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Ascension Church in Prokopye

Фото 1
The church is located on a separate elevated plot in the center of the village, next to the road leading to Syryan. The brick walls have preserved traces of lime plaster. The upper tiers of the bell tower and the roof with the cross have been lost. Permission to build the Ascension Church with a winter chapel in honor of Prokopy of Ustyug was obtained from the Vyatka bishop Bartholomew in March 1767. By the autumn of 1768, the warm church was consecrated and began functioning. The summer church was completed and consecrated on May 5, 1773. In the early 19th century, the construction of the bell tower and extensions to the western part of the church began. In the late 1830s, the wooden "octagon" was replaced with a brick one, changing the appearance of the monument. In 1862, the church was covered with roofing iron instead of wooden roofs.

In the interior of the refectory, fragments of oil painting from the 1890s, created by I. Simonov, have been preserved. The modern layout, which includes a church of the octagon type on a quadrilateral with a five-sided apse and a spacious refectory with two chapels, was created in the early 1910s according to the design of I. A. Charushin. The bell tower, previously oriented along the axis of the warm chapel, is now shifted to the south and is the dominant element of the western part of the church. The dimensions of the building are: length 36.8 m, width at the refectory 21.0 m.

The typology of the cold church with an octagon as the third light level is rare for the region. The small size of the quadrilateral and the thin walls of the apse, narrowing the openings of the gates, attract attention. The uniqueness of the church in its original asymmetric shape lay in the arrangement of the refectory, the northern wall of which abutted the western facade of the quadrilateral, leaving space for a separate entrance to the summer church. The chapel apse with a shortened diagonal edge and the shifted warm part of the church created a complex planning composition.

The space of the church is covered with an eight-bay vault with round lanterns and a light ring. The transition from the quadrilateral is achieved with the help of trompes. The base under the octagon has a small cantilever overhang into the interior. Three arched passages lead to the apse, the vault of which transitions into a trough along the eastern walls. The refectory is covered with barrel and cylindrical vaults, united by wide arches. The rooms of the narthex have similar ceilings.

The five-tiered bell tower, dismantled in the 1940s, reflected features of early provincial classicism and was distinguished by its slenderness and unusual composition. Above the roof of the refectory rose the quadrilateral, serving as the base for the three upper tiers of octagons. The middle tier of the ringing had narrowed diagonal arched openings. The upper octagon with four arches was topped with a spire on a brick pedestal. The middle tier was highlighted by round windows. The facades were decorated with pilasters and cornices with large dry crackers. The openings were framed with frames with keystones.

In 1887, priest P. Chemodanov described the iconostasis of the cold church as "not particularly ancient, with rococo columns and gilding, on a white background." The iconostasis is four-tiered, with carved royal doors. A photograph of the two lower tiers allows dating it to the time of the church's consecration, although a redecoration may have occurred while preserving the original design. Corinthian order pilasters with floral ornamentation are visible. A bunch of grapes appears in the decor of the royal gates. The imposts above the pilasters and cartouches are complemented by cherub heads. Icons are in carved frames with beads and floral inserts. "The Last Supper" above the royal gates is framed in baroque decoration.

In 1911, the spiritual consistory twice appealed to the Imperial Archaeological Commission for permission to reconstruct the refectory according to I. A. Charushin's project. This was due to the need to increase the area of the hall and the poor condition of the stone structures. Cracks appeared in the vault of the refectory, and the foundation of the bell tower proved to be unreliable. The "originality and beauty" of the southern chapel, facade decor, strengthening of the bell tower and vault were discussed. They allowed the refectory to be expanded by adding a new left chapel. Charushin's proposal for an extension with windows and a complete reconstruction of the refectory was not approved.

The stylistic interpretation of the church is unusual. In the appearance characteristic of Vyatka architecture of the 18th century, new decorative elements appeared. This was expressed in the smooth arc of the upper "ear" lintel and decorative strips of rosettes. The eastern window of the apse is highlighted by a high kokoshnik with rosettes. The Ascension Church fits well into the decorative scheme of the time: fluted pilasters, cornices with large dry crackers, and a developed base belt. The decor of the new northern chapel is done in a similar manner. The facets of the octagon are modestly decorated, and the decor is tied to the overall style of the church. The arched lintels of the openings of the octagon are connected with lanterns and round openings of the bell tower. The light octagon completes the composition, having narrowed facets and a wide cornice.

Geo point

Церковь Вознесения Господня в Прокопье

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