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Prof. Dr. S.V. Zagraevsky

History of color solutions of medieval Moscow fortifications

Published in Russian: Заграевский С.В. История цветовых решений средневековых укреплений Москвы. Электронная публикация: электронная научная библиотека «РусАрх», 2014 г.

Annotation

The author traces on the basis of documentary, architectural, archaeological and iconographic data the history of the colors of the fortifications of Moscow Kremlin, Kitai-Gorod, White City and Black City since the time of Yuri Dolgoruky until the mid XX century.

Attention!

The following text was translated from the Russian original by the computer program

and has not yet been edited.

So it can be used only for general introduction.

RUSSIAN VERSION

1.

Color solutions the medieval fortifications of Moscow in different historical epochs - issue widely popular literature and gave rise to a number of stereotypes as true, and the infidels. Therefore, it seems useful special study on this topic.

First of all you need to touch the wooden fortifications of the Moscow Kremlin for the first time in documented history of Ancient Rus erected in 1156 when Yuri Dolgoruky, expanding and peoplewise up to the construction of Dmitry Donskoy and white walls towers in 1367-1368.

There are many information about what ancient wooden fortress were daubed with clay and bleached. In detail this question was investigated by V. V. Kostochki that caused the following examples¹:

- pointing to the existence high wooden tower that stood on a stone base in the middle of the Hill in town 1259, the chronicler noted that she is "as white as cheese, svetyasheesya on all sides;

- clay coating was made on the walls of the Tver Kremlin: informing that in 1369 in the capital Tver Principality was felled wood "city", chroniclers noted that his immediately "and clay anointed";

- clay cover had outside the wooden walls of Zvenigorod;

- at the end of the sixteenth century the same cover existed on the fortifications of the Great Bow: advising that these fortifications consisted of bulwarks, cut out huge and very sturdy logs", R. Ladenstein noted that they "have been covered with turf, but according to the old custom were covered with clay";

- fragments of clay cover at the end XVI century remained dilapidated wooden walls of Mozhaisk.

Unfortunately, these research V. V. Coloccini almost no resonance in the popular the literature has not received, and all reconstructions wooden fortresses, including Moscow, strengthening portrayed not white, and black-and-brown - by the color of unpainted logs (one example is shown in ill. 1).

But we have to pay for these studies are the closest attention, as the daubing with clay defended fortifications from rotting and fires (both urban and generated by the assaults of the enemy), and lime whitewash, in turn, defended the plaster and attached to the wooden fortifications more aesthetic appearance. And overall care fortifications - though made of wood, but the face, the pride and protection of the city - in the or less could not be done, and whitewash and plaster were important part of that care. Probably before daubing-building sheathed the TES or lathing.

All said not to apply the town quickly grew and flourished in the pre-Mongolian time, and at the end XIII-the first half of the fourteenth century, Moscow. And we can, with a significant proportion confidence to believe that wooden Moscow Kremlin was not black brown and white. Anyway, in those periods of their history, when the fortifications were newly-built or newly renovated, as clay daubing, if not recovered, could almost completely to collapse within a few decades, and painting - to be washed away precipitation even faster. Therefore, we are obliged to consider the color white Moscow fortifications conditional.

Il. 1. A. M. Vasnetsov. Moscow Kremlin in the time of Ivan Kalita.

2.

In 1367-1368, with Dmitry Donskoy fortifications of the Moscow Kremlin were built of white stone. According to archaeological and historical sources, they are partially remained wooden², but as the tree, as we have seen, were daubed clay and bleached, the General colour of the Kremlin was white. (Or, as we have discussed above, conventionally-white, and this conventionality is not only wooden, but also to the white stone fragments of fortifications: in several decades after the construction of the white stone walls blackened from soot furnaces and frequent fires).

Perhaps in the Kremlin the fortifications of the tree does not even daubed with clay, and plastered building solution (lime with the addition of sand and various additives), as massive white stone building was formed by a huge amount debris that could burn through lime. Plastered wooden the walls look even more aesthetically pleasing than covered with clay (example, when plastered the tree is very difficult to distinguish at a glance from plastered brick, we see arranged in the end of XVIII century wooden reels Assumption Cathedral in Dmitrov).

On plaster could even to be held furrows, imitating white stone quadras (similar techniques simulation of masonry in the pre-Mongolian time was applied in Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral³, in Chernigov - on Boris and Gleb Cathedral, Elias Church, the Cathedral of the Eletsky monastery⁴ , etc.). However, in a wooden fortresses such grooves could hold both the clay coating.

By analogy with wooden serf architecture and wide practice of plastering, whitewashing and painting wooden buildings in the nineteenth century, we can put that idea on reconstructions all ancient wooden Church and civil architecture in black and brown color scheme (color of unpainted logs) too controversial, and many buildings were daubed with clay, and in the presence of lime - was structuralist and bleached (or even painted) inside and outside in the same order that and strengthening: aesthetics, preservation of wood, fire security. But the question plastering, whitewashing and painting of the templeand civil wooden architecture is beyond the scope of this study, dedicated military architecture.

