Church construction in the era of Metropolitan Macarius

Macarius
(c. 1482 - 1563), Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, Saint Commemorated on December 30, in the Cathedrals of Moscow Hierarchs and Saints

In the world, Mikhail was born around 1482 in Moscow into a family of pious parents. It is known that his father’s name was Leonty and that his mother subsequently took monastic vows with the name Euphrosyne. His distant relative, brother of his great-grandfather, was St. Joseph Volotsky (+ 1515). According to the funeral synodik of the Assumption Cathedral, in the family of St. Macarius there were also many more persons of monastic and clerical rank: “nun Natalia, monk Akaki..., monk Joasaph, abbot Vassian, Archimandrite Cassian, priest Ignatius..., monk Selivan..., monk Macarius.”

Mikhail's father apparently died shortly after the birth of his son, and his mother took monastic vows in one of the monasteries.

Mikhail entered the Pafnutiev-Borovsky Monastery as a novice, where he then became a monk and was named after tonsure in honor of St. Macarius of Egypt.

At the monastery, he untiringly went through the school of monastic feats of vigil, humility, prayer and obedience, delved into book wisdom, and comprehended the scriptures of holy icons. Evidence of the labors and exploits of the monk Macarius in those years has been preserved: “having lived for many years and walked with dignity, having experienced cruel life.”

On February 15, 1523, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite of the Luzhetsky Monastery of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Mozhaisk.

Being the rector of the monastery, he starts a monastery synodik, establishing the commemoration of all the deceased brethren, and creates a chapel in the monastery cathedral in honor of St. Macarius of Egypt.

Archbishop of Novgorod

On March 4, 1526, he was consecrated Archbishop of Novgorod. The ordination took place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

On July 29 of the same year he arrived at the see, which had been widowed without a bishop, according to the chronicler, for 17 years and 7 weeks. The chronicler says: “The saint sat on the archbishop’s table, and there was great joy among the people not only in Veliky Novgorod, but also in Pskov and everywhere. And the bread was cheap, and the monastery was blessed with taxes, and there was great intercession for the people, and there was a feeder for the orphans.”

Archbishop Macarius took care of the missionary education of the northern peoples of the vast Novgorod land. He repeatedly sent priests to preach the Gospel, ordering the destruction of pagan temples and the eradication of pagan rituals. The holy letter with these, in the words of Archbishop Philaret (Gumilevsky), is “a monument to the apostolic labors of Macarius for the spread of the light of Christ among the remaining pagans.”

Saint Tryphon of Pechenga (+ 1583) also received a blessing for missionary work in the very north of the Novgorod region, as well as an antimension, sacred vessels and books.

In 1528, fulfilling the decree of the Moscow Council of 1503, the saint made a decision to introduce cenobitic regulations in all Novgorod monasteries. According to the chronicler, the number of monks in the monasteries immediately increased.

The saint showed great concern for the creation and decoration of churches in his diocese and, above all, in Veliky Novgorod. He landscaped the St. Sophia Cathedral; above the entrance to the cohorts, with his blessing, images of the Most Holy Trinity and St. Sophia, the Wisdom of God, were painted. A pulpit was installed in the cathedral, and new royal doors with a richly decorated curtain were made. In total, under Saint Macarius, in Novgorod alone, about forty churches were built, rebuilt and re-decorated after fires, for which books were written, church utensils and vessels were made in the lord’s workshop.

Having acquired the skill of icon painting in the Pafnutievo-Borovsky Monastery, the saint “renovated” the great shrine of the Novgorod land - the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign”, which had become very dilapidated by that time. After finishing the work, he himself led the icon with a religious procession to the Spassky Church on the Trade Side, where it was constantly kept for veneration by the pious Novgorodians.

Saint Macarius devoted a lot of energy and care to serving his neighbors, treating rich and poor, small and great equally. He himself buries those burned in prison during a fire, collects money throughout the diocese for the ransom of his compatriots from Tatar captivity, and sends Grand Duke Vasily III part of the candle that miraculously lit up at the relics of St. Varlaam of Khutyn. During the time of public disasters, pestilence and drought that happened in Veliky Novgorod, the saint convenes the clergy, delivers sermons, performs prayer services with a special rite of washing the holy relics and then orders that everything in the vicinity be sprinkled with this water. Soon the pestilence and epidemic cease.

The saint himself repeatedly made long trips throughout the diocese. He also visited beyond its borders - for example, during the period of the Novgorod priesthood, he visited Moscow twice: in 1535, at the call of the sovereign power; and in 1539, when he led the election and installation of a new All-Russian Metropolitan, St. Joasaph [1].

It is known that Saint Macarius made great efforts to eradicate various false teachings. At the Council of 1553 the heresy of Matthew Bashkin and Theodosius Kosoy was condemned.

In 1542, by order of St. Macarius, the Church of St. Nicholas was built in the lord's courtyard.

With the blessing of the saint, a new chronicle is being compiled in Veliky Novgorod, and the lives and services of Russian saints are being written. The nephew of St. Joseph of Volotsky, monk Dosifei (Toporkov), is working on correcting the text of the Sinai Patericon, which was then included by the saint in the Great Fourth Menaion; Later, the monk Dosifei wrote the Volokolamsk Patericon and compiled the Chronograph. In 1540, the Sofia priest Agathon compiled a new Paschal for the entire eighth thousand years.

Moscow Metropolitan

Since March 19, 1542 - Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus'.
In 1547, for the first time in history, the royal wedding of the Moscow sovereign took place in Moscow, which was performed by Saint Macarius.

