All-Russian Influences in the Wooden Architecture of the White Sea of the 17th – 18th Centuries on the Example of the Church of the Ascension in the Village of Kushereka

Abstract

The article is devoted to the architecture of one of the outstanding monuments of wooden architecture of the XVII century - the Church of the Ascension in the village of Kushereka, vividly and distinctly representing the architectural traditions of the White Sea. The research is aimed at identifying the interrelationships of all-Russian architectural influences and regional traditions. The tasks include studying the architectural features of the object in the context of the development of regional architectural traditions, comparing local and all- Russian, identifying the directions of influence of architecture in central Russia on the formation of regional architecture. The work uses methods of historical, comparative, and typological analysis and, as a result, the method of generalization.

The history of the place where the object was built and its significance in the settlement system of the White Sea are considered. The construction stages of the object and the changes that occurred over time are investigated. The features of its architecture in accordance with regional traditions are revealed. A comparison of the architectural features of the object with its analogs is carried out. Conclusions are drawn about the typical and individual in the architecture of the object. Using the example of the Ascension Church, the influence of the all- Russian architecture of the second half of the XVII century on the traditions of wooden temple construction in the White Sea region is investigated. Conclusions are drawn concerning the general figurative correspondence of the architecture of the White Sea and the architecture of the central regions of the country and about the concrete-formal similarity of details and local forms.

Other buildings of the village of Kushereka are considered - the Church of the Ascension and the bell tower. Their architecture shows signs of local traditions and compliance with all-Russian influences. Attention is focused on the restoration of the Church of the Ascension, made in the 1970s. The assessment of the restoration solution is given from the point of view of modern trends in the restoration practice of monuments of wooden architecture. The novelty of the material lies in the introduction into scientific circulation of new facts on the history and architecture of the White Sea, in a new understanding of the development of regional traditions in response to the influences from the center of the country. The picture of the formation of the tradition of building wooden cubed churches of the White Sea region is revealed.