The legend of the dove at St. Sophia Cathedral. Two wonders of Novgorod Sofia

St. Sophia Cathedral on the territory of the Novgorod Kremlin, built in 1045 - 1050. the son of Yaroslav the Wise, Prince Vladimir of Novgorod, is one of the most outstanding monuments of ancient Russian architecture. Sofia already in the 30s. XII century ceased to be only a princely temple, turning into the main temple of the Novgorod Veche Republic, a symbol of Veliky Novgorod, its power and independence. It is no coincidence that the ancient Novgorodians, going into battle with the enemy, swore to “stand and die for St. Sophia” and said: “Where St. Sophia is, here is Novgorod.”

The construction of the cathedral was an outstanding event in the history of ancient Russian architecture and a serious technical achievement of that time. Six domes crown the cathedral; the middle dome was gilded in the 15th century; the outline of this dome clearly resembles the helmet of a Russian warrior-hero. On the gilded cross of Novgorod Sofia for many centuries there has been a lead figure of a dove - a symbol of the Holy Spirit...

The legend says: “A dove flew over Novgorod and the Novgorodians and sat down on the cross of Sophia to rest. The dove saw the atrocities of the guardsmen, the fierce torment to which Tsar Ivan the Terrible doomed the Novgorodians and... petrified with horror. And when the dove flies from the cross, that’s the end of Novgorod.” So, from time immemorial, Novgorodians have believed that this dove was sent to console the city, and until it flies off the cross, the city will be protected by it.

Another curiosity of the Novgorod Hagia Sophia Cathedral and, accordingly, the Novgorod Kremlin, are the Magdeburg (Korsun, Plotsk, Sigtuna) Gates - the front bronze gate of the St. Sophia Cathedral. They are located on its western facade and open the passage to the temple through the Korsun porch. Currently, they open only during holidays, when the service is conducted by the Archbishop of Novgorod and Staraya Russa. Made in the 12th century. by German craftsmen from Magdeburg.

The gates are covered with multi-figured reliefs with scenes from biblical history and everyday scenes. Explanatory Latin inscriptions are carved above the figures, and below them are their translations into Russian. At the bottom of the left door leaf are the figures of two foundry masters, Riquin and Weismuth. In the hands of the masters there is a hammer and tongs. The Latin inscription "Riquin made me" shows that these are the craftsmen who made the gate. Among the images of people on the doors are the figures of Bishop Wichmann of Magdeburg (1152-1192) and Bishop Alexander of Plotsk (Poland) (1129-1156). Apparently, the gates were made to their order in 1152-1156. Based on the place where they were made, the gates are called Magdeburg or Plock.

In the middle part of the left wing, in place of the decorative column, there is a plate with the image of the third master soldered. The Russian inscription above the head of the figure: “Master Abraham” allows us to consider this third master to be a Novgorod foundry worker, who assembled the gate after delivery to Novgorod, and supplemented its decor with new elements (figures and Old Russian inscriptions).

Door handles, according to medieval tradition, have the shape of animal masks with double-headed snakes attached to their jaws, serving as an edifying image of hell and reminding those entering of the coming Last Judgment. In the mouths of the masks are the heads of sinners. In the lower right corner of the left wing is a rare image of the creation of Eve. The centaur (Kitovras), aiming from a bow, is the personification of the duality of human nature.

There are several versions about how the gate got to Novgorod. The most famous of them claims that the gate was captured by the Novgorodians during a naval campaign against the largest trading city of Sweden, Sigtuna, in 1187. One of the names of the gate (Sigtuna) comes from this version.

But! According to V.N. Tatishchev, in 1336 certain “copper doors” were installed in Hagia Sophia, which Archbishop Vasily “brought from the Germans, bought at a great price.” This message could well refer to the Magdeburg Gate. Finally, from the middle of the 15th century. There was a legend that Grand Duke Vladimir brought the gates from Byzantium, and before the appearance of a new version they were called Korsun.

Hagia Sophia is one of the oldest churches not only in Veliky Novgorod, but also in Russia. The majestic building has long been a monument of ancient Russian architecture. This is the main Orthodox church of the Novgorod region, its spiritual center.

History of St. Sophia Cathedral

The construction of the Novgorod temple was planned by Prince Vladimir. Its foundation took place in 1046. The prince’s parents arrived from Kyiv for the ceremony: his mother, Princess Irina, and his father, the great Yaroslav the Wise. It was decided to place the St. Sophia Cathedral a little to the north of the place where the wooden oak temple “of the 13 peaks” was previously located, destroyed by fire.

The completion of construction is indicated differently in different sources: either in 1050 or in 1052. The consecration ceremony of the cathedral immediately took place, conducted by Bishop Luka Zhidyata.