At the Councils of 1547 and 1549 The issue of church-wide glorification of Russian saints was being resolved. Before this, the glorification of saints was carried out in Rus' by the decision of the local bishop, so ascetics were revered only in the lands of their labors and exploits. The Makariev Councils revealed an entire era in the history of the Russian Church, “the era of new wonderworkers,” as all the newly canonized Russian saints were then called. The chronology of their names covers almost the entire period of Christianity in Rus' by that time. These Councils caused a great spiritual upsurge in Russian society.

The glorification of the ascetics required the writing of new services for them with liturgical instructions of a typical nature on the order of their performance, as well as the creation again or editing of their previously written lives. Historian E.E. Golubinsky writes that during the 20-year reign of Metropolitan Macarius, “almost one-third more lives of saints were written than in the entire preceding period from the Mongol invasion, and if we count the new editions of previous lives, then almost twice as many.”

The chronicles indicate that the saint became blind in one eye. This misfortune could have happened to him during the great fire in Moscow in 1547. Leaving the Assumption Cathedral, in which he almost suffocated from the smoke, the saint took from it an image of the Mother of God, painted by the wonderworker Peter. Behind him was the cathedral archpriest with a book of church rules. Those accompanying the Metropolitan died from burns and suffocation. The saint miraculously escaped, but in the fire, as a contemporary wrote, “his eyes were blinded by the fire,” so that, obviously, his right eye completely ceased to see.

After that fire, extensive restoration work was carried out in the Kremlin, the damaged churches were restored, which the saint himself consecrated. On his instructions, churches are also being built in Kostroma, Pskov, the Tikhvin Monastery and other places.

At the beginning of 1551, the Hundred-Glavy Council, convened by Metropolitan Macarius, began work in the royal chambers of Moscow. It examined a variety of issues relating to the appearance of a Christian and his behavior and piety, church deanery and discipline, icon painting and spiritual enlightenment. After the Council, mandate letters were sent to various parts of the Russian metropolis, which were then used as the basis for conciliar decrees in their preparation and editing. The cathedral received in history the name Stoglavy, i.e. its materials are presented in one hundred chapters.

In 1552, Metropolitan Macarius blessed Tsar Ivan the Terrible to go to Kazan and predicted his impending victory and victory. Later, in memory of this event, the Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat was built in Moscow, now known as the Church of St. Basil the Blessed. The head of the Russian Church himself consecrated this marvelous cathedral, a pearl of Russian architecture. After the Kazan victory, a new vast diocese was created in the Russian Church, in which missionary activity began with the installation of the first Kazan saint, Archbishop Guria (+ 1563).

On February 3, 1555, Saint Macarius appointed Saint Gury (+ 1563) to the new Kazan see, and even earlier he ordained another of his contemporary, Venerable Macarius the Roman, of Novgorod (16th century), as abbot of the monastery he founded.

In 1555, on the feast of the apostles Peter and Paul, the miraculous Velikoretsk Icon of St. Nicholas was brought from Vyatka to Moscow. By the providence of God, Metropolitan Macarius and Archpriest Andrei of the Annunciation renovated this great shrine, “for he was accustomed to icon painting.” The saint worked with much desire and faith, fasting and prayer to renew the holy image of the great wonderworker.

Metropolitan Macarius constantly cared not only for the entire flock, but also for each person, being merciful towards individual, even lost, children of the Church. So, one day, in the Assumption Cathedral, after an evening service, someone “with the enemy’s teachings intended to commit theft,” but was restrained by an invisible force and could not do this. In the morning he was discovered and when Metropolitan Macarius came, they told him how the thief was found in the church. However, the saint was ordered to release him, but the zemstvo judges wanted to judge the criminal according to the law. Then the Metropolitan strictly forbade this and sent a church watchman to escort “Tatya” to a safe place. Arriving at Kulishki, to the Church of All Saints, he began to walk there with a frantic look and soon died. Some grumbled at the metropolitan for letting the thief go unpunished, but the saint was not annoyed with them, and ordered the body of the deceased to be buried.

One of his unknown contemporaries wrote:
“To Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow, who motionlessly lives and rules the true Word of God... from ash abstinence and he can barely walk, but he is meek and humble and merciful in everything, and by no means hates pride, but cuts off others forbidden, the malice of youth, acquired by the mind, was always perfect
.

Cases of insight also testify to the height of his spiritual life. He predicted the capture of Kazan by Russian troops in 1552 and Polotsk in 1563.

It is known that the Metropolitan foresaw the coming disasters of the Russian land, which the oprichnina, established by the Tsar shortly after his blessed death, brought to it:

“At some point in the night, the saint stood at his usual prayer and said in a great voice: “Oh, I, a sinner, am more than all men! How can I see this! Wickedness and division of the earth is coming! Lord, have mercy, have mercy! Quench your anger! If you had not had mercy on us for our sins, otherwise it would not be with me, for me! Lord, don’t let me see this!” And shed great tears. And then I heard it from the cell attendant, a certain spiritual person, and was surprised at this, and thought to myself: “Who is he talking to?” And not seeing anyone, you were surprised at this. And he spoke to him spiritually about this: “Wickedness is coming, and hemorrhage, and division of the earth.”

One day the formidable tsar asked Metropolitan Macarius to send him a helpful book. Having received the Rite of Burial, he became angry with the saint: “You sent me to be buried, but such books cannot be brought into our royal palaces.” And Macarius said to him: “I, your pilgrim, sent simply by your order, that you ordered me to send a book useful for the soul; and she is the most useful of all: if anyone honors her with attention, he will never sin.”

