Located on the banks of the Volga River, the city of Kostroma houses a prime example of 17th century Russian art; the Church of the Resurrection in the Grove. The church is the only surviving building in Kostroma that was built in the 17th century (Church of the Resurrection). It is not only admired by its aesthetically pleasing exterior, but also by the frescoes painted on the interior walls.
The Church of the Resurrection in the Grove was built from 1630 to 1645 and the frescoes were painted on the interior from 1650 to 1652 (Prokudin-Gorskii). Legend has it that the church was erected from the money gathered by merchants and tradesmen of the city. The main contribution came from merchant Kirill Isakov who found a barrel full of gold among his goods, and he hoped to use this money for a good purpose (Resurrection Church on the Debra).
The architects who created the church are unknown, but believed that they arrived from Yaroslavl and Veliky Ustyug; while the paintings were made by Arteli Vasili Zapookrovsky and the frescoes by Gury Nikitin (Revolvy). One of the reasons I believe the church and the frescoes remain dear to the residents of Kostroma, is that Gury Nikitin resided in Kostroma and was well known throughout the Empire.
Eventually the church closed in 1930 and its walls were made into a granary, while the basement became a military warehouse up until 1946 where it eventually re-opened (Revolvy). Over the years it has been restored to what is believed to be its original appearance and it remains one of the most sacred sites in Kostroma.
Sources:
“Church of the Resurrection.” Church of the Resurrection – Kostroma, Russia, http://www.advantour.com/russia/kostroma/church-of-resurrection.htm.
Prokudin-Gorskii, Sergei Mikhailovich 1863-1944. “Church of the Resurrection in the Grove (From the Other Side). Kostroma.” WDL RSS, Library of Congress, 1 Jan. 1970, http://www.wdl.org/en/item/6015/.
Resurrection Church on the Debra, http://www.baikalnature.com/info/landmarks/73
Revolvy, LLC. “Church of the Resurrection, Kostroma.” Revolvy, http://www.revolvy.com/main/index.phps=Church%2Bof%2Bthe%2BResurrection%2C%2BKostroma&item_type=topic.
Image Source:
Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii. Church of the Resurrection in the Grove, 1910. Digital color rendering. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, LC-DIG-ppmsc-03975 (48)
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/prk2000002421/
A Tsar Chasing the Stars 
This is cool!! I like the photo because it is typical Russia, especially when you think of Moscow, you think of Hershey kiss shaped domes. I like how you went into detail not only about the physical appearance but also on the history of it. Any idea on why the church closed?
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I really like the picture and the history behind the church! The architecture is very similar to the picture I chose of the St. Nil Monastery and was also built around the same time which i find very cool!
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I like the picture you chose and how you delved into the unique history of it. Many churches have interesting stories during the Soviet era, as religion was prohibited, so many churches had different functions. Do you know if this church was converted due to the Soviet rule?
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It’s incredible that old churches like these survive through revolution, war, and the test of time, especially since its Eastern Orthodox roots would have been condemned by the Soviets. I’m kind of interested in knowing now how the new Soviets viewed churches like this since it represents an older Russia before Communism. Great picture, and great story behind it.
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It’s amazing that old churches like the one you chose have survived throughout the various conflicts Russia faced. I really liked your analysis of the history of the church and its various features as you described. Do you know why it was reopened in 1946 under Soviet rule as a church? Or was it treated as a cultural symbol and not a religious one by the Soviets?
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When anyone thinks of Russia there mind has to think about the breathtaking churches. I really liked in this post how you went into the myths about it, I personally find those stories really interesting.
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