Stairs to the Catechumena: Interaction of Construction and Artistic Form in Medieval Novgorod Architecture
Keywords:
staircase, choir, Novgorod architecture, multi-domed, Old Rus’Abstract
This study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation within the project no. 24-18-00228 “Novgorod architecture of the 11th–15th Centuries: building materials, constructions and artistic form” https://rscf.ru/en/project/24-18-00228.
The article examines the importance of catechumena stairs for the formation of the structural composition, decoration of façades, and organization of the interiors of Novgorod churches of the 11th–15th centuries. The study has revealed that the function was the first consideration, as is usually the case in medieval architecture, e.g. the need to arrange wide ceremonial staircases for convenient ascent of the prince and his retinue to the catechumena led to the construction of special stair towers. The functional aspect — the use of a simple way of climbing to the catechumena combined with the goal of keeping the naos space free of additional structures and reducing the cost of construction — became the reason for the appearance of in-wall stairs. Later, the desire to speed up and reduce the cost of the construction process contributed to the rejection of in-wall stairs in favor of wooden, or less often stone stairs in the corner parts of churches. Each staircase design had certain drawbacks; the choice of design solution was obviously associated with the available financial capabilities and the real conditions of the building’s subsequent use. It is obvious that the artistic preferences of the customers and builders were not a significant factor in choosing the type of staircase. However, the type of staircase chosen during construction had a very important influence on the composition of the church, the structure of the interior, and even on the design of the façades.
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