Φωτογραφίες

Not far from Moscow city, in a very small village named Ostrov, I found that it could be a very interesting picture combining the big snag under the hill and beautiful tented roof church, which is rising up to the sky over the hill...

In Medieval times, the village Ostrov (island), which is located on South-West from Moscow city, had the grand-ducal palace, where was residence for tsars. From here Ivan the Terrible enjoyed hunting expeditions and pilgrimages to the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery on the opposite bank. The glorious white stone Transfiguration Church was built in the second half of the 16th century as a part of royal estate by order of Ivan the Terrible in commemoration a withdrawal of armies of khan Muhamed-Gireja.

Tent-roof churches began to be seen at the end of the 15th century and were widespread in the 16th and 17th centuries, but construction of tent-like churches (of which Saint Basil's Cathedral is a prime example) was strictly forbidden by Patriarch Nikon, who was famous with his reforms in Russian Orthodox Church in the middle of 17th century, in an attempt to bring the Rus church closer to the Byzantine models. It was Patriarch Nikon, who built the famous New Jerusalem in Istra (you could learn about this place from my latest pictures).

Walking and taking pictures around this beautiful church I and my client met artist (restorer) there who was so welcome and pleased to seeing tourists and was able to open this church for us. Acoustic inside the church was incredibly impressive because of the "special" shape of the tent-roof tower. The walls inside were restored, but the iconostasis was still under construction. During Soviet times the church was closed, but fortunately have not been destroyed. From 90s it was reopened, renovated and they already have services there.

I have a lot of interesting information and pictures from this place, even I used telephoto lenses to shoot from this hill the Nikolo-Ugreshsky monastery and some industrial area on the border of Moscow! Are you curious to see and learn more about this place and architecture of the tent-roof churches, as like St. Basil?

With Best Regards,
Arthur
Personal Guide & Driver in Moscow