DISCOVERIES
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Research on the architecture of Ivan the Terrible epoch (50-ies of the XVI c.)
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In 2006-2010 a complex of restoration works together with field studies was held in the Annunciation cathedral. Owing to these works, it became possible to answer many questions that researchers, who study the structural history of the monument, brought up. One of the most difficult problems that were a subject of scientific debate for many years was a building history of the south gallery and a so-called 'Groznensky' porch of the cathedral, built in the 50-ies of the 16th c. during the rule of Ivan the Terrible (Grozny) and named thereafter.
The Annunciation Cathedral, being a repository of grand princes' treasury from its very first years, was not only a part of the complex of the Grand Princes' Palace but also directly connected to the Treasury Chamber, built southwards from the cathedral. In the middle of the 16th c. south gallery and the porch were under major reconstruction, obviously caused by the fact that this side of the cathedral had been seriously damaged by the fire in 1547. As a result, the south wall of the gallery and its vaults were dismantled. In 1480-ies an open gallery with a cross-arched vaulting and a porch erected on the wall of the lower tier, that porch led to the vestibule of the Treasury Chamber. After the fire of 1547, a side chapel of Basil of Caesarea was transferred to the south gallery from the diaconicon. A pavilion was constructed on the gallery to place the side chapel, and an arch was broken through the cathedral wall to separate the diaconicon from the gallery. At that time a cathedral sacristy was situated in the diaconicon, and prior it had been expanded due to the relocation of the former side chapel to the gallery. An existent wall with the door aperture at the centre was built affixing the arch at the end of the 17th c. when the service had been resumed here.
In 1560-ies an extant wall was erected on the upper site of the gallery. It was made of small-sized brick and had a two-light white stone window, decorated with carving. At the same time, a new door aperture was made in the partition wall, separating the south part of the gallery from the eastern one.
The window and the portal changed their places between 1770 and 1800 after the eastern part of the south gallery was reconstructed. At a time new arches, based on the carved, square in plan pillar, were laid. Initially, the window framing had been set onto a blank wall as a decorative element, the window here was broken through only in 1930-ies during the restoration works.
Large-scale restoration works were held in the south gallery of the cathedral in 1860-ies under the charge of F.F. Rikhter. At that time a semi-column and a square in plan pillar were discovered in a south wall of the gallery, in the walling of the last quarter of the 18th c. These elements served as a base for the fragments of primal cross vaultings, left after the reconstruction in 1830-ies. The semi-column and pillar were substituted by quite precise copies, while the originals were transferred to the Rumyantsev Museum.
Restoration works on the south porch and south gallery of the cathedral were accomplished in the 2007-2010-ies. One of the main targets of this restoration was to reveal many building periods in the history of this part of the cathedral. Field studies helped to reveal the primal carved decoration of the gallery and the porch. It is preserved fragmentary, nevertheless, it allows us to imagine the way the cathedral looked like during the Ivan the Terrible rule. Gallery's and porch's vaults were painted either dark grey or black. Columns' and pillars' fusts, capitals, imposts, lower surfaces of the archivolts in arches of the gallery's façade, were covered with the carving. Along the south façade of the gallery and the porch, there was a frieze, decorated with carved floral ornament. A door aperture used to be a white stone, carved portal with semicircular archivolt, supported by a rectangular in plan pilaster, and led from the upper site of the porch to the eastern gallery, situated before the Treasury Chamber. Principal motifs of the white stone carving on the south gallery and south porch are floral sprouts and stems with peculiar sharp-cornered or half-round 'cones' that differ a lot from the carving on the Renaissance portals of the end of the 15th – beginning of the 16th cc. The analogues of these motifs can be found in book engraving of the middle of the 16th c.
Floors on the galleries were covered with ceramic triangular tiles of black and white colours, composing a regular geometric ornament. An eastern corner semi-column was discovered later during the restoration works in 1949. At the same time, a white stone portal and a base of the south wall of the cathedral chetverik were reconstructed according to the traces, left in the masonry.
During restoration, the 'Groznensky' portal and gemel window were returned to their original places. Fragments of painting 'false oversize brick' were found on the walls of the porch from the façade side. It was decided to preserve this painting from the façade side.
The main idea of the architectural part of the exposition in the eastern side of the south gallery of the Annunciation cathedral is to show a reconstructed interior of Ivan the Terrible times that has no analogues among other Kremlin monuments.
The exposition includes restored to their original form fragments of the south gallery of the cathedral with carved white stone portal and window, disclosure of original masonry with white stone carved details on the walls of the gallery and the porch, probings in the floor of the south gallery, shown in the glass manholes, as well as white stone blocks with the carving of the middle 16th c., taken from the Architectural décor fund and set on the plinths. The details were chosen for the exposition to enrich the picture of the architectural décor of the south gallery and the porch of Ivan the Terrible epoch. Tough not preserved at the places, they make sole ensemble with carved architectural elements, which remained in situ.
