Architecture of the Byzantine world

Unexpectedly joyful news from Turkey! The Byzantine hospital in Side, one of the best preserved to our day, has been partially restored. It is difficult to say to which period - considering that the building dates from the VI century, while the restored elements rather reflect the middle Byzantine era. Either way, one cannot but welcome the revival of Roman architecture!

The Crypt of Saint Cristine - a Byzantine rock-hewn church in Carpignano Salentino, Italy. Originally built as a funerary chapel, it was later transformed into a church and partially rebuilt in the Baroque style, however, the original frescoes have survived to this day.

One of the oldest buildings in Bulgarian Varna - the State Archive, which has changed many functions before its current purpose - but began as a Turkish mansion, heavily rebuilt in a more European spirit after the country gained independence.

What is the Third Rome? It is the bronze-tinged gold of the iconostases in the Russian hinterland... The Church of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, Shunga.

The modern medical university in Iași, Romania, began its history as the medical faculty of the first local university, whilst its current building started out as a boyar’s estate, which was elevated to princely status by the equally sudden rise of its owner. The central building of the old estate, though small in size, is of Moldavian coat of arms - executed in the spirit of the Iași Baroque school, which drew on Ottoman influences - have been preserved from the old estate; students now call them the Door of Hope, believing that anyone who passes beneath the arch is sure to pass their exam.

A unique Byzantine sculpture from the reign of Emperor Heraclius, discovered in Cyprus relatively recently. It is a rather monumental monopodia (a leg of a table with a single point of support) found at the martyrium of Kalamata ton Plakoton. It is remarkable not only because it is a rare work of art from the time of Heraclius that has survived to the present day, but also because it is a therm depicting Alexander the Great - and with horns, no less - borrowed in his iconography from the pagan Zeus-Ammon! What was such an atypical ornament doing in a church, especially one supposedly built to house the relics brought from Egypt, which had at that time been conquered by the Persians? As some researchers suggest, the reason lies not only in the resurgent popularity of the ancient hero - indeed, judging by the atypical facial features, Alexander here likely personifies Heraclius himself - the victorious vanquisher of enemies both within and outside the Empire, who, incidentally, also reclaimed Egypt.

On my channel, you’ll often see ruins and wreckage, vanished temples, and entire cities. Nevertheless, as many of you may have noticed, I try to maintain a positive tone - while celebrating and mourning what has been lost, I always make a point of showing what has been preserved, rejoicing in what has been restored, and praising new developments that are truly worthy. But there are still moments when it’s not just a matter of wanting to - it’s necessary to talk about things that are utterly repulsive. The neo-Gothic colossus of the Moscow Electric Plant, a massive monument to the industrial architecture of the Russian Empire - this is a Building I’ve Been Putting Off Until Later. I have many such buildings - too large and vast, too famous and significant, too few in number compared to the modest and forgotten heritage - and I don’t want to show them without a reason. And today that reason has arrived - a reason that is anything but joyful. The beautifully preserved factory castle - with its wimpergs and towers, tall entrance chambers, and endless corridors where it’s so easy to get lost, a place familiar to everyone who loves Moscow - has been barbarically stripped of its status as an architectural monument, and now there are plans to tear it down to make way for yet another luxury residential complex. Is it possible to put into words the level of barbarism we are witnessing? Perhaps it is. This is the barbarism of the savages of the East. It is a Hun in a ruined villa. It is a Germanic warrior smashing columns. It is a Turk desecrating a church. It is a Taiga pagan running through a burning village. But above all, it is a shameful disgrace.

The central part of the Roman city of Novae in Bulgaria, near Svishtov. Like many similar cities, it originated as a legionary camp and only began to transform into a full-fledged city by Byzantine times, as evidenced by the basilica and the episcopal palace complex captured in the photograph. Unfortunately, the ruined state and the location of the ruins in the middle of the forest suggest that the end of the city's history was as typical as its beginning: it was swept away by Avar-Slavic invasions.

The ship's figurehead, adorning one of the houses in the Greek coastal town of Galaxidi.

The now-abandoned Church of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos of God in Shutovo, Russia, was once richly decorated - as evidenced to this day by the stucco mouldings and the surviving elements of white-stone carvings, but of particular interest was the All-Seeing Eye on the church’s northern portico - the main part of which was apparently not even stuccoed, but painted, whilst the rays emanating from it were laid out in brickwork on the pediment itself! Unfortunately, I am not referring to this feature in the past tense without a reason - the church is rapidly falling into ruin, and this detail, which had survived until recently, has now collapsed.

The Serbo-Byzantine Revival People's Museum of Veles in North Macedonia. Built in the first half of the XIX century, originally as a People's House, it serves not only as an ornament of the city, but also as a reminder of the construction traditions of the Yugoslav Kingdom.

The catholicon of the Cernica Monastery is regarded as an example of Romanian Classicism - the frescoes, stucco, and design bear witness to this. Yet it is hard not to notice the church is not like the Classicist buildings to which we are accustomed. At first glance, it appears the creation of an architect who combined conservative elements of local architecture with a fantasy inspired by medieval motifs - common in late Classicism. The true reason, however, is revealed by the portal leading into the nave. The decor framing it dates from the XIX century, despite being carefully designed to evoke antiquity - but the opening itself is far more dark and authentic. It may be the only element surviving from the old XVII century church, destroyed by an earthquake - or a faithful reconstruction. This explains the church’s appearance: built in a contemporary style, it was intended to remind of the old catholicon.

The Korovkin Merchants’ mansion in Kalyazin, Russia. Although the estate was built in the XVIII century, it was constructed in the then quickly gaining popularity classical style - the trendiest architectural fashion of the time. But nothing lasts forever - and by the end of the XIX century, the house had been renovated in an eclectic style, borrowing heavily from the Baroque - the very style that the owners had considered outdated when the house was originally built.

A beautiful modern neo-Byzantine templon in the manneristic Gouverneto monastery in Greece.

A Byzantine mosaic, created thanks to a certain Domestikos Tittos, uncovered by Turkish archeologists during a reconstruction of the historic mill in the Çağ Valley.

A XVII century wooden statue of Saint Catherine from the now-dismantled church dedicated to her in the village of Knyazhostrov, Russia.

The Minerva Hotel in Craiova, Romania - arguably the most impressive Belle Époque hotel in the city. Although at its core it is a typical Beaux-Arts building - a fact most evident in the roof - externally it is a lively blend of Moorish and Gothic styles, thus hinting at Neo-Wallachian architecture as well, though the major styles take centre stage here.

An abandoned Baroque monastery of Saint Catherine in Thinali, Greece.

The recently restored Maslov estate, now serving as a local history museum, - the best house in Alexin since the XVIII century!