The Church of John the Baptist is the oldest temple in Kerch. Church of John the Baptist in Kerch Church of St. John the Baptist Kerch

Church of John the Baptist in Kerch belongs to the most ancient shrines not only in Kerch, but also in the CIS countries.

Historians are still arguing about the date of creation of this building, and the range of their assumptions is quite large - Ⅷ-Ⅺ century. But it is most likely that the Church was built in the period from the 8th to the 20th centuries, since a Greek inscription and an architectural form in the form of an amphora, characteristic of those times, were discovered in it.

Geographic coordinates of the Church of John the Baptist in Kerch on the map of Crimea - N 45.3514 E 36.4758.

There is a legend that it was built after the blessing of St. Andrew the First-Called. By the way, in the courtyard of the temple there is a stone panel with the imprint of a man’s foot, the owner of which is considered to be either St. Andrew the First-Called or John the Baptist.

Church of John the Baptist in Kerch was lined with white and red bricks. This design gave its facades some elegance that did not require additional decorations. Two architectural directions were used in the construction - cross-domed and basilica. Similar buildings were observed in the Byzantine Empire, in particular in Constantinople. The temple consists of two parts, one of which is more ancient, and the second belongs to buildings of the 20th century. In 1834, the narthex was completed, and in 1845 the overall picture was complemented by a two-tier bell tower, designed by the architect Alexander Digby.

Such positive changes have been observed since the Russian Empire conquered Crimean peninsula. For example, during the reign of the Crimean Khanate it was renamed into a mosque, where the Muslim faith was promoted. During this period, the temple was in an extremely neglected state. The Russian Empire not only returned the Orthodox direction to the church, but also saved it from destruction.

Like many churches, during the Soviet era Church of John the Baptist was closed. In 1930, an inscription appeared on it: “The church is closed due to lack of parish.” In 1957, interest in this architectural masterpiece arose again. Many historians have studied this building as a monument of Byzantine architecture, so in 1963 it was declared a monument of republican significance.

The most extensive restoration Temple of John the Baptist was carried out between 1974 and 1978. Its implementation took place under the leadership of E.I. Lopushinskaya. The completion of restoration work marked the opening of a museum exhibition inside the church. And in 1990, the Church of John the Baptist was added to the list of shrines of the Kerch Orthodox Society. The Church of John the Baptist decorates

Church of St. John the Baptist in Kerch - unique monument Byzantine architecture. They say that Andrew the First-Called himself left his mark on it. This one has gone through many ups and downs. ancient shrine. At some point, a fish market formed around the church. But, ultimately, time put everything in its place. Today, St. John again welcomes parishioners, and within its walls, as before, prayers are offered to the Almighty.

Beautiful Church of the Infidels

According to legend, the construction of the church began with the blessing of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called. Researchers suggest that the temple was built in the 8th-9th centuries. The main confirmation is a Greek inscription on one of the columns supporting the vault of the temple. It reads: “Here lies the servant of God Kyriakos, son of George, grandson of Vindir. Died on the month of June 3, indict 10, in the summer of Adam 6265.” Amphoras from the 8th-9th centuries were also discovered within the walls of the temple. Ceramic vessels small sizes in ancient times they were widely used in the masonry of walls or vaults. They were installed with their necks towards the interior of the building and were called voice boxes. Unlike brick or stone, voice boxes significantly eased the pressure on the load-bearing parts of the building. Due to their hollowness, they increased the acoustic properties of the room.

The antiquity of the Kerch shrine is also confirmed by the inscription on the “Tmutarakan Stone”, which is a marble slab with a Cyrillic inscription carved on it in Old Russian. The inscribed stone was found in 1792 Taman Peninsula Admiral P. Pustoshkin. Currently, the relic is kept in the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. The ancient inscription indirectly refers to the Church of John the Baptist, determining the distance from it to the Church of Our Lady on the Taman Peninsula.

