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The Residence of Bukovynian Metropolitans

Les noms des biens figurent dans la langue dans laquelle les Etats parties les ont soumis.

Ukraine (Europe et Amérique du nord)

Date de soumission : 11/06/2007
Critères: (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)
Catégorie : Culturel
Soumission préparée par :
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine
Etat, province ou région :
Ukraine, Northern Bukovina, the Chernivtsi Region, City of Chernivtsi, 2, Kotsiubinsky St.
Coordonnées
N48 17 50 E25 56 15
Ref.: 5159

Description

The Residence of Bukovynian Metropolitans is a monument of national importance. The property presents an ensemble of buildings situated on Dominic hill. It was built to the design of Czech architect Josef Hlavka. The ensemble was being built in 1864-1 882. It consists of the Mytropolychy, Seminary and Monastyrsky buildings, Seminary Church and a park with park architecture. The whole area of the monument is surrounded by a high fence with gates. The Mytropolychy, Seminary and Monastyrsky buildings form a front yard-cour d'honneur oriented towards Kotsiubinsky St. The ensemble is an outstanding monument in many aspects: urban, architectural and artistic, engineering and technological. Bukovynian Metropolitan Residence is of great architectural and historic value. The property is in adequate condition except individual structural details (equipment, roofing), which are not adequate.

