Ukrainian Baroque, or Cossack Baroque or Mazepa Baroque ( uk, Українське бароко або Козацьке бароко), is an architectural style that was widespread in the Ukrainian lands in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was the result of a combination of local architectural traditions and European
Baroque.
History
Thanks to influences from
Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
, from the late 16th century the lands of modern Ukraine came under the influence of the secularized Baroque form of art and architecture, which was still largely unknown in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
. According to the historian
Serhii Plokhy,
Peter Mogila
Metropolitan Petru Movilă ( ro, Petru Movilă, uk, Петро Симеонович Могила, translit=Petro Symeonovych Mohyla, russian: Пётр Симеонович Могила, translit=Pëtr Simeonovich Mogila, pl, Piotr Mohyła; ...
, the
Metropolitan of Kyiv from 1633 to 1647, was crucial in developing the style as part of his drive to reform the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church
The history of Christianity in Ukraine dates back to the earliest centuries of the history of Christianity, to the Apostolic Age, with mission trips along the Black Sea and a legend of Saint Andrew even ascending the hills of Kyiv. The first Chr ...
and adapt the Church to the challenges of the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
and
Counter-Reformation. Ukrainian Baroque reached its apogee in the time of the Cossack
Hetman
( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders.
Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military co ...
Ivan Mazepa
Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa (also spelled Mazeppa; uk, Іван Степанович Мазепа, pl, Jan Mazepa Kołodyński; ) was a Ukrainian military, political, and civic leader who served as the Hetman of Zaporizhian Host in 1687–1708. ...
, from 1687 to 1708. Mazepa Baroque is an original synthesis of Western European Baroque architectural forms and Ukrainian national Baroque architectural traditions.
Style
Ukrainian Baroque is distinct from the Western European Baroque in having more moderate ornamentation and simpler forms, and as such was considered more
constructivist. Many Ukrainian Baroque buildings have been preserved, including several buildings in
Kyiv Pechersk Lavra
Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra or Kyivo-Pechers’ka Lavra ( uk, Києво-Печерська лавра, translit=Kyievo-Pecherska lavra, russian: Киево-Печерская лавра), also known as the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves, is a historic Ea ...
and the
Vydubychi Monastery
Vydubychi Monastery ( ua, Видубицький монастир ''Vydubyts'kyi monastyr'') is an historic monastery in the Ukraine, Ukrainian capital Kyiv. During the Soviet period it housed the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, NANU Inst ...
in
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.
Kyi ...
. The historian
Andrew Wilson has identified All Saints' Church, the Cathedral of the Assumption and the Trinity Gate within the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra as good examples of the style, along with
St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv and
St. Catherine's in
Chernihiv
Chernihiv ( uk, Черні́гів, , russian: Черни́гов, ; pl, Czernihów, ; la, Czernihovia), is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within ...
. The exterior of
St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv also underwent significant alterations in the Baroque style. Another example of the style is the Church of St. Elias in
Subotiv
Subotiv ( uk, Суботів) is a village (''selo'') in central Ukraine. It is located in Cherkasy Raion (district) of Cherkasy Oblast (province), near the town of Chyhyryn. It belongs to Chyhyryn urban hromada, of which the administration is ...
, where
Bohdan Khmelnytsky buried his son Tymish in 1653 after his death in battle. The church is also depicted on the
₴5 note.
The best examples of
Baroque painting in Ukraine are the church paintings in the
Holy Trinity Church of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. Rapid development in engraving techniques occurred during the Ukrainian Baroque period. Advances utilized a complex system of
symbolism, allegories, heraldic signs, and sumptuous ornamentation. From the 17th century onwards, there was also a flowering of baroque literature in Ukraine, which in turn helped lay the foundations for Russian secular literature.
Notable architects
The Ukrainian Baroque sculptor
Johann Georg Pinsel
Johann Georg Pinsel ( pl, Johann Georg / Jan Jerzy Pinsel, uk, Йоган Ґеорґ Пінзель; 1715–1725 – 1761 or early 1762) was a Baroque-Rococo sculptor active in Eastern Galicia (then in Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, now U ...
, who was active during the mid-18th century in
Galicia, was the subject of a special exhibition at the
Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...
in Paris in 2012–2013. Pinsel, who demonstrated a unique, masterful expressiveness of form and a highly personal characterization of drapery is now recognized as a leading figure in European Baroque sculpture. The Russian Baroque architect
Bartolomeo Rastrelli
Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli (russian: Франче́ско Бартоломе́о (Варфоломе́й Варфоломе́евич) Растре́лли; 1700 in Paris, Kingdom of France – 29 April 1771 in Saint Petersburg, Russian Emp ...
, who is best known for designing the
Winter Palace
The Winter Palace ( rus, Зимний дворец, Zimnij dvorets, p=ˈzʲimnʲɪj dvɐˈrʲɛts) is a palace in Saint Petersburg that served as the official residence of the Russian Emperor from 1732 to 1917. The palace and its precincts now ...
in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
and
Catherine Palace
The Catherine Palace (russian: Екатерининский дворец, ) is a Rococo palace in Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin), 30 km south of St. Petersburg, Russia. It was the summer residence of the Russian tsars. The Palace is part of the ...
in
Tsarskoe Selo
Tsarskoye Selo ( rus, Ца́рское Село́, p=ˈtsarskəɪ sʲɪˈlo, a=Ru_Tsarskoye_Selo.ogg, "Tsar's Village") was the town containing a former residence of the Russian imperial family and visiting nobility, located south from the c ...