Archaeological research carried out in the 60s of the 20th century showed that the church was built on the ruins of an even more ancient temple. The columns were most likely taken from the basilica that stood on the site of the Church of the Baptist, built in the 6th century. Perhaps it was dismantled due to disrepair or for some other reason. The current building was erected in the 9th - 10th centuries. This happened after the expulsion of the Khazars from the territory of the Kerch Peninsula. During this period, Byzantine influence in Crimea increased, which is reflected in the architecture of the peninsula. Who exactly built the temple remains a question. Perhaps these were Bosporan craftsmen, but most likely, the large-scale construction was beyond the capabilities of local architects, so construction took place under the control of capital craftsmen from Constantinople.

During the period of Genoese rule in the Northern Black Sea region, the Baptist Church was popular. Not by chance Kerch Strait at that time it was called the Strait of St. John, and Kerch was called the port of St. John.

The famous temple is mentioned in his diaries by the Arab traveler and merchant Ibn Battuta, who visited Crimea in 1334. A curious legend was told to descendants by the Dominican monk Emiddio Dortelli d'Ascoli, who visited Kerch in 1634. It tells that the Church of John was found at the bottom of the sea. A beautiful fairy tale is nothing more than a myth. Indeed, imprints of seashells can be found on the limestone blocks from which the temple was built. Over millions of years, a huge number of dead mollusks and corals formed colossal accumulations of calcium carbonate. This is how various limestones arose, which are actively used for construction.

Ottoman traveler Evliya Celebi, describing the “beautiful castle of Kerch,” in his “Book of Travels” also mentions the “church of the infidels,” which, in his opinion, was built by the Genoese.

Medieval travelers, talking about the temple, described the beautiful frescoes that decorated its walls. Unfortunately, these beautiful works of art have not survived to this day. During the period of the Crimean Khanate and Turkish rule in Crimea, the Church of John the Baptist served as a mosque. The wall paintings in the church were barbarously scraped off and covered with a thick layer of plaster. After the construction of the Yenikale fortress, the temple was surrounded by an earthen rampart, which negatively affected the condition of its foundation. Its subsidence led to the fact that it became possible to get into the church only with the help of a staircase of eight steps. A period of decline began in the life of the church. The small Greek community of Kerch has difficulty maintaining order in it.

After the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Empire, the state took upon itself the responsibility of restoring the surviving Greek churches on the territory of the peninsula. The Temple of John the Baptist is transferred to the jurisdiction of the Greeks, who were settled on the southern borders of the empire at the end of the 18th century. In the 19th century, the temple was reconstructed, repaired and completed. In 1801, the western aisle was built, in 1834 a three-nave vestibule in the pseudo-Byzantine style was added to the church, and in 1845, according to the design of the architect Alexander Digby, architectural ensemble The church is complemented by a northern porch and a two-tier bell tower.

During the next reconstruction, an image of two saints was discovered under a layer of plaster. The style of painting of the frescoes resembles the manner of the famous icon painter Theophanes the Greek. Perhaps the authorship of the paintings belongs to his students.

Until the 20s of the last century, the Church of John the Baptist remained the center of religious and cultural life Greek community. Under him, Greek and Russian parish schools operated. Great amount people flocked every year to the temple festival. Many came to look at the unique shrine - a stone with the imprint of a human foot, which, according to legend, is attributed either to St. Andrew the First-Called or to the Forerunner of the Lord himself. On especially special days, the foot was taken out of a special case. Holy water was poured into it, and believers took a sip from the Holy Grail to be healed of ailments.

According to the description of the Crimean historian Chrysanf Zenkevich in 1894, the icons of the temple were so old that the wood was already beginning to smolder, and the cypress board of the icon of John the Baptist turned into a sponge. For better preservation, the icon was placed in a silver icon case, decorated with semi-precious stones. The removal of the shrine took place with caution on a special stretcher. From especially valuable relics The church also had a red wooden bowl with barely visible images of saints from the 6th century, two silver bowls from the 16th and 17th centuries, a chased silver dish, as well as crowns, rapids and an altar cross. The altar of the temple was decorated with a carved iconostasis of the 18th century. It was made of walnut, gilded in 1857, and then replaced with oak in 1889. Sacred relics were kept at the church: a Greek handwritten Gospel of the 11th century, a handwritten “Apostle” of the 12th century, ancient icons of the Mother of God, the Savior and John the Baptist, an icon of Barbara the Great Martyr from 1703. All images were framed in rich silver frames.

Observing how “opium intoxicates the minds of the people,” the new authorities are closing the temple, cynically formulating a fictitious reason - “due to the lack of parishioners”...

However, the main troubles lie ahead. During the Great Patriotic War, in addition to the destruction in the building itself, the gilded iconostasis of the 18th century, icons of the Virgin Mary, John the Baptist and Barbara the Great Martyr from the same period, and the unique Greek Gospel and Apostle of the 11th and 12th centuries were lost.

Revival of the shrine

IN Soviet time The Church of John the Baptist was declared an architectural monument. At the end of the 50s of the last century, people finally started talking about the Church of the Holy Forerunner as a unique landmark, giving it the status of a monument of republican significance in 1963. The temple was not destroyed, but it was not protected either. Deprived of crosses, with a destroyed dome, the building became more and more dilapidated. But a holy place is never empty. In the 60s, a fish market appeared around the church. Here you could buy Black Sea sprat, gobies, red mullet and even sturgeon... Brisk trade took place against the backdrop of an ancient building overgrown with bushes, with broken windows and cracked walls. In those days, such a landscape did not bother anyone. Sobering up came a little later.

Fortunately, times of godlessness did not prevent archaeologists from conducting research and studying the history of ancient shrines. During excavations carried out under the leadership of T.I. Makarova, managed to learn a lot about the history of the temple. Thus, the remains of a 6th-century baptistery were discovered not far from it. It was established that the church, before Turkish rule, was an elegant completion of the architectural ensemble of Kerch, and coastline from the 6th century it passed very close to the temple building.

Finally, in the 70s, the revival of the Church of St. John the Baptist began. The author of the project was the architect E. Lopushinskaya. The work ahead was long and painstaking. To prevent the remains of the dome from collapsing, a metal frame was built to support it. First, the walls of the extensions and the bell tower were restored. Then, in 1972, they began to restore the main building. The artists had an important task - to preserve all the ancient details, replacing only those that had completely collapsed. Restorers first carefully studied ancient samples of tiles and plinths—flat and wide bricks. To make something like this, it was necessary to understand ancient technology. For a long time, it took a long time to select exactly the same limestone from which the temple was built twelve centuries ago. The remains of painting and plaster, ready to crumble at any moment, were carefully secured. Around the southern and eastern facades of the temple, the ground level was lowered, as it was originally. The holy cross sparkled on the dome again, despite the fact that there was no official permission from the authorities for this. In the renovated temple, the lapidary collection of the Kerch Historical Museum was opened, and only in the 90s the long-suffering Church of John the Baptist was finally returned to the church and its parishioners.

If you are asked: “Which of the Orthodox churches in Russia is the most ancient?”, answer with confidence: “Church of St. John the Baptist in Kerch. The pride of Crimea and the whole country!” In pre-revolutionary Russia there was only one older temple - St. John Chrysostom near New Athos. But today this is the territory of Abkhazia. And therefore the palm rightfully belongs to the Kerch temple in the name of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, built in the 8th century.

The basis for this dating is the Greek inscription on one of the columns supporting the vault of the church: “Here lies the servant of God, the son of George. He reposed in the month of June on the third day, from Adam in the year six thousand two hundred and sixty.” According to the Gregorian calendar, this is the seven hundred and fifty-second year after the Nativity of Christ. In addition, amphorae from the 8th century were found in the masonry of the walls, which were used as voice boxes for better acoustics.

Today the temple is a complex architectural complex, finally formed only by end of the 19th century century. The composition of its oldest part exactly corresponds to early Byzantine religious architecture. The massive walls are made of alternating rows, which consist of four stripes of white stone blocks and four stripes of flat red brick - plinths. This technique gives the Church of John the Baptist not only elegance, but also helps to withstand earthquakes.

