The village of Vorzogory on the Pomor coast of the White Sea, 200 kilometers from Arkhangelsk, consists of two hamlets, Yakovlevskaya and Kondratevskaya. The latter is home to one of the six preserved triple complexes: the summer Church of St. Nicholas (built in 1636), the winter Vvedenskaya Church (built in 1793), and the bell tower (built in 1862). August, 2020
The wooden triple complexes (troinik in Russian) are among the few remaining monuments of church wooden architecture in the Russian North. These temple ensembles, which can still be seen in the Arkhangelsk, Murmansk regions, and the Republic of Karelia, consist of a bell tower and two churches: a summer church and a winter church. The spacious summer church was used for worship in spring and summer, while the warm winter church was built on a small scale to make it easier to heat.
View from the bell tower. During the Soviet years, the Church of St. Nicholas lost three of its five domes, which were later restored by volunteers. The bell tower lost 12 of its original bells. According to locals, the ship carrying the bells never reached the city and sank somewhere in the White Sea. August, 2020
The “troinik” was the spiritual center of the village. High churches and bell towers served as a guide both for locals and for fishermen and sailors, so they were built on hills, along the banks of rivers, and at a distance from residential buildings. The troinik was also a center of social life, serving as a meeting place for residents of many northern Russian villages.
Most of these temple ensembles disappeared in the 20th century; out of 150 monuments, only 6 solid ensembles remained. With the advent of Soviet power, churches began to be closed, destroyed, or used as warehouses or clubs. Some temples burned down due to lightning strikes and the natural wear and tear of wooden structures. In many villages, only parts of the triple complexes have been preserved: a church or a church with a bell tower. Over the last 10 years, these monuments have been restored by volunteers with the financial support of private investors. The locals say that as long as the “troinik” stands, the village will live.
Nikolai, the local librarian and keeper of the keys to the bell tower, says that when the priest is not in the village, the locals simply gather to pray in the church. He mentions that in recent years, many tourists have been coming to admire the triple complex and the view from the bell tower. August, 2020From the triple complex in the village of Piyala in the Arkhangelsk region, on the right bank of the Onega River, a “double” has been preserved: the summer tent-roofed Church of the Ascension (built in 1654) and the bell tower (built in 1700). The winter cube-shaped church burned down in 1966 after being struck by ball lightning in the altar. August, 2020View from the bell tower of the preserved summer church. August, 2020A local resident, Lyubov Nikolaevna, looks after the church and is searching for investors to help with the restoration of the summer church. The photographs on the display stand show the entire original triple complex. August, 2020The “nebesá” is a painted ceiling structure in the shape of a truncated pyramid. A few years ago, unknown individuals arrived by boat in Piyala and removed the painted ceiling (a fragment is missing from the top). Some time later, the ceiling was found in Onega, and it has been under restoration for several years. August, 2020The village of Podporozhye is located in the Arkhangelsk region, 11 kilometers from the mouth of the Onega River, and includes several hamlets, many of which are now deserted. The most lively hamlet is Kamenikha due to its proximity to the town of Onega and the road leading towards the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. From Kamenikha, people cross by boat to the left bank of the Onega to the deserted village of Medvedevskaya, where only the wooden cube-shaped church remains from the triple complex. August, 2020A resident of the village of Kamenikha often helps tourists to cross to the opposite bank to the church.Vladimir Church (1757), its height is more than 30 meters. With the help of volunteers, the church was restored over several years. August, 2020
Nasta Yakavitskaya is a researcher working with documentary and art photography, video and archive. Nasta was born in Smarhon in Belarus, currently based in… More »
