Dove over Hagia Sophia. Crosses on domes: a unique collection of Inver Sheydaev Dove on the Hagia Sophia

Until now, the ancient city did not have its own official symbol. The coat of arms and flag don't count - it's too boring and without interesting legends. After all, the talisman should become the main souvenir for tourists, especially on the eve of the 1150th anniversary, which Veliky Novgorod will celebrate next year.

Therefore, a few months ago the decision was made to announce a citywide competition for the best symbol. Moreover, the competition is among the main dreamers – children.

As a result, the City Administration received over 70 works from children aged 10–12 years from all educational institutions of the city. In their opinion, the mascot of Novgorod could be a Russian bear, a veche bell, a golden feather fish, an owl, a horseshoe or a brownie. The competition included drawings, products made from natural materials, soft toys and even batik.

As a result of a long discussion, today, May 29, the competition jury made its final decision. The main city symbol is a metal dove, which is forged on the cross of St. Sophia Cathedral. It was this image that contained the majority of the works presented.

And the dove itself has long ago become an unofficial symbol of the city. And it is visible from almost everywhere. And the legend associated with him is very suitable not only for Novgorod, but for all of Russia.

The six best children's works will be awarded diplomas and prizes. All of them will be sent to professional designers, who will work on the final version of the Veliky Novgorod mascot.

The Legend of the Sophia Dove

The main dome of the oldest church in Russia has had this unusual finish for a very long time: 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 shelling of the city, a cross with a dove was knocked 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. As one of the trophies testifying to the valor of the Spanish soldiers and the cultural treasures of the captured Slavic territories, the cross was taken to Spain.

In 2004, the ancient cross with a dove was returned to Novgorod. Currently it stands near the altar of St. Sophia Cathedral. After restoration, an exact copy of the cross with a dove, made by the modern Novgorod blacksmith Viktor Kornilov, was installed on the golden dome after restoration.

Valery RUBTSOV

"TVNZ"

The majestic St. Sophia Cathedral, the main temple of Veliky Novgorod, fascinates with its power. Like a stone embodiment of a Russian hero, he guards the peace of the city. Since its foundation, the cathedral, otherwise called Sophia of Novgorod or St. Sophia, has been a city symbol. Built in the mid-11th century by Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich, Sophia of Novgorod is the only temple of that time preserved in Russia.

The walls of the cathedral, reaching a thickness of 1.2 meters, were laid out of limestone of different shades, which gave Hagia Sophia a special beauty. Later the temple was plastered and painted white. Initially, all six domes of the St. Sophia Cathedral were covered with lead sheets. In the 15th century, the main dome was covered with gilded copper, thanks to which the cathedral acquired an even more solemn appearance.

The cathedral, designed in the Byzantine style, nevertheless had its own unique appearance. Severe restraint in details, nobility of precise proportions, solidity of closely spaced domes - all this created the impression of powerful energy contained in the image of the temple.

In general, the style of the cathedral was organically combined with the northern nature. It is no wonder that it was he who became the forerunner of the stone architecture of Northwestern Rus'; it was this architectural style that reigned in these parts for many centuries.

Associated with the St. Sophia Cathedral, the oldest architectural and historical monument of Russia several interesting legends. Here they are:

1. Dove on the cross

St. Sophia Cathedral, dove

The cross of the main dome of St. Sophia of Novgorod is decorated with a dove. According to legend, it was no coincidence that the bird figurine appeared there. In 1570, Tsar Ivan the Terrible ruthlessly suppressed the rebellion of the residents of Novgorod. In the midst of the terrible massacre, a dove sat on the cross of the temple and became petrified with fear. Around this time, one of the local monks had a dream in which the Mother of God enlightened him about the dove. According to her, the bird was sent to Novgorod as a sign of protection. " As long as the dove is on the cross of Hagia Sophia, the city will be safe.”

Dove on the cross of St. Sophia Cathedral

It is noteworthy that the cross was taken to Spain during the Great Patriotic War. Volunteers from Spain also took part in the war on the side of the Third Reich - the so-called “Blue Division”. (The division got its name from the blue shirts - the uniform of the far-right party - the Spanish Phalanx). During one of the Soviet artillery attacks, several shells hit the central dome of Hagia Sophia, and the cross leaned down heavily. The religious Spaniards decided to take away the shrine because it seemed to them that shrines were being desecrated in Bolshevik Russia. For many years it stood at the Engineering Academy. There was an inscription under it, that this cross is in storage in Spain and will return to Russia when the godless Bolshevik regime disappears.

He returned to his hometown relatively recently, in 2004, having been exchanged for an exact copy.