Demise

The last days of the life, death and burial of the saint were described in a special story, which has come down to us in 7 copies, with the earlier ones as part of the Chronograph.
On September 15, 1563, the saint performed a religious procession, during which he caught a severe cold and fell ill. He ordered to report his weakness to the place of his tonsure, the Pafnutiev-Borovsky Monastery, and ask the abbot to send him a spiritual elder. Elder Elisha was sent to the saint.

On November 4, the saint prayed for the last time in the Assumption Cathedral. Then the saint humbly asked forgiveness from everyone.

On December 3, Tsar Ivan the Terrible came to Metropolitan Macarius to ask for a blessing. The saint told him about his intention to retire to the place of his tonsure - the Pafnutievo-Borovsky Monastery, but the king persuaded him to remain at the see. Just before his death, the Metropolitan expressed a desire to the Tsar to retire to the monastery, even wrote to him about this in a letter, but by the will of the Tsar he was forced to refuse this again.

He died on December 31, 1563, when the bell struck for matins.

When his face was revealed before the removal of his body from the metropolitan chambers, it was “like a shining light, for his pure, and immaculate, and spiritual, and merciful life and for other virtues, not like a dead man, but like someone who is sleeping.” The funeral service for the saint was performed by 5 bishops in the presence of the king and many people. After this, the high priest's farewell letter was read, which the metropolitan wrote before the end of his life, asking everyone for prayers, forgiveness and granting everyone his last archpastoral blessing.

Childhood and youth

The worldly biography of Metropolitan Macarius began around 1482. The boy, named after the Archangel Michael, was born in the home of believing citizens of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. Our ancestors faithfully served the Orthodox rulers.

In the family of the religious figure there were many people associated with the church. Among the family memorials were Joseph Volotsky, Abbot Vassian, Priest Ignatius, Archimandrite Cassian and a number of other holders of spiritual titles.

Posted by Vera Rusina on Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Icon of Metropolitan Macarius

Little is known about the parents. A father named Leonty died shortly after his son was born. The mother, left without a husband, went to a monastery and took monastic vows as nun Euphrosyne.

As a child, Mikhail, raised in the traditions of the Orthodox faith, decided to renounce the world and become a novice. In the Pafnutiev-Borovsky monastery, located at the confluence of the Isterma and Protva rivers, it was named in honor of the hermit Macarius the Great (of Egypt), revered by parishioners as a saint.

Then the young man entered the monastery that Joseph of Volotsky inherited from the venerable father Paphnutius. The teacher and founder of the Joseph-Volokolamsk Assumption Monastery had a huge influence on the worldview of the future metropolitan.

For several years the monk studied church literature. Senior comrades helped to comprehend the meaning of prayers and rituals, as well as the art of icon painting. Secluded in his cell, Leonty’s son spent his days thinking about humility and monastic deeds; this helped him get used to the hardships during long, strict fasts.

Service

In the early 1520s, Macarius was appointed abbot of the Mozhaisk-Luzhetsky Nativity of the Virgin Mary Ferapontov Monastery, and then he received the rank of Archbishop of Pskov and Novgorod and a place in one of the oldest Orthodox Russian dioceses.

The energetic minister of the church directed his efforts to correct the situation at the pulpit, where the bishop had been absent for more than a decade. A consistent supporter, who learned about the state of affairs in the men's and women's parishes, began to organize the monastic economy and achieved the transfer of local parishes to the “coenobitic charter.”

Having increased the number of Christian communes, where monks and nuns lived under one roof, Macarius initiated the compilation of an updated church chronicle. The process of restoration of the great sacred icons and frescoes in the central churches of Pskov and Novgorod did not go unnoticed by the bishop.

In the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia, which was the spiritual center of the diocese, the archbishop issued the Great Fourth Menaion, which was a collection of original and translated monuments of hagiographic and rhetorical literature that had existed in Rus' since ancient times. The collection, numbering a dozen volumes, was placed in the library of an Orthodox church. Thanks to this, the books of the Holy Scriptures, patericons and other texts of a didactic and historical nature have been preserved to this day.

In the spring of 1542, the boyars from the famous princely family of the Shuiskys, who ruled under the minor heir to the Russian throne, Ivan IV the Terrible, appreciated the merits of the Archbishop of Pskov and Novgorod and made him the successor of Metropolitan Joasaph, who had lost confidence. Macarius did not live up to the expectations of the rulers and contributed to their removal from power.

Metropolitan Macarius blesses Ivan the Terrible / Chrono

Subsequently, Macarius became a member of the Chosen Rada and had a huge influence on the actions of the sovereign, the tsar and the Grand Duke of All Rus'. In 1547, a native of Moscow crowned the son of Vasily III to the kingdom and supported his intention to marry the daughter of the capital’s okolnik Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina-Yuryeva.

After a solemn ceremony in the Orthodox Kremlin church, at which young John received from the hands of the Metropolitan Barma, the cross of the life-giving tree and the cap of Monomakh, changes began in the Orthodox state. In the year of the convening of the first Zemsky Sobor, the author of the Four Menaia, who welcomed worldly reforms, insisted on the canonization and glorification of new saints and carried out work on compiling biographies.

In the early 1550s, at a meeting with the participation of Ivan the Terrible, boyars and representatives of the highest clergy, called the Stoglavy Local Council, Macarius defended the right of monasteries to land, disputed by Andrei Kurbsky and the tsar's mentor, Archpriest Sylvester. At the same time, a printing house was created in Moscow, specializing in the printing of church books.

The Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus' was aware of the foreign policy affairs of the state. Vladyka blessed the march of Ivan IV’s army to Kazan and predicted an unconditional victory. When the army, which visited places associated with the name of the legendary commander Dmitry Donskoy, sent news of the capture of the city, which was the center of the Tatar Khanate, St. Basil's Cathedral was built in the capital. Later, Macarius, who consecrated this masterpiece of architecture, sent Archbishop Guria, known in the world as Grigory Rugotin, to the occupied territory, and in every possible way supported the activities of the educator and missionary.

