What are the forms of Orthodox churches? Types of Christian churches
The ark, the boat, the sail have long become poetic and cultural symbols. High waves, the flight of a seagull, endless blue space... What could be more beautiful? Meanwhile, the image of the ship is twofold. On the one hand, it symbolizes the continuity of human wanderings, helplessness in the sea of life. But it is also a metaphor for Noah’s Ark, the Ship of Salvation and Faith.
Church is like a ship
Ship-shaped temples are one of the most ancient types. This architectural metaphor expresses the idea that the Church, like a ship, saves believers and leads them to the Kingdom of God. For example, the Roman theologian Hippolytus, who lived in the 3rd century, defined the church as “a ship among stormy waves, but never sinking.”
St. Hippolytus of Rome:
“The Church is a ship among stormy waves, but never sinks”
A large number of Orthodox churches can be classified as a “ship” type due to the popularity of the location of the temple, refectory and bell tower in one line. Some Moscow churches are also made in this architectural style. For example, the Church of the Archangel Michael in Troparevo and the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Kadashi.
And the idea to create a Temple-ship in Zaporozhye belongs to the famous traveler, writer, artist, archpriest Fyodor Konyukhov. Thus, the statement that the church is a ship in the sea of life takes on visible embodiment.
From the harbor with cream curtains
The image of a ship is often found in works of Christian literature, including in ancient Russian monuments: “Confession” of St. Augustine (400), “The Sermon on Law and Grace” of Metropolitan Hilarion (11th century), etc. In the “Life” Archpriest Avvakum (XVII century) the ship symbolizes his life, in which there was both happiness and sorrow. During the ongoing Year of Literature, it is very important to trace the book allusions of this image: from the ships from Homer’s “Odyssey” and “Iliad” with their unique strength, power, energy, the travels of Gulliver and Robinson Crusoe to the twentieth century. It is no coincidence that Mikhail Bulgakov calls the Turbins’ house “a haven with cream curtains.” Thus, in the minds of Bulgakov’s heroes, the space of the house is associated with the image of the ship. Alexey Turbin says: “Our home is a ship.” And these words must be interpreted more broadly: we are talking about all of Russia.
Lev Lagorio. View of the Academy of Arts from the Neva
The ship archetype is also widely used in painting. For example, the Russian marine painter Ivan Aivazovsky most often depicts the sea as an unbridled element and ships struggling with the waves. This gives his works a strong emotionality, a heroic-romantic note. And here is a large-scale painting depicting drowning people contemporary artist Konstantin Khudyakov’s “Whirlpool” looks like a formidable omen.
Temples in the shape of a ship -
one of the most ancient types
The Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch had an amazing artistic sense. His work “Ship of Fools” is symbolic, where he depicted people mired in their sins, not even realizing that their ship had stopped long ago. As art critic Paola Volkova accurately notes: “The heroes of the picture are fools only for the reason that they have stopped hearing anything else, they are only interested in wasting their lives, they are only interested in the lowest level.” After all, in essence, the artist painted an anti-ship, frozen time and space (for people who do not look at the sky, it is like that). This is another omen linking the 15th and 21st centuries.
And the ship is sailing...
The last century with the sinking of the Titanic, chaos and kaleidoscopicity modern life primarily actualize tragic perception. Cinematic allusions also emerge – for example, Federico Fellini’s parable film “And the Ship Sails On...”. After complex plot twists, full of very strange symbolism, both ships in the film go to the bottom, personifying the death of world culture.
Yes, ships sometimes sink, but true sailors never give up, turning to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in prayer. It is he who is considered their patron and first assistant. The biography tells how in one of his sea travel The saint resurrected a sailor caught in a storm. “A man is only as big as his ships. His aspirations, his subconscious drives materialize in ships,” rightly believes Doctor of Art History Alexander Yakimovich.
