The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-09-21
A STRANGE EpIFics.
The wonderful Architecture OF tho Churc!>
of vnsiIi Blagennoi.


of vnsiIl Biagonno.
The history Of this church is as
strange as its aspect; IL was built by
order OF Ivan the Terrible, at the ox-
pense OF the principally OF Knzm. as
an EXPIRE ,sion OF gratitude to God for
the Tsar's conquest OF that country.
The name OF the architect, an Italian,
is unknown. but tradition relates that
his eyes were burned out by order of
Ivan to prevent his designing in future
any more wonderful monument. at
is my WISH" said the terrible autocrat,
''that this sanctuary remain the uniqus
and glorious monument of the genius
OF this man." In the basement of the
e6ifice are two chapels, and on the
upper story nine chnpels, surmounted
by nine cupolas, each different in
shape. dimensions, color, details, style
and structural disposition. The snir',
too, is placed at the east =,
the west. as orthodoxy demands. The
facades. again, are all different
and without dlscernible plan, and
the whole structure. with its sug-
gestions of Hindoo. Byzantine, Gothic
and nondescript architecture, and its
profusion of painted ornaments and
masses Of crude yellow, blue red and
green, forms an admirable and mys-
terious harmony, the secret OF which
none can explain, and the charm of
which no words can describe. Tho
whole exterior, with its superimposed
arches, its profusion of color and gild-
ing. its painting OF roses and other
flowers in panels all over the walls, is
formed by the nine chapels and their
basement are placed bclfries and cu-
polas starting upward from masses OF
masonry resembling the imbricated
foliage of the artichoke. the scales of
the pine cone, or the opening buds OF
the cactus flower. In the chief be.fry
the Italian element is clearly percepti
BILE in the first three stories, above
which is a story resembling an In
dian pagoda, which in its turn is sur
mounted ny heXagonal crockett
ed spire. on the summit Of
which is lantern and an
onicn-shaped gilt cap. Another belfry
supports a cupola in the shape of a
pineapple all covered with pointed |
facets; on another the pineapple cupola |
is laced over with symmetrical net
work through whose meshes the points
alone are visible. Another cupola .
initiates the ribbed form of u melon;
opntbar tho t,yiotod folds Of IN ,nonu
mental turban; another, the close |
scales OF the serpent, Let it be re-
membered, too, that each of these
cupolas is OF different color-one
orange. another sky blue. another ap-
pie green, another deep red; and that,
besides paint in profusion, the mold
ings. cornices, consoles. panels, pin
nacles. imbrications and tiers Of arches
are iavishly decorated with brightly
colored glazed faience. or this fam
tastic architectural dream. suggestive
of uncanny sea-monsters, half fish and
half flower. of gigantic fruits, or Of
and Oriental turbans of
such capricious and impossible pro-
portions as one might conceive in
nightmare, Theophile Gautier has
given US a poets description, which
We can not do better thar cite:
"The Church OF Vasili Blagennoi."
he says, sis without doubt the most
original monument in the world; it re-
calls nothing that one has ever seen,
and belongs to no known style. One
might imagine it to be a gigantic
crystalized colossus.
stalactite grotto turned upside down
n thing which has neither prototype
nor similitude. 1t might be taken for
4 Hindoo, Chinese or Thibetan pagoda.
In looking at this impossible church
one is tempted to ask II it is not
whimsical will-o-the lisp, an edifice
formed of clouds Enthusiastically colored
by the sun, which the movement of
the air will presently cause to change
In form or vanish into nothiugness. ~
Theodore Child. in Harper's Maga-
zine,