The oldest building in Russia is the Church of St. John the Baptist, located on the territory of Kerch. Its ancient cross-domed part, which dates back to the sixth century AD. The temple is located in the very center of the city. Already in the XIX century the church was supplemented by an extension.
Orthodox church
The Orthodox Church in Kerch is the oldest building in Russia. According to religious sources, it is associated with two apostles - this is Andrew the First-Called and Simon Kananita.
The oldest part of the temple, preserved to our time, is the construction of the sixth century. In the X century, a large-scale reconstruction was carried out, during which the ancient structure was partially dismantled. In the 19th century, a bell tower and vestibules in the Neo-Byzantine style were added to the temple. At the same time, the oldest part of the structure preserved the cross-domed Byzantine layout.
The temple is officially a monument that dates back to the Byzantine period, when Emperor Justinian I ruled in Crimea. But its reconstruction, carried out in the X century, made this church the largest monument that can be attributed to the Russian Tmutarakan principality.
Many historians agree that this is the oldest building in Russia and the oldest stone structure in the entire territory of Kievan Rus. Surprisingly, the church was perfectly preserved and was not destroyed even during the Crimean Khanate, as it was then used as a mosque.
The only thing that art historians now regret is the lost frescoes of the students of Theophanes the Greek, who were covered with plaster by the Crimean Tatars. During the restoration, the stucco was removed; now you can see the outlines of these frescoes in the oldest building in Russia.
Church history
The construction of the church according to religious sources began with the blessing of St. Andrew, who lived in the 1st century. Presumably, earlier on this place there was a small church, perhaps there were several. In their place, larger temples were built over time.
At the same time, from the buildings that existed in the I century, there was a slab with a depression in the shape of a human footprint. It is believed that he was left by Andrew the First-Called. This plate is of cult significance, therefore, during the rebuilding of churches, the builders preserved it for posterity.
Another artifact of the oldest building in Russia, the photo of which is in this article, are amphorae laid in the masonry of the temple. They are attributed to the VIII or IX century. This indicates that the religious building was rebuilt over several centuries.
The cross-domed layout, which distinguishes this temple from most churches located in Russia, indicates that it was developed by an architect from Constantinople around the V-VIII centuries. The temple is a classic example of the Constantinople architectural school.
Fires and destruction
The oldest building in Russia has been subjected to fires and partial destruction more than once. So, in the 7th century, the extension was destroyed after the Khazar raid, and in the 9th century there was a major fire. The building stood, but suffered significant damage. During the time of the Principality of Tmutarakan, the Byzantine Greeks at the same time with the Russians conducted a large-scale reconstruction of the building.
When the Genoese dominated the Crimea, the temple was very popular on the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. During the Crimean Khanate, it was converted into a mosque. At the time of the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Empire, the church worked. The state began to repair it only in 1801. Earthworks turned into improvised excavations. It was then that it was possible to discover tombstones of the 5th century, which it was decided to mount in the southern wall of the temple.
In 1829, the remains of the ancient walls of the Bospor fortress were demolished, as they interfered with the further development of Kerch.
In the 20th century
The oldest building in Russia in the XX century was closed most of the century. The official reason announced by the Soviet authorities was the lack of a parish, although they, of course, were cunning.
In the late 1950s, they began to talk about the church again as a valuable monument of Byzantine architecture. Finally, in 1963, the temple was given the status of an architectural monument of republican significance. But this did not in the least prevent the opening of a fish market in the immediate vicinity of the church, which, of course, offended clergy and believers.
Modern history
In the mid-70s, the temple was restored. In order to prevent the final destruction of the remains of the dome, a powerful metal frame was installed.
To restore the old masonry, the workers used identical bricks and stones of the time. Professional painters restored ancient stucco and authentic murals of the temple. At the same time, an Orthodox cross was installed on it, although the restorers did not receive official permission for this, but they did so at their own peril and risk. When the work was completed, the church opened a collection of the local historical museum.
Church services were resumed only in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The church was officially transferred to the Orthodox community of Kerch.
The oldest residential building
Vyborg is the oldest building in Russia, which is residential. It is located in the Leningrad region. It is now inhabited by two families that actually occupy a personal fortress.
This is the so-called Citizen’s House, located at 13a Krepostnaya Street. The monument of medieval architecture is a small two-story tower-type house. It has very thick walls and a basement. Mostly the house is made of granite boulders. Initially, it was a private fortress, which was built in the XVI century.
Since the building was built before the urban redevelopment (it took place in the 1640s), it is located in the depths of the site, and not on the red line of the street. The building underwent many restructures, in particular, the windows were significantly expanded, initially they were slit-like, a small extension was also added.
According to some historians, in the XVII century the building was used for printing. Nowadays, it is the oldest residential building in Vyborg and throughout Russia. Now it houses two apartments that were equipped after repairs carried out in the 60s of the last century. Then they increased the height of the ceilings, replaced the stove heating with central heating.
The ancient building of the capital
The most ancient building in Moscow is the Faceted Chamber of the Kremlin. It was erected in 1491 by order of Tsar Ivan the Third. At that time, the building was called the Grand Chamber. It is considered the oldest civilian stone structure that has survived to this day.
The main distinguishing feature is that the facade is treated with faceted stone. It is for this reason that the Grand Chamber was renamed the Faceted. Several times fires occurred in the building, several restorations were carried out, but to this day it still has been preserved mainly in its original form.
It was built for holding and organizing celebrations, today it performs a similar function, being one of the representative halls of federal significance.