Inside, the temple is decorated with columns and capitals made of grayish marble with blue veins. This type of marble was mined only on the island of Proconnesse in the Sea of Marmara. And the fact that the quarries there were closed by the end of the 8th century is another confirmation of the time of construction of the temple.

Over the centuries of its existence, the temple has seen a lot. Peoples and states changed around, and he remained a silent witness to history. The well-being of Christian Byzantium, the rule of the Khazars, who professed Judaism, the pagan Cumans, the Genoese Catholic rule... For almost seven centuries, the church in the name of the Baptist John served as a parish church for the Orthodox Greek community of the city, until in the middle of the 15th century, with the entry of Kerch into the Crimean Khanate, it became a mosque .

In 1774, Kerch was included in the Russian Empire, the church was returned to the Orthodox and consecrated in honor of the Beheading of John the Baptist. Its parishioners included Crimean Greeks and immigrants who arrived from Russia.

During the 19th century, the temple was repeatedly repaired and completed. In 1801, a small porch was added to the west. At the same time, apparently, ancient tombstones discovered during excavation work were built into its southern wall. These ancient tombstones can still be seen today. In 1842, according to the design of the architect Alexander Digby, a two-tier bell tower was added to the narthex. The architect tried to give it forms as close as possible to the architecture of Byzantine churches.

Speaking about the history of the Church of St. John the Baptist in the 19th century, it is worth remembering that it was here on May 13, 1877 that the future Crimean Saint Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky), a native of Kerch, was baptized in infancy. A memorial plaque at the main entrance now reminds of this event.

Until it was closed by the Bolsheviks in the 20s of the 20th century, the church remained cultural and religious center Greek community. It maintained Greek and Russian parochial schools.

Sacred relics were kept at the church: a Greek handwritten Gospel of the 11th century, a handwritten “Apostle” of the 12th century, ancient icons of the Mother of God, the Savior and John the Baptist. All these shrines, unfortunately, perished in the fire of the revolution.

They remembered the temple again in the 60s. It attracted the attention of Soviet researchers as a monument of the Byzantine era. At that time, the ancient Orthodox Church was a sad sight. With broken windows and bushes growing on the walls and roof, she stood humiliated among the noisy fish market bustling around her.

In 1963, the Church of John the Baptist was given the status of an architectural monument. And in 1972, the temple began to be restored. The restorers tried to preserve all the ancient parts, replacing only those that were completely destroyed. Despite the lack of permission, a cross was installed on the dome of the temple. After the reconstruction in the Church of John the Baptist, a collection of stone exhibits of the Kerch Historical and Cultural Reserve was opened.

The modern history of the Church of John the Baptist began in June 1990, when it was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.

At present, like twelve centuries ago, the most ancient temple Russia is the center again religious life Kerch. And her spiritual heart.

The Temple of John the Baptist is widely known due to the fact that it has been perfectly preserved as an example of Byzantine church architecture. The Orthodox building is located in the center of Kerch and is one of the oldest architectural monuments on the peninsula.

One of the oldest Crimean churches appeared in the 8th-9th centuries. The building was reconstructed several times in the 10th century, and in the 19th century. It had vestibules and a bell tower: from 1801 to 1803. a bell tower and a gallery were erected from the west, in 1835 - from the north, and 10 years later a bell tower appeared. The last time a general reconstruction was carried out was in 1895. Therefore, its architectural ensemble is complex. The age of the church reaches about 1400 years.

Photo of the Church of St. John

Rich history: a temple that has survived centuries

Presumably the temple of John the Baptist appeared in 752 AD. e. The basis for this is given by the inscription on the column, which indicates the date of burial of a certain George. However, it is possible that the column could have been used as part of another church. The construction of the structure supposedly began with the blessing of Andrew the First-Called, one of the apostles. In the courtyard of the church to this day there is a slab on which the footprint of a person is clearly visible: legend says that this is the footprint of a saint.

Constantinople architects worked on the development of the cross-dome layout. Due to the discrepancy between the parameters of the columns and capitals, there are assumptions about the prefabricated nature of the building - perhaps these parts of the structure were taken from other shrines.