Church construction in the era of Metropolitan Macarius

T.V. Vinogradova

Church construction in the era of Metropolitan Macarius

“The Age of Metropolitan Macarius” covers a large period of Russian history. We can say, starting in 1523, when he became the archimandrite of the Luzhetsky monastery and then the archbishop of Novgorod and Pskov. Further, it covers the time of his activity on the Moscow primate throne from 1542 to 1563, which coincide with the first and then mature years of the reign of John IV (1530-1584).

One of the first to call this period of time “the era of Metropolitan Macarius” and began studying it was Archimandrite Macarius (Veretennikov) [1]. (This work became the topic of many of his reports at the Makaryev Readings in Mozhaisk).

From 1523 to 1563, many stone churches were built in Novgorod, Pskov, Moscow and other cities of Rus', some of which have survived to this day.

Paying attention to the architecture of these structures, you can see that they differ significantly from those that were built earlier and from those that were built later. They give rise to and, as it were, form different directions in Russian architecture. So, at this time, active construction of five-domed and tent-roofed churches began again. Refectory churches are being built without apses, which previously did not exist. Moreover, at the same time, the “heyday” of hipped-roof architecture occurred, and most of the hipped-roof churches were built in honor of some important state event. It should be noted that at the same time, “pillar-shaped” bell towers, unique in their architecture, or as they are sometimes called “temple towers,” were built. (This refers to temples, like the Church of St. George in the village of Kolomenskoye on the Moscow River, which was originally built as a belfry.).

This article is the beginning of a study of the architecture and composition of buildings of the time of Metropolitan Macarius. It makes an attempt to bring together the buildings that surrounded the future metropolitan in his youth and influenced the formation of his artistic taste, buildings carried out during his archbishopric and service on the primate throne; outline the main directions of development of architecture in the “era of Metropolitan Macarius”, which will require further in-depth study. The ultimate goal of this work is to identify the “architectural” tastes of Metropolitan Macarius, and to find out how, ultimately, they influenced church construction in his era.

As is known, the future Metropolitan Macarius was born in Moscow in 1482 and was named Michael at Holy Baptism. In 1497 he went to the Pafnutievo-Borovsky Monastery of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here he was tonsured in the name of the great Christian saint - St. Macarius of Egypt.

The beginning of the formation of Macarius’s “architectural” tastes was probably influenced by the architecture of the Pafnutievo-Borovsky Monastery. Other authors have previously discussed the possibility of such an influence. For example, Archimandrite Macarius (Veretennikov) believes that it was here that Metropolitan Macarius was formed as a person. “ Makariy was a monk of the Pafnutevo-Borovsky Monastery, the same one where in the 70s of the 15th century the famous Dionysius, who later painted the Ferapontov Monastery, worked together with a large team of icon painters. This fact is significant for us, since it allows us to assume that it was here that Macarius could find the strength and environment that made it possible for his artistic tastes to form and partly satisfy his religious and aesthetic inclinations. Moreover, one might think that it was here that he learned the art of icon painting.

» [2].

A few words about the architecture of the Paphnutian Monastery. The Monk Paphnutius founded it in 1444 on the banks of the Protva River. First, he erected a wooden and then a stone Church of the Nativity of the Virgin. The monastery is very typical in its volumetric-spatial composition: cell buildings are located around the central group of buildings (cathedral, refectory and bell tower). The monastery is surrounded by a fortress wall, which was built in the 16th century. The fortress wall was built taking into account the terrain. The tall buildings (cathedral and bell tower) of the central group dominate the rest of the buildings, and the fortress towers with their high hipped tops create the unity of the picturesque architectural ensemble [3].

It is known that under Macarius a stone refectory was built, a stone porch was made over the tomb of the Monk Paphnutius, and a “stone bell tower” was erected [4]. What they looked like now is unknown, since the Borovskaya monastery suffered in 1610 - it was devastated by the “hordes of the impostor Tushinsky,” and in 1812 it was burned by the French.

A brief description of the monasteries says that by the beginning of the 20th century there were six churches in the monastery: the cathedral, the churches of the Nativity of the Mother of God, the Great Martyr Irene, the Nativity of Christ, the Prophet Elijah, St. Mitrophan of Constantinople and All Saints.

As far as we know, all of the listed churches were built after Macarius left the monastery, and their architecture could not influence the development of his artistic tastes.

Nevertheless, the architecture of the monastery could not help but influence the monk. He probably remembered the simplicity and clarity of the composition of the monastery, its picturesquely located walls and towers and the inextricable connection of architecture with the landscape.

In 1523-1526, Macarius became the rector of the Luzhetsk monastery. At that time he was just over forty years old. According to somewhat later data, there were 75 brethren in the Luzhetsky monastery at that time [5].

Was it under him that the construction of the second brick Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary began? Many authors name the date of the start of construction of the cathedral as 1520 [6] and associate it with the monetary contribution of Macarius, which he made, as was previously believed, at this time. Now, when Archimandrite Macarius (Veretennikov) established that this happened later - in 1532, this date began to be questioned. The assumption that the construction of the cathedral was started by Macarius when he was the abbot of the monastery raises many questions, and it probably arose due to the fact that for a long time it was believed that Macarius had been the archimandrite of the Luzhetsky monastery since 1506.

