The cradle of Russian statehood – on unique photographs

On the 1260-anniversary of Staraya Ladoga, celebrated in 2013, the Presidential Library features on its website for all to see the first color photographs of the cradle of Russian statehood.

Ladoga was the first capital of Russia, this is where Prince Rurik came with his army and settled in the settlement. This place was a transport ferry "from the Varangians to the Greeks", as evidenced by archaeological finds.

There were built churches with a rare fresco painting that have survived to our time. In the year of the 1025th anniversary of Christianity in Russia, which in the Leningrad region is marked by the development of religious culture, the Presidential Library published on its website 10 photographs of Sergei M. Prokudin-Gorskii depicting Staraya Ladoga. These are the first color images of local monuments, made by the founder of national photography, and they can help today's historians, restorers, state and local authorities of the region to carefully and historically accurately to restore the area.

In 1909, Prokudin-Gorskii captured in detail wall paintings in the Church of St. George. The estimated date of construction of this monument of world culture is 1164. Many historians believe that it was there that prayed before the battle with the Swedes in 1240, Alexander Yaroslavovich, who was given the title of Nevsky for that victory. This temple is one of the few works of distant historical past, which represent a complete unity of the Byzantine tradition and Novgorod stone temple architecture.

The photographs of Prokudin-Gorskii held by the Presidential Library depict a temple icon of St. George, who pacifies the snake not with a spear, but with a word of God. The hands of the saint are free of weapons, and it is through his prayers that snake follows the horse of George. Along with this unique fresco, another photo presents St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and saint martyr Mary. Her image, which was still in excellent state in the 1930's, is now lost to the lining layers of painting, so it looks like just a contour and color stain. Thus, this photo is of particular value.

On the first color photographs of Staraya Ladoga there is the Church of St. John the Baptist on Malyshevaya Hill, Rurik fortress. One of the photographs depicts the Assumption Monastery for women, known also by the fact that in 1718-1725 there was imprisoned Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina, the first wife of Peter I. In honor of her, the nun Helen, was renamed the river Ladozhka.

The Presidential Library, with its unique materials on the development of Russian statehood, is conducting a great educational work. The holdings of the first national digital library in Russia today include 240 million units, most of which are rare documents, books, photos and newsreels. The first color images of Staraya Ladoga, open to public, will be in demand among both the lovers of history and for the practical work of restoration, socio-economic development of the first capital of Russia.