Holy Spirit Monastery, Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity (Veliky Novgorod)
20 Musy Jalilya-Dukhovskaya St., Veliky Novgorod.
In the 1520s, Archbishop Makary introduced cenobitic rules in Novgorod monasteries. Thus, many monasteries built their refectories.
A stone refectory with the Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity in the Holy Spirit Monastery was constructed in 1557 to order of Farther Superior John.
It is supposed, that originally the Trinity Church had a side chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas, since it was mentioned in 1591 inventory. In 1582 and 1686 inventories the side chapel was mistakenly listed as an independent church. Nobody knows when it was abolished.
The downstairs refectory was first occupied by a kitchen, bakery, and two kvass cellars. Upstairs, there were the refectory and an obedientiary's cell.
The monument suffered significant damages, when Novgorod was occupied by the Swedes (1611–1617) and burned by fire of 1685.
In 1812, the side chapel of the Our Lady of Tikhvin was arranged in the upper refectory.
In 1821, a sacristy was made in the northeastern part of the upper refectory.
Describing the Trinity Church in 1860, Archbishop Makary pointed out that an old stone two-storey building (belonging to the Sisterhood) adjoined the western side of the refectory.
In the 19th century (the exact date is unknown), the refectory and the Church were partially rebuilt. A central pillar and vaults of the upper refectory were demolished. The refectory hall was covered flat; some of the window openings were bricked up or enlarged. The Church obtained a pyramidal roof. Probably, the reconstruction took place in the 1820s, since it is known, that in 1822, Alexander I donated 10,000 roubles to repair monastery churches.
In 1910, a new single-storey stone refectory with the Church of St. Vladimir, St. Michael of Tver, and Martyr Natalia, was built to the south of the Trinity Church.
The Church of the Life-Giving Trinity has no columns, five domes, three apses, a lower tier, and a basement. The basement is a single rectangular room, later divided by a partition with a door. It is vaulted with a diminished stripped arch. Two stone staircases are placed in the western wall. The Church's main volume is non-traditional. Elevated arches support the central drum with a low spherical vault. The facades are notable for elegant and moderate decoration. Keel-shaped arches and niches are the basic decorative motif.
The Church is built of limestone slabs, faced with bricks with limestone mortar on both sides. The Church has an ashlar roof, while the apses and drum domes have crenate colter coverings, and the refectory's roof has two slopes.
The Church of the Life-Giving Trinity is a highly artistic monument of the mid-16th century. It is peculiar for its composition, construction, and decoration. The Church is notable for its harmonious and well-matched proportions as well.
It was damaged during World War II.
In 1963, the Church was reconstructed in accordance with a design by architect Tamara Gladenko.
The Desyatinniy Monastery was first mentioned in a 1327 chronicle. It was said there: "... Archbishop Moses built the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in Desyatina."
In 1397, a Novgorod posadnik (eng.: mayor) Isak Onkifov constructed another Nativity Church, which was reconstructed in the 1670s. In 1413, Ivan Morozov built one more s...
An original stone church was built from 1383 to 1384 by posadniks (eng.: mayors) Rodislav Danilovich, Ustin, and Philip. In 1526, it was reconstructed.
Two churches were erected at the place in 1527 and 1528. The Church of St. Philip was intended for Novgorod boyar families, and the Church of St. Nicholas — for citizens of neighbouring villages....
To the southeast of Yaroslav's Court, close to the bank of the Volkhov River, two churches, the Church of St. Michael the Archangel and the Church of the Annunciation in the Trade Mart (Vitkoviy Lane), connected by a brick passage, are situated.
The Church of St. Michael the Archangel was built in 1300 to 1302 instead of the 12th-century wooden ...