The art of Byzantium reflected ideas typical of feudal society about the sacred nature of the political organization of states. They determined the overwhelming predominance of religious themes and the abstract nature of the art of Byzantium, which, however, was combined with the Greco-Roman artistic traditions, which were widely included as a heritage in the culture of Byzantium. The art of Byzantium reflected ideas typical of feudal society about the sacred nature of the political organization of states. They determined the overwhelming predominance of religious themes and the abstract nature of the art of Byzantium, which, however, was combined with the Greco-Roman artistic traditions, which were widely included as a heritage in the culture of Byzantium.
The most remarkable work of Byzantine architecture was the church of St. Sophia in Constantinople, built in the VI century under Emperor Justinian. Justinian did not skimp on expenses: he wanted to make this temple the main and largest church of the entire Christian world. The temple was built according to the plan of the architects from Tral Anthimius and Isidore of Miletus.
The temple was built by 10 thousand people for five years. It was decorated by the best artisans. Church of St. Sophia was called "a miracle of miracles", even sung in verse. Inside, he was striking in size and beauty. A giant dome with a diameter of 31 m, as it were, grows out of two half-domes; each of them rests, in turn, on three small semi-domes. Along the base, the dome is surrounded by a wreath of 40 windows. It seems that the dome, like the vault of heaven, is floating in the air: after all, the four pillars on which it rests are hidden from the viewer. The temple was built by 10 thousand people for five years. It was decorated by the best artisans. Church of St. Sophia was called "a miracle of miracles", even sung in verse. Inside, he was striking in size and beauty. A giant dome with a diameter of 31 m, as it were, grows out of two half-domes; each of them rests, in turn, on three small semi-domes. Along the base, the dome is surrounded by a wreath of 40 windows. It seems that the dome, like the vault of heaven, is floating in the air: after all, the four pillars on which it rests are hidden from the viewer.
Hagia Sophia. O. Mandelstam. 1912 Hagia Sophia stop here The Lord judged the peoples and kings! After all, your dome, according to an eyewitness, As on a chain, is suspended from heaven. And for all ages the example of Justinian, When Diana of Ephesus Allowed to steal for foreign gods One hundred and seven green marble pillars. But what did your generous builder think, When, lofty in soul and thought, He arranged the apses and exedra, Pointing them to the west and east? Beautiful is the temple bathed in peace, And forty windows of light triumph; On sails, under the dome, the four Archangels are the most beautiful. And the wise spherical building will outlive the nations and centuries, And the echoing sob of the seraphim Will not warp the dark gilding.
This temple was simply called the Great Church. It was created in commissioned by Emperor Justinian. For the construction of the main cathedral of the Byzantine Empire, not professional architects were invited, but professors of mathematics and geometry, Anfimy from Thrall and Isidore from Miletus.
Class: 10
Goals and objectives of the lesson:
- form an idea of temple construction in Byzantium on the example of the Hagia Sophia,
- development of skills to analyze, argue one's own point of view,
- to create conditions for increasing the cognitive and creative-search activity of students, the development of their personal motivational sphere to form an idea of temple construction in Byzantium using the example of the Hagia Sophia,
- promote the development of interest in the culture of Byzantium and its connection with the culture of Rus',
- development of skills to analyze, argue your point of view.
During the classes
I. Organizational moment.
II. Preparing for the perception of a new topic. Introduction by the teacher.
III. Presentation of a new topic. (The work in blocks can be based on the presentation or use of the DER).
- City of Constantine
- Icon "Sophia the Wisdom of God"
- How the site for Hagia Sophia was chosen
- How Hagia Sophia was built
- The interior splendor of the Hagia Sophia
- Symbols of the Hagia Sophia
- Image of the world
- Contemporaries and descendants about the Hagia Sophia
- Beautiful is the temple bathed in peace
VI. Homework assignment.
Organizing time
Preparing for the perception of a new topic. Introductory word of the teacher
The main question of the lesson.?
Why does the image of the church of Hagia Sophia of Constantinople still strike the imagination of people and attract to itself with its originality and grandeur?
The Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, a world-famous monument of Byzantine architecture, according to the Russian scientist N.P. Kondakov, "did more for the empire than many of its wars."
When did the Byzantine Empire begin?
Who founded the city of Constantinople?
Which temple was a symbol of the Orthodox faith?
What does the expression "Moscow - the third Rome" mean?
Byzantium gave the world an art in which the deepest spirituality was the measure of true beauty. Originating in Constantinople, the capital of the empire, it influenced the development of the cultures of many countries, in the list of which Ancient Rus' occupies the first place.
