Architecture of Kievan Rus'

What a long and arduous journey this has been! After Ford and I fled England in pursuit of eastern attractions, we took our time, stopping and exploring along the way. However, we have finally ventured so far east as to find ourselves in a most magnificent city. I have not quite seen the like of these buildings. Ford tells me this city is a very famous one and that the Slavic people hold it in high esteem. I find something else quite....interesting as well. I don't want to be too alarmed, as I am making a great effort to be curious and amiable, but Ford and I seemed to have traveled across more than land and sea on our way here. We seem to be in another time. The last I heard, Russia was a gigantic empire, but this place seems quite different from the empire about which I heard. I informed Ford, and he merely told me, "Don't panic." I will try to take his advice.

I have decided to write something of a guide to these lands and peoples in the East of Europe, for I found myself far too ignorant of these places when Ford first told me of his heritage. Hopefully, some other curious and hapless Englishman will find this information of use.

One of the most astonishing and unique aspects of Kievan Rus's capital is its incredible architecture. Firstly, I must describe my first impression of this great city to begin my exploration of the architecture. We had had a long day’s journey and the sun was setting behind us when Ford yelled down to me from the top of the carriage, inviting me to take in the view ahead. I am ever so grateful I did, for ahead of us, gleaming in the dying sunlight, was a grand and beautiful gate.

The gate looked as if it was trimmed in gold (as we passed through the gate, I saw that it was actually bronze). The shape and angle of the gate seemed not quite Romanesque and somewhat Greek, with many arched windows and a dome (Massie, 30). The gate served a beautiful and practical purpose, of course. If its purpose was to protect as well as inspire and intimidate, it accomplished that quite well. 

Since my first impression of Kiev was of its unique and stunning architecture, I planned to visit other places of interest. I asked Ford to inquire as to where we could go in order to admire more edifices in the Kievan style. Having traveled to Rome and Vienna, I had seen quite a few impressive pieces of architecture, not to mention London's offerings. Ford promptly consulted the innkeeper, who was only too happy to point two non-believers to the greatest religious buildings in the area: Saint Sophia's Cathedral and the Cave Monastery, an underground monastery.

We pulled up to Saint Sophia's Cathedral most astonished by the lavish beauty. Like the Golden Gate, the monastery was capped with domes. I don't think I have ever seen so many domes on a building before or such a method of architecture before. Many cathedrals in Rome had domes, but never so many and not quite shaped like this.

The cathedral consisted of a few different separate buildings, all with at least one dome (Rice). What I saw tended to be symmetrical, and the windows were tall, thin and arched (not resembling any Gothic styles I had seen, which have a pointed middle, but arched like a near-perfect half circle) (Ionassian 11).  

I sent Ford to find a monk who would be kind enough to tell us and show us more of this wonder of architecture. Ford left for a time but soon returned in the company of a much better guide: an architect! The architect had been supervising some work and was only to happy to show me some of the handiwork. Anatoly showed us both the exterior and interior. I couldn't talk directly to him, but he spoke to Ford, who then relayed the information to me. The exterior showed that no expense had been spared, and the interior was even more ornately decorated. When I walked in, I recognized the scent of incense and cold stone. The paintings on the walls, ceiling, and most any other surface consisted of bright depictions of the saints, the Holy Christ-child, the Virgin Mother, and the Apostles.

I was particularly astonished by the mosaics on the upper walls because they surpassed all beauty and artistry I have ever encountered (Cambridge History of Russia, 96). I was told that the distinct style of the architecture was in a sort of imitation of the Byzantine architecture found further to the south (Cambridge, 96).

Astonishingly, the Cathedral of Saint Sophia was built to rival a similar cathedral found in Constantinople. The ruler of Kievan Rus,' Yaroslav Vladimirovich, commanded its construction employing Byzantine specialists like Anatoly (Cambridge, 94). Yaroslav also commissioned two other churches to be made by Byzantine specialists called St. George and St. Irene (94). Similar to the churches I am familiar with, the St. Sophia Cathedral is laid out in the shape of a cross, though this one is the Greek cross. Many of the apses are also semicircular, echoing the same shape as the domes and the arched windows (Rice). I remarked on the excellent red stonework, and Anatoly told us that all but one church in Kievan Rus' had been built using wood but since the Cathedral of Saint Sophia was commissioned as a rival to one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Constantinople, it was the largest stone church built in Kievan Rus' (Massie, 30, Cambridge, 94).

Ford and I spent as much time as possible admiring the opulence of the cathedral, but eventually gave in to fatigue and headed back to the inn. We decided that the next day would be best spent devoted to the Monastery of the Caves.  

Works Cited

Ioannisian, Oleg and Gleb Ivakin. "Construction Materials and Building Techniques in the Architecture of Medieval Rus' from the 10th to the Beginning of the 12th centuries." Masons at Work, University of Pennsylvania Center for Ancient Studies, pp. 1-19, http://www.sas.upenn.edu/ancient/masons/Ivakin_Ioannissian.pdf.

Massie, Suzanne. Land of the Firebird: The Beauty of Old Russia. Heart Tree Press, 1996.

The Cambridge History of Russia: Volume I From Early Rus' to 1689. Edited by Maureen Perrie, Cambridge University Press, 2006

Rice, David Talbot. "Western Architecture: Kievan Rus' and Russia." Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/art/Western-architecture/The-Christian-East.