And the ship is also an image of the future, a mythological and fantastic space. Let's remember spaceship, great flights and feats of our cosmonauts. And, perhaps, the most important thing: the ship is a continuous movement forward, towards the Dream, towards its Scarlet Sails. This is the strength and inflexibility of the human will and faith in God's providence.
Alina Burmistrova
The “Handbook of an Orthodox Person” contains the most complete reference information on the most important topics for every Christian: the structure of the temple, Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, Divine services and the Sacraments Orthodox Church, annual circle Orthodox holidays and posts, etc.
The first part of the Directory - “Orthodox Temple” - talks about the external and internal structure of the temple and everything that is an accessory temple building. The book contains a large number of illustrations and a detailed subject index.
Censor Archimandrite Luke (Pinaev)
From the publisher
The encyclopedic reference book “The New Tablet,” compiled in the 19th century by Archbishop Veniamin of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, went through 17 editions, despite the inherent materialism and skepticism of the era. The reason for such incredible popularity of the collection was the fact that it contained a huge reference material about church buildings, their external and internal structure, utensils, sacred objects and images, rites of public and private worship performed in the Orthodox Church.
Unfortunately, the archaic language of the “New Tablet” and the oversaturation of the collection with explanations of the symbolic meanings of the objects described make this unique book very difficult for a modern Christian to understand. And the need for the information that she gave, in this moment even higher than in the century before last. Therefore, our Publishing House is making an attempt to continue the tradition started by the “New Tablet”.
In the "Handbook of Orthodox People" " We have collected the most complete reference information on the above topics, adapted for the understanding of modern Christians. We have prepared the first part of the book - “Orthodox Temple” - which is distinguished by the completeness of the reference material contained in it. Here you can find information about the external and internal structure of Orthodox churches and everything that is their integral part. Another feature of the book is the abundance of illustrations that clearly represent the sacred objects described in it.
The internal structure of the reference book is characterized by the fact that the beginning of an article devoted to a particular sacred object is highlighted in bold, which makes it easy to find it in the text.
In this case, the text is not divided into separate parts, but forms an indivisible whole, united within large sections by the internal logic of the narrative.
The book also contains a detailed subject index, allowing the reader to easily find the term they are interested in.
To compile the first part, several sources were used, but the “Handbook of a Clergyman” was taken as a basis, the accuracy of the descriptions of which is not subject to any doubt. Experience shows that even long-time parishioners of Orthodox churches have a distorted idea of some sacred objects or do not have it at all. The book aims to fill these gaps. In addition, it can become a reference book for those who have just come to an Orthodox church and do not know anything about it.
The Publishing House plans to work on the following parts of the reference book:
1 . Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition.
2 . Iconography (without special and applied information).
3 . Divine service of the Orthodox Church.
4 . Sacraments of the Orthodox Church.
5 . Annual circle of holidays and Orthodox fasts.
6 . General information on dogmatic and moral theology and other topics.
The purpose of the collection is to collect reference material about the Orthodox Church of a generally accessible nature. The book will help believers fill the lack of knowledge about the most important components of the life of an Orthodox person that exists today.
A temple (house) is a building that has a religious purpose; services to God are performed in it, as well as religious ceremonies are held. In addition to the main religious functions, the temple carries a certain idea of people about the universe. Temples also had another purpose (before Christianity), they served as a refuge, or a place for resolving important issues and trade.
A Christian church is considered only a building that has an altar in which the Eucharist (thanksgiving) is celebrated - a great sacrament.
Christian churches have big story. Since the time when Christianity was not one of the main religions, and was subject to persecution by the authorities and other religions. Christians gathered for service only in the catacombs (dungeons where burials were held), where, according to the laws of that time, gatherings of people who professed their religion were not prohibited.
Thus, underground churches, they are called “crypts,” already had an altar (most often a tomb) on which the sacrament of the Eucharist was performed. Since those times, the tradition of placing holy relics on the altar and decorating the walls of temples with images from the holy book has remained.