2. Miracles icons

The second legend is associated with the city’s shrine, “The Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” kept in the St. Sophia Cathedral. The icon depicts the Virgin Mary with her hands raised to heaven and with the baby Jesus on her chest.

During the clash of Novgorod residents with Suzdal in 1169, the advantage was on the side of the latter. The townspeople could only hope for a miracle. And it happened!

The rector of St. Sophia Cathedral, John, prayed for several days, calling on the Lord for help. Finally, the abbot heard a voice that ordered him to transfer the icon of the Mother of God from the temple to the fortress wall of Novgorod. John immediately followed her and then, controlled by an invisible hand, the cathedral bells began to ring. The icon was installed on the wall, and immediately the enemy’s arrows stuck into the image of the Virgin Mary. After which the icon itself turned its face to Novgorod and tears flowed from it... At the same time, the Suzdal people became distraught and began to beat their own comrades. The enemy fled in horror and confusion. It is not known how true the legend is, but even now marks from arrows are visible on the icon.

Icon of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary

3. Right hand of Jesus

According to the chronicles, in 1045 Greek icon painters began painting the vault of the St. Sophia Cathedral. It was necessary to create an image of Jesus Christ with a blessing hand, according to the Orthodox canon. The craftsmen began their work, but in the morning the right hand of Jesus they depicted was clenched into a fist. Three times the icon painters re-copied Christ, and all three times in the morning the Savior’s hand was clenched. For the fourth time, the masters heard from heaven:

“Clerks, oh, clerks! Do not write me with a blessing hand, write me with a clenched hand, for in this hand I hold Veliky Novgorod; and when my hand extends, then this city will come to an end..."

Much later, in 1941, the image of Jesus Christ under the main dome of the temple was destroyed by a German shell. The hand of the Savior Almighty, figuratively speaking, turned out to be unclenched, and the city turned into ruins...

4. “Earless” bell of Hagia Sophia

Tsarevich Ivan on a walk with the guardsmen. Hood. M. Avilov

The next legend was associated with the bell of Hagia Sophia. One day Tsar Ivan the Terrible was heading to church for mass. As soon as his horse entered the bridge over Volkhov, the bell ringer, wanting to please the king, struck the bell too zealously. Frightened by the loud ringing, the stallion almost knocked the rider into the river. Enraged, the king ordered the ears of the “impudent” bell to be cut off so that only the middle loop remained. Despite this, the bell, nicknamed “earless,” served the temple for a long time.

Like any other ancient city, Veliky Novgorod is surrounded by many secrets and mysteries. This is interesting: they help to look at well-known facts in a new way. But, unfortunately, few people know about these stories and legends. The most interesting of them are in our material.

Legend about the founding of the city

The name of the city - Novgorod (i.e., a new city) makes us think about the existence of some kind of predecessor - the old city. It is still not known for certain under what circumstances Novgorod was founded and why it had such a name.

One of the most plausible versions says that the predecessor of Novgorod is the Rurik settlement, located on the right bank of the Volkhov River, two kilometers from the modern city. Archaeological research carried out near the site indicates the impossibility of developing the city in its original location. Therefore, most likely, a decision was made to build a new fortress on the high left bank of the Volkhov River. This fortress was called the New City. Later, this name spread to nearby villages, or “ends” - Lyudin, Nerevsky, Zagorodsky, Slavensky, Plotnitsky. The new city with its five “ends” was surrounded by a high rampart.

The Legend of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign”

In the St. Sophia Cathedral there is one of the most revered miraculous icons and symbols of Veliky Novgorod - “The Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary”.

Its history begins in 1169, when, having decided to conquer Novgorod, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky marched on the city with a huge army. There was only a small squad in Novgorod, so the forces were unequal, and it seemed that the fate of the besieged city was predetermined. Novgorodians could only pray and hope for a miracle. One night, Archbishop John, who had not left the St. Sophia Cathedral for three days and was praying there with the residents for the salvation of the city, heard a voice that told him to go to the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, take from there the icon of the Mother of God and install it on the city wall opposite the villains.

When the battle began, many enemy arrows rained down on the city and its inhabitants. Some arrows also hit the icon of the Mother of God. Everyone who was next to her saw a great miracle: the icon turned to face the city, and tears began to flow from it. At this moment, there was confusion among those besieging the city nearby. Having ceased to distinguish their own from strangers, the Suzdal residents began to attack each other and, in panic, try to leave the Novgorod lands. Seeing what was happening, the Novgorodians were not at a loss and attacked the enemy.

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.

Preamble.

Irina Evgenievna Efremova, 3rd year student of the legal training direction of the non-state educational institution of the Modern Humanitarian Academy (Moscow) of the Novgorod branch.

