As far as the ancient Greeks worshiped the god Mercury, erecting temples in his honor, just as the Slavs, paying homage to their patron saint of merchant people, Saint Paraskeva, built churches called Fridays in her honor. They inherited this name from small chapels that were once built along endless Russian roads. Pyatnitskaya church in Chernigov, which will be discussed in this article, is one of them.
Church built in Chernihiv
It just so happened that the center of public life of any ancient Russian city was its trading area. It was on it that the most significant events took place, and most importantly, trade was conducted, which was the basis of his well-being, and sometimes the cause of decline. And it is not surprising that churches were once built on trading floors in the name of the saint who patronized this important occupation.
That is why in Chernihiv, founded back in the 9th century, and by the middle of the 12th century, having received a complete city outline, Posad officials took care of building a church in honor of the holy saint of God, whose patronage was so necessary for the local merchants. Pyatnitskaya church in Chernihiv, the description of which has survived to the present day, was the fruit of their pious labors.
The period of spiritual revival of Ukraine
Pyatnitskaya church in Chernihiv was built on a spacious retail square, even before its appearance, called Pyatnitsky field. It should be noted right away that in the life of the city it began to play such a prominent role that it soon became the main shrine of the Chernihiv convent, which was formed next to it, which burned down in the fire of 1750. However, there is practically no documentary information about what shape it had in this early period of its existence, and its first detailed description dates to the end of the 17th century.
This period in the life of Ukraine was marked by a turbulent process of its spiritual and cultural revival, which was led by a whole galaxy of prominent religious figures. It manifested itself especially vividly in Chernigov, due to its geographical location, which was the closest city to the Moscow state. It was in it that a new architectural trend was born and developed, known today as Ukrainian Baroque.
The new look of the old church
From documents that have survived to this day, it is known that by the end of the 17th century the Pyatnitskaya Church in Chernigov, which had been counting for almost five centuries of its history, was quite dilapidated, and its overhaul was required. All the troubles, and most importantly, the costs associated with such a difficult matter, were undertaken by a wealthy philanthropist who became famous for his activities aimed at restoring the monuments of Chernigov's antiquity - Colonel of the General Review Department Vasily Stepanovich Dunin-Barkovsky.
Under his guardianship, the completely rebuilt Pyatnitskaya Church in Chernigov acquired the appearance of magnificent and pompous buildings made in the above-mentioned Ukrainian Baroque style. By the sophistication of its facade, it attracted universal attention, and in those years it became one of the brightest sights of the city. However, the work carried out completely deprived of its historical appearance, created once by ancient masters.
Changes to the architecture of the building
Only in our days, as a result of scientific research, it became known that the Pyatnitskaya Church in Chernihiv (the 12th century) was originally a building in the form of a rectangle, measuring 12.4 x 11.4 m. It was a cross-domed building, traditional for that time. Three altar apse adjoined to it from the western side - semicircular extensions in which altars were placed. Inside, four powerful columns held the dome and vaults on them.
During the work carried out in the XVII century, additional extensions were added to the main volume of the building, a chapter was added, which changed its overall height. The walls of the church were decorated with lush serrated gables. Old windows were expanded and new ones added to them. A number of other changes were also made.
The troubles experienced by the church
In the future, its appearance has repeatedly changed. Fires, frequent visitors to ancient cities, did not bypass the church built on Pyatnitsky Field. Each time after another fire disaster, the building had to be repaired, and it acquired new features.
Thus, it reached the 20th century, repeatedly changing its original appearance. During the Great Patriotic War, the Pyatnitskaya church was almost completely destroyed. The photo in the article gives an idea of the extent of its destruction.
Restoring the original appearance of the church
In 1943, immediately after the liberation of Chernigov from the Germans, work began on the conservation of church ruins, which helped to avoid their final destruction. It was during this period that some of the original architectural features of the building were established.
Due to this, during the restoration work, a group of architects led by Professor P.D. Baranovsky managed to reproduce with great accuracy the building erected on this site back in the pre-Mongol period. Thus, the current Pyatnitskaya church in Chernigov, the photo of which is presented in the article, is very similar in appearance to the original.
Today is an ancient shrine
In the Soviet years, the museum of the famous “Words about Igor’s Regiment” was housed in the building of the church, which was restored from the ruins, the coeval of which is its former building, erected in the 12th century. After the collapse of the USSR, the temple was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate, and today it is active.
Every year on November 10, according to a new style, the Orthodox celebrate the memory of the great martyr Paraskeva. On this day, the Pyatnitskaya Church in Chernigov, where its miraculous icon is located, is filled with hundreds of worshipers. Located in the center of the current square named after Bogdan Khmelnitsky, it is well known to all citizens.
Known primarily for her patronage of the mercantile people, Saint Paraskeva Friday for many centuries interceded with the Lord for all people with faith and reverence addressing her in prayers, regardless of what their requests consist of.