, also made contributions to the Ukrainian Baroque style, designing
St. Andrew's Church and
Mariinskyi Palace
The Mariinskyi Palace ( uk, Маріїнський палац, ''Mariinskyi palats'') is the official ceremonial residence of the President of Ukraine. The Elizabethan baroque palace is sited on the right bank of the Dnipro River in Kyiv, Ukra ...
in
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.
Kyi ...
. The palace is now used as the official residence of the
President of Ukraine
The president of Ukraine ( uk, Президент України, Prezydent Ukrainy) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, condu ...
. The Galician-Italian architect Bernard Merettini designed the ornate
St. George's Cathedral, Lviv, used as a mother church by the
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
, native_name_lang = uk
, caption_background =
, image = StGeorgeCathedral Lviv.JPG
, imagewidth =
, type = Particular church (sui iuris)
, alt =
, caption = St. George's ...
.
Influence
Certain features of the Ukrainian Baroque influenced the
Naryshkin Baroque
Naryshkin Baroque, also referred to as Moscow Baroque or Muscovite Baroque, is a particular style of Baroque architecture and decoration that was fashionable in Moscow from the late 17th century into the early 18th century. In the late 17th century ...
movement in the 17th–18th century in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
. Modern Ukrainian church buildings, such as
Troeshchina Cathedral, are also built in this style, but it is not typical for Ukrainian Baroque. Elements of the Ukrainian Baroque style were later adapted by the
Ukrainian-Canadian community when building their own churches, adapted for the wooden church architecture more typical in Canadian-Ukrainian churches.
Gallery
File:Георгіївський собор-2.JPG, St. George's Cathedral of Vydubychi Monastery
Vydubychi Monastery ( ua, Видубицький монастир ''Vydubyts'kyi monastyr'') is an historic monastery in the Ukraine, Ukrainian capital Kyiv. During the Soviet period it housed the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, NANU Inst ...
, Kyiv. 1696
File:Intercession Cathedral, Kharkiv 2010 - 03.jpg, Intercession Cathedral of Pokrovskyi Monastery, Kharkiv. 1689
File:Покровська церква на Подолі 2.jpg, Holy Intercession Podolsk Church, Kyiv. 1766
File:Katerininska.JPG, Catherine's Church, Chernihiv. 1715
File:Троїцький собор, с.Густиня.jpg, Peter and Paul Church of the Gustynia Monastery in Chernihiv Region. 1693
File:Троїцький собор Густинського монастиря2.JPG, Trinity Church of the Gustynia Monastery in Chernihiv Region. 1674
File:Dormition Cathedral 2018 G1.jpg, Dormition Cathedral, Kyiv.
File:Троїцький монастир.jpg, Trinity Church, Chernihiv
File:Києво-Печерська лавра, вид з мосту Патона.jpg, Kyiv Pechersk Lavra
Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra or Kyivo-Pechers’ka Lavra ( uk, Києво-Печерська лавра, translit=Kyievo-Pecherska lavra, russian: Киево-Печерская лавра), also known as the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves, is a historic Ea ...
File:Ukr-barok.jpg, Fragment of the decor of the bell tower of the Saint Sophia Cathedral
Churches dedicated to Holy Wisdom (''Hagia Sophia'', also rendered ''Saint Sophia'') include:
See also
{{commons category, Holy Wisdom churches
* Sophia of Rome#Churches, for churches named after Saint Sophia of Rome
* Sofia Church (disambiguati ...
File:Миколаївський собор.jpg, St. Nicholas Cathedral, Nizhyn
Nizhyn ( uk, Ні́жин, Nizhyn, ) is a city located in Chernihiv Oblast of northern Ukraine along the Oster River. The city is located north-east of the national capital Kyiv. Nizhyn serves as the administrative center of Nizhyn Raion. It ...
. It is one the first Baroque architectural monuments in Ukraine (1653)
File:Церква Іоанна Богослова, м.Ніжин. (2).jpg, Church of Ivan the Theologian, Nizhyn. 1757, architect Ivan Hryhorovych-Barsky. There is a noticeable transition from Baroque to Classicism
File:Преображенський собор в Ізюмі.jpg, Holy Transfiguration Cathedral, Izium
Izium or Izyum ( uk, Ізюм, ; russian: Изюм) is a city on the Donets River in Kharkiv Oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Izium Raion (district). Izium hosts the administration of Izium urban ...
. 1682
File:Чернігів. Успенський собор. Єлецький монастир.JPG, Assumption Eletsky Monastery, Chernihiv
File:Uspensky Cathedral03.jpg, Dormition Cathedral, Kharkiv
File:Hluxiv. Palac Kyryla Rozumovśkoho.png, Palace for Kirill Rozumovsky, project and facade, Hlukhiv
Hlukhiv ( uk, Глу́хів, ) or Glukhov (russian: Глухов, translit=Glukhov) is a small historic town on the Esman River. It is a city of regional significance in the Sumy region of Ukraine. Hlukhiv is administratively incorporated as ...
See also
*
Ukrainian architecture
*
Architecture of Kievan Rus'
*
List of World Heritage Sites in Ukraine
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designates World Heritage Sites of outstanding universal value to cultural or natural heritage which have been nominated by countries that are signatories to the UNES ...
References
External links
Ukrainian baroque songs and music. Audio files of baroque songs*
i
Encyclopedia of UkraineУкраїнська гравюра бароко: Майстер Ілля, Олександр Тарасевич, Леонтій Тарасевич, Іван ЩирськийСтеповик Д. В.
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Baroque architectural styles
Cossack Hetmanate
Architecture in Ukraine by period or style