Only in the 4th century did the construction of above-ground Christian churches begin, when the religion was recognized as dominant (Edict of Milan 313). This happened thanks to Emperor Constantine.
The main types of temples are the basilica and the cross-domed temple.
Basilica- a structure that has a rectangular and elongated shape, divided from the inside by several rows (from 2) of pillars or columns that create naves (an architectural space of a longitudinal shape). Often the central nave was higher than the side ones. It also had a protrusion - an apse (the protruding part where the altar is located), where the presbytery (place for the clergy) was located.
A special feature of the basilica is also that the entrance is located on the western side of the temple, and the altar is on the eastern side. This placement symbolizes the coming of Christians to God (repentance). In Christianity, the west is associated with sinfulness, and the east with divinity. Near the part where the altar is located, the temple is intersected by transverse naves, which gave it the shape of a cross.
The most common are three-nave basilicas. They are created using two internal rows of columns; in the side naves there are often choirs (an oblong-shaped room for the clergy or church choir), as well as “matroneums” (special galleries for women, because it was adopted from the Jews, the separate presence of men and women in temple).
Often, in especially large temples, in front of the main room there were open courtyards with columns placed along the entire perimeter; they are called atriums.
Great importance was given to decorating the interior of the basilica. The temple was decorated mainly from the inside. For this they used marble, beautiful wall frescoes, and mosaics that were laid out both on the walls and on the floor. But special attention was paid to decorating the main and sacred part of the temple - the altar. The façade of the basilica was often not decorated.
This model of the temple remained unchanged for a long time.
Starting from the 12th-13th centuries, other types of temples appeared - the Gothic cathedral. They differed from the early Christian ones in that they were covered with stone vaults.
The Gothic temple began to rise high, thanks to the fact that new technologies and architectural elements were used in construction, among them a flying buttress. The weight of the vault was transferred to the walls, this relieved the temple from the internal columns and made it possible to create large windows, which made it spacious and bright.
The altar was also separated from the main volume of the temple by a partition. The restriction on the presence of men and women together in churches has disappeared.
Now not only the internal walls of the temple were decorated, but also its façade. Thus, they tried to convey the “word of God” beyond the walls of the temple.
After the division of the United christian church, the Eastern (Orthodox) Church developed the cross-domed Byzantine type of temple.
Cross-dome
Its characteristic features are that the temple had a cruciform shape (close to a square) and a high dome that housed windows.
The naves (both longitudinal and transverse) are now of equal length, and when crossing they create a Greek (equal-ended) cross. Hence the name itself - Cross-dome. At the same time, rotundas (round temples) appeared.
Orthodox church
Starting from the 15-16th century, iconostases began to appear in Orthodox churches; they separated the altar part of the temple from its middle part. The iconostasis is a wall with rows of icons.
The narthex (a place for people who could not enter the middle of the temple) began to be called the narthex, and its outer part - the porch (a platform with stairs to enter the temple).
In order to be able to conduct simultaneous services by several priests (on major holidays and events), extensions to the temple were introduced.
Baptistery
A separate building, often round in shape, near the temple, it is intended for the baptismal ceremony. In its center there is a font that can fit an adult. Nowadays a baptistery is rarely built.
External structure of an Orthodox church. The main architectural forms of the temple building and their meaning.
With all the variety of temple buildings, the buildings themselves are immediately recognizable and can be classified according to the architectural styles to which they belong.
Abse- an altar ledge, as if attached to the temple, most often semicircular, but also polygonal in plan, it houses the altar.
Drum- a cylindrical or multifaceted upper part of the temple, over which a dome is built, ending with a cross.
Light drum- a drum, the edges or cylindrical surface of which is cut by window openings
The head is a dome with a drum and a cross, crowning the temple building.
Zakomara– in Russian architecture, a semicircular or keel-shaped completion of part of the outer wall of a building; as a rule, it repeats the outlines of the arch located behind it.
