The kyIV-pechersky monastery

Task 1. Read the text.

The Orthodox monastery. was founded in 1051 by Antonii Pechersky /983-1073/ in the caves / pechera – in Ukrainian/. The monastery stands on the green hills above the Dnipro. Its sparkling gold domes can be seen from outside the capital. The monastery was built in the middle of the 11^th century. It occupies a huge territory of 22 hectares. It covers two big hills and the valley between them. In the 12^th century as one of the biggest ones it got the name Lavra / “street” in Greek/. The highest hill is the site of the Higher Monastery /Lavra/. The valley is occupied by the Near caves with a whole ensemble of buildings of various kinds. The smaller hill is the location of the Far Caves, with their churches and other premises. It was these cave-like sells of the monks that gave the monastery its name.

The monastery developed rapidly. It became the seat of Christianity in ancient Rus. It was also here that chronicler Nestor / d. after 1113/ wrote his famous Chronicle of Past Days. The Kyiv princes showered valuable gifts on the monastery. That was the period of the birth of ancient culture, which laid the foundation for the cultures of the Ukrainians, Russians and Byelorussians. Trades and arts developed inside the monastery. The first buildings of the Monastery stood on the territory of the present Far Caves. The cells of the monks and the chapel were hewn in the heights over the Dnipro. Later, cells were built on the site of the Near Caves.

The first church of the monastery, the church of the Assumption of the Virgin, was founded on the hill of the Far Caves. The most ancient monument was the collegiate Church of the Dormition /1073-1089/, which was ornamented with mosaic work and paintings. During the war this remarkable monument was completely destroyed.

Later the Cathedral of St. John the Forerunner was built at the north-western corner of the collegiate church. The first thing in the Monastery that catches the eye is the Church of the Trinity. Built in 1108 above the central gates both as a church and look-out post it has been preserved to this day. The interior is decorated with a splendidly carved iconostasis and beautiful frescoes, the work of 18^th century craftsmen.

The Church of the Saviour is on the outer side of the monastery’s walls. It was built in the 11^th century by Prince Volodymyr Monomakh /1053-1125/ in his village of Berestove. In 1157 the body of his son Yurii Dolgorukyi, the founder of Moscow was interred in the church. The structure was partially ruined in 1240 and rebuilt only in 17^th century. Its interior was decorated by Greek craftsmen from Aphon. In 1947 when the 800^th anniversary of Moscow was celebrated, a granite tomb was erected in the church over the grave of Yurii Dolgorukyi /1090-1157/.

In the 13^th century the wealth, power and glory of Kyiv passed away. The Monastery was neglected. Its restoration was begun only in the 15^th century. In 1615, one of the oldest printing works in Ukraine was set up in the Monastery. Its books on history and theology were distributed throughout the Slav countries. In 1632 the school of the Kyiv-Pechersky Monastery was united with the Kyiv Brother School and it became the Kyiv-Brother Collegium. In 1701 it was reorganized into the Kyiv Mohyla Academy.

Intensive construction work inside the monastery began in 1690-1702 when new churches were erected. They included All-Saints Church, the church of St. Onuphrii, the church of St. Nicholas. They were built in the Ukrainian baroque style and combined the traditions of Ukrainian wooden churches and Ukrainian folk motifs with the principles of classical baroque.

The dominating structure is the 96-meter-high Belfry of the Higher Monastery /1731-1745/. In its time it was the tallest building. It was designed by a prominent architect Johann Shedel. The Belfry has four beautifully proportioned tiers.

The domes are plated with gilded copper. The entire structure blends magnificently with the surrounding landscape. The Belfry was constructed with the direct participation of Stepan Kovnir /1695-786/, a gifted Ukrainian architect and a serf of the monastery. Stepan Kovnir built the so-called the Kovnir Building, one of the civil structures of 18^th century Kyiv. There is also the Kovnir Belfry /1754-1761/, graceful and elegant.

For many centuries the Kyiv-Pechersky monastery was the seat of the Ukrainian culture. In the 16-17^th cc. a number of outstanding public figures were educated in the monastery. For many prominent painters the monastery was a useful school of art. Books published by its printing works were beautifully illustrated with woodcuts and copper-plate engravings. They were in great demand in all the Slav countries. The monastery had also accumulated an extensive collection of valuable jewelry of folk art.

Task 2. Vocabulary: from the box to complete the sentences.

Monastery

printing

Orthodox

Belfry

Lavra

1. Antonii Pechersky founded the.........................monastery in 1051.

2. The Kyiv-Pechersky monastery was named......in the 12^th century.

3. The Chronicle of the Passed Years was written by Nestor in the Kyiv-Pechersky.....

4. The oldest in Ukraine....................works was set in the monastery.

5. The...........of the Higher Monastery is 96 m. high.

Task 3. Comrehension: Are the statements true or false? (True, false or don’t know)

1. The Kyiv-Pechersky monastery was founded in the 11^th century.

2. Chronicler Nestor became a monk of the monastery in 1073.

3. No trades and arts developed in the monastery.

4. The church of the Saviour was built by Volodymyr Monomakh.

5. The monastery was the seat of the first Ukrainian school and Academy.

Task 4. Discussion. Answer the questions.