After the overthrow of the Tsar and the Bolsheviks coming to power, a company began to close church parishes. In 1922, the St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod was left temporarily open, but some property was confiscated for the benefit of the state. Seven years later, it came to him: the parish was closed, and the building was transferred to a museum of anti-religious propaganda. Here, Soviet citizens were invited to familiarize themselves with the treasures of the cathedral using a living example and see what wealth the church possessed while robbing poor peasants.

During the Nazi invasion, the temple was looted and partially damaged. After the end of the war, the building was repaired and transferred to the Novgorod Museum-Reserve. The cathedral was transferred to the ownership of the Church Diocese in 1991. The consecration ceremony, held on August 16, was personally conducted by Alexy II, Patriarch of All Rus' at that time.

In 2005, restoration and renovation of the cathedral's domes began, which lasted two years.

Architecture

St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod is crowned with five domes made in the shape of heroic helmets. An additional sixth chapter crowns the staircase tower located in the western gallery. The temple is adjoined on three sides by asps and wide galleries of two floors.

Initially, only the apses and drums were whitewashed; the main external and internal walls had the natural color of stone. The vaults of the cathedral were plastered with lime mortar and covered with paintings. This design was borrowed from Constantinople architects.

Around the 18th century, three buttresses were added to the facade on the southern and northern sides. This was done to strengthen the walls. During the restoration work in 1893-1900, carried out by the architect N. S. Kurdyakov, the buttresses on the south side were removed, returning the cathedral to its original covering.

Technical features of the cathedral

St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod is one of the few five-nave cross-domed churches built in the 11th century. Later, the construction of churches of this type was not practiced in Rus'. The temple is made in the Byzantine style. The side asps of the temple are made in the shape of a pentagon, the central one is round. Wide two-story galleries encircle the building on three sides. Historians believe that the galleries were built simultaneously with the building of the temple. The structure of the building is pyramidal, with 6 domes.

Together with the galleries, the cathedral has a rectangular shape (34.5x39.3 m). The height of the building at the central chapter is 38 m (without the cross). During the construction of the temple, massive walls were laid. Their thickness is 1.2 meters. The material for the walls was limestone of different colors. To fasten the stones, a mortar of lime with the addition of crushed brick was used. Only the side facing the surface of the facade was finished off the stones.

Brick was chosen as the material for the arched openings and vaults. The internal walls in the area of ​​the main apse and in the sails are lined with round-shaped ceramic vessels (voices). During construction, some voice boxes were specially made open to the interior. Thus, Russian craftsmen got rid of the echo that was undesirable for the temple. Another advantage of the presence of hollow objects in the masonry was the reduction of the load from the weight of the drum on the girth arches.

The interior of the St. Sophia Cathedral is very similar to the Kiev temple, only there are slight differences in proportions.

Murals of St. Sophia Cathedral

The first paintings in the St. Sophia Cathedral appeared in 1109. Some parts of the frescoes on the central dome have survived to this day. The paintings depict figures of archangels and prophets. The image of Christ Pantocrator, located in the center of the dome, was destroyed by a shell during the Great Patriotic War.

Also on the Martirier porch, a painting from the end of the 19th century has been preserved, depicting Equal-to-the-Apostles Helen and Constantine. Some restorers believe that this painting was originally intended to be the basis for a mosaic. This is evidenced by the artistic layer painted with too diluted paints.

Miraculous icons of St. Sophia Cathedral

There are three iconostases installed in the St. Sophia Cathedral in the city of Novgorod. The most ancient icons are located on the main one. Images from the 16th-17th centuries are constantly on display; on holidays you can see a number of icons dating back to the 15th century. On weekdays they are kept on display at the museum.

The Nativity iconostasis is decorated with icons from the 16th century, including the famous image of the “Savior on the Throne” from the 14th century.

The following images are especially revered in the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral:

• “The Sign”, icon of the Mother of God;

• Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. The Novgorodians took this icon with them when concluding the Peace of Stolbovoy. Princess Sofia ordered a chasuble for this image from the best craftsmen. The icon is installed in the Nativity iconostasis. Dates from the 16th century.
• Face of Savva the Sanctified;
• In the central iconostasis is Sophia, the Wisdom of God. This image is one level higher in meaning than the icons of this teak, as it symbolizes the sacrifice of Christ. Dates from the 15th century.
• Icons of Anthony and Euthymius the Great.

• The cathedral has the famous ancient Magdeburg or Korsun Gates, which are opened only on major holidays. Once upon a time this was the main gate through which Christians entered the temple. At one time, the bronze gates were restored by the craftsman Abraham and installed in the western portal.
• In the 19th century, graffiti dating from the 11th to the beginning of the 12th centuries was discovered on the walls of the cathedral.
• St. Sophia Cathedral was depicted on the Russian 5 ruble banknote issued in 1997.

