Dormition Cathedral, Yaroslavl

{{Infobox religious building }}
 * building_name        = Dormition Cathedralm Yaroslavl Успенский собор, Ярославль
 * infobox_width        =
 * image                = Старый Ярославль. Успенский собор и Демидовский лицей.jpg
 * image_size           =
 * alt                  =
 * caption              = Cathedral of the Dormition at the beginning of the xx th  century
 * map_type             =
 * map_size             =
 * map_caption          =
 * location             = Yaroslavl, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia
 * geo                  = {{coord|57|37|21|N}39|54|07|E}}
 * latitude             =
 * longitude            =
 * religious_affiliation =
 * religious_affiliation = Christian
 * rite                 = Eastern Orthodox
 * state                =
 * province             =
 * territory            =
 * prefecture           =
 * sector               =
 * district             =
 * cercle               =
 * municipality         =
 * consecration_year    =
 * status               = 1215
 * functional_status    =
 * heritage_designation =
 * leadership           =
 * website              =
 * architecture         =
 * architect            =
 * architecture_type    =
 * architecture_style   =
 * general_contractor   =
 * facade_direction     =
 * groundbreaking       =
 * completed            =
 * construction_cost    =
 * specifications       =
 * capacity             =
 * length               =
 * width                =
 * width_nave           =
 * height_max           =
 * dome_quantity        =
 * dome_height_outer    =
 * dome_height_inner    =
 * dome_dia_outer       =
 * dome_dia_inner       =
 * minaret_quantity     =
 * minaret_height       =
 * spire_quantity       =
 * spire_height         =
 * materials            =
 * nrhp                 =
 * added                =
 * refnum               =
 * designated           =

Cathedral of the Dormition, Yaroslavl Illustrative image of the article Cathedral of the Dormition of Yaroslavl Cathedral of the Dormition at the beginning of the xx th century Presentation Local name	Успенский собор Worship	Orthodox Church Start of the construction	1215 End of the works	Destroyed in 1937 Protection	World Heritage World Heritage ( 2005 ) Website	yar-uspenie.cerkov.ru [ archive ] Geography Country	Flag of Russia Russia Oblast	Yaroslavl Oblast City	Yaroslavl Contact information	57 ° 37 '21 "north, 39 ° 54' 07" east Geolocation on the map: European Russia

(See location on map: European Russia) Cathedral of the Dormition, Yaroslavl edit Check the model documentation The Cathedral of the Dormition (in Russian :  Успенский собор, Uspensky Sobor , is called the feast of the "Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God", celebrated on 15 August that Catholics also call "Assumption" It is. a cathedral Orthodox located in Yaroslavl , a city of the Russian golden Ring and whose historic center is classified World Heritage by Unesco since 2005 1 . it was built at the confluence of two rivers: the Volga and Kotorosl. Between the first built in 1215 and its total destruction in 1937 , it was restored and even rebuilt several times, the first at the beginning of the xvi th  century, and later still, in the middle of the xvii th  century. Since 2004 , on the site of the original building, stands a new church, rebuilt with proportions larger than the previous one.

Ancient History
It was the prince of Rostov Veliki, Konstantin Vladimirski , who decided to lay the first stones of the cathedral in 1215 , in the courtyard of the Kremlin of Yaroslavl. The cathedral was solemnly consecrated in 1219 by Bishop of Rostov, Kirill I, and named in honor of the Virgin Mary, "the Dormition Cathedral." It thus dated from the pre-Mongol era before the invasion of Russia by the Golden Horde, like many buildings of the Golden Ring of Russia. Unlike other monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal of the Principality it was built of brick. But for the decoration of the facade, white stone was also used. The tiling was covered with majolica tiles and the doors were lined with copper gilding 2. Located on the tip of the confluence between two rivers, it sometimes bears the Russian name "na strelke" which means "on the tip".

.