1. Who founded the Kyiv-Pechersky Monastery?

2. When did the monastery get the name of Lavra?

3. What churches are there in the Monastery?

4. What do you know about the monastery as a center of culture?

5. What was Stepan Kovnir?

ST. SOPHIA’S CATHEDRAL

Task1. Read the text.

Saint Sophia’s is a national treasure of Ukraine, St. Sophia’s Cathedral is the Kyiv’s oldest surviving church. Today it is a museum. The exhibits of the museum include models of ancient Kyivan Rus’ towns. Saint Sophia’s is the highlight of many visitors’ stay in Kyiv. The majestic 13-domed church was named after the Constantinople’ s Saint Sophia’s Cathedral built in 537 and consecrated to the Divine Wisdom – Sophia. (It is in Istanbul now. It was rebuilt in 1453 and minarets were added). St. Sophia’s Cathedral was built in 1037 during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise to commemorate the victory over the Pechenegs (Asian nomadic tribes) and to glorify Christianity. The legend says that this was the site where the troops of Rus led by Yaroslav the Wise defeated the hordes of Pechenegs.

The Cathedral is 37 meters long, 35 meters wide and 29 meters high. In 1707 the Cathedral was rebuilt in the style of Ukrainian baroque (sky-blue and white colours). Its appearance has changed many times as a result of reconstruction.

The church became a holy place of worship for ancient Kyivites. It was a major cultural and political center of Kyivan Rus. Saint Sophia’s and adjoining Yaroslav’s palace were often used to receive foreign ambassadors. The princes were enthroned and triumphal meetings were held in honour of victorious military leaders.

The first library and school were situated in the Cathedral. It was the center for the writing of manuscripts. Sophia’s has rich frescoes and mosaics, many of them are still intact /260 sq.m. /. The mosaic of the Goddess Oranta is 5, 45 meters high. The fresco paining represents the group portrait of Yaroslav’s family. The family portrait was made of 12 figures. On the southern wall there were four younger daughters of the Prince, with Anna, the future Queen of France. The four sons were depicted on the northern wall. Prince Yaroslav, himself, the Grand Princess Irene, their elder daughter Elisabeth – the future queen of Norway, and elder son Volodymyr, were painted on the Western Wall. In the Cathedral there was a burial vault of Grand Princes Yaroslav the Wise, Volodymyr Monomakh and others. The marble sarcophagus of Yaroslav the Wise, which is covered with fine ornamentation, is of unique value. Behind the Cathedral stands the four storeyed, azure and white, stone Bell Tower. It is 16 meters high. The tower was built in 1752. The Ukrainian Baroque fourth storey and gilded dome of the Tower were added in 1852.

On the left there is the 18^th century Refectory. It was built in typical baroque style in 1730. It is an example of Ukrainian civil architecture of the 18^th century. It is now a museum and houses archeological and architectural displays. In 1969 a memorial stele to the library of Sophia’s was erected.

St. Sophia’s museum includes the branches of the Cyril Church, the Andrew Church, the Golden Gate and the Sudak fortress in the Crimea.

The Cyrillic church was built in 1146 (one dome cathedral). In the 18^th century four domes were added. The facades were built in the style of the Ukrainian baroque. The frescoes of the 12^th century have been preserved. In the 19^th century the interior was reconstructed by M. Vrubel /1856-1910/, who created also four icons in 1855.

The Andrew Church is a monument of the Ukrainian architecture of the 18^th century. It was built in 1754 in the style of baroque. It was designed by V. V. Rastrelli. The church is 60 m. high, 32 m. long and 23 m. wide. It has an elegant outline and proportions. Since 1968 it is a branch of the Sophia’s Museum.

The Golden Gate was the main gate of the Kyivan Rus, It was built in 1037 during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise. The remains of the Golden Gate can be seen on the corner of Volodymyrska and Pidvalna streets. The gate was a complicated construction of a stone wall with an entrance, arch. On the top of the wall there was a small Annunciation Church. The dome of the church is believed to be gold-plated. It also served as a watchtower. The Golden Gate was heavily fortified. When Mongol-Tatars hordes stormed into Kyiv they could not break through the main entrance. In the course of time the Golden Gate lost its defensive role and was used as the main entrance into Kyiv on important occasions.

Task 2. Comrehension: Are the statements true or false? (True, false or don’t know)

1. St. Sophia’s in Kyiv was built in 500 years after the Saint Sophia in Constantinople.

2. The Cathedral is thirty-seven meters high.

3. Yaroslav the Wise entered Kyiv through the Golden Gate.

4. The frescoes represent the family portrait of Volodymyr Monomakh.

5. The first Ukrainian school was situated in the St. Sophia’s cathedral.

Task 3. Discussion. Answer the questions.

1. When was first St. Sophia's Cathedral built?

2. What does "Sophia" mean in Greek?

3. What do you know about the frescoes of the interior of St. Sophia's?

4. Who made his triumphant entry into Kyiv through the Golden Gate in 1648?

5. What are the branches of the Sophia’s Museum?

Дата добавления: 2014-11-08