Cube– the main volume of the temple.
Onion – church chapter shaped like an onion.
Nave(French nef, from Latin navis - ship), an elongated room, part of the interior of a church building, bounded on one or both longitudinal sides by a number of columns or pillars.
Porch- an open or closed porch in front of the entrance to the temple, elevated relative to ground level.
Pilaster(blade) - a constructive or decorative flat vertical protrusion on the surface of a wall, having a base and a capital.
Portal– architecturally designed entrance to the building.
Refectory- part of the temple, a low extension on the western side of the church, serving as a place for preaching, public meetings, and in ancient times, a place where the brethren took food.
Tent- a high four-, six- or octagonal pyramidal covering of a tower, temple or bell tower, widespread in the temple architecture of Rus' until the 17th century.
Gable- completion of the façade of a building, portico, colonnade, enclosed by roof slopes and a cornice at the base.
Apple– a ball at the end of the dome under the cross.
Tier– horizontal division of the building volume decreasing in height.
The churches of the Orthodox Church, with their architectural features, symbolically express the canon of church doctrine.
There are several commonly known types of temple architecture.
Temples in the shape of a cross were built as a sign that the Cross of Christ is the foundation of the Church, through the Cross humanity was delivered from the power of the devil, through the Cross the entrance to Paradise, lost by our ancestors, was opened.
Temples in the shape of a circle(a circle that has neither beginning nor end, symbolizes eternity) speaks of the infinity of the existence of the Church, its indestructibility in the world according to the word of Christ:
Temples in the shape of an eight-pointed star symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, which led the Magi to the place where Christ was born. Thus, the Church of God testifies to its role as a guide to the life of the Future Age.
Temple in the shape of a ship. Temples in the shape of a ship are the most ancient type of temples, figuratively expressing the idea that the Church, like a ship, saves believers from the disastrous waves of everyday sailing and leads them to the Kingdom of God.
There were also mixed types of temples, connecting the above forms. The Church has preserved all these forms of church building to this day.
The internal structure of an Orthodox church: the vestibule, the middle part of the church, the altar, the solea, the pulpit, the choir, the chandelier and lamps, the church candle, the iconostasis and its structure. Be able to explain the purpose and spiritual meaning.
The first part of the temple from the entrance is called the porch or pre-temple. The narthex is divided into two parts: the inner narthex and the outer narthex or porch.
The inner porch is called the refectory. This name comes from the fact that in some churches, especially in monasteries, monks eat in this part of the temple.
In ancient times, the vestibule (external and internal) was intended for catechumens and penitents and was almost equal in area to the average church.
Usually the vestibule is separated from the temple by a wall with a red western gate in the middle. In ancient Russian churches of the Byzantine style there were often no vestibules at all. This is due to the fact that by the time Russia adopted Christianity in the Church there were no longer strictly separate rules for catechumens and penitents with their various degrees. By this time, in Orthodox countries, people were already baptized in infancy, so the baptism of adult foreigners was an exception, for which there was no need to specially build porches. As for the people under the penance of repentance, they stood for some part of the service at the western wall of the temple or on the porch. Later, various needs prompted us to return to the construction of vestibules. The very name “narthex” reflects the historical circumstance when they began to pretend, attach, or additionally add a third part to two-part ancient churches in Russia. The proper name of this part is a meal, since in ancient times treats for the poor were arranged in it on the occasion of a holiday or commemoration of the dead.
The entrance to the narthex from the street is usually arranged in the form of a porch - a platform in front of the entrance doors, to which several steps lead. The porch has a great dogmatic meaning, as an image of the spiritual elevation on which the Church is located among the surrounding world, as a Kingdom not of this world. While serving in the world, the Church is at the same time, by its nature, essentially different from the world. This is what the steps up the temple mean.
Altar(Latin “elevated place”) - the eastern, main part of the temple, in which the throne, altar, episcopal or priestly department are located.
The history of the altar of an Orthodox church goes back to those early times of Christianity, when in catacomb churches underground and in above-ground basilicas, in the front part, fenced off by a low lattice or columns from the rest of the space, a stone tomb (sarcophagus) with the remains of the holy martyr was placed as a shrine.
On this stone tomb in the catacombs the Sacrament of the Eucharist was performed - the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.
The name itself indicates that already in ancient times the altars of Christian churches were located on some elevation in relation to the rest of the temple.
In parish churches, in the semicircle of the apse there may not be an elevation or a chair, but in any case the place is a sign of that Heavenly Throne on which the Lord is invisibly present, and is therefore called the High Place.
Initially, the altar consisted of a throne, which was placed in the center of the altar space, a pulpit (seat) for the bishop, and benches for spirituality (the High Place), located opposite the throne near the wall, semi-surrounded by the altar apse. The offering (altar) and the receptacle (sacristy) were in separate rooms (chapels) to the right and left of the altar. Then the proposal began to be placed in the altar itself, to the left of Gornev’s place, when viewed from the side of the throne. Probably, in connection with this, the names of the holy places of the altar also changed.
In ancient times, the throne was always called an altar or a meal, and the name “throne” referred to the bishop’s seat on the High Place. With the transfer of the sentence on which the preparation of bread and wine for the Sacrament of the Eucharist is performed to the altar, in oral tradition it began to be called an altar, the throne (bishop's seat) began to be called the High Place, and the altar (meal) itself began to be called the throne.
Middle part of the temple marks the created world. This is, first of all, the Heavenly world, the angelic one, as well as the region of heavenly existence, where all the righteous who have departed there from earthly life reside.
The middle part of the temple, as is clear from its name, is located between the altar and the vestibule. Since the altar is not completely limited by the iconostasis, some of it is “carried out” beyond the altar partition. This part is an elevated platform relative to the level of the rest of the temple and is called salting(Greek: elevation in the middle of the temple). This elevation may have one or more steps. There is an amazing meaning hidden in this design of the salt.
The semicircular protrusion in the center of the sole is called pulpit(Greek: I ascend). From the pulpit, believers receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ, from there the priest pronounces the most significant words during the service, as well as the sermon. The symbolic meanings of the pulpit are as follows: the mountain from which Christ preached; Bethlehem Cave, where he was born; the stone from which the Angel announced to the wives about the Resurrection of Christ.
Along the edges of the solea they arrange specially fenced places for singers and readers, called choirs. This word comes from the name of the singer-priests “kliroshan”, that is, singers from among the clergy, clergy (Greek lot, allotment).
Panikadilo(from the Greek πολυκάνδηλον - many candles) - in an Orthodox church there is a central chandelier, a lamp with many candles or lamps.
According to the Church Charter, during Sunday and holiday services, all lamps are lit, including the chandelier, creating an image of God’s light that will shine on the faithful in the Kingdom of Heaven. Candles and lamps with oil were used in temples in ancient times. The command to build a lamp of pure gold with seven lamps is one of the first given to Moses by the Lord. Burning lamps and lamps served as a symbol of God's guidance. “You, O Lord, are my lamp,” King David exclaims.
In the first centuries of Christianity, candles were always lit during divine services.
On the one hand, there was a need for this: Christians, persecuted by pagans, retired to dungeons and catacombs for worship, and besides, worship services were most often performed at night, and it was impossible to do without lamps. But for another, and main reason, lighting had a spiritual significance. “We never perform divine services without lamps,” said the teacher of the Church Tertullian, “but we use them not only to disperse the darkness of the night - our liturgy is celebrated in daylight; but in order to depict Christ through this - uncreated light, without which we would wander in darkness even at midday."
“Lamps and candles are an image of eternal Light, and also mean the light with which the righteous shine,” says Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem.
The 15th-century liturgist, Blessed Simeon, Archbishop of Thessaloniki, explaining the symbolic meaning of wax, says that pure wax means the purity and innocence of the people bringing it. It is offered as a sign of our repentance for perseverance and readiness to continue to obey God, like the softness and pliability of wax. Just as wax produced by bees after collecting nectar from many flowers and trees symbolically means an offering to God as if on behalf of all creation, so the burning of a wax candle, like the transformation of wax into fire, means deification, the transformation of earthly man into a new creature through the action of fire and warmth of Divine love and grace.
Oil, like wax, also signifies the purity and sincerity of a person in his worship of God. But oil also has its own special meanings. Oil is the oil of the fruits of olive trees, olives. Even in the Old Testament, the Lord commanded Moses to offer pure oil without sediment as a sacrifice to God (Ex. 27:20). Testifying to the purity of human relationships with God, oil is a sign of God’s mercy towards people: it softens wounds, has a healing effect, and approves of food.
Iconostasis- a partition separating the altar and the middle part of the temple. It consists of icons arranged in tiers, symbolizing the history of the salvation of mankind by God. The number of tiers ranges from three to five. They can be considered starting from the top tier, for the Lord gradually, as if step by step, brought salvation down to people.
The fifth, upper tier contains the icon of the Trinity and icons of the Old Testament righteous men and forefathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc.).
The fourth from the bottom is the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” and the icons of the coming prophets.
The third tier from the bottom contains icons of the twelve holidays.
The second tier is the icons of Deisis.
In the middle of the lower tier are the Royal Doors; to the right (on the south side) of the gates are the icon of Jesus Christ and the icon of the saint or holiday to which the temple is dedicated. The icon of the Last Supper is placed above the Royal Doors.
The iconostasis is certainly crowned with the Cross, as the pinnacle of Divine love for the fallen world, which gave the Son of God as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind.
Related information.
Unlike Catholic churches, which were built in accordance with the artistic style prevailing at the time of construction, Orthodox churches were built in accordance with the symbols of Orthodoxy. Thus, each element of an Orthodox church carries some information about who the temple is dedicated to, about some features of Orthodoxy itself, and much more.
SYMBOLISM OF THE TEMPLE
Temple shape
- Temples in the form cross were built as a sign that the Cross of Christ is the Foundation of the Church, through the Cross humanity has been delivered from the power of the devil, through the Cross the entrance to heaven has been opened.
- Temples in the form circle, as a symbol of eternity, they speak of the infinity of the existence of the Church, its indestructibility.
- Temples in the form eight-pointed star symbolize Star of Bethlehem, who led the Magi to the place where Christ was born. In this way, the church testifies to its role as a guide in human life.
- Temples in the form ship- the most ancient type of temple, figuratively expressing the idea that the Church, like a ship, saves believers from the disastrous waves of everyday voyage and leads them to the Kingdom of God.
- There were also mixed types temples connecting the above forms.
Number of domes
The different number of domes, or chapters, of a temple building is determined by who they are dedicated to.
- Single-domed temple: the dome symbolizes the unity of God, the perfection of creation.
- Double-domed temple: the two domes symbolize the two natures of the God-man Jesus Christ, the two areas of creation (angelic and human).
- Three-domed temple: the three domes symbolize the Holy Trinity.
- Four-domed temple: the four domes symbolize the Four Gospels, the four cardinal directions.
- Five-domed temple: five domes, one of which rises above the others, symbolize Jesus Christ and the four evangelists.
- Seven Domed Temple: seven domes symbolize seven Sacraments of the Church, seven Ecumenical Councils, seven virtues.
- Nine-domed temple: nine domes symbolize nine ranks of angels.
- Thirteen-domed temple: thirteen domes symbolize Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles.
The helmet shape symbolizes the spiritual warfare (struggle) that the Church wages against the forces of evil.