For the Russian North, where the climate contributes to the preservation of wood and over time gives it a noble silver hue, all of the above relative to the plaster and whitewash not so important. But for the climatic conditions of the middle band, disastrously affecting, and the safety and appearance of unprotected wood - relevant to the full extent.

3.

In 1485-1516 years, when Ivan III and Vasily III, were built new Kremlin walls and towers from brick. According to architecture and archaeology, at the beginning of the XVI century brick laying was stuctures and not bleached (examples - the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin⁵ (ill. 2), the first temples of Alexandrov Sloboda⁶ (ill. 3), etc.). Accordingly, existing in our time, strengthening the Kremlin originally had a brick red color.

The walls and towers of Moscow The Kremlin remained brick red throughout the sixteenth century, as evidenced by the plan Herberstein 1556 (ill. 4) and thumbnails Facial Chronicles 1560-1570-ies (ill. 5-8).

In 1535-1538, were built brick-building of China-Town. Detailed descriptions and image of the XVI century is unknown, but by analogy with the Kremlin walls and towers we may assume that kitaigorodskii strength also did not structuralist and not bleached. However, this question remains open.

Il. 2. The Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. 1505-1508 years. Reconstruction Kavelmahera.

Il. 3. Trinity, now Pokrovskaya Church in Alexandrov Sloboda. 1510-ies. Reconstruction Kavelmahera.

Il. 4. Plan Of Moscow Sigismund Herberstein. 1556 g.

Il. 5. Ivan sends ambassadors to Lithuania. Miniature Facial Chronicles. 1560-1570-ies.

Il. 6. Ivan the terrible and Tsar's icon-painters. Miniature Facial Chronicles. 1560-1570-ies.

Il. 7. The construction of the Cathedral of intercession on the Moat. Miniature chronicle arch. 1560-1570-ies.

Il. 8. The consecration of the Cathedral of intercession on the Moat. Miniature Facial Chronicles. 1560-1570-ies.

4.

In the reign of Feodor, in 1585-1591, in Moscow, of brick was erected a new belt of fortifications, dubbed "the White City" or "Tsarev City"⁷.

About the origin of the name "White City" there is a theory that since this was the territory where XVI-XVII centuries lived mainly nobles and gentry who were on permanent society, the land occupied by their yards, was called "white", i.e. was exempt from land taxes, which are levied "black" land artisans, merchants and farmers⁸. But crucially for us the fact that the strengthening of the White City were white in the literal sense of the word: in the writings of foreigners who visited Moscow in the early seventeenth century (S. GAIS, Prince John S. Mackiewicz, etc)⁹ they say that the wall was whitewashed, even plastered (the latter, however, V. V. Kostochki called the doubt, believing that foreigners could take whitewash for plaster)¹⁰.

Immediately after the fortifications of the White city, in 1591-1592, were built of wood walls and towers Earth City, also known as Wooden City or Skorodoma.

If wooden fortifications Excavation of the City was black and brown, we've been asking this "color hierarchy" fortifications of Moscow: the Kremlin and Kitay-Gorod - red (and the word "red" was synonymous with "beautiful", were red emblems and Vladimir, and Moscow great princes), of White City, white Earth City - black.

But the version of this "hierarchy" we don't can accept for the following reasons.

First, any sources nor The Kremlin, nor China-the City is not called the "Red City" that would be very probably if there is such a "hierarchy".

Secondly, sometimes found in literature the name of Earth City "Black City" is because in the Northern and Eastern parts of its territory were "black" (crafts and trade settlement¹¹.

Thirdly, neither "Petrov drawing" 1597-1599, (ill. 9) or the "Godunova the drawing" the early 1600-ies (ill. 11), neither "Sigismunda" 1618 (ill. 12) or other plans of Moscow XVII century significant difference between the color of the Kremlin, Kitai-Gorod, White City and Earth City is not observed.

This situation can be explained as follows: almost simultaneously with the fortifications of the White City were white-washed walls and towers of the Kremlin and Kitai-Gorod, and Excavation of the City (last, probably been pre-coated with clay or plaster: as we shown above, it was common practice for wooden fortresses). But whitewashing quickly washed away by precipitation, fortifications were covered with soot from furnaces and fires, and all of Moscow's walls and towers acquired medium brown color that was shown on the plans of Moscow.

These considerations are confirmed by the plan of the Kremlin 1600-1605, "Cramlington" (ill. 10), where brick-red fortifications clearly legible traces of whitewash.

Thus, we have the right to believe that at the turn of XVI-XVII centuries all fortifications of Moscow bought the white color. As we have said, due to precipitation, fires and furnaces soot this color should be considered conditional.

Why were whitewashed not only wooden and brick building, with brick walls and towers in whitewashing, by and large, did not need, and V. V. Kostochki showed¹², what in Russia stone fortress, as a rule, not bones and not bleached?