The cross of the main dome and the legend of the dove

During the Great Patriotic War, Novgorod was occupied, and the building of the St. Sophia Cathedral was shelled by Soviet troops. Five shells hit the temple building. The walls and vault suffered significant damage. One shell pierced the central dome of the cathedral and destroyed a painting from 1109 depicting the Almighty Savior.

The main cross of the cathedral remained hanging on chains after the bombing. The German command ordered its removal. The cross was taken by Spanish soldiers fighting on the side of Germany to their homeland. In 2002, the governor of Novgorod contacted the Spanish embassy with a request for the whereabouts of the cross. It turned out that it is in the military museum of the city of Madrid. Having learned about the exact location of the shrine, the rector of the cathedral, Archbishop Lev, turned to the head of state V.V. Putin with a request for help. As a result of negotiations with the Spanish government, the cross of St. Sophia Cathedral was transferred to our country. On November 16, 2004, the Spanish Minister of Defense handed over the Orthodox relic to Patriarch of All Rus' Alexy II.

Currently, the cross is kept inside the cathedral. An exact copy was made for the central dome in 2006. It was installed on January 24, 2007. The same copy was made by order of the Novgorod administration and sent to the Spanish side.

The history of the Church of Hagia Sophia is inextricably linked with the bird symbol of the Holy Spirit - the dove. Legend has it that in 1570, on the orders of Ivan the Terrible, the residents of Veliky Novgorod were subjected to brutal reprisals. During the terrible massacre, a dove flew past. He sat down to rest on the main cross of the St. Sophia Cathedral. Seeing the terrible picture, the bird was petrified with horror. Subsequently, one monk had a vision in which the Mother of God appeared to him and told him that as long as the dove was on the cross, Veliky Novgorod was not in danger. People believe that the frozen bird is the “guardian” of the city.

How to get to Hagia Sophia

You can get to Hagia Sophia by buses No. 17,17A, 26, 7, 7A. You need to get off at Sennaya Square. From the side of the Kremlin Park we enter the Novgorod Kremlin and walk about 50 m. The temple is located opposite the monument to the Millennium of Russia on the left side.

The main dome of the oldest church in Russia - the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral - has had an extraordinary completion since ancient times: a cross topped with a lead figure of a dove - a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Tradition traces its appearance back to the time of Ivan the Terrible, when the Tsar of All Rus', suspecting a conspiracy against himself in the free city, carried out a bloody massacre of its inhabitants. A dove hovering over the Novgorod land, having seen the cruel picture of the death of thousands of innocent people, descended onto its main cross, casting a golden glow on the dome and freezing there forever. Since then, the Novgorodians associated Divine protection of the ancient city with his presence, saying: “As a dove flies from the cross, then Novgorod will come to an end.”

During the Great Patriotic War, it so happened that during one of the air raids or artillery shelling of the city, a cross with a dove was shot down and hung on metal fastening cables. The commandant of the city of Bayol ordered to remove it. During the occupation, the engineering corps of the “Blue” Spanish division, which fought on the side of Nazi Germany, was located in Novgorod, and as one of the trophies testifying to the valor of the Spanish soldiers and the cultural treasures of the occupied Slavic territories, the cross was taken to Spain. The story connected with the search for the relic says that in November 2002, the governor of the Novgorod region M. M. Prusak turned to the Russian Embassy in Spain with a request to establish the location of the shrine. The embassy managed to find out that the cross is in the chapel of the museum of the Spanish Military Engineering Academy. The rector of the St. Sophia Cathedral, Archbishop Leo of Novgorod and Staraya Rus, having received information about the current location of the domed St. Sophia Cross, during a meeting with Russian President V.V. Putin, inquired about the possibility of returning this historical relic to Novgorod. As a result of negotiations between the Russian President and the King of Spain, the Spanish side decided to transfer the cross of the St. Sophia Cathedral to Russia.

The ceremony of handing over the cross took place on November 16, 2004 at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior at the opening of the First International Festival of Orthodox Media. The act of transferring the Novgorod shrine to Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' took place with the participation of the defense ministers of both sides. The head of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Sergei Ivanov, expressed gratitude to the Minister of Defense of Spain, Jose Bono, for returning to Russia the cross from the main dome of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Veliky Novgorod:

“For 56 years this cross was in Spain in one of the cathedrals on the territory of a military unit, and today it is returning to where it belongs.”

The head of the Spanish Ministry of Defense said that for the Spanish military, the cross from the dome of the Hagia Sophia was a favorite religious symbol:

“The wonderful thing is that Catholic believers have prayed before the cross of the Orthodox Church for more than sixty years. The reason is simple: we all managed to see in him the image of Christ, who gave his life for the sake of the lives of all other people, Christ, who calmly erased all boundaries with his message of peace and universal love, who decided to say that God is love, who proclaimed absolute equality all people.