Bulb shape symbolizes the flame of a candle.
The unusual shape and bright colors of the domes, such as that of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg, speaks of the beauty of Paradise.
Dome color
- The domes are turning golden at temples dedicated to Christ and twelve holidays
- Blue domes with stars indicate that the temple is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- Temples with green domes dedicated to the Holy Trinity.
The diagram of the building of an Orthodox church presented below reflects only the most general principles temple construction, it reflects only the basic architectural details inherent in many temple buildings, organically combined into a single whole. But with all the variety of temple buildings, the buildings themselves are immediately recognizable and can be classified according to the architectural styles to which they belong.
Absida- an altar ledge, as if attached to the temple, most often semicircular, but also polygonal in plan, it houses the altar.
Drum- a cylindrical or multifaceted upper part of the temple, over which a dome is built, ending with a cross.
Light drum- a drum, the edges or cylindrical surface of which is cut by window openings
Chapter- a dome with a drum and a cross crowning the temple building.
Zakomara- in Russian architecture, a semicircular or keel-shaped completion of part of the outer wall of a building; as a rule, it repeats the outlines of the arch located behind it.
Cube- the main volume of the temple.
Bulb- a church dome resembling an onion in shape.
Nave(French nef, from Latin navis - ship), an elongated room, part of the interior of a church building, limited on one or both longitudinal sides by a number of columns or pillars.
Porch- an open or closed porch in front of the entrance to the temple, elevated relative to ground level.
Pilaster(blade) - a constructive or decorative flat vertical protrusion on the surface of a wall, having a base and a capital.
Portal- architecturally designed entrance to the building.
Tent- a high four-, six- or octagonal pyramidal covering of a tower, temple or bell tower, widespread in the temple architecture of Rus' until the 17th century.
Gable- completion of the façade of a building, portico, colonnade, enclosed by roof slopes and a cornice at the base.
Apple- a ball at the end of the dome under the cross.
Tier- horizontal division of the building volume decreasing in height.
Bell towers, belfries, bells
Bell tower- a tower with an open tier (ringing tier) for bells. It was placed next to the temple or included in its composition. In medieval Russian architecture, pillar-shaped and tent-shaped bell towers are known, along with belfries of the wall-shaped, pillar-shaped and chamber type.
Pillar-shaped and tent-shaped bell towers can be single-tiered or multi-tiered, as well as square, octagonal or round in plan.
Pillar-shaped bell towers are also divided into large and small. Large bell towers are 40-50 meters high and stand separately from the temple building. Small pillar-shaped bell towers are usually included in the temple complex. The currently known versions of small bell towers differ in their location: either above western entrance into the church, or above the gallery in the northwest corner. Unlike free-standing pillar-shaped bell towers, small ones usually had only one tier of open bell arches, and the lower tier was decorated with windows with platbands.
The most common type of bell tower is the classic single-tier octagonal hipped bell tower. This type of bell tower became especially widespread in the 17th century, when hipped bell towers were almost an integral part of the Central Russian landscape. Occasionally, multi-tiered tented bell towers were built, although the second tier, located above the main ringing tier, as a rule, did not have bells and played a decorative role.
Influenced Western European culture Baroque and classical multi-tiered bell towers began to appear in large numbers in Russian monastery, temple and city architectural ensembles. One of the most famous bell towers of the 18th century was the large bell tower of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, where four more tiers of bells were erected on the massive first tier.
Before the appearance of bell towers in the ancient Church, bell towers were built for bells in the form of a wall with through openings or in the form of a belfry-gallery (ward belfry).
Belfry- this is a structure built on the wall of a temple or installed next to it with openings for hanging bells. Types of belfries: wall-shaped - in the form of a wall with openings; pillar-shaped - tower structures with a multifaceted base with openings for bells in the upper tier; ward type - rectangular, with a covered vaulted arcade, with supports along the perimeter of the walls.
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