Foundations of an ancient temple, architecturally similar to Kolozha, discovered in Grodno's New Castle
Archaeological excavations on the territory of Grodno's New Castle have brought another historical sensation. In mid-April of this year, researchers uncovered a fragment of a 12th-century wall, whose architectural details precisely replicate the famous Kolozha Church.
A protruding three-stepped pilaster of the 12th-century church in the excavation site on the territory of the New Castle. Photo: Grodno State Historical and Archaeological Museum
As reported by the Grodno State Historical and Archaeological Museum, from April 17 to 22, research was conducted on a 12th-century wall discovered during construction work on the territory of the New Castle.
Archaeologists, gradually widening the trench from the northern and southern sides, managed not only to trace the direction of the wall but also to discover details that allow its purpose to be accurately identified. Remains of ceramic pots-голосники (resonance vessels) were found in the excavation, and the brickwork itself retained a clear lower part of a figurative pilaster.
A protruding three-stepped pilaster of the 12th-century church in the excavation site on the territory of the New Castle. Photo by excavation participants
A protruding three-stepped pilaster of the 12th-century church in the excavation site on the territory of the New Castle. Photo: Grodno State Historical and Archaeological Museum
A protruding three-stepped pilaster, whose central projection is rounded, on the main facade of the Kolozha Church in Grodno. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
It is precisely this architectural element that is characteristic of the cult architecture of Grodno in the 12th century. The central projection of the discovered three-stepped pilaster has a rounded shape, making it similar to a half-column. In the earlier Lower Church on the neighboring Old Castle, whose walls have survived to a significant height, as well as in the Prachystsenskaya Church on the posad (as far as can be judged from the excavation results), the vertical flat pilasters between the wall bays were absolutely flat.
The fact that the remains of a 12th-century church were found during archaeological excavations was confirmed by Ivan Spirin, Senior Researcher at the Department of Medieval and Modern Archaeology of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
Walls of the Lower Church in the Old Castle, preserved to a significant height, as the temple was abandoned after collapse, and the so-called Upper Church was later built on its site. The architects of the Lower Church used simple flat pilasters. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The rounded shape, among the temples that have been studied, is characteristic exclusively of the Boris and Gleb (Kolozha) Church, which is traditionally considered the pinnacle of the evolution of local architecture. This fact confirms that the discovered foundations belong to a cult monument of the Grodno architectural school of the 12th century.
Wall of the 12th-century church in the excavation site on the territory of the New Castle. On the left, three steps of the protruding pilaster are visible, and on the right, apparently, the edge of the church's entrance opening. Photo: Grodno State Historical and Archaeological Museum
Fragment of the figured portal framing of the 12th-century church in the excavation site on the territory of the New Castle. Photo by excavation participants
Since such protruding pilasters could only be on the facade side, and ancient Russian temples were strictly oriented with the altar part to the east and the main entrance to the west, researchers determined that they were facing the southern wall of the temple with a side entrance — the edge of the entrance can be seen in one of the photos, to the right of the pilaster. In another picture, the figured framing of the portal can even be discerned.
Is it the Resurrection Church or not?
As early as 2018, remains of an 800-year-old stone cult building were found on the territory of the New Castle. At that time, it was logically assumed that these were fragments of the Resurrection Church. This sanctuary is known from later written sources and is mentioned in royal inventories until the fire of 1613, after which the temple was moved to another part of the city.
Wall of the 12th-century church in the excavation site on the territory of the New Castle. Photo by excavation participants
Wall of the 12th-century church in the excavation site on the territory of the New Castle. Photo by excavation participants
Wall of the 12th-century church in the excavation site on the territory of the New Castle. Photo by excavation participants
Given the density of ancient construction on the New Castle, historians still have to figure out whether the discovered wall with its perfect pilaster is part of the same Resurrection Church, or if Grodno's land harbored yet another, hitherto completely unknown temple, about which no chronicle mentions have survived.
Rise of the Grodno School of Architecture
Intensive stone construction in Grodno at the end of the 12th century is in itself a unique phenomenon for Eastern Europe. The city's wealth allowed for the construction of several monumental buildings within just two decades, forming an original architectural school.
Collapse of plinfa (thin brick) in the excavation site on the territory of the New Castle. Photo: "Grodno" TV and Radio Company
Fragments of ceramics (голосники, resonance vessels?) from the excavation on the territory of the New Castle. Photo: "Grodno" TV and Radio Company
Local masters abandoned continuous plastering of external walls. Instead, they focused on the aesthetics of evenly layered masonry, where red plinfa contrasted with white lime mortar. Interiors were made spacious and light thanks to thousands of resonance vessels embedded in the vaults, and facades were transformed into true polychrome canvases through the inlay of polished colored boulders and figured majolica tiles. This architectural style is often associated with the name of the outstanding architect Pyotr Miloneg.
Wall of the 12th-century church in the excavation site on the territory of the New Castle. Photo: Grodno State Historical and Archaeological Museum
The evolution of the craftsmanship of the architects of this school can be traced literally from building to building. While the early Lower Church suffered from structural errors and collapsed from a lightning strike in 1183 due to overly massive boulders that weakened the masonry, all technical miscalculations were corrected by the time the Kolozha Church was erected.
The wall with its complex protruding pilaster found on the territory of the New Castle proves that this temple was built at the peak of the technological capabilities of the Grodno artel, when the masters perfectly mastered engineering calculations and invented their unique architectural style.
Work at this site continues. Earlier, in another part of the city's historical center, archaeologists also found an ancient necropolis from the 16th-17th centuries with burials, which are most likely associated with another lost historical temple of Grodno.
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