The history of the temple begins from the time of Emperor Justinian the First in power. During the Tmutarakan Principality, the church was reconstructed: the building was partially dismantled and rebuilt, using the existing columns and foundation. During the formation of the Genoese colonies in the Northern Black Sea region (XII-IV centuries), the building was popular. Modern historians attribute the appearance of frescoes there to this period.

In subsequent years, the Orthodox shrine became a mosque - this happened during the reign of the Crimean khans. Thanks to this “reincarnation,” the building was preserved almost unchanged, except for the painted over or destroyed frescoes. In the 18th century, Crimea joined the Russian Empire, and the church went through a number of changes: tombstones discovered during excavation work were installed in the south of the building, and a chapel was added in the western part.

In 1892, the walls of the Bosphorus fortress, which surrounded the temple and interfered with the development of the city, were demolished. Five years later, in 1834, the church appeared with a porch with 3 naves, decorated in the neo-Byzantine style. In 1845, the architect Alexander Digby planned a two-tier porch, which was added to the church that same year.

In the twentieth century, the Church of John the Baptist went through difficult times: in the 30s. it was closed, citing lack of parish. In the early 60s. the shrine was given the status of an architectural monument, and they did not hesitate to open a market near it. In the mid-70s. The architects tried to preserve the building: they added a welded frame, used bricks to restore the temple, and installed a cross. Until the 90s. located in the church historical Museum; after that, services were held. The temple began to function again.

Video review of the Temple

Kerch Church of John the Baptist today

Today the building embodies the ancient architecture and trends of the 19th century. The layout is Byzantine cross-domed; a similar one is found only in the Hagia Sophia Cathedral of Constantinople and the Naval St. Nicholas Cathedral. By the way, the columns installed in the middle of the building perform a decorative, not a load-bearing function.

This is interesting!
Byzantine architects thought through the protection of the structure in case of an earthquake. To do this, they used striped white and pink masonry, which has survived to this day. The ancient part of the building was made of flat brick and white stone.

It is noteworthy that the church was a shrine of both Orthodox Christianity and Islam.

Historians claim that the temple may be one of the most ancient shrines of Kievan Rus, which is even older than the Church of the Tithes. The building is also a unique example of the neo-Byzantine style.

Visit to the temple and route to it

The church is open to visitors any day of the week, seven days a week. Tours last from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, and the tour guide is appointed by a priest. Sightseeing at the temple is free. The building is located 50 m from the central city square along the lane. Dimitrova, 2. To get to the shrine, you can take bus routes No. 3, 5, 6, 19, 28, going from the Kerch bus station to Lenin Square.

Temple of John the Baptist on the map of Crimea

GPS Coordinates: 45°21’05.0″N 36°28’34.1″E Latitude/Longitude

Not far from Mount Mithridates settled down - in Kerch this is the oldest religious building created by Byzantine craftsmen. The oldest part The church was founded in the 6th century and reconstructed in the 10th century. The bell tower and vestibules, belonging to the neo-Byzantine architectural style, appeared in the 19th century. The cross-domed layout, despite numerous modernizations, has survived to this day.

The temple dates back to the reign of Justinian the First, a Byzantine emperor who ruled in the 6th century. Subsequent reconstruction took place during the period when Crimea belonged to the Tmutarakan principality. Modern look formed over several centuries. The flat dome is supported by cruciform vaults supported by four pillars. The structure is reinforced with columns.

Historical reference

Disputes about the start of construction of the temple are ongoing. Church sources claim that the construction work was blessed by Andrew the First-Called himself, who lived in the 1st century. The Corinthian capitals date from the fifth or sixth century. Also on one of the columns there is an inscription dating back to 752. Under Byzantium, the church was one of the most visited on the peninsula.

Constant raids by the Khazars led to the destruction of the temple baptistery in the 7th century. The great fire that occurred in the ninth century also contributed to the destruction of the shrine. Large-scale reconstruction of the complex began already under the Principality of Tmutarakan. Church of St. John the Baptist was partially dismantled and rebuilt. As a result, the following structural elements were preserved:

foundation and general layout;
Corinthian capitals;
marble columns;
north wall with Byzantine masonry.