On the modern map of this state is not. It ceased to exist in May 1453, when it was conquered by the Turks, and arose in 395, when Emperor Theodosius, dying, divided the Roman Empire into 2 parts: Western and Eastern. The latter was called Byzantium by historians of the 19th century. In the lesson, we, of course, will not be able to cover the entire spectrum of Byzantine culture, but we will focus on only one of its masterpieces - the Hagia Sophia.
Presentation of a new topic. (The work in blocks can be based on the presentation or use of the DER. Some questions can be prepared for the lesson by students.)
City of Constantine.
The symbol of the spiritual renewal of the Roman Empire with the adoption of Christianity is the city of Constantinople, named after the emperor who founded it, St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine the Great. The new capital of the empire was located on the border of Europe and Asia, on the seashore, convenient for trade and communication, in the middle of fertile flowering hills and valleys.
On May 11, 330, the solemn consecration of the city of Constantinople took place. The city, about which St. John Chrysostom said that it is like the sky, has become a cultural and religious center for many Orthodox peoples of the world.
Pretty soon, Constantinople acquires the features of a Roman city: but the churches built on the site of pagan temples, and the cross that reigns everywhere, tell us that this is a Christian city.
Hagia Sophia - its Greek name Aya - Sophia - was the holiest place in Constantinople
Icon "Sophia the Wisdom of God".
Icon "Sophia the Wisdom of God". This image appeared in Byzantium. It was to this image that the temple of Sophia the Wisdom of God in Constantinople was dedicated, which was built according to divine intuition: according to legend, Sophia, as a Fiery Angel, appeared to the son of one of the builders, commanding that the temple be named after Her.
Who gave the name to the church of Hagia Sophia is unknown. In any case, in the 4th century it was already called Sophia. Archpriest G. Florovsky says that "it is not difficult to say how the Christians of that time understood this name. It was the name of Christ, the Son of God."
The temple was consecrated for the first time on December 25 (537). It became for the Byzantines a temple in general, a temple par excellence, the focus of all prayer memories and memories.
And at the same time, it became a symbol of the kingdom, a symbol of royal dignity and power - "the mother of our kingdom," Justinian already speaks of Sophia ...
How the site for Hagia Sophia was chosen.
On the site of the future Sophia, Emperor Constantine the Great built a small church-basilica. The temple was richly decorated: rare marble, silver, gold, mosaics. But it was already consecrated under Emperor Constantius, in 360. Constantius enlarged the temple so that his contemporaries began to call it "the great church". In 404, the basilica was destroyed in a fire.
Emperor Theodosius the Younger rebuilt the church in 415. In 532, under Emperor Justinian, a popular uprising, known as Nika, broke out, as a result of which the long-suffering temple of Sophia also perished in a fire. After that, Justinian, on the site of the burnt basilica, decided to erect a magnificent temple, which, with its size and splendor, would overshadow everything that had been built in Constantinople before him.
How was Hagia Sophia built?
For the construction of a grandiose temple, Justinian bought the nearest plots of land from private owners and ordered the demolition of the buildings located on them.
To manage the work, Justinian invited the best architects of that time: Isidore of Miletus and Anfimiya Trallsky, who had previously proven themselves by erecting the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus. The emperor entrusted the construction to two architects: Anthimius from Thrall and Isidore from Miletus.
Thralls and Miletus are the oldest Greek cities in Asia Minor. Anfimy knew mechanics very well, and Isidore was an excellent sculptor. The first one took less than two months to create a project and prepare for construction. The construction itself lasted 5 years, 10 months and 10 days - according to Byzantine chronicles.
The laying of the foundation took place on February 23, 532, and Hagia Sophia was built by the entire empire. Jewelry taken from the ruins of pagan temples, thermae, porticos, palaces of Asia, Greece, and the islands of the Italian Archipelago arrived in Constantinople.
The Ephesian praetor sent eight columns of green marble with black spots, taken from the temple of Diana. The Roman noblewoman Marcia donated eight fine porphyry columns from the temple of the sun in Balbec.
One could also see the rarest ornaments brought from Troad, Cyzicus, Athens and the Cyclades; white marble with pink veins of Phrygia, green marble of Laconia, blue marble of Libya, red granite of Egypt, porphyry of Sais.
In addition to marble decorations, Justinian, in order to give the temple he was building an unprecedented brilliance and luxury, used gold, silver, and ivory to decorate it.