The Annunciation Cathedral, being a repository of grand princes' treasury from its very first years, was not only a part of the complex of the Grand Princes' Palace but also directly connected to the Treasury Chamber, built southwards from the cathedral. In the middle of the 16th c. south gallery and the porch were under major reconstruction, obviously caused by the fact that this side of the cathedral had been seriously damaged by the fire in 1547. As a result, the south wall of the gallery and its vaults were dismantled. In 1480-ies an open gallery with a cross-arched vaulting and a porch erected on the wall of the lower tier, that porch led to the vestibule of the Treasury Chamber. After the fire of 1547, a side chapel of Basil of Caesarea was transferred to the south gallery from the diaconicon. A pavilion was constructed on the gallery to place the side chapel, and an arch was broken through the cathedral wall to separate the diaconicon from the gallery. At that time a cathedral sacristy was situated in the diaconicon, and prior it had been expanded due to the relocation of the former side chapel to the gallery. An existent wall with the door aperture at the centre was built affixing the arch at the end of the 17th c. when the service had been resumed here.
In 1560-ies an extant wall was erected on the upper site of the gallery. It was made of small-sized brick and had a two-light white stone window, decorated with carving. At the same time, a new door aperture was made in the partition wall, separating the south part of the gallery from the eastern one.
The window and the portal changed their places between 1770 and 1800 after the eastern part of the south gallery was reconstructed. At a time new arches, based on the carved, square in plan pillar, were laid. Initially, the window framing had been set onto a blank wall as a decorative element, the window here was broken through only in 1930-ies during the restoration works.
Large-scale restoration works were held in the south gallery of the cathedral in 1860-ies under the charge of F.F. Rikhter. At that time a semi-column and a square in plan pillar were discovered in a south wall of the gallery, in the walling of the last quarter of the 18th c. These elements served as a base for the fragments of primal cross vaultings, left after the reconstruction in 1830-ies. The semi-column and pillar were substituted by quite precise copies, while the originals were transferred to the Rumyantsev Museum.
Restoration works on the south porch and south gallery of the cathedral were accomplished in the 2007-2010-ies. One of the main targets of this restoration was to reveal many building periods in the history of this part of the cathedral. Field studies helped to reveal the primal carved decoration of the gallery and the porch. It is preserved fragmentary, nevertheless, it allows us to imagine the way the cathedral looked like during the Ivan the Terrible rule. Gallery's and porch's vaults were painted either dark grey or black. Columns' and pillars' fusts, capitals, imposts, lower surfaces of the archivolts in arches of the gallery's façade, were covered with the carving. Along the south façade of the gallery and the porch, there was a frieze, decorated with carved floral ornament. A door aperture used to be a white stone, carved portal with semicircular archivolt, supported by a rectangular in plan pilaster, and led from the upper site of the porch to the eastern gallery, situated before the Treasury Chamber. Principal motifs of the white stone carving on the south gallery and south porch are floral sprouts and stems with peculiar sharp-cornered or half-round 'cones' that differ a lot from the carving on the Renaissance portals of the end of the 15th – beginning of the 16th cc. The analogues of these motifs can be found in book engraving of the middle of the 16th c.
Floors on the galleries were covered with ceramic triangular tiles of black and white colours, composing a regular geometric ornament. An eastern corner semi-column was discovered later during the restoration works in 1949. At the same time, a white stone portal and a base of the south wall of the cathedral chetverik were reconstructed according to the traces, left in the masonry.
During restoration, the 'Groznensky' portal and gemel window were returned to their original places. Fragments of painting 'false oversize brick' were found on the walls of the porch from the façade side. It was decided to preserve this painting from the façade side.
The main idea of the architectural part of the exposition in the eastern side of the south gallery of the Annunciation cathedral is to show a reconstructed interior of Ivan the Terrible times that has no analogues among other Kremlin monuments.
The exposition includes restored to their original form fragments of the south gallery of the cathedral with carved white stone portal and window, disclosure of original masonry with white stone carved details on the walls of the gallery and the porch, probings in the floor of the south gallery, shown in the glass manholes, as well as white stone blocks with the carving of the middle 16th c., taken from the Architectural décor fund and set on the plinths. The details were chosen for the exposition to enrich the picture of the architectural décor of the south gallery and the porch of Ivan the Terrible epoch. Tough not preserved at the places, they make sole ensemble with carved architectural elements, which remained in situ.