During the era of the rule of the Crimean khans, the church was turned into a mosque. In 1774, the peninsula became part of the Russian Empire. A staircase was added to the building, and in 1834 a neo-Byzantine three-nave vestibule appeared. The bell tower appeared in 1845 - it was made according to the design of Alexander Digby.

Restoration work

For most of the 20th century, the Church of John the Baptist was in decline. The situation changed radically in the 60s, when the Kerch landmark was recognized architectural monument. In 1974-1978 Large-scale restoration work began. Here's what's changed:

The restorers also took certain liberties. Thus, an Orthodox cross was installed - this was done without proper government permission. In addition, he acquired his own lapidary collection. Since the 1990s, regular services have been held in the Kerch church.

Every year thousands of tourists travel to Kerch to visit the Church of John the Baptist. Why does this attraction attract travelers? Let's name five reasons to visit the temple:

This is the oldest religious building in Kerch. The temple is almost one and a half thousand years old, so, having crossed the threshold of the shrine, you are immersed in the atmosphere of hoary antiquity. The church is active, which is important for believers.
Acoustic tricks. Hollow amphorae are built into the walls of the structure. In the old days, this cunning technique made it possible to enhance acoustics and convey the words of sermons to every parishioner. So, if you want to enjoy the work of a church choir, be sure to take a look inside.
Lapidary exhibition. Behind these incomprehensible words lies a collection of ancient boulders on which historical inscriptions are carved.
Frescoes. Most of the frescoes were barbarically destroyed during the Crimean Khanate. But during the next reconstruction, scientists found images of two saints. The authorship of the works is attributed to the students of Theophanes the Greek, the legendary Byzantine icon painter.
Unique look. The church retains the stamp of antiquity. Famous architects had a hand in the construction and reconstruction of the temple. Byzantine, Russian and Genoese craftsmen worked here.

How to get there

The Church of St. John the Baptist (Kerch) was included in the list of must-see places, and how to get there don’t you know before? The building is located at the address: Kerch, st. Dmitrova, 2. There are four ways to get to Kerch:

1. Airplane. Destination there will be an airport in Simferopol. Airlines flying to Crimea are S7, Aeroflot, Ural Airlines" From St. Petersburg and Moscow, the journey takes less than three hours, and the price is about 12,000 rubles. Then you will have to take a taxi.
2. Bus. In Moscow, go to Shchelkovsky or Paveletsky bus stations. From there there are regular flights to Kerch, but you will have to travel at least 24 hours. But it’s cheap - about 1,200 rubles (including the ferry).
3. Train. You need to go to Simferopol from the Kazansky railway station (for Muscovites). A ticket will cost you approximately 4-7 thousand rubles (depending on the class of carriage). The second option is a trip to Krasnodar or Anapa and then transfer to a bus.
4. Car. This is the longest path. Your goal is the Caucasus port. Further - ferry crossing. The distance between Kerch and Moscow is about 1200 kilometers. For gasoline you will pay 1,500 rubles (on average).

Once in Kerch, head to Lenin Square. From the bus station, minibuses No. 5 and 6 go there. Buses No. 19, 28, 5, 6 and 3 also go to the square. railway station you need to take the sixth bus.

Hotels nearby

To avoid long walks, you can choose a hotel near the Church of John the Baptist. To do this, you can use an aggregator like Tripadvisor. Here's what happens:

Kerch Hotel. The distance from the church is 500 meters. There is free Internet and parking. The level of service is three stars, good reviews.
Zaliv Hotel. The temple is almost 7 kilometers away. Prices are budget, but travelers note poorly equipped bathrooms and old furniture.
Count's pier. An economy class hotel designed for family travelers. Reviews are good, breakfast is included. Distance - 100 meters.
Edelweiss. Mini-hotel with three- and double rooms. Decent renovation, free Wi-Fi. Distance - 200 meters.

As you can see, the Church of John the Baptist is an interesting Crimean attraction that is worth a visit. You can get to Kerch in different ways; there are also plenty of hotels. Have a nice trip!

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