The Residence of Bukovynian Metropolitans

Chernivtsi is one of the most picturesque cities of Ukraine. Much of its appeal is marvellous integrity and unity residing in the cities that undergo growth and rise up as if out of nowhere owing to the efforts of many generations of architects who have skilfully embodied the spirit of times. Ancient, meandering, cut with steep turns, streets stretch upwards from the Prut River. On the gentle slope they form a dense street network cut with the thoroughfare leading to the Central Square. Inheriting common traditions the experts in construction created the integral ensemble. A generation of Bukovynian, Austrian and Czech architects found Chernivtsi to be a great stimulus for applying Western experience. They revealed peculiar self- expression which had little in common with classical canons. Such were Josef Hlavka, Josef Gregor, Ervin Muller, Hubert Hessner, Gustav Fritsch, Josef Lerner, Adam Appenzeller and other well-known architects and sculptors. The best architectural ensembles of Chernivtsi were created by the genius of those masters. In 2008 our City will celebrate its 600th anniversary. The Residence of Bukovynian Metropolitans, built in 1864-1 882, houses one of the oldest universities in Europe, Chernivtsi Yuriy Fedkovych National University. The Residence is the spirit of Bukovyna. It is the synergy of styles and cultures of peoples inhabiting this land. It brings to mind a medieval stronghold or Alcazar in Granada, Spain, bearing the features of Byzantine and Romanesque architecture. Its display of traditional Bukovynian ornamental patterns on the roofs, adorned with coloured glazed tiles, immediately catches you eye. You can't help admiring the ceiling frescos of the assembly halls which unmistakably remind you of Hutsul carved jewel boxes. The Metropolitan Residence, an exquisite masterpiece, a pearl of Chernivtsi bird's-eye view, was designed and constructed by Josef Hlavka (1 83 1-1908), a famous Czech architect and patron of art. J. Hlavka favoured Chernivtsi with a magnum opus of the European art of the second half of XIXc. The architect initiated the construction of about 150 buildings in various parts of Europe, including his creations in Prague (the maternity hospital and his own fairy-tale castle). The Armenian Church in Chernivtsi is also one of Josef Hlavka's masterworks. The construction of the Residence influenced the place names. "The Road to the Episcopal Residence", leading from the Market Square to the Bishop's Edifice, appeared on the maps and in the documents of that time. Later its name was changed to "Episcopal Street" (Bischofsgasse), and the hill behind the Residence, known earlier as Dornnyk or Panska Gora, started to be called the Episcopal Hill. It was formally regis- tered as Habsburgs' Hill in 1882. In 1794, at the request of the local Orthodox aristocracy, the Austrian administration authorized the construction of the Central Cathedral and a full-fledged Episcopal Residence. It took 50 years to complete them though. It was Bishop Yevhen Hakman who was the first to convince the authorities to permit the construction of a new spacious residence. In I860 the archbishop became the head of the construction committee, and three years later on August 20, 1863, Kaiser issued an edict approving of the plan. On July 6(1 8), 1864, the day after the consecration of a newly-built Cathedral, Bishop Yevhen Hakrnan laid a cornerstone into the foundation of St. Ivan of Suceava Chapel on the place of the old residence. The construction lasted with some intervals up to 1882. For the most part Josef Hlavka supervised the construction of the main buildings of the Residence himself, but in 1872 a serious disease compelled him to resign after almost ten years of selfless toil. On January 23, 1873, Kaiser's decree created a metropolis in Bukovyna, and the Bishop in this ecclesiastic province was consecrated the Archbishop and the Metropolitan. Since then the Building has been called the Residence of Metropolitans or the Metropolitan Residence. The whole ensemble attracts visitors with its unusual look resembling a medieval castle. High brick walls are decorated with ceramics and carved stone. Straight towers, butt-ends and pointed ledges are trimmed with high merlons. Steep slopes of the roof are decked with the ornament of white, green, blue and brown glazed tiles. All of them give an impression of eternity, sublimity and festivity. They seem to unite things impossible to join: Stars of David adorn the dome of. .. the psalmist school. The spire of the Metropolitan Church is crowned with a unique three-dimensional cross pointing to the west for the Catholic, and to the east for the Orthodox. Tolerance can create genuine masterpieces. The ensemble of the Metropolitan Residence consists of three monumental buildings. The Metropolitan building is in the centre, at the remote end of the central lane which encompasses the Metropolitan Palace with its residential and administrative quarters. Along with two side paths of the seminary and the monastery the central lane forms a peculiar Baroque ceremonial courtyard. When constructing a two-storeyed building of the Residence Josef Hlavka used the model of the Museum of Arms in Vienna Armoury built in 1850-1856. Thus the facades of the buildings have much in common. The composition is extremely plain and efficient. The courtyard is encircled with the buildings from three sides. In the centre one can see the Metropolitan Palace with the main entrance and the domed Chapel of St Ivan of Suceava on the left. The most imposing premises are the enormous vestibule with heavy columns, and on the first floor there is a 20-metre high Synodal Hall (nowadays the Marble Hall) with an adjoining gallery. On the left there is the seminary building with the Synodal church in the middle. On the right there is an austere building with a clock tower. Once it housed a Psalmist school, an Icon-painting School, a Museum and a Guest House. The huge volume of construction works demanded a high quality of materials. Hence a number of stone quarries were opened and new brickworks were built. Mined in the Carpathians and in the Dniester basin alabaster, marble and coral calculus were widely used to decorate facades and interior. By the way, J. Hlavka made a decorative vase (valued at 700 golden guldens) from locally mined alabaster and sent it to the world art exhibition in Paris in 1878. The architect made extensive use of iron that saved the building during Bucharest earthquake of 1977. The building stood the test several times and not a crack was ever seen on its walls. The architect himself did not see his creation completed. Not long before the construction was finished Josef Hlavka started ailing having shattered his health with arduous labour and constant lack of sleep. He went home and spent a few years in a wheelchair. Though it did not destroy his love of architecture, and he organized a Charity Foundation which still provides talented students of architecture in the Czech Republic with some substantial support. The ensemble of the Residence would not be perfect without the public garden in front and the park behind the main building. It is walled in and has a magnificent gate. The ensemble itself and the neighbouring property were finally put in order in 1878. The Residence is a typical example of the so-called "brick style" which was very popular in Western European architecture in the period of Eclecticism. It incorporated the most progressive and realistic trends of that time. Karl Schinckel and his followers did a lot for its development. Nevertheless, it is not the only aspect residing in the building. There are others reflecting the acuteness of the national issues in the empire of Austria-Hungary. The roof decoration bears specific ornamental patterns. The roof tiling create multi-coloured variegated ornaments resembling Hutsul tapises (lizhnyks), Easter egg (pysankas) patterns and the design of Bukovynian runners (rushnyks). It is rather difficult to see stylistic background that inspired J. Hlavka while designing the gates, because one can find the combination of motives of Western Middle Ages and a hint at Eastern exotics. Although the presence of Eastern architectural motives in the composition of the gates of Residence can seem somehow unexpected, the answer to this problem is to be found in the architecture of Venice. Similar motives reflect the historical fate of this town - a European "sea gate" to Moslim countries. It explains the peculiarity of architectural design of the gate of the Metropolitan Residence in Chernivtsi: there is Oriental plot in its image, perceived with the help Venice experience. As the embodiment of the Orthodox Church, the Residence symbolizes the dialogue and cooperation between nations and cultures. This architectural masterpiece was built owing to Bishop Yevhen Hakman's initiative, a Ukrainian from a village in Bukovyna, who promoted the theological education in Rumanian as the language of instruction, but, in general, facilitated the growth of Orthodoxy. But it was Joseph Glavka, Czech and Catholic, who made Y. Hakman's dreams come true.

