Katholikon of the Antoniev Monastery
| The Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady | |
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The Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady with its necropolis in October 2014
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| Location | Veliky Novgorod, Russia |
| Coordinates | 58°32′25.3″N 31°17′17.4″E / 58.540361°N 31.288167°ECoordinates: 58°32′25.3″N 31°17′17.4″E / 58.540361°N 31.288167°E |
| Built | 1117 - 1122 |
| Architectural style(s) | Cross-in-square |
| Official name: Monastery of St. Antony | |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iv, vi |
| Designated | 1992 |
| Reference no. | 5310004000 |
| Country | Russia |
The Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady is a katholikon completed in 1122 in the Monastery of St. Antony, Veliky Novgorod. It is one of the few buildings surviving in Russia from the early 12th century.
The Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady was the major church in the Monastery of St. Antony. It is the oldest building in the monastery's complex. Building started in 1117, soon after the monastery had been established in 1106.
The church is quite different from typical Novgorodian churches of the period. It was originally made of brick which contrasts with other Novgorodian churches of the 12th century, which were initially built with wood and were rebuilt in brick afterwards. It has three domes, that is the defining feature of a princely church. But the construction was funded by a private individual with no relation to the royal dynasty. This makes it exceptional compared to similar cathedrals of that time.
The construction was executed in two stages. In 1117-1119 the square-shaped nave with three apses, and the main dome were built. The original interior was well-lighted thanks to the large number of windows. This modest size was perceived as surprisingly holistic: the lateral aisles were fused with the space under the dome by means of the columns which stand close to the walls. The western couple of the columns was octahedron-shaped to contrast with the eastern couple which were square-shaped.
Immediately after completion, the construction of the narthex with the choirs from the west-side was arranged in 1119-1122. The reason why the original plan was changed is unclear. During the second stage, the former western wall was totally disassembled, and its corner-ends was turned into a new pair of columns; this isolated the lateral sides of the choir loft from the nave by the walls with the windows preserved from the previous design. The narthex was added with the round-shaped stair tower from the north-west corner: it provides access to the choir loft on the second floor. The tower is crowned by the dome. In ancient times the narthex in honour of Onuphrius and St. Peter of Athos was arranged under the dome. To balance the design, the building is complemented with the third dome on the south-east corner; it also serves to provide extra light. The outbuilding makes the design to be close to other Novgorodian churches of the period; the closest analog is the Cathedral of St. George in the monastery of St. George as it has a stair tower (but that one is square-shaped) and also has three domes as well.
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