List of buildings of pre-Mongol Rus'

This is a complete list of the currently existing buildings created in the Kievan Rus' before the Mongol invasions of the 1230s. Almost all these buildings are churches: only three secular buildings survived from the period.

Most of the churches were completely rebuilt over the years and lost some essential features of the Old Rus architecture. Some were destroyed in the 20th century and then replicas were built years later. These churches are included in the list. Churches that were destroyed and subsequently rebuilt without any attempts of scientific reconstruction (the Assumption Church of Virgin Pirogoshcha and the Saint Michael Cathedral of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, both in Kyiv) are not included.

The list is organized geographically, roughly corresponding to the main principalities of the Kievan Rus. Inside these divisions, the entries are sorted by the date of the first creation.

Kiev Land

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Bib Name Location Creation year Comments Photo Category on Commons
1. The Saint Sophia's Cathedral, Kyiv Kyiv 1017–1022 or before 1037[1] One of the two oldest survived buildings of the Kievan Rus.[1] The exterior was considerably modified in the 17th and 18th centuries.   Category
2. The Golden Gate, Kyiv Kyiv 1037 By 1982, the gate was a ruin, and, with the exception of the lowest parts of the walls, it was reconstructed in 1982.   Category
3. The Assumption Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Kyiv 1073–1089 Destroyed in 1941, reconstructed in 2000. The exterior was considerably altered in the 18th century.   Category
4. The Trinity Church of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Kyiv ca 1106 The exterior was considerably altered in the 18th century.  
5. The Saint Michael Church of the Vydubychi Monastery Kyiv 1070–1088 Only the western side.  
6. The Church of the Saviour at Berestove Kyiv Beginning of the 11th century Only the western side.   Category
7. The Saint Cyril Church of the St. Cyril's Monastery Kyiv 1140–1146 Exterior was strongly altered.  
8. The Saint George Church Kaniv 1144 Exterior altered.  
9. The Saint Basil Church Ovruch ca 1190 Collapsed in 1846, restored in 1907–09.  

Chernigov Land

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Bib Name Location Creation year Comments Photo Category on Commons
1. The Transfiguration Cathedral Chernihiv Before 1036[1] One of the two oldest survived buildings of the Kievan Rus.[1] The exterior was considerably modified in the 17th and 18th centuries.   Category
2. The Cathedral of Saint Boris and Saint Gleb Chernihiv Between 1097 and 1123   Category
3. The Assumption Cathedral of Yeletsky Monastery Chernihiv Early 12th century Exterior was considerably altered.  
4. The Saint Iliya Church Chernihiv Early 12th century Exterior was considerably altered.  
5. The Piatnytska Church Chernihiv Early 13th century Considerably damaged during World War II, subsequently restored.  

Pereyaslavl Land

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Bib Name Location Creation year Comments Photo Category on Commons
1. The Saint Michael Church Oster 1098? Destroyed, only the apse survived.  

Novgorod Land

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Bib Name Location Creation year Comments Photo Category on Commons
1. The Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod Veliky Novgorod 1045–1052 The oldest surviving building in Northern Russia.   Category
2. The Saint Nicholas Cathedral at Yaroslav's Court Veliky Novgorod 1113–1136   Category
3. The Katholikon of the Antoniev Monastery Veliky Novgorod 1117–1122 The upper parts were altered.   Category
4. The Katholikon of the Yuriev Monastery Veliky Novgorod 1119–1130   Category
5. The Katholikon of the Ivanovsky Monastery Pskov 1140s or earlier  
6. The Katholikon of the Mirozhsky Monastery Pskov Before 1156 The exterior was altered, the frescoes are intact  
7. The Katholikon of the Dormition Monastery Staraya Ladoga 1160s   Category
8. The St. George's Church Staraya Ladoga ca 1165   Category
9. The Arkazhi Church Veliky Novgorod 1179 Substantially rebuilt in the 17th century.   Category
10. The Titmouse Hill Church Veliky Novgorod 1192  
11. The Nereditsa Church Veliky Novgorod 1198 Destroyed during the World War II, subsequently restored, but the original frescoes have been lost.   Category
12. The Katholikon of the Transfiguration Monastery Staraya Russa 1198 Completely rebuilt in the 1442, only the lowest parts of the walls survived. Rebuilt again in the 17th century.  
13. The Church of St. Paraskevi of Iconium Veliky Novgorod 1207 The vaults rebuilt at a later date.   Category
14. The Peryn Chapel Veliky Novgorod 1220s   Category

Vladimir-Suzdal Land

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Bib Name Location Creation year Comments Photo Category on Commons
1. The Transfiguration Cathedral Pereslavl-Zalessky 1152–1157   Category
2. The Church of Boris and Gleb Kideksha 1152 The top part was rebuilt in the 17th century.   Category
3. The Assumption Cathedral Vladimir 1158–1160 Expanded in 1185-1189   Category
4. The Golden Gate Vladimir 1158–1164 Considerably altered by later construction.   Category
5. Andrey Bogolyubsky Palace Bogolyubovo 1158 Only fragments, including a tower, survived.  
6. The Church of the Intercession on the Nerl Vladimir 1165-1166   Category
7. The Cathedral of Saint Demetrius Vladimir 1191 or 1194–1197   Category
8. The Assumption Cathedral of the Assumption Princess Monastery Vladimir 1200–1202 Completely rebuilt around 1500, only lower parts of the walls survive.  
9. The Nativity Cathedral Suzdal 1222–1225 The exterior and the roof have been rebuilt.   Category
10. The Saint George Cathedral Yuryev-Polsky 1230–1234[2] The cathedral collapsed in the 1460s and was repaired in a different form.[2]   Category

Smolensk Land

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Bib Name Location Creation year Comments Photo Category on Commons
1. The Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul on Gorodyanka Smolensk 1146 Restored in 1963   Category
2. The Church of Saint John the Evangelist Smolensk 1146 Only walls survived, everything else was rebuilt in the 18th century.  
3. The Saint Michael Church Smolensk 1180–1197 The roof was altered.   Category

Polotsk Land

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Bib Name Location Creation year Comments Photo Category on Commons
1. The Saint Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk Polotsk Between 1044 and 1066 Only fragments of the original cathedral survived.   Category
2. The Transfiguration Church of the Saint Efrosinya Monastery Polotsk 1128-1156   Category
3. The Annunciation Church Vitebsk 12th century Destroyed in 1961, rebuilt in 1993–1998 incorporating the remains of the walls.   Category

Grodno Land

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Bib Name Location Creation year Comments Photo Category on Commons
1. The Saint Boris and Saint Gleb Kalozha Church Grodno Before 1183 Partially survived, some walls were lost.   Category

Volyn Land

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Bib Name Location Creation year Comments Photo Category on Commons
1. The Assumption Cathedral Volodymyr 1160 Collapsed in 1829, rebuilt in 1896–1900.   Category
2. The Stołpie Tower Stołpie

(near Chełm)

12th–13th centuries Partially ruined  

Galich Land

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Bib Name Location Creation year Comments Photo Category on Commons
1. The Saint Pantaleon Church Shevchenkove

(near Halych)

ca 1200 Rebuilt in 1611 with considerable modifications, restored in 1998. The only surviving building of the Galician school of architecture.   Category

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d Rappoport, p.22
  2. ^ a b Воронин, Н. Н. (1974). Владимир, Боголюбово, Суздаль, Юрьев-Польской. Книга-спутник по древним городам Владимирской земли. (in Russian) (4th ed.). Moscow: Искусство. pp. 262–290. Retrieved September 16, 2011.

Sources

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