Temples of Vologda: the cultural heritage of the ancient land

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Vologda, an ancient city standing on the river of the same name, is famous today for its historical heritage. On its land there is a large number of historical and architectural monuments, many of them are protected by the state. Glorious Vologda land and churches. The temples of Vologda are known for their ancient architecture and picturesque icons. Read about some of them in the article below.

Church of St. Nicholas on Glinka (Vologda)

Today the exact date of construction of the church is unknown. It is believed that it was erected around the end of the 15th century. The Church of St. Nicholas on Glinka is located near the source of the Zolotukha River, dug out by order of Tsar Ivan IV. In those distant times, Zolotukha served as a moat for the Vologda Kremlin from the southeast. In order to raise the water level, the king ordered to dig another canal (Kopanka). When digging these channels, a large amount of clay was formed. That's why they used to call the church "Glinkovsky" (like other churches in Vologda, the church of St. Nicholas changed its name).

In 1676 the wooden church was rebuilt. Now it becomes stone, and they build it from clay bricks, mined when digging the Zolotukha River. Clay kilns found during archaeological excavations confirm this fact.

The Church of St. Nicholas on Glinka, like many ancient churches in Vologda, was rebuilt many times, so its original appearance has been greatly changed.

Church of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God on Kozlen

The time of construction of the wooden church on Kozlen is unknown, but the very first written mention of it dates back to 1612. The settlement where the church was built was called Kozlenskaya (now this name is one of the streets of the city).

The Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on Kozlen (Vologda) has a typical architecture for the beginning of the 17th century. The main compositional parts here are a two-height quadrangle with an octagon placed on it and a domed roof with one dome.

Very interesting wall painting of the temple, dating back to the beginning of the XVIII century. The dome of the building, its walls and vaults are covered with paintings according to the tradition of Yaroslavl-Kostroma frescoes. Painted by Fedor Fedorov. Updated in the 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, Alekseev's frescoes appeared here. They are interesting because they represent the last stage of the art of mural painting in Russia.

Temples of Vologda: Church of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky

The temple, located on the right bank of the Vologda River near the cathedral,erected in 1554. The date of the construction of the stone temple is not exactly known, but judging by the architectural details, the reconstruction took place in the 18th century.

In 1869 the city was visited by Tsar Alexander II and the temple was renamed the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky.

The complex fate of the building begins in 1924, when it was closed. During the war, a military unit is located here, after the war - Glavkinoprokat. Until 1993, the building housed a ski equipment rental, and only in 1997 the management of the temple passes to the religious community, which reopens it for parishioners.

Temples of the Vologda land are very interesting for their architecture, icons and frescoes. While in Vologda, visiting some of them is a must.