since, primarily by galleries and annexes that have added. Of interest are the positions of its three cupolas; beside the large central cupola there is one at the north-western corner above the staircase that leads to the gallery, and another decorative one at the south-western corner. Fragments of the original frescoes are similar to those that we see in other churches in Novgorod which date from the same period, though some Soviet art historians would like to see in them certain rudiments of what later became one of the characteristics of the Novgorod school of art. They have in mind particularly the sharp and heavy contour lines.

It appears that when Riurik first came to Novgorod he did not establish his residence in the Kremlin but chose the place a mile or so south of the town where the river Volkhov starts its flow from lake Ilmen. This place has been since called Gorodishche - simply meaning a site. Novgorod's princes liked the place, but it also served as a safer residence whenever they were in trouble with the powerful boyars. When Novgorod became a republic, the princes moved there permanently. No traces have yet been found of their palaces which most probably were made of wood.
We have photos of this cathedral and the monastery in the section for Novgorod.

 
 

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