Report.

FROM THE MILITARY HISTORY OF SOPHIA'S CROSS

Mister Veliky Novgorod - one of the largest trading cities in Northern Europe, arose on the site of one of the ancient centers of Rus'. In ancient times, the city of Slovensk stood on the shores of Lake Ilmen. Then a new city was built nearby - Novgorod. In the 11th century, the son of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Yaroslav the Wise, Vladimir Yaroslavich, ruled here. Following the example of the priest, he decided to spread the “wisdom of God” and erected the Church of Hagia Sophia in the capital city in 1045-1050. This building, made of stone blocks and not plastered, with a lead roof in the shape of a combat helmet, made an indelible impression. Novgorodians immediately recognized the cathedral as their spiritual center. They said: “Where Sofia is, there is Novgorod.” Merchants went on trade expeditions with her name. And they went into battle with her name on their lips. St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod is considered the oldest Orthodox church in modern Russia. After the revolution, the cathedral was used as a museum complex, and in the early 90s it was returned to the Novgorod diocese. Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy personally consecrated the temple on August 16, 1991. 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.” The main cross of the St. Sophia Cathedral is an important historical relic with which ancient legends are associated. It is known about his repeated repairs during the renovation of the temple. The domed cross from the St. Sophia Cathedral was restored by craftsmen at the end of the 19th century. Its height exceeds two meters, its width is about one and a half meters. During the Great Patriotic War, it so happened that during one of the air raids or artillery shelling of the city on August 15, 1941, a cross with a dove was knocked down and hung on metal fastening cables. The commandant of the city of Novgorod, Captain Bayol, ordered its removal. Then the Spaniards, who lost up to 5 thousand killed here, were transferred to Leningrad, from where they were recalled home. Veliky Novgorod was liberated in January 1944, after which special commissions began to identify what was taken out by the occupiers. It was then that it was first noticed that on the broken dome of the St. Sophia Cathedral there was no ancient symbol of the city - a cross with a dove. He was never found; the tide was new after the war. Half a century after these events, the Association of Relatives of the Missing Blue Division fighters was created in Spain. Its center was located in Toledo, and the head of the organization was lawyer Fernando Pollonio, who wrote the book “Red Snow” about the fate of his fellow countrymen in military Novgorod. It was he who was the first Spaniard to discover the remains of his uncle here, which he transported to his homeland. Working closely with the searchers of the "Valley" expedition, Fernando and his brother Miguel learned many new historical facts - including the mysterious disappearance of the domed cross from the St. Sophia Cathedral. The fact of the movement of historical value is officially confirmed; the Association of Missing Soldiers of the Blue Division has photographic documents depicting Spanish soldiers in the destroyed Novgorod next to the relic. The exact location of the cross that disappeared from the country remained unknown to the Russians for several post-war decades. Representatives of the Spanish Association are missing. missing in Russia came up with a proposal to restore this historical justice. The head of the association, Fernando Pollonio - the nephew of the first Spanish soldier, whose remains were taken out of Russia after the war - is confident that the ancient Russian cross should have returned to Veliky Novgorod. The story associated with the search for the relic speaks of 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 exact location of the shrine.The embassy managed to find out that the cross is located in the chapel of the museum of the Military Engineering Academy of Spain near Madrid, near the city of Burgos. The rector of the St. Sophia Cathedral, Archbishop Lev of Novgorod and Staraya Rus, having received information about the location of the domed 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 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. The cross of the main dome of Hagia Sophia was handed over to the Archbishop of Veliky Novgorod and Leo of Old Russia and on November 17, 2004 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. 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”. By order of the Novgorod administration, an exact copy of the cross found in Spain was made. It was transferred to the Spanish side to replace the original one. The cross, now located on the central dome, was made in 2006 and installed on January 24, 2007. The copper cross was made by the famous Novgorod master Viktor Kornilov. The forged cross is an almost exact copy of the one that was installed on the St. Sophia Cathedral after the Great Patriotic War. Experts declared the previous cross removed from the dome to be beyond restoration. The only significant difference in the new cross was the crossbar in the middle, traditional for Orthodoxy. This crossbar was not on the post-war cross. And in modern conditions, for the residents of Novgorod, the St. Sophia Cathedral is, first of all, the main temple of the city, which played a crucial role in its history. Novgorodians greatly reverence this Orthodox shrine and treat it with great love. Thus, three St. Sophia crosses are now known: - the original cross stands in the St. Sophia Cathedral near the icon of Our Lady of the Sign; - on the dome of St. Sophia Cathedral, which was made in 2006; - in Spain in the chapel of the Museum of the Military Engineering Academy of Spain near Madrid near the city of Burgos.