The question arises, how many years could it take to build the cathedral? Was it built for the arrival of Metropolitan Macarius to the monastery in 1544? Perhaps the cathedral was built and painted? Did Macarius himself “have a hand” in the painting? Whether the construction of the cathedral was extended over many years or not, now one can only speculate. If we draw analogies in terms of construction time, then in the Novodevichy Convent the Smolensky Cathedral (very similar in architecture to Luzhetsky) was built in one year (1524-1525).

Now, we can only say with certainty that the contribution somehow influenced the construction, and the connection of the cathedral with the name of Macarius is undoubtedly, since a chapel was built in it in the name of St. Macarius of Egypt, the saint with whose name the Metropolitan was once tonsured .

The exact time of construction of the cathedral in the Luzhetsky Monastery can be clarified by archaeological research. For now, it can be assumed that Metropolitan Macarius could have come in 1544 to consecrate the new cathedral, which, according to available chronicle information [7], had already been built by 1547.

The time of construction of the Nativity Cathedral in the Luzhetsky Monastery will help answer one more question - whether it is the first five-domed church built in the monastery or not. Since it is not yet known what other monastery churches were built before 1520.

Krasovsky M.K. connects such construction with the construction of the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin in 1475-79. “ A new phenomenon in the Moscow region was the construction of 5 domed churches; This technique, revived by Aristotle Fioravanti, of course not on personal initiative, but by the highest secular and spiritual authority, finds imitation in the construction of not only, so to speak, official churches, but also in monastic churches

» [8].

The surviving and recently studied painting of the cathedral has received very high praise - it is excellent [9] and experts believe that the influence of the work of the great Dionysius can undoubtedly be seen here. This assumption also indirectly confirms the connection of the cathedral with Metropolitan Macarius.

The very rare fact of the construction of round supporting pillars in the interior of the temple (first used by Aristotle Fioravanti during the construction of the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin (1471-1479) indirectly speaks of the possibility of an earlier construction of the cathedral - after 1479.

Be that as it may, we can assume that probably the only stone building in the Luzhetsky Monastery that was erected or began to be built with the direct participation of Macarius could be the Nativity Cathedral.

The cathedral is distinguished by majesty and monumentality, one might even say, sculptural volume. And although many details [10] speak of the “authorship of the architects of Moscow,” it is in the sculptural volume that a connection with Novgorod architecture can be traced, which is an indirect confirmation of the assumption about the later construction of the cathedral and the direct participation of Metropolitan Macarius in the construction.

After a very short period of abbotship in the Luzhetsky Monastery, the time of the Archbishopric of Macarius begins in Novgorod, and then in Pskov, which covers a fairly large period. The bishop's service at the see in Veliky Novgorod began on March 5, 1526 and ended with the beginning of activity on the Moscow primate throne in 1542.

The number of buildings of the Novgorod period is quite numerous. All of them are usually identified by researchers into one group, the architecture of which is characterized by the gradual dying of Novgorod building traditions and the active penetration of Moscow ones. But “ the architecture of Novgorod (conquered by Moscow) did not immediately yield to the pressure of new trends and for a long time defended the old artistic traditions. The monuments reflect an extremely interesting process of interaction between Novgorod and Moscow traditions

» [11].

It is safe to say that the development of the “architectural” tastes of Metropolitan Macarius was greatly influenced by Novgorod architecture.

During his activity, the following temples were built:

- stone Assumption Church in the Kolmov Monastery (1527),

— stone church of Procopius on the Courtyard (1529),

— 5-domed Church of Boris and Gleb at the Plotninsky end (1536),

- stone Sretenskaya refectory church (1534),

- on the Antonevsky alley, the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist (1536),

- stone “three versions” Church of Praise,

— refectory church of Metropolitan Alexy in the Yuryevsky Monastery (1538-39),

- stone Anastasiensky Church in Detinets (1540),

— Assumption Church on the Goat Swamp (1541) [12].

During their construction, in addition to using Moscow architectural details, they gradually began to use Moscow traditions in volumetric-spatial composition, that is, they began to build five-domed churches characteristic of Moscow architecture [13]. The process of such construction could be influenced not only by Makariy, but also by the customer directly.

Thus, the Church of Boris and Gleb in Plotniki, built in 1536, was commissioned by Moscow and Novgorod merchants. The church was erected on the site of an older building from 1377 using its foundations, which owes to the archaic plan of the church with an apse. However, on this foundation, the “Novgorod masters” built a monument that reflected Moscow tastes. Novgorod masters, abandoning the stable tradition that lasted from the mid-12th to the early 16th centuries, used the five-domed structure typical of Moscow construction. The facades of the church end with keel-shaped arches with a gabled covering of each division [14].

Exploring the “era of Metropolitan Macarius,” Archimandrite Macarius (Veretennikov) writes about the monastic reform that he carried out in Novgorod and characterizes it as “ one of the first acts of the wise ruler in 1526

"
After the reform aimed at organizing monastic life, “ the archbishops began to organize communication and meals with churches in all monasteries
” [15].

This is how refectory churches without apses begin to be built. A striking example is the refectory Church of the Presentation, built in 1533 in the Anthony Monastery. The church is divided into two floors; the lower one had an economic purpose. Adjacent to the church from the west is a refectory with an octagonal pillar in the center, covered with box vaults with strippings. The facades of the building are unusual: the eastern one is similar to the northern and western ones, because the church has no apses.

If the main solution of the Presentation Church repeated the shape of a cubic, somewhat elongated building, with a gabled eight-slope roof, which was favorite in Novgorod, then in the decorative design of the facades this solution was completely rethought on the basis of Moscow architectural traditions [16].

This type of refectory church is becoming widespread. Probably ten years later than the Presentation Church, the stone refectory Vvedenskaya Church was also built in the Luzhetsky Monastery. It was built without an apse (it is known that by 1547 it had already been built, although the exact time of construction has not been established).

