Research of many years on the architectural decoration of Christian churches in Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia resulted in many important discoveries, which transpired crucial for the exact attribution of many artefacts. They also enabled the identification of some hitherto unsuspected research subjects. The findings helped to outline the 10th-11th cent. context for the architecture to be placed in both in the Byzantine Empire as well as neighbour countries. However, the lapidary collections that originate from Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia did not receive sufficient attention. Therefore, they invite a separate study on the functionality of their reliefs. This study would focus upon altar barriers fragments rather than the fragments, which constitute the facades of the Christian churches.Studying similar monuments, which originate from places (such as modern Georgia, Armenia, as well as historic Asia Minor and other parts of the then Byzantine Empire) is nowadays impossible without modern research methods and devices, in particular, those, which enable researchers to do the 3D reconstruction. Such reconstruction would help to visualize otherwise lost historically important monuments as well as forms of their decoration.Such researches would decisively contribute to the study of the artistic culture of these countries, especially in the late 9th-early 11th cent., when they began to consider themselves to be different from the Byzantine "metropole".Reconstruction of altar barriers and the facade decoration and identification of common typological features may clearly show the actual influence of these cultures on the development of Christian culture in Southern Caucasus. The Authors see the importance in showing the convergence between the cultures of the neighbouring areas in the Caucasus. The research necessity of this subject is already reflected in many works from Georgia, Russian Federation, France etc. Their results clearly show that small forms (10th-11th cent.) and façade decoration of the Christian churches in Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia have not yet received a systematic study, especially, because the research has been focused on the paleochristian period.Altogether, the lands of Western Georgia (passes between Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Abkhazia, Southern Ossetia and Racha) played a decisive role in the formation of the original type of medieval Christian self-conscience as reflected in art.
Introduction. The article deals with the frescoes of the specific style “red signs” on the rock. They were widespread in the architectural monuments of Cappadocia. The focus of the research is the motifs of triangular and rhombus (with the dots inside and without it) between the 9th and 10th centuries. Methods. These motifs are compared to the similar images on the stone reliefs (architectural decoration) from the territory of the Northern Caucasus and Western Georgia of the medieval period. A certain number of common features are underlined and studied. Analysis. In both situations the representations are made in primitive planar graphic style with the minimal set of technical means. The iconographical repertoire is rich in zoomorphic images (their biological identification is difficult to determine), geometrical signs, and rosettes. The origins of the motif are traced back up to the ancient cultures in Asia Minor, Caucasus and the Near East. Its development is shown by means of ethnographical witnesses. Results. In conclusion, there is supposition that the permanent presence of the motif in sacral and traditional every day culture of the Northern Caucasus and Western Georgia is due to the influence of the Koban-Colchis cultural and historical community. In medieval Christian culture, it could have function of apotropeia. So, the article deals with the specific aspect of very interesting theme that is the culture of the barbaric periphery of the Byzantine empire in the period between 9th and 10th centuries.
Аннотация. В статье разбираются проблемы, касающиеся соотношения традиционных верований и монотеистических религий на Кавказе. В качестве примера берется мотив бычьей головы. Во внешней облицовке некоторых христианских храмов Закавказья (по преимуществу Армения и Грузия) в эпоху средневековья появляются изображения бычьей головы. Для выяснения значения этого мотива предлагается для начала выявить подобные изображения в нехристианском контексте того же времени (археологические находки, погребальные комплексы, курганы и т.д.). Затем прослеживается бытование этого образа в более ранние исторические эпохи. И, наконец, при помощи этнографических свидетельств, происходящих из наиболее архаических обществ (нагорный Дагестан, Сванетия), выдвигается гипотеза о том, что изображения бычьей головы имели значение апотропея как в христианской, так и в нехристианской среде. При этом в тех случаях, когда изображение бычьей головы соседствует с изображением жертвенного сосуда, скорее всего можно воспринимать его как аллюзию на идею жертвенности и искупления.Ключевые слова: архитектурная пластика, Закавказье, бычья голова, апотропей Ендольцева Екатерина Юрьевна -кандидат искусствоведения, старший научный сотрудник Института Востоковедения РАН.Исследование выполнено при поддержке гранта РГНФ 15 -24-12001 а/м.
Introduction. This article deals with the altar barrier from the medieval church in Dranda village (Abkhazia). It is not preserved in its original form. Two slabs with figurative compositions were published by countess P. S. Uvarova at the end of the 19 th century. Then they were lost. Methods. The modern researchers can analyze them only due to photo types made by the countess. Some fragments from Dranda church are now preserved in the collection of the Abkhazian State Museum in Sukhum. One new fragment (which was not known before) with the representation of the Jonas prophet (devoured by the sea monster) has been discovered in the collection of the Archaeological Museum of the Saint Metropolis of Abkhazia (New Athos). There are also four other fragments of the architectural decoration from the Dranda church. Analysis. Some of them could possibly be part of the altar barrier. The rest of the fragments were probably from the outer or inner facing of the same church. The article also deals with the problem of the date of the rare image of prophet Jonas. The fragment can be dated by the 10 th century. The researchers dispute the date for the other fragments of the altar barrier. Results. The authors of the article incline to the 10 th century for all the fragments of the shattered altar barrier. Father Dorotheos Dbar analyzed information about the history and origin of the reliefs in question. E. Yu. Endoltseva made iconographical research of the carved images.
The paper presents heterogeneous carved stone blocks of the Middle Ages, originating from different parts of the Taman settlement. Some of them are preserved only in photos, the rest are kept in the collection of the Taman archaeological Museum, as well as in Krasnodar. The considered artifacts are divided into three groups: 1) columns' capitals and their fragments; 2) fragment of the plate depicting an angel holding the scarf; 3) blocks decorated with "twist"-type ornaments. Byzantine reliefs belong to two chronological groups. The first group (end of the 5th-6th c.) unites the four capitals and the fragment of plate with angel. Their presence proves the hypothesis that a church building of the early Byzantine period was located somewhere on the Taman settlement. The second group (9th-11th c.) includes the lost reliefs that were registered in the photos of the archaeological records by A.S. Bashkirov and B.A. Rybakov. It is likely that they are connected with the Byzantine church of the inscribed-cross type on the four pillars or columns, built in the 10th-11th centuries and existed in the Taman settlement till the 18th century. Analogies and the date of construction of the church allow narrowing down the period, shifting the emphasis in favor of the 11th century.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.