Elizabethan Baroque: Restoration of 18th century church and bell tower at Tsaritsyno

Restoration of the belfry facades of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Life-Giving Spring” is ongoing at Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve. The church, located at 2 Dolskaya Street, is part of the Tsaritsyno Palace and park ensemble. The stone church was built in 1722 on order from Russian statesman and scientist, Voivode of Moldavia Dimitrie Cantemir (1673–1723), in line with a project by an unknown architect. 

In the 18^th century, the church served as a shrine for the Cantemir family, and is an example of Elizabethan Baroque. It was designed in the shape of an octagon. Adjacent to it are a rectangular refectory and a four-tier bell tower. Doorways and semicircular windows are framed in white-stone. Other façade details include cornices and pilasters (flat columns). The belfry contains two picturesque panel paintings depicting saints. The main entrance to the church features a mosaic panel.

Over its nearly 300-year history, the church has received several facelifts. It got its final shape in 1883-1885 under architect Lavin, when the southern extension was added, the refectory building was extended, and the belfry grew from two to four tiers.

“Restoration of the church at Tsaritsyno started this April. The work comprises several stages. It started with revamping the four-tier belfry whose wall was cracked after being struck by a lightning a few years ago. Renovation of the bell gable is almost complete. The only thing left is to waterproof the foundation. In 2019, the church itself and the refectory will be refurbished,” said Head of the Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage Alexei Yemelyanov.

Before the restoration, there were cracks in the facades of the bell tower, chips and cracks in the decorative elements and the white-stone plinth. The gilded surfaces of the dome and the cross on top of the bell gable were seriously damaged, and the plaster was coming off. 

Workers cleaned the facades, fixed the cracks and chips in the walls, decorative elements and white-stone plinth and reinforced the stone- and brickwork. They also restored the gilded surfaces on the bell tower’s dome and cross, overhauled the interior and repaired the roof. They then painted the bell gable’s facades sky blue, the 19^th century colour. The church and refectory facades will also be sky blue after the renovation is complete.

The church and the refectory will receive a facelift and restored interiors next year.  This will include painting, restored moulded décor and terrazzo flooring with marble chips. The Church of the Icon of the Mother of God is a federal cultural heritage landmark. All the work is being conducted and managed under a project coordinated with the Department of Cultural Heritage. 

Over the past seven years, restorers have improved over 1,000 architectural landmarks in Moscow. These include the Alexander Levenson Fellowship Printing House, architect Ivan Nikolayev’s housing commune, the monuments to Alexander Pushkin and Maxim Gorky and Kievsky Railway Terminal. This year, they upgraded the facades of one more landmark of constructivism – the steam locomotive building, or the building with a stack on Novaya Basmannaya Street. The building resembles a locomotive due to a nine-storey tower looking like a steam locomotive smokestack. It appeared on the corner of the building in the mid-1930s while the building emerged in the second half of the 18^th century.

In addition, the building where renowned Soviet sculptor Vera Mukhina lived and worked has been restored. The project included the building’s rooms and facades. The design boasts both classical elements and details typical of constructivism.

The Alexander Shilov Art Gallery also received a facelift. The brick mansion built in 1829 is recognised as an excellent example of Moscow eclecticism.

The photos are courtesy of the Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve