MODERN CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES AS A TOOLKIT OF THE TRANSITION FROM TRADITION TO MODERNISM IN CHURCH ARCHITECTURE

Purpose. Consideration and analysis of twentieth-century church architecture in which the modernist style and their modern building technology was applied, using nine churches from different countries as examples. Methodology. The use of critical analysis of scientific and methodological literature of architectural modernism of churches, virtual analysis of architectural and construction projects of modernism and their use in the construction of churches, the method of systemic, structural and activity approach. Findings. The scientific formation of the concept of architectural and church modernism has been performed. The main components of architectural and church modernism and the use of the latest architectural and construction technologies are revealed. Reasonable reasons for the slow use of Architectural Church Modernism in modern times. Examples of twentieth-century architectural church modernism are provided. Originality. An analysis of the use of twentieth-century architectural-church modernism in the world is offered. An analysis of the use of architectural and church modernism in the architectural and structural design of churches has been conducted. Practical value. The rationale for the use of architectural and church modernism in the architectural and structural design of churches has been carried out. The components of church modernism are disclosed. The result is the creation of conditions for the harmonious interaction of customers-churchmen and executors-architects in the use of modernism. There were many arguments about what the temple and temple complex should be – modern or a copy of the canonical model – it all depends on the views of the customer and the architect, their views on religion and its purpose in modern life. The dispute can be long, but creativity is unstoppable, and in the world of temple construction has always kept up with current trends in architecture and construction, using new materials, designs and technology. Understandably, there are concerns that innovations in architecture may be followed by undesirable changes in the whole church tradition, but there is no stopping the new thinking. The new generation must step forward to embrace new trends, architectural modernism of churches, also search for new trends and embody them.

Uniate Sacral Architecture in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania: A Synthesis of Confessional Architecture

Summary The architectural legacy of the Unitarians in the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania has received little attention from researchers to this day. This article presents an architectural synthesis of the Uniate and Order of Basilians that reflected the old succession of Orthodox architectural heritage, but at the same time was increasingly influenced by the architectural traditions formed in Catholic churches. This article presents the tendencies of the development of Uniate architecture, paying attention to the brick and wooden sacral buildings belonging to the Uniate and Order of Basilians in the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The early Uniate sacral examples reflected the still striking features of the synthesis, which were particularly marked in the formation of the Greek cross plan and apses in the different axes of the building. All this marked the architectural influences of Ukraine, Moldova and other areas of Central and South-Eastern Europe, which were also clearly visible in Orthodox architecture. Wooden Uniate architecture, as in the case of masonry buildings, had distinctly inherited features of Orthodox architecture, and in the late period, as early as the 18th century, there was a tendency to adopt the principles of Catholic church architecture, which resulted in complete convergence of most Uniate buildings with examples of Catholic church buildings. Vilnius Baroque School, formed in the late Baroque era, formed general tendencies in the construction of Uniate and Catholic sacral buildings, among which the clearer divisions of the larger structural and artistic principles are no longer noticeable in the second half of 18th century. The article also presents the image of baroque St. Nicholas Church, the only Uniate parish church in Vilnius city, which was lost after the reconstruction in the second half of the 19th century.

Armenia

A study of medieval Armenian painting, church architecture, bas-relief sculpture, and other media demonstrates close attention to, and reception of, the art and culture of the Byzantine Empire. Historic Armenia (including the present-day Armenian Republic and territories in eastern Anatolia, southern Georgia, northwest Iran, and Azerbaijan) and the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia (1199–1375, southwestern Anatolia) had close relations with neighboring powers throughout the medieval era, and scholars, most prominently Sirarpie Der Nersessian, have long studied the presence of Byzantine ideas in Armenian art and architecture. The early medieval period, the “Age of the Kingdoms” (ninth to eleventh centuries), and twelfth- to fourteenth-century Cilicia demonstrate strong evidence for contact and familiarity with Byzantine culture. An examination of select cases demonstrates the diverse and dynamic nature of such appropriations, reflecting the complex and changing nature of political, social, religious, and cultural relations between empire and locality.

Cities and Their Churches

This chapter is about the churches in the cities of the region. In the introduction to the chapter, some common features of these cities are pointed out. The cities of Nisibis, Edessa, Amida, Dara, Constantia, and Martyropolis are dealt with under separate headings, while Batnae and Carrhae, for which we do not have much evidence, are discussed in the introduction to the chapter. Not much church architecture has remained in the cities. Yet, what has survived and what has been recorded in the past lets us see a wide variety of plan types (basilicas, variations of domed basilicas, an aisled-tetraconch, and an octagon), a distinctive architectural sculpture that is mostly classical in character, and strong imperial patronage. After each city, the churches and monasteries in the hinterland of these cities are discussed. Some rural areas, such as the Tektek Mountains, the region around Derik, and Kale-i Zerzevan near Amida, stand out for their surviving remains.

