Among the monuments of ancient temple architecture that have witnessed the history of Russia, a special place is occupied by the Transfiguration Cathedral in Pereslavl-Zalessky. Reaching us from those distant times, when Russia still did not know the horrors of the Tatar-Mongol invasion, it is the earliest of the white-stone temples of the north-east of Russia.
How they built in the old days
The Transfiguration Cathedral (Pereslavl-Zalessky), which is the same age as the city itself, was founded in 1152 by one of the sons of Vladimir Monomakh - Grand Duke Yuri Dolgoruky. Years left their mark on him. Studies have shown that for a period exceeding more than eight and a half centuries, the temple plunged into the earth by ninety centimeters.
As if anticipating future military upheavals, the creators of the cathedral laid a hefty margin of safety in its walls. More than a meter thick, they were laid out in the so-called half-foot technique, which consisted in laying dry, perfectly hewn white-stone blocks. Fitted to each other with great accuracy, they provided high strength and durability of the entire structure. According to its architectural features, the object belongs to single-dome four-pillar churches, decorated with three apses. The quality of work has been successfully tested by time, as a result of which the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral (Pereslavl-Zalessky), built in the 12th century, has survived to this day in excellent condition.
Board - a list of troubles
And it turned out a lot to experience the temple. Inside, on one of the walls, a board has been strengthened, on which all the trials and troubles that have befallen him over the next centuries are listed. It also mentions countless Tatar hordes that swept through Pereslavl-Zalessky, and hordes of Lithuanian conquerors, and squads of neighboring predatory princes. It does not say only about those who caused the main and irreparable damage to the temple — about restorers.
Destruction of wall paintings
As a result of their soullessness and professional incompetence, shown during the restoration work carried out in the church at the end of the 19th century, priceless frescoes dating to the last quarter of the 12th century were forever lost. About the level at which they were performed by ancient masters, one can only get an idea of the only fragment that miraculously survived and is now stored in the Moscow Historical Museum. It depicts the Old Testament prophet Simon.
From the reports of the commission that followed the restoration, it is known that the frescoes depicting the scenes of the Last Judgment and the Virgin Mary sitting on the throne were removed from the walls and packed in wooden boxes. Since none of the museums agreed to accept them for storage, these samples of ancient painting were simply dumped in the barn, where they were in complete disarray.
Over time, they fell into complete disrepair, and in 1895 a special Archaeological Commission recognized their further storage as inappropriate. Since piety did not allow enlightened barbarians to throw sacred images in the trash, they were simply drowned in the lake.
The history of Russia, of which the ancient cathedral became a part
Over the years of its history, Pereslavl-Zalessky has repeatedly found itself in the very center of events that made up the bright pages of the history of Ancient Russia. Transfiguration Cathedral has seen a lot in its lifetime. A marble plaque installed on its wall indicates that somewhere near it were the prince’s chambers, in which in 1220 the future defender of Russia, the right-wing prince Alexander, was called Nevsky for the defeat of the Swedish invaders at the mouth of the Neva. Under the arches of the same temple, he received holy baptism.
The Transfiguration Cathedral (Pereslavl-Zalessky) became the tomb of his son - Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, and his grandson - the specific Pereslavl Prince Ivan Dmitrievich. Their graves, kept by time, have survived to the present day. We remember the arches of the church and St. Sergius of Radonezh, who was elevated here to the rank of hegumen, before he headed the Trinity-Sergius Lavra founded by him.
Paintings of the past
The Pereslavl-Zalessky Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior saw how many great Moscow princes prayed kneeling here. He knew Ivan the Terrible himself, who came to this marvelous land to pray for forgiveness from God for already committed atrocities and gain strength for new ones. And when, in the midst of the Time of Troubles, Russia was on the verge of collapse, before the images of this temple they prayed to the Lord to send victory to the Orthodox militia Minin and Pozharsky.
Many of the “traditions of ancient times deep” are preserved in their memory by the Transfiguration Cathedral (Pereslavl-Zalessky). He could also talk about how the young Russian sovereign Peter I, who was to receive the title Great from the descendants, was built on the Pleshcheyevo lake near Plescheevo not far from him, and the fleet that sailed from the quiet shores of the lake was destined to conquer all the oceans of the world .
The mystery of the underground labyrinths
Like any self-respecting monument of ancient times, the Transfiguration Cathedral in Pereslavl-Zalessky has its own secret, exciting the minds of scientists, researchers and just lovers of everything that goes beyond the gray routine. From the annals of materials it is known that during the construction of the temple, underground passages were dug deep for its foundation to evacuate the inhabitants of the city in the event of a siege - times were painfully hectic.
It was not known whether they had to use them in subsequent periods of history, when hordes of Tatars and other invaders fell on Russia. Numerous attempts to find the entrance to these underground labyrinths were unsuccessful, and they still keep their secret, which, of course, makes the temple even more attractive to tourists.
The life of the cathedral in the 20th century and today
After the Bolshevik coup, the temple, in which until then church services were performed regularly, was closed, but, fortunately, unlike many temple buildings, it was not destroyed. Everything that, in the opinion of the new authorities, was valuable, was seized or simply plundered. However, a number of the most significant items of church utensils were saved. Among them, a chalice sent to Moscow (a bowl for communion) is a gift from Yuri Dolgorukov and the unique gospel of Deacon Zinovy.
Despite the fact that today the temple is officially owned by the Nikolsky Monastery, services in it are carried out infrequently, and it still retains the status of a museum of antiquity, in which it itself is the main exhibit. Nearby stands a memorial monument in honor of Yuri Dolgoruky, whose command the city was built and the Transfiguration Cathedral was built. Pereslavl-Zalessky, whose history has become an integral part of the past of Russia, attracts thousands of tourists annually who want to see this unusual temple and breathe the air of bygone centuries in it.