Church of the Intercession

Покровская церковь

The hip-roof church was built in 16th century. It is the first hip-roof church in Russia. You will hardly feel its beauty from the outside, because this church was the very first attempt to incorporate the hip, a new element in 16th century Russian architecture. Moreover, later annexes, the refectory chamber and the bell tower, also changed the appearance of the building. Still, its interior remains unique due to the wall paintings (frescos) inside the hip. Hips instead of domes are a distinctive, but not very common, feature in Russian architecture. Hips were popular in 16th and 17th centuries, while later traditions restricted the hips to only bell towers. Painting the hips from inside was uncommon even for the medieval tradition. The frescos are painted in dark color and converge to the image of Our Lord in the apex. Overall, they look mystical and awesome. The church used to be attached to the prince palace as an in-house church. The present building of the refectory chamber stands on the spot of the former palace, so in the basement you can still see carved portals and original stone-work from 16th century. The Church of the Intercession is a part of the museum. Tickets are sold at the entrance.

• museum
• history