Your Holiness, at this moment a Christian is also speaking to you, who arrived here as the Minister of Defense of Spain in order to convey, along with this cross, the desire for sincere cooperation with the Russian people and their government. Your Holiness, we return it with love, with great love for those who receive it, and with great love for the cross, which for a long time was revered by many Spanish military personnel as the great Symbol of Faith. The cross is now back where it belongs.”

In turn, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II said:

“I sincerely thank everyone who contributed to the return of the ancient cross from the St. Sophia Cathedral of Veliky Novgorod.

This ancient city occupies a special place in the history of our country. It is distinguished by its unique architecture and icon painting, unique to the masters of this region. St. Sophia Cathedral was the center of spiritual and material culture of the Novgorod land. A people's meeting gathered in the square near the walls of the cathedral, where the most important issues were resolved - from economic to military-political. Standards of weights and measures were kept in the altar of the temple. This testified that from ancient times the Novgorodians placed the truth of God as the basis of their works. From here the ministers of the Church went to preach the Gospel in the northern reaches of our country. For centuries, Veliky Novgorod was also the gateway through which numerous contacts with European countries were made. People, looking at the cross of the St. Sophia Cathedral and the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign”, took with them to distant lands a piece of the Motherland and hope for the intercession of the All-Merciful God in military and trade matters.

Soon the residents of Veliky Novgorod will again find this Holy Cross, which for more than half a century, by the will of fate, was outside of Russia. Thanks to the joint efforts of the secular authorities, the President of the Russian Federation and the Minister of Defense, as well as thanks to the goodwill of the Spanish government, it became possible to return this shrine to its historical place. After all, in my opinion, the war cannot be considered over not only until the last soldier is buried. In the same way, it cannot be considered completed while the shrines are in captivity. Today's event symbolizes that our peoples are striving, atonement for the sins of their ancestors, to forever turn the tragic page of history in order to live in peace and cooperation.

The return of the domed cross of the Cathedral of Sophia of the Wisdom of God testifies to the restoration of the continuity of the historical destiny of Veliky Novgorod, to the return of the Novgorodians under the saving canopy of the Cross of the Lord, under the cover of His mercy and intercession. This year is not the first time that a shrine has returned to Russia. We witnessed the return of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God from the United States of America. The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, which was in the prayer room of Pope John Paul II, has been returned to Russia from the Vatican. And today we accept the domed cross of Hagia Sophia, which was in Spain for many years. We consider this event as one of the main among the significant facts of the return of shrines to their homeland. We pray that the cross of the Lord would keep us all in peace, good neighborliness and mutual understanding. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the implementation of this solemn and significant act.”

The cross of the main dome of the Hagia Sophia Cathedral was handed over to the Archbishop of Veliky Novgorod and Starorussky Leo and on November 17 was delivered to Veliky Novgorod on the eve of the feast of St. Varlaam of Khutyn, November 19. Therefore, the Sofia shrine originally resided in the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Khutyn Monastery. The cross was solemnly transferred to the St. Sophia Cathedral on December 10 - for the celebration of the great Orthodox shrine, the icon of Our Lady of the Sign. Representatives of the Spanish Association of Missing Persons in Russia, the Garrido brothers, nephews of the first Spanish soldier, whose remains were discovered and taken out of Russia after the war, took part in the procession to the St. Sophia Cathedral. Before the start of the festive liturgy, which was performed by Bishop Leo, the gilded cross of Sophia with a dove crowning it was installed on the solea near the main iconostasis, to the right of the icon “Our Lady of the Sign”.

The main cross of the St. Sophia Cathedral (its height is about 2 m, width 1.5 m) is an important historical relic with which ancient legends are associated. It is known about his repeated repairs during the renovation of the temple. For example, from the Pogodin Chronicle it is known that it was renewed under Metropolitan Isidore (1613), and in 1718 the domed cross was again built and erected “under the power of the Sovereign Tsar and Grand Duke Peter Alexievich of All Great and Little and White Russia, the autocrat” .

Probably, the last time the cross was erected on the main dome was in 1897. It was then that major work on the restoration of the cathedral, led by Academician V.V. Suslov, was completed. In the post-war period, after the restoration of the cathedral, in place of the lost cross on the gilded helmet of the Sophia dome, a new one was installed, based on pre-war photographs. The original cross, which needs restoration after a long return to its homeland, is supposed to be kept under the canopy of the temple and to make this shrine available for worship to all Orthodox Christians who come to St. Sophia Cathedral.

T. TSAREVSKAYA
Velikiy Novgorod

Photos by E. Budzinskaya