Peter and Paul’s Cathedral in Barnaul

 

The eighteenth century holds a place of its own in the history of Russian culture. It was then that a radical change in all spheres of Russian life started: a new secular culture was being born on a religious outlook. That time saw the beginning of new arts – theatre, printed poetry and simultaneously, the flourishing and renovation of fine arts and architecture.

The last decades of the eighteenth century were unprecedented in the scope of church construction. Frequently churches and cathedrals were erected on private orders- those of rich merchants, people, for whom it was a way to consolidate their greatness.

Barnaul’s cathedral was notable monument of Russian architecture in the traditions of Petrine times. Particularly magnificent were the churches designed in baroque style. The architecture of baroque style was the outcome of ancient Russian architect’s age – long quest. The cathedral was a classical monument of that style, it was built in the 1770s by architect D. Makulov. Distinct from the traditions of national architecture, the composition of the cathedral, inspired by European styles, combined traits peculiar to Italian churches and to edifices of Northern Europe. At the same time the building reflected continuation of the search for new ways in Petrine architecture. It was a combination of different traditions that gave rise to the style of early baroque.

The central dome ran up to the sky supported by an octahedral drum and an eight – corner belfry. It was joined by the domes crowning the altar and porches. The measured horizontal rhythm of the gallery arches and stretched out staircases further stressed the upward sweep. This energetic verticality was so precise and balanced because the cathedral was made up of several tiers. Each tier, like a step, took the onlooker’s eye further up, charmed him with more architectural shapes, decorative elements, until, finally, his eye came to rest on the central dome with a tracery cross of rare beauty on top. The complicated multivolume composition with its stressed verticality was striking in its integrity and picturesqueness. The architect managed to create an extremely dynamic architectural image full of joyful upward sweep. This was a monument of a church, a solemn monument of the new outlook life – asserting, cheerful, and imbued with a secular spirit.

White limestone was of particular importance for the artistic image of the cathedral. Carved details in white limestone looked like precious jewelry against the red brick background of the walls. The masons lavishly adorned it with snow – white triangles, pediments, tracery belts of combs, intricate plat bands slender columns. A rare artistic tact of the architect and masters – those who created the stone lace of the cathedral – enabled them to find a perfect balance between the decorative elements and architecture itself, to create a cathedral that can be described, using the worlds of those times, as “honest, measured, well – proportioned, ”. The cathedral was destroyed in 1935.

 

Text Study

Notes:

Belfry........................................................ колокольня

Drum ....................................................... барабан цилиндрической формы

Decorative band ....................................... орнаментальный пояс

Tent roof .................................................. шатер, тип высокой крутой многоскатной

крыши пирамидальной формы

Tent church .............................................. шатровая церковь

Octagon ................................................... восьмерик

Bell tower.................................................. звонница

Arcade....................................................... аркада

Pilaster...................................................... пилястр

Rhythmic line............................................ ритмическая линия

 

 

1. Look through the text, divide it into an introduction and three parts and suggest a title for each part (time limit 5 min.)

2. Read paragraphs 1, 2. Say what is meant by “a radical change in all spheres of Russian life”. Identify two dominant nouns of the paragraphs and find the worlds associated with them in meaning.

3. Read paragraph 3. Identify the topic sentence and the illustrating sentences. Translate the sentence, beginning with “Distinct from the traditions…” Give Russian equivalents of : a religious outlook, printed poetry, renovation of fine arts, on private orders, rich merchants, a notable monument, baroque style, age – long quest, edifices of Northern Europe.

4. Read paragraph 4. Identify the dominant noun and follow it through its transformations into its equivalents. State the main idea of the paragraph. Give Russian equivalents of: an octahedral drum, an eight – corner belfry, energetic verticality, architectural shape, the complicated multivolume composition, a dynamic architectural image. Give English equivalents for: центральный купол., восьмигранный барабан, восьмерик – колокольня, алтарь, притворы, мерный горизонтальный ритм, раскинувшиеся лестницы, четкость, ярус, взгляд зрителя, архитектурные формы, ажурный крест, сложная многообъемная композиция, подчеркнутая вертикальная ось, торжественный памятник, новое мироощущение, светский дух.

5. Read paragraph 5. Identify the topic sentence. Translate this paragraph into Russian.

6. Read the text again and find five sentences that reveal the idea of the title.

7. Make up a list of words that you have looked up in the dictionary and give their contextual Russian equivalents.

8. Give as many word combinations as possible with the following and translate them into Russian.

 

a) Supply attributes for the following nouns: art, cathedral, church, façade, design, belfry, roofing, image, architecture, element, pediment, limestone, architect, master, shade, cupola, style, portal, window, arch, tier, column, order, line, tone, pillar.

b) Sypply nouns to go with the following adjectives: sculptural, monumental, creative, circular, ornamented, austere, domed, central, spacious, classical, antique, lavish, artistic, rhythmical, linear, architectural, pictorial, luminous.

c) Supply direct objects for the following verbs: to erect, to model, to build, to reconstruct, to carve, to complete.

d) Supply prepositional objects for the following: to model an object in…, to carve a figure in …, to engrave designs on…, to be endowed with …, to be imbued with …, a diversity of …, a sense of …, a feeling for …, to be reminiscent of ….

 

9. Make up five special questions based on the following text. Retell the text.

 

 

The Russian architects constantly strive to ensure that every new achievement in the field of architecture, building community services benefits the people. They are successfully working to secure cultural values. Part of the national achievements result from the efforts of architects, specialists in designing. The Russian architects preserve and enrich the best traditions of national and foreign architecture. The chief task of architects is to improve the quality of their creations, both artistically and technically. The technical skill consists in the architect’s comprehensive approach to his task, the ability to make buildings comfortable, economical and attractive. They often use pillars, partly for supporting the roofs and partly for decoration.