Justinian persistently sought to ensure that the temple had no equal in beauty. In his zeal, he went so far that he wanted to pave the entire floor in the temple with golden tiles. The courtiers dissuaded the emperor from this enterprise. The floor was paved with a rare beauty of multi-colored marble, porphyry and jasper.
Much in the construction of this temple was unusual, for example, lime was kneaded with barley water, and oil was added to the cement. For the upper board of the throne, a new material was "invented": onyxes, topazes, pearls, amethysts, sapphires, rubies were thrown into melted gold - all the most expensive.
Justinian achieved his goal. The created temple surpassed in its splendor the famous temple in Jerusalem, built by King Solomon. When the emperor entered the temple on the day of its consecration on December 25, 537, he exclaimed: "Glory to the Almighty, Who has chosen me to accomplish this great work! I have surpassed you, Solomon!" The consecration of the temple was a national holiday. The emperor showered silver on the population of the capital
The Hagia Sophia impresses with its size and a special, completely indescribable feeling of internal space. It is crowned with a huge dome (about 31.5 meters in diameter), at the base of which 40 windows are cut. The light pouring from them creates the impression of weightlessness of the dome, as if hovering over the temple, like the vault of heaven. There is a legend that the dome of Hagia Sophia is suspended on a golden chain from the sky and angels support it.
The Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea wrote: “It seems that the temple does not rest on a solid structure, but due to the lightness of the structure, it covers this place with a golden hemisphere lowered from the sky.
Why did Justinian persistently strive to ensure that the temple had no equal in beauty?
What do the words of Justinian mean "Glory to the Most High, Who chose me to do this great work! I have surpassed you, Solomon!"?
What architectural innovations were used in the construction of Hagia Sophia?
The interior splendor of the Hagia Sophia.
There is no doubt that the inner splendor of the temple exceeds the wildest imagination. Gold for the construction of the throne in the altar was considered insufficiently precious, and for this they used a special alloy of gold, silver, crushed pearls and precious stones, so that the surface of the throne had 72 different colors and shades.
All sacred liturgical objects - bowls, vessels, arks - were made of the purest gold and blinded by the sparkle of precious stones; the books of Holy Scripture, with their golden bindings and clasps, weighed a lot. From gold were all the sacred accessories and objects of court ceremonial, at the coronation and various Byzantine ceremonies, famous for their complexity and pomp.
Six thousand candelabra in the form of huge clusters, the same number of portable candlesticks, each weighing 45 kg. The mosaics on the dome sparkled with the radiance of candelabra, silver lamps hung on bronze chains, countless lights reflected in mosaics and precious stones.
The gates were made of ivory, amber and cedar wood with platbands of gilded silver. In the vestibule there was a jasper pool with sculptures of lions spewing water.
One could enter the House of God only after washing one's feet.
Why did the Hagia Sophia acquire extraordinary significance?
Why did Justinian spare no expense to decorate this building?
Try to list all the materials that were used to decorate the Hagia Sophia
Symbols of the Hagia Sophia.
Two ideas are expressed in the Hagia Sophia.
The first is the power of Christianity, embodied in a vast, unconstrainedly unfolding space, a contrast of light and dark places.
The second - the dependence of the church on the state - appears in the decor of the temple, similar to the front halls of the imperial palace.
Thanks to its majestic architecture and decoration, the main sanctuary of the entire state inspired the idea of the power of the Byzantine Empire and the church. This was served by the size of the temple, designed for crowds of thousands of people, and the luxury of interior decoration with colored marble and decorative mosaics, and the splendor of the ceremonies that took place in the temple. It was in a new type of building, in the domed basilica of St. Sophia, tendencies towards grandiosity, majestic splendor and solemnity, characteristic of Byzantine art, are most consistently expressed.
The desire of the Byzantines to bring any form to the divine symbol led to the emergence and establishment of Christian architectural symbols, which are still accepted today. Four walls under one roof symbolize the four cardinal directions under the auspices of a single church.
What ideas did the builders of the cathedral strive to embody?
"Image of the World".
The Byzantine temple delighted contemporaries not only with the perfection of its architectural forms. The marble floor ornaments, the splendidly decorated robes of the priests, the harmonious singing, the elaborate ceremonies of the religious rites, all had a profound effect on the faithful. The interior of the temple was richly decorated with works of sculpture, arts and crafts, and especially painting.
The temple was an image of the world. And since Christianity saw a certain hierarchy in the world, this hierarchy was necessarily manifested in the arrangement and design of churches. There were strict rules for the depiction of biblical scenes and their placement in the space of the temple. These rules are called canon. The more important what was depicted, the higher or closer to the altar it was placed.