The Metropolitan Building

There are spacious quarters for living and working of the Metropolitan in the Residence. There are also lavishly decorated halls, where distinguished guests would be received and diocesan meetings would take place. The Metropolitan chancellery and consistory were also located here. The blueprints of the facade of the principal building made by J. Hlavka himself are kept in Administrative Archives of Vienna. The Marble hall (once known as the Synodal hall) is the most admirable among the rooms of the main building adorned with marble and columns. It is similar to modem luxurious halls with decorative or genre painting. The gallery (balconies) arches rest on 11 alabaster columns; between the arches the walls were decorated with fresco paintings and mosaics. Decorated with alabaster walls are covered with frescos depicting famous personalities of Early Middle Ages ("Conversion of Equal to Apostles Emperor Konstantyn"); prominent events in the history of Bukovyna and local Orthodox church ("The Celebration of Bukovyna Oath 1777", "Translation of the Relics of St Ivan from Trapemnd to Suceava at the Beginning of XVc", "The Foundation of Religious Fund in 1786"), and also the portraits of all Bukovynian bishops, archbishops and metropolitans painted by a Czech professor K. Skovoroda. Marvellous wooden ceiling with rich ornament, marble corridors, dome-shaped ceilings are equally impressive. The main halls were to be decorated with the portraits of Austrian monarchs and Moldavian governors of province. A Bukovynian painter E. Buchevskyi started created the paintings. Unfortunately, E. Buchevskyi died, but E. Maksymovych continued his work. He painted the portraits of Bukovynian metropolitans Arkadiy Chuperkovych and Volodymyr Repta. The newly renovated ceiling decorations and small structural details on the vaults, pilasters, friezes and capitals are as enchanting and captivating as they were a century ago. The Chapel of St. Ivan of Suceava had a specific role since it was the first building of the Residence and the Metropolitan home church. Metropolitan Sylvester Morariu-Andriyevych consecrated it in 1882. The interior hrniture was of special importance. In 1879-1880 an architect F. Kshenzarskiy designed stylish furniture for metropolitan's apartments and other rooms. Illuminating equipment was designed by architects 1.Mashutka and F.Shmoranz and made by a craftsman fiom Vienna W.Hillar. A fire destroyed a lot of paintings, but, fortunately, it spared the Conference hall of the Holy Synod (nowadays the Red Hall). It is a peculiar, extraordinary beautiful wooden 'jewel box', whose wall painting resembles a sophisticated trimming with red Chinese silk. It seems the ceiling is a wonderful collection of pysankas. And the floor is red beech, oak and green lime parquet. And the legend says the enormous Venetian mirrors can rejuvenate each looking at them and give each man absolution. Mirrors are indeed precious, Venetian; it's so easy to prove that: just put a candle or a lighter in front of a chandelier. If you look attentively, instead of one light, you may see five: that is the exact number of silver layers on the mirror.

The Seminary Building

The right wing of the residential ensemble (to the leA of the main entrance) is the seat of the theological seminary and the College of Orthodox theology. (By the way, nowadays our University is the only one in Ukraine which the College of Philosophy and Theology. The graduates majoring in "Theology" receive the same diploma as the graduates of Kyiv Academy of Theology and at obtain higher secular education at the same time). The historical building of the Seminary encircles the Seminary church of Three Hierarchs. The first stone to the foundation of the temple was laid by archbishop Y.Hakrnan on April 3 (15), 1867. The church is known for its amazing acoustics. The side ledges of the Seminary building are topped with German "tongs". But in the center there is a huge Byzantine quinquecuspidate dome that creates a romantic and elated image of the building, universal by its nature, with an orthodox temple standing next to the classrooms and lecture-halls. In the courtyard of the Seminary building one may notice the motives borrowed rom western European Romanesque style of 1 lth centuries. The arrangement of mosaics on the windows above the entrance was carefully thought of: on a sunny day one may observe an exciting light phenomenon - the sunrays moving gradually, light up the faces of the apostles, Mother of God, Jesus Christ and the Crucifix. Several experts worked on the trimming of this temple. Anna Hoffman, the sculptor, made mouldings for 12 capitals of the tower.

The Church of Three Hierarchs

The Seminary church was painted by the artist from Vienna K. Jobst and a Bukovynian painter E.Buchevskiy. K.Jobst, who worked on the painting of the Residence in 1877-1 880, made tempera paintings on the most prominent Biblical plots: the Nativity, the Resurrection and the Ascension. E.Buchevskiy embellished the interior of the temple with wonderhl decorative ornaments. Since the Temple of Three Hierarchs was a metropolitan church, Metropolitan Sylvester Morariu - Andriyevych consecrated it to God on July 15 (27), 1882, and named after outstanding Christian theologians, the Fathers of the Church and Ecumeni- cal Hierarchs: St Basil the Great, John