Church Architecture of Late Antique Northern Mesopotamia

Church Architecture of Late Antique Northern Mesopotamia examines the church architecture of Northern Mesopotamia between the fourth and eighth centuries. It focuses on settlements, plan types, artistic encounters, the remarkable continuity of the classical tradition in the architectural decoration, the heterogeneity of the building techniques, patrons, imperial motivations, dedications of churches, and stories that claim and make spaces. Employing archaeological and epigraphical material and hagiographical and historical sources, the book presents a holistic picture of the church architecture of this frontier region, encompassing the cities of Nisibis (Nusaybin), Edessa (Şanlıurfa), Amida (Diyarbakır), Anastasiopolis (Dara/Oğuz), Martyropolis (Silvan), Constantia (Viranşehir), and their surroundings, and the rural Tur Abdin region. The period covered spans the last centuries of Byzantine and the first century and a half of Arab rule, when the region was, on the one hand, a stage of war and riven by religious controversies, and a cultural interspace on the other. The book discusses the different dynamics in this frontier region and the resulting built environment and church architecture in pursuit of providing a regional contribution to the study of the transformation that the Byzantine civilization underwent in the late antique period and understanding the continuities and changes after the Arab conquest.

Epilogue

In this chapter, the material presented in the second and third chapters is contextualized further, and the evidence from urban and rural contexts is treated in combination. This chapter distinguishes between the two periods before and after the Arab conquest, and draws attention to the continuities and changes, in plan types, building materials and techniques, builders, patrons, and architectural sculpture. For the period before the Arab conquest, it discusses the similarities of the church architecture of the region with its counterparts elsewhere in the Empire and points out what is specific to it. It also assesses what we can tell about the identity of the churches in a region where churches were changing hands. The Section ‘After the Arab conquest’ is concerned with the changes in the cities and the rural ṬurʿAbdin. It explores whether, in this period, one could talk about a church architecture specific to the Syrian Orthodox.

Ṭur ʿAbdin

The introduction of the chapter analyses the topography of Ṭur ʿAbdin through comparisons and settlement relations. The material about church architecture is organized under the separate headings of ‘Villages’ and ‘Monasteries’, which constitute the main settlements in the region, together with some fortifications. The division of settlements into villages and monasteries also coincides with two distinct types of church plans: parish and monastic. In the section on villages, the main settlement features of a late antique village are discussed. After that, the village churches are examined through some of their distinct features, such as engaged arcades, masonry, brickwork, architectural sculpture, and outdoor oratories. The analysis shows that some of these churches underwent considerable rebuilding in the eighth century. Some sixth-century evidence points to their possible origins. Some small churches, built probably from scratch in the eighth century, show that in that period some architectural features were repeated faithfully. Monasteries are first examined as settlements, and spaces that constitute a monastery, other than the churches, such as walls, towers and beth qadishe, are discussed. Then both the main and secondary churches are examined in detail. Some churches of the monasteries stand out for their plan or decoration, such as the church of Mor Ḥananyo at Dayr al-Zaʿfarān and the main church of the monastery of Mor Gabriel. They are dealt with under separate headings. Although not a monastic church, the Church of Yoldath Aloho at Ḥāḥ is treated together with these churches because of some of its architectural features.

THE PROBLEM OF STUDYING OF THE CHURCH ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN PLANNING ART OF ARTSAKH OF THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY AND THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY ON THE PAGES OF THE EASTERN ARMENIAN PERIODICAL PRESS

Our scientific research is dedicated to the study of the church architecture and urban art of Artsakh of the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century which is based on valuable materials published in the pages of the periodical press of Eastern Armenian. The article shows with undeniable facts that along with other branches of the Armenian culture the architecture and urban planning art developed in Artsakh during the period. Many magnificent architectural monuments, public buildings, printing houses, schools and other cultural centers were built. Previously built architectural monuments continued their activities in that period as well, some of which were renovated in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Among the historical and cultural values Dadivank (Khota Monastery or Charektar Monastery), the monastery of Amaras, the monastery of Gandzasar, the monastery of St. Hakoba, St. George Monastery (in the Khachen province), St. Yeghishe Monastery (in the Javanshir province), St. Ghondeants Monastery (Ghondik - desert, built in Varanda, near the village of Avetaranots), Gtich or Gtchavanq (in the Dizak province, near the village of Togh), Spitak Khach Monastery (in Dizak), Yerits Mankants Monastery, Inn Masants Monastery are known. And among the Armenian cultural centers are the Diocesan School of Shushi, the Realakan College, the Hripsimyan and Girls' Schools of Shushi, the Khandamiryan Theater Building, the Printing Houses of Metropolitan Baghdasar, Mirzajan Mahtesi Hakobyants, Bagrat Ter Sahakyan, Melkon Babajanyan, etc..