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Bell Tower of the Holy Trinity Convent in Murom

Фото 1
In 1652, a bell tower was erected on the western side of the Kazan gate church, completing the architectural ensemble of the Trinity Convent. The bell tower and the gate church are symmetrically located relative to the Trinity Church. From the south, the Trinity Church appears in a rich framing of two tents. In the second half of the 17th century, during the construction of the bell tower of the Trinity Convent, the architecture was characterized by a variety of details and forms. At this time, the main type of tent bell tower was formed: an octagon with a bell on a square base and an octagonal tent with openings. Few of such bell towers have survived to this day, most of which stand out for their rich architectural details and good acoustic properties. The most picturesque bell towers are those of the churches of Nicholas in Pyzhy, Trinity in Nikitniki in Moscow, and some others. The bell tower of the Trinity Convent in Murom is architecturally close to these structures, but in terms of richness and variety of details, it surpasses all known buildings of that time. To improve the proportions and make the bell tower a vertical dominant not only of the convent but of the entire city, the architect extended it upwards, stacking three square bases on top of each other, separated by cornices. The first square base is modest and continues the wall built together with the gate church, standing out only with two corner pilasters with deep niches. In the second tier, the architect showed imagination, composing various details in a small area. The cornice between the first and second tiers is pierced by a window with a sculptural frame, topped with a pediment. Paired three-quarter columns on white stone consoles are located at the corners, along with a wide cornice with a complex profile. In the center of the tier is a window with balusters, cornices, and a broken pediment.

The third tier is distinguished by the richness of forms and features stone carvings. Instead of half-columns at the corners, there are carved balusters with rosettes. The cornice is supported at the corners, and in the wide frieze, there are niches with ceramic inserts, similar to those in the Trinity Church. In the middle of the niche, a window with hanging arches is framed by a carved frame. It is topped with a semicircular pediment with a half-rosette in the center. Between the balusters and the window framing are elongated niches with remnants of paintings. The completion of the bell tower of the Trinity Church in Murom resembles the bell tower of the church of Trinity in Nikitniki in its details. The octagon with arched openings is covered by semicircular arches. The columns of the arches are decorated with balusters, and at the corners, half-columns are installed to counteract the thrust of the tent. The corners of the octagonal tent are emphasized by tiled ribs, which have decorative and practical significance. The tent is topped with an onion-shaped dome on an octagonal neck, the transition to which is decorated with kokoshniks. One row of openings is arranged in the tent, covered with decorative kokoshniks, unlike most bell towers, where there are two or three.

Geo point

Колокольня Свято-Троицкого женского монастыря в Муроме

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