First of all, the eyes and thoughts of those entering the church turned to the dome, which personifies the vault of heaven. Therefore, Christ was often depicted there surrounded by angels. From the dome, the gaze usually fell to the altar, where the figure of the Mother of God reminded of the connection between God and man.
The four gospel authors were often depicted on four sails. Further, the eye moved to images of episodes of the earthly life of the Mother of God and Christ in the order they are described in the Gospels: from the Annunciation through Christmas, Baptism and the Crucifixion to the Ascension.
Below were those whose activities are connected with Christ: the prophets who predicted his coming, the apostles - his disciples, the martyrs who suffered for believing in him, the kings, his earthly governors, the bishops who led the church. In the western part of the church, images related to the theme of the Last Judgment could be placed. The temple, as it were, overcame the gap between earth and sky, it contained all space and all time.
Why is Hagia Sophia called "the image of the world"?
Contemporaries and descendants about the Hagia Sophia.
The famous Byzantine writer Procopius of Caesarea (c. 500 - after 565), a contemporary of the construction, describing the buildings of Emperor Justinian, enthusiastically describes the Hagia Sophia: "Every time someone enters this temple to pray, he immediately understands that such a thing is completed not by human power or art, but by God's permission."
Procopius of Caesarea: "This temple presented a wonderful sight - for those who looked at it, it seemed exceptional, for those who heard about it - absolutely incredible. It rises in height as if to the sky and, like a ship on the high waves of the sea, it stands out among other buildings, as if leaning over the rest of the city, decorating it as an integral part of it, it itself is decorated with it, because, being its part and entering into its composition, it protrudes so much above it that from it you can see the whole city at a glance."
Let's listen again to Procopius of Caesarea: "Who appreciated the splendor of the columns and marbles that adorn the temple? It seems as if you are in a luxurious meadow covered with flowers. Is it possible to remain indifferent to the purple and emerald trim? The crimson color changes to white, like the sun. It seems that nature itself was the artist here."
The 6th-century poet Paul Silentiarius sang of the beauty of Hagia Sophia in this way:
Everything here breathes beauty, there is a lot to marvel at everything
Your eye, but tell with what luminous radiance
The temple is consecrated in the night, and as if powerless, you pray:
A certain nocturnal Phaeton poured this brilliance onto the shrine.
"The brilliance of gold, the variety of colors and shadows, the majestic mosaic images of Jesus Christ and the saints in their whole original form should have made an irresistible impression on the viewer. Under the influence of such impressions, no one, having entered this temple, will no longer wish to return from here," wrote Paul Silentiary
The Russian pilgrim Anthony of Novgorod, who compiled a description of Constantinople before it was sacked by the crusaders in 1204, gives the following description of the altar of the cathedral:
“In the great altar above the great holy meal, under the catapetasma, Konstyantin’s crown was hung, and a cross was hung on it, under the cross a golden dove; and other kings’ crowns hang around the catapetasma. holy appearance: saint sophia in the great altar behind the holy throne stands a golden cross, above two people from the earth with precious stones and pearls, and in front of it hangs a golden cross of one and a half cubits ... in front of it are three golden lamps in which oil burns, these lamps and the cross were built by King Justinian, the builder of the church.
Kazhdaan Alexander Petrovich, a Russian historian and Byzantine scholar, one of the greatest experts of the 20th century on Byzantium, describes the Church of Hagia Sophia in the book "At the Walls of Constantinople": "The main church of Constantinople is called the Church of Hagia Sophia - in our Divine wisdom: We enter the porch, decorated with images of emperors, and from there through the silver door we get into the temple. And we immediately freeze, amazed: from the outside the church did not seem as grandiose as inside.
The dome soars to an infinite height, flooded with soft light streaming from forty windows at its base.
Suddenly you feel; Above you is not a vault built by skilled craftsmen: Above you is a light, airy sky, hovering above the earth; it does not rest on columns, it hangs by itself, embracing the entire temple like a divine sphere"
What is common in the description of Hagia Sophia among contemporaries and descendants?
What impression does the Hagia Sophia make on the viewer, what feelings does it evoke? Try to explain what caused this impression?
Beautiful is the temple bathed in peace.
Osip Mandelstam's poem "Hagia Sophia" was written in 1912. Mandelstam did not visit Constantinople and did not see the Hagia Sophia, but this is hard to believe. The solemn rhythm of his lines most accurately conveys the impression of majestic architecture.