In 1501, a fire occurred which destroyed its vault. During the excavation of building debris would have been recognized the incorruptibility of the spoils of the princes of the principality of Yaroslavl, died xiii th century - Basil and Constantine Vsevolodovich. The bodies of the two princes became important relics of the cathedral. Again, the church was rebuilt and consecrated around 1516, presumably on the site of the previous one. The church of the Dormition had relatively small dimensions, but had cellars and a floor and more, on the side of the apse west, a heating by means of a stoveRussian way. The Cathedral of the Annunciation in Moscow (located in the Moscow Kremlin ) can be considered as a style building closer to that of Yaroslavl. Can be cited also: Novodevichy Convent in Moscow 3.

In 1642, the Tsar decided to destroy the old building and to build a new stone cathedral in a different place, preserving from the old one only the cellars, in which was placed the treasure. As the site was humid the voivode proposed for the foundations to use the stones of the upper floors of the old church. In 1646, the cathedral was consecrated with its bell tower 55 meters high.

. A few years later, in 1658, another fire necessitated heavy work 4.

The interior of the cathedral was restored between 1670 - 1674. This restoration remained until 1825 4.

During the last two centuries, the building underwent a series of reconstructions. During her reign, from 1762 to 1796, the Empress Catherine II of Russia undertook an urban renewal program which benefited the city of Yaroslavl. The existing buildings in the city were used as key visuals for the new plan 5.

In 1832 - 1836, on the side of the south wall, was added a heated church, with an altar in the name of the princes Basil and Constantine. Following the project of architect Abraham Melnikov, a new steeple was built to replace the old one.

In 1844, the dome of the cathedral was covered with gold. At the end of the xix th century, the west court was expanded and met with heated of Basil and Constantine princes church.

Inside, at the end of xix th century the decoration was rich: there were two thrones, that of the Assumption and that of Prince Vladimir; five floors of iconostasis with precious decorations; rows of remarkable icons and ancient objects of worship. Under the vaults of the church were interred Archbishops Paul, Simeon and Leonid 4.

History of the New Cathedral
The old cathedral suffered a great deal at the time of the Yaroslavl uprising against the Bolsheviks in 1918. A partial restoration was carried out in the autumn of 1924. Then, under the Soviet regime, she was again assigned to the labor exchange and then converted into a granary. Finally, in the Stalinist era, August 26, 1937 , two days before the Dormition, the cathedral was dynamited. A city recreation park was planted at its site. To imagine the old cathedral, it is necessary today, to refer to the Russian monuments close to its conception. Among these, it is necessary to quote: the Novodevichy convent, one of the best known in Moscow 6.

On October 26, 2004, the foundations of a new Cathedral of the Dormition were laid in the same place as the previous one. It was the Moscow architect Alexis Denissov who drew the plans. The main patron of the project was the Moscow businessman Victor Tyrchikine. The new cathedral is no longer similar to the one that was exploded in 1937. The building's surface area is 2,000 m 2 and can contain more than 4,000 people. The height to the foot of the cross is 50 meters; that of the bell tower is 70 meters. The ground floor consists of a room for worship, a museum, a dining room and a rest room for the bishop 7 .9, until the millennium of Yaroslavl in 2010.

Many critics were mainly issued as to the dimensions of the building 10. In particular, its construction took issue apprehensions during the 33 th session of the Committee UNESCO World Heritage because of the changes it caused on the overview of the city 11 .or the city had been taken to value of its historic center in the World Heritage List 5. The most important monuments of the city had been used by Empress Catherine II to form a composition in the renovated plan of this center.

"Such a colossus is dangerous at this mouth. The ground "floats" at this place and even if the church does not go lower, under the action of such a mass the bank could be carried away. The palace of the Metropolitan could out on the water to drift "- wrote a local editorialists 10. "

On the evening of August 27, 2010, Archbishop Cyrille officiated for the first religious service in the new church, although not all the work was completed. The cathedral was consecrated by Patriarch Cyril I, on September 12, 2010.

Bibliography (ru) Лебедев А. Успенский кафедральный собор в Ярославле. 2-изд. - Ярославль: 1896. (The Cathedral of the Dormition) (ru) Марасанова В. М. Летопись Ярославля: 1010-2010. С-Пб .: ИД «Морской Петербург», 2007. - 360 с; ил. (chronicles of Yaroslav)