The construction of refectory churches without apses could have been caused by a number of reasons. Firstly, there was probably no need for an apse as a room for ministers in an ordinary non-monastic church. After the reform, both the brethren and the abbot were supposed to take part in prayer and meals. In the charter given by Macarius to the Holy Spiritual Monastery when he was still Archbishop of Novgorod, it is written “ the abbot goes to meals every day and eats with the brethren.”

"[17]. Secondly, an indirect reason could simply be the impossibility of building an apse on the eastern side, since sometimes the church was attached to the refectory.

Of course, the absence of an apse in the church primarily influenced its volumetric composition - it became possible to make all the facades the same. But this hardly speaks of the “architectural tastes” of Metropolitan Macarius; most likely this was a reflection of the changes he made in the monastery charter.

The construction of the refectory Vvedenskaya Church without an apse in the Luzhetsky Monastery is associated with Metropolitan Macarius, who already had experience of such construction in Novgorod. This shows his influence on the construction at the Luzhetsky monastery.

In March 1542, Macarius became the head of the Russian church and moved to Moscow.

This time period also stands out for its architecture. According to the definition of Mokeev G.Ya. “ The flourishing of Russian national architecture, the beginning of the change in the appearance of all of Moscow as the capital of Holy Russia, are associated with the activities of a brilliant man - the extremely active saint, Metropolitan Macarius. The saint raised Moscow to the next “royal” stage of its ascent, contributed to, “blessed” the construction of religious buildings in it that were special in appearance, which then served as the rapid development of the originality of Russian architecture, the unique appearance of all of Moscow

» [18].

«Under Metropolitan Macarius, Russian national identity received further continuation. In the first half of the 16th century, the process of unifying Russian lands around the capital city of Moscow was completed. And in 1547, on January 16, the All-Russian Saint Macarius crowned Moscow Prince John IV with the royal crown

» [19].

The main reason that determined the nature of architecture in this period was the “desire to create a centralized state” and the expression of this idea in temple construction.

This idea was best embodied by tented churches, which, with their form, continued the traditions of Russian wooden architecture and revived its national roots.

Under Metropolitan Macarius, mass construction of stone tent-roofed churches began. And, indeed, starting with the Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye, built in 1532 in honor of the birth of the heir to the throne - the future Tsar Ivan IV, the following were built: a church in the village of Ostrov near Moscow, a church in the village of Besedy near Moscow and, finally, the beautiful and perfect Pokrovsky Cathedral on Red Square (St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, built in honor of the victory over the Kazan Khanate in 1555-1561).

Not far from the Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye, in commemoration of Ivan the Terrible’s assumption of the royal title in 1547, the Church of John the Baptist was built in the village of Dyakovo. The volumetric composition of the temple consists of a monumental pillar with bizarre architectural forms, and four small “towers”. Five churches, isolated in plan, form the canonical scheme of the five-domed structure [20]. M.P. Kudryavtsev, making a reconstruction of this temple, assumed that it was a tented church. The combination of a five-domed church and tents probably represents an intermediate step in the departure from five-domed churches and the beginning of the construction of hipped ones.

Krasovsky M.K. Analyzing the rise of hipped-roof construction in Russian architecture, he reveals common features of hipped-roof churches: the absence of internal pillars, which in the previous era, with only a few exceptions, formed an integral part of any temple; the presence of a “walking” porch-gallery and the construction of churches on the basement [21].

The purpose of tent-roofed churches also as monuments to great events significant for Rus' was the reason that their internal space is significantly smaller than their external dimensions. On the contrary, the architecture of the previous period was characterized by large internal spaces that could accommodate many people. Tent churches are designed to be perceived from a long distance by a large number of people. On the one hand, such a temple-monument, reminiscent of a great event, develops the patriotic feelings of the people, on the other hand, it can be the compositional center of a larger space, and therefore unite a larger number of people around it.

This bright period in Russian architecture was not long and ended by the beginning of the 17th century. And the period of heyday - the rise of tent construction - falls on the era of Metropolitan Macarius (Ivan the Terrible in the year the construction of the Intercession Cathedral began was 25 years old, and Macarius was 72 years old and, of course, his influence on the Tsar was enormous).

And again, returning to the Luzhetsky monastery, one can see the possible influence of Metropolitan Macarius and his “architectural” tastes. Perhaps it is precisely this influence that explains the large number of tent churches in the Luzhetsky Monastery. Thus, the church of St. John the Climacus (Reverend Ferapont), the gateway Church of the Transfiguration and the Vvedenskaya refectory were tented. (Although researchers have different opinions about the latter [22]).

In addition to the tented temples, at this time, “pillar-shaped” bell towers, unique in their architecture, or, as they are sometimes called, “tower temples,” were built, unique in their architecture. For example, the Church of St. George in the village of Kolomenskoye on the Moscow River, which was originally built as a belfry. The appearance of this type of temple is of great interest and has not yet been sufficiently studied.

How can we explain the changes in church construction in the era of Metropolitan Macarius? And why did five-domed and then tent-roofed churches begin to be built again? Why do five-domed temples give way to tented ones?

Perhaps the symbolic meaning of five-domed and hipped temples, which was revealed by M.P. Kudryavtsev [23], will help to better understand this. He notes that the construction of multi-domed temples is symbolically connected with the idea of ​​​​the spiritual power of the state. He also writes that “ the number five always denotes the Savior (the central chapter) and the four Evangelists - the image of the Gospel preaching, facing the four cardinal directions. The tent, “vezha” in Old Russian, was most often built with an 8-sided plan, that is, together with the crowning head it represented the number 9 - the symbol of the Most Holy Theotokos. In the Christian consciousness, God is always the center of the universe. That is why the tent, rising above the center of the octagon, ends with a chapter with a cross - the image of Christ the Savior

"
Here it is appropriate to mention other options for the interpretation of the Christian symbolism of the tent [24]. “ In the number nine, the geometric base of the octagonal tent with a dome (8+1) gives a symbolic interpretation of the eight feasts of the Mother of God, united by her cathedral, where she is glorified in the image of the “Queen of Heaven.”
Under her command were given nine ranks of “heavenly powers” ​​and nine ranks of holy saints .”

The combination of beauty, expressiveness and symbolism in the architecture of tented churches - this probably reflected the taste of Metropolitan Macarius. And as already mentioned, this architectural form best suited the idea of ​​“creating a centralized state,” for which Metropolitan Macarius advocated. The special veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos, which, as is known, began in the era of Metropolitan Macarius, was its distinctive feature; it was also manifested in the dedication of new churches. Taking this into account, it becomes clear why five-domed temples gave way to tent-roofed ones. It was they who most clearly reflected the “architectural” tastes of Metropolitan Macarius. They miraculously combined the beauty and expressiveness of architectural form and symbolism.

NOTES

[1] Archimandrite Macarius (Veretennikov)

. All-Russian Metropolitan Macarius. Some results and prospects of the study. In the collection: Materials of the III Russian scientific conference dedicated to the Memory of St. Macarius “Apocalypse in Russian culture.” Vol. III, part 1, Mozhaisk, 1995, p. 12.

[2] Archimandrite Macarius (Veretennikov)

. All-Russian Metropolitan Macarius (Abbey of the Mozhaisk Luzhetsky Monastery. In the collection: Artistic and historical monuments of Mozhaisk and Russian culture of the 15th-16th centuries (Materials of the 1st All-Russian scientific conference in Mozhaisk dedicated to the Memory of St. Macarius), Mozhaisk, 1993, p. 9.

[3] Russian architecture. Vol. 2. Architectural monuments of the 15th-16th centuries. Drawings and photographs. M., 1953, p. 13.

[4] Archimandrite Macarius (Veretennikov)

. Chronology of the life and veneration of the All-Russian Metropolitan Macarius. In the collection: Materials of the IV Russian scientific conference dedicated to the memory of St. Macarius “Veneration of saints in Rus'.” Vol. IV, part 1, Mozhaisk, 1996, p. 5-53.

[5] Dionysius, archimandrite

. Brief chronicle of the Mozhaisk Luzhetsky second-class monastery. M., 1892, p. 14.

[6] Krylov A

.,
Krylova
O. The 16th century painting in the Nativity Cathedral of the Mozhaisk Luzhetsky Monastery is a forgotten page in the history of Russian painting. Catalog of the exhibition “Painting of Ancient Mozhaisk”, Mozhaisk, 1990, p. 23.

[7] Dionysius.

Mozhaisk acts of 1506-1775. St. Petersburg, 1892, p. 3.

[8] Krasovsky M.K

. Essay on the history of the Moscow period of ancient church architecture. M., 1911, p. 92.

[9] Ibid.

, With. 27.

[10] Krylov A

.,
Krylova
O. The 16th century painting in the Nativity Cathedral of the Mozhaisk Luzhetsky Monastery is a forgotten page in the history of Russian painting. Catalog of the exhibition “Painting of Ancient Mozhaisk”, Mozhaisk, 1990, p. 25.

[11] Novgorod the Great. M. Karger

. Popular science series “Treasures of Russian Architecture” under the general editorship. V.A. Vesnina. Ed. acad. arch. USSR, M., 1946, p. 88.

[12] V.M. Sorokaty

. Novgorod iconostases under Archbishop Macarius (1526-1542). Statistical aspect of the problem. In the collection: Artistic and historical monuments of Mozhaisk and Russian culture of the 15th-16th centuries (Materials of the 1st All-Russian scientific conference in Mozhaisk dedicated to the memory of St. Macarius), Mozhaisk, 1993, p. 78.

[13] For details about the buildings, see: Novgorod. Architectural monuments of the XI-XVII centuries. Auto. entry Art. Karger M.K. Ed. "Aurora", Leningrad, 1975, p. 38-40.

[14] Novgorod the Great. M. Karger

. Popular science series “Treasures of Russian Architecture” under the general editorship. V.A. Vesnina. Ed. Academician arch. USSR, M. 1946, p. 88.

[15] Archimandrite Macarius (Veretennikov)

. Saint Macarius and the Solovetsky Monastery. In the collection: Materials of the III Russian scientific conference dedicated to the Memory of St. Macarius “Apocalypse in Russian culture.” Vol. III, part I, Mozhaisk, 1995, p. 27.

[16] Novgorod. Architectural monuments of the XI-XVII centuries. Auto. entry Art. Karger M.K. Ed. "Aurora", Leningrad, 1975, p. 38-40.

[17] Macarius (Bulgakov), Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna

. History of the Russian Church. Book 4. Part I, p. 245.

[18] “Moscow 850 years” is an anniversary publication of the Moscow Government in two volumes (under the general editorship of V.A. Vinogradov). — Volume 1. Ed. JSC "Moscow Textbooks", Moscow - 1996, p. 100).

[19] Archimandrite Macarius (Veretennikov)

. All-Russian Metropolitan Macarius. Some results and prospects of the study. In the collection: Materials of the III Russian scientific conference dedicated to the Memory of St. Macarius “Apocalypse in Russian culture.” Vol. III, part 1, Mozhaisk, p. 27. See Footnote 4, p. 16.