Any thoughts emanating from aesthetics and symbolism of the color white, there is unlikely since no news about the special role of color in ancient sources, there is, unlike red (above we have already noted that in Russia the word "red" was a synonym the words "beautiful", were red emblems and Vladimir, and Moscow Grand princes). We must assume that the reasons whitewashing brick fortifications of Moscow were the following:

is thus achieved aesthetic uniformity of colors all Moscow fortifications (other way of achieving such uniformity could be the only painting of walls and towers Earthen City in red, but it was impossible due to rarity, high cost and low lightfastness of red paint);

- plastered and because whitewashed wooden walls and Earthen towers of the City looked almost the same as whitewashed strengthening of the Kremlin, Kitai-Gorod and the White City, probable the enemy could take them for stone and afraid to storm them;

- whitewashing modestly but increase the safety of masonry.

Il. 9. "Peter's drawing" of Moscow. 1597-1599 years.

Il. 10. "Kramlinger". 1600-1605 years.

Il. 11. "Godunov's drawing". The beginning of the 1600's.

Il. 12. "Sigismundo plan of Moscow. 1618 year.

5.

How often it was renovated whitewashing of fortifications Moscow during the XVII century, is unknown to us. Anyway if, in the miniatures of the "Book about the election to the throne of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanova" 1670-ies (ill. 13, 14) and the icon by Simon Ushakov "Tree The Russian state," 1667 (ill. 15) we see that the Kremlin strengthening had a pinkish color, i.e., they could be present traces the whitewash.

In XVIII-XIX centuries periodical whitewashing Moscow fortifications continued, and on images of different years, we see the walls and towers of the white, partially white, red with traces of whitewash (ill. 16-32).

The Strengthening Of The White City were demolished in the 70-80-ies of the XVIII century, Excavation of the City - after 1812, China-Town (except for a brief excerpt) - in the years 1927-1934, and walls and towers of the Kremlin were until the beginning of the great Patriotic war, when camouflage purposes on them was a picture of residential building (ill. 33). After war (before the Victory Parade) these images have been washed away (ill. 33), and since then fortifications of the Moscow Kremlin were only red, and as restored in 1968-1973 and 1995-2000 fragments of the fortifications of China-Town.

Il. 13. The Moscow Kremlin on a miniature from the Book "on the election to the throne of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov". 1670-ies.

Il. 14. The Moscow Kremlin on a miniature from the Book "on the election to the throne of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov". 1670-ies.

Il. 15. The Moscow Kremlin on the icon by Simon Ushakov "the Tree of the Russian State" 1667.

Il. 16. The Moscow Kremlin. A fragment of the engraving K. de Bruyne. 1702.

Il. 17. P. Picard. The Moscow Kremlin. A fragment of the engraving. Beginning of XVIII century.

Il. 18. J. Quarenghi. The Moscow Kremlin. 1768.

Il. 19. F. Hilferding. The red square. 1783.

Il. 20. J. Gelabert. View of Moscow from the Kremlin Palace's balcony to the side Moskvoretsky bridge. 1797.

Il. 21. F. Alekseev. Alevizou the Moat and the Nikolskaya tower. 1800.

Il. 22. I. Weiss. The Moscow Kremlin. 1852.

Il. 23. I. Weiss. Ilyinsky gate of China-Town. The mid-nineteenth century.

Il. 24. S. Shuhvostova. Spasskaya tower in the picture. 1855.

Il. 25. P. Vereschagin. View Of The Moscow Kremlin. 1879.

Il. 26. The red square. Photo 1880.

Il. 27. Vladimir gate of China-Town. Photo 1883.

Il. 28. M.In. Nesterov. The Kremlin in the winter. 1897.

Il. 29. Wall Of China-Town. Photo 1900.

Il. 30. The Moscow Kremlin. Photo 1909.

Il. 31. The Nikolskaya tower of the Moscow Kremlin. Photos of 1910.

Il. 32. Athletes parade on red square. 1932.

Il. 33. "Disguised" the Kremlin during the great Patriotic war.

Il. 34. Victory day parade on red square. 1945.

NOTES

1. Kostochkin Centuries Russian the defense architecture of the end of XIII - beginning of XVI century. M., 1962. S. 202.

2. Read more: G. I. Mokeev An ancient fortress of the combined type. In the book: Problems of theory and history architecture. M., 1973. P. 72-85.

3. The information on the web site http://www.mmkv.org/istoriya-drevnerusskoi-zhivopisi-str37.html.

4. Rappoport P. A. Construction production of Ancient Rus (X-XIII centuries). St. Petersburg, 1994. S. 77.

5. Kavelmaher centuries On the aisles The Archangel Cathedral. In the book: The Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. M., 2002. P. 123-160.

6. Kavelmaher Centuries Of Antiquity Alexandrova Sloboda (collection of scientific papers). M., 2008.

7. "Solovetsky chronicler wrote: "In the summer 7097 (1589 - Sz). The same year was done on the White city Moscow stone and called Tsarev city, and laid in ' 93 (little-Known chronicle monuments. Historical archives, Volume VII. M-L. 1951. S. 230).

8. P. V. Sytin From history Moscow streets. M., 1958.

9. A detailed review of this information see: kostochkin centuries sovereign master Fyodor Kon. M., 1964. P. 68.

10. Ibid.

11. Monuments Moscow. Earthen city. M., 1989. S. 13-14.

12. Kostochkin Centuries Russian defense architecture... P. 203.

© Sergey Zagraevsky

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