Ancient monasteries and ancient temples, including pre-Mongol times — one of the main reasons why Chernigov is visited by many tourists every year. They say about this city: «from the height of the temples in Chernigov the whole Old Russian history looks at us». This city is the richest in terms of cult architecture of different styles and times, including Kievan Rus. And one of the proofs of this is the Assumption Cathedral of the XII century, which has survived to our days almost without losses and changes.
The Dormition Cathedral is part of the architectural ensemble of one of the first monasteries that emerged in Kievan Rus — Eletsky Dormition Monastery and is the oldest of its construction. Its erection is attributed to the XI-XII centuries. According to legend, the place for the construction of the temple was chosen by Prince Svyatoslav Yaroslavich himself. It was there, where the cathedral stands today, that the icon of the Mother of God on a fir tree appeared to the prince in 1060, which became one of the Orthodox shrines.
It was decided to build the Dormition Cathedral on the model of the temple of the same name in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra: the temple building was also made three-nave, six-columned, initially crowned with one massive main church. However, in the process of construction the temple acquired its own distinctive features: a baptistery was built into its structure, which was placed in the narthex on the first tier, small narthex-paperties were arranged on three sides, and in the south-western corner a chapel with an apse like the Old Ryazan ones was built. During the construction of the Cathedral of the Assumption new technologies of that time were used — equal-layer masonry, and to compensate for the loss of decorativeness of the facades the architects made them grouted and broke the surface by the example of white stone quadras.
The architectural style of the Uspensky Cathedral reflected new techniques and principles that were characteristic of the period of feudal fragmentation, when local architectural schools were formed everywhere.
Before the Mongol-Tatar invasion the temple, as well as the whole monastery, flourished and was considered one of the richest and most beautiful in the Chernigov land. Its beauty was admired by contemporaries, and it became an inspiration for the construction of cathedrals in Old Ryazan, Vladimir-Volynsky, Kanev and other parts of Kievan Rus.
During the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars, the cathedral and the whole monastery were seriously damaged and partially destroyed.
The first restoration took place only in the middle to the end of the XV century. In 1612 it was again partially destroyed by the Poles, but in the second half of the XVII century began a new period of its prosperity.
At that time a large-scale reconstruction was carried out, during which the cathedral was given the features of Baroque style — in this form it has reached our days. The XVII century was also the time when the writer Ioannikiy Golyatovsky, saints Dmitry Rostovsky and Theodosiy Uglitsky, who later became famous church historical figures, served here. A beam from the cell, which the saints occupied at different times, with the inscription «The Monk Theodosius of Uglitsky, archimandrite. 1688» has been preserved to this day and is considered one of the shrines of the monastery. Another shrine is the legendary holy Eletskaya Chernigovskaya icon of the Mother of God, the one that Prince Svyatoslav found on a fir tree, now it is in the Assumption church itself. The monastery also keeps valuable old church books and items from the time of St. Theodosius.
In the 20s of the last century the temple and the monastery were closed, in this ancient attractions of Chernigov a concentration camp was arranged, and again they began to fulfill their purpose only in the 90s, when the shrine was returned to the church and believers.
To see the Cathedral of the Assumption is an amazing opportunity for any person, even a non-believer. Thanks to the preserved ancient appearance, it makes a strong impression, which is even stronger if you go inside and see fragments of the most beautiful frescoes that survived from the XII century.