Today, the Church celebrates one of the Twelve Great feasts - the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. The appearance of the Virgin in the world has been one of the most revered events among Christians since time immemorial, as it marked not only the arrival of the future Mother of God, but also the great intercessor of those who suffer, and it is not surprising that many churches are dedicated to this feast. Today, as always, I have prepared a selection of the most beautiful and interesting churches dedicated to this holiday.
In the photo: The Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God. Mosaic of the Chora Monastery in Constantinople.
In the photo: The Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God. Mosaic of the Chora Monastery in Constantinople.
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Let's start today's selection with the cathedral church of Bijeljina, built in our time. The builders of the church, constrained by modern architecture and, most likely, budgets, skilfully used these limitations to their advantage, combining Serbian-Byzantine motifs with elements of traditional Serbian wooden architecture, which conceal the shortcomings of the modern building.
The bell tower of the church, reminiscent of Romanesque architecture, is traditionally tall for modern Serbian churches in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to one version, this tradition arose so that churches would always be taller than minarets. The interior of the church is also very interesting, as its iconostasis is a very rare example of the use of sculpture in Serbian church architecture after the Middle Ages.
The bell tower of the church, reminiscent of Romanesque architecture, is traditionally tall for modern Serbian churches in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to one version, this tradition arose so that churches would always be taller than minarets. The interior of the church is also very interesting, as its iconostasis is a very rare example of the use of sculpture in Serbian church architecture after the Middle Ages.
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Now let's travel to ancient Georgia, to the little-known Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos in the village of Sioni in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region. In addition to its spiritual significance, the church once played an important defensive role, as evidenced by the tower still standing nearby, but this is far from the most interesting thing it has to offer. In addition to its basilical form, the church attracts attention with its preserved original templon, which gives an idea of what the more "heavy" Byzantine counterparts, which have not survived to this day, might have looked like.
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Finally, to conclude today's selection, let us take a look at a temple that has yet to appear in the world - the revived Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Krasnoyarsk.
In general, there is talk of its recreation, but the new design for the cathedral, although based on the pre-revolutionary Constantine Tone design, is more of an evolution of it. The city, which has grown over the last century, requires a much more spacious and majestic cathedral than the one built according to a fairly standard design without any special decorations. Today, the cornerstone of the future cathedral was laid, which is expected to rise above the city in 2028.
In general, there is talk of its recreation, but the new design for the cathedral, although based on the pre-revolutionary Constantine Tone design, is more of an evolution of it. The city, which has grown over the last century, requires a much more spacious and majestic cathedral than the one built according to a fairly standard design without any special decorations. Today, the cornerstone of the future cathedral was laid, which is expected to rise above the city in 2028.
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