[20] History of Russian architecture. Under general ed. Yu.S. Ushakova, T.A. Slavina. St. Petersburg, Stroyizdat, 1994, p. 196.

[21] Krasovsky M.K

. Essay on the history of the Moscow period of ancient church architecture. M., 1911, p. 132.

[22] See: Batalov A.L.

. Moscow stone architecture of the late 16th century: Problems of artistic thinking of the era. M. 1996, p. 126.

[23] M. Kudryavtsev

. Russian temple. "To the light". Symbolism of Russian temple building. M., JSC ZT "Rodnik" 1993, p. 60.

[24] N.F.Gulyanitsky

. Church of the Intercession in Medvedkovo and Russian architecture of the 16th–17th centuries. Architectural Heritage No. 28, Stroyizdat, 1980, p. 56.

Source: T.V. Vinogradova (candidate of architecture, professor of the Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, Moscow), Church construction in the era of Metropolitan Macarius. In: Makaryevsky readings. Canonization of saints in Rus'. Materials of the VI Russian Scientific Conference dedicated to the memory of St. Macarius (July 10-12, 1998). Issue VI. "Mozhaisk-Terra", 1998. P.23-34.

Personal life

Metropolitan Macarius had no place in his personal life for his wife and children, so he took care of everyone who visited his parish.

The Lord did not divide people into rich and poor, small and great. He personally buried prisoners and collected money for the ransom of Russian soldiers captured by the Tatars. During times of drought and pestilence, the Archbishop of Pskov and Novgorod convened the clergy and read sermons and prayers for several days in a row. According to legend, sprinkling the surrounding area with holy water put an end to a terrible epidemic that claimed hundreds of lives.

What churches were built under Ivan the Terrible?

Architecture from the time of Ivan IV the Terrible.

• Votive Temple Church of the Ascension of Christ…
• Church of St. George the Victorious in Kolomenskoye...
• Temple of the Beheading of John the Baptist in Dyakovo...
• Assumption Cathedral (1559-1585) ...
• The Vologda Kremlin is the creation of Ivan the Terrible. ...
• Church of Peter the Metropolitan (Pereslavl)

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Death

In the fall of 1563, the Metropolitan caught a cold while performing a religious procession and informed the Tsar, who was busy with the project of dividing the country into the Zemshchina and the “Sovereign Grace Oprichnina,” of his intention to leave the service and spend the rest of his days in the Pafnutievo-Borovsky Monastery.

Ivan the Terrible did not want to be left without the support of the main representative of the clergy and persuaded Macarius to change his mind. Health problems worsened, and on the last day of 1563, the bishop died suddenly.

Chroniclers who were supposedly present at the grave in the Assumption Cathedral captured a portrait of the dead religious figure and mentioned that his face was “like a shining light, for his pure, and immaculate, and spiritual, and merciful life and for other virtues, not like a dead man, but as if she were sleeping.”

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Archangel Cathedral (Moscow)

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Interesting Facts

• Possessing icon painting skills, Macarius took part in the restoration of the dilapidated image of the Mother of God “The Sign,” which was a great Russian shrine. Upon completion of the work, the Archbishop of Pskov and Novgorod placed the treasure in the temple and organized free access for parishioners.
• Throughout his life, the Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus' made great efforts to eradicate false teachings. At the Local Council of 1553, the clergy condemned the heresy of the troublemaker Matvey Bashkin and the representative of Orthodox freethinking, Theodosius Kosy.
• According to chroniclers, Macarius partially lost his sight during the Moscow fire of 1547. The saint saved the icon of the Mother of God from the burning Assumption Cathedral and miraculously escaped death due to suffocation.
• The activities of Macarius during the reign of his son Vasily III were reflected in the Russian television series “Grozny”. The role of the Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus' was played by People's Artist of the RSFSR Leonid Kulagin.

Proceedings

Saint Macarius made a huge contribution to the development of ancient Russian writing. While still in Novgorod, he continued the works of Archbishop Gennady (+ 1504). And if Archbishop Gennady collected biblical books, then Bishop Macarius set the goal of collecting all the spiritual literature in Rus'. He began his work on systematizing Russian church literature in 1529. This undertaking received in history the name of the Great Fourth Menaion. Their first edition was included in the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral in 1541, the second in the 50s was given as a contribution to the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral, and the third was later received by the first Russian Tsar. The Menaions collect and edit various lists of the lives of many saints, the homiletical, theological and patriotic heritage of the Russian Church.

Metropolitan Macarius supervises the work of not only editors and copyists, but also the authors of spiritual works. Thus, he commands the archpriest from the Kremlin Church of the Savior on Bor, Ermolai, to write a book about the Holy Trinity and the life of Bishop Vasily of Ryazan. On the initiative of the saint, the first systematic work on Russian history was created - “The Powerful Book of the Royal Genealogy”, the composition of which was directly worked on by the royal confessor - the archpriest of the Annunciation Cathedral, Andrei (in monasticism Athanasius), the future metropolitan, successor and continuer of the works of St. Macarius. Particularly close, obviously, to Metropolitan Macarius was the prolific writer of Ancient Rus', Priest Vasily, monastically Varlaam, who glorified the Pskov saints with his hymnographic and hagiographic works.

Saint Macarius became the patron of printing in Rus'; under him, the printing of books began for the first time in the Russian state by the cleric of the Church of St. Nicholas of Gostunsky in the Kremlin, Deacon Ivan Fedorov. In the afterword of the Apostle in 1564, published after the death of the saint, and in two editions of the Book of Hours in 1565, it is said that they were also printed “with the blessing of His Grace Macarius, Metropolitan of All Rus'.” At that time, these books were not only read in churches, they were also used to teach literacy.