Let's go through the temple with a volume of Mandelstam in our hands and try to comment on some lines of his poem.
Hagia Sophia - where to stay
The Lord judged nations and kings!
After all, your dome, according to an eyewitness,
As if on a chain, suspended from heaven.
And to all ages - the example of Justinian,
When to steal for foreign gods
Allowed Diana of Ephesus
One hundred and seven green marble pillars.
But what did your generous builder think,
When, soul and thought is high,
Arranged apses and exedra,
Pointing them to the west and east?
Beautiful is the temple bathed in peace,
And forty windows - a triumph of light;
On sails, under a dome, four
Archangel is the most beautiful.
And a wise spherical building
Nations and centuries will survive,
And seraphim's booming sob
Will not warp dark gilding.
What features of St. Sophia Cathedral does the author describe?
What characteristic architectural features are mentioned in the poem?
IV. Fixing the topic. (Formation of answers in the worksheet). Summarizing
V. Final word of the teacher.
At the end of the 10th century, when Vladimir was choosing a faith for Russia, his ambassadors were at a divine service in Hagia Sophia and recalled it this way: “They took us to where they serve their God, and we didn’t know whether we were on earth or in heaven: for there is no such sight and beauty on earth, and we don’t know how to tell about it - we only know that God is there with people.” It is no coincidence that the grandiose cathedrals built in the 11th century in Kyiv and Novgorod were dedicated to Sophia - the Wisdom of God.
In conclusion of the lesson, I would like to draw your attention to the words of the poetess Valentina Borovitskaya:
"Everything in the world goes away - art remains.
The chain of centuries will not be interrupted by the voices of poets.
They look at the frescoes of cathedrals and canvases of portraits.
On the decrepit land it will be bitter and sad.
Only it will not be empty as long as art is alive.
Church of Hagia Sophia, the Wisdom of God - a unique example of Byzantine architecture. This outstanding work of art has become an example for architects for many centuries. Turning their eyes to Sophia of Constantinople, Russian architects built cathedrals in Kyiv and Novgorod.
Byzantine culture did not disappear with the fall of the Byzantine Empire. We are the keepers of that huge layer of world culture that was created by our ancestors, and we have the opportunity to study and admire these masterpieces.
VI. Homework assignment.
Write an essay "Why did Hagia Sophia admire her contemporaries and continue to delight her descendants?"
VII. List of used literature and Internet resources:
- Kondakov N. P. Byzantine monuments and churches of Constantinople., M, 2006
- Lazarev V.N. Byzantine and ancient Russian art. M., 1978
- Small history of arts. Art of the Middle Ages M., 1975
- Encyclopedia for children. Art. Volume 7. M.: Avanta +, 1998.
- A. Kazhdan "At the walls of Constantinople" Publisher: Children's literature. Moscow, 1965
- Smirnov S.G. Problem book on the history of the Middle Ages. M. 1995.
- Miroshnichenko E. I. On some aspects of Byzantine culture
- history.nsc.ru>:history:custom:Miroshnichenko.pdf
- vizantia.info>docs/20.htm
- school-collection.edu.ru>Catalog>
- marysasch.livejournal.com>42378.html
- http://church.ru/theology/florovsky/sophia.htm
"Byzantine civilization" - Ancient heritage. Crafts were under the control of government services. Constantinople. Moscow is the true heir to the greatness of Constantinople. Byzantine civilization. The crisis of the Byzantine economy. State priority. Character of Emperor Justinian. separatist tendencies. Byzantium fell in 1453.
"Europe Byzantium" - Orthodoxy: only from the Father, the Mother of God is born with original sin, there is no purgatory. Individualism. Church At the head of the Byzantine Church, the patriarch is not subject to the Pope. Byzantium is the second Rome. MEDIEVAL EUROPE AND BYZANTIA: 2 ways historical development. European way. Relationships largely based on law and tradition.
"Development of the culture of Byzantium" - Harmony of art. Prominent place in the development of Europe. Byzantine art culture. Mary's eyes. Underground reservoir. New worldview. Byzantine culture. History of Byzantium. Masterpieces of Byzantine architecture. The name of the reservoir. Emperor Alexander. The development of architecture. Inverted head of Medusa Gorgon.
"The Art of Byzantium" - Catacombs - underground burial places of the first Christians. Christian art of late Rome, I-IV centuries. Basilica of St. Central nave. Catacombs of Priscilla. Byzantine art. Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. 5th century Ravenna. Art of Byzantium. Catacombs of Priscilla. "Good Shepherd". Cross-domed church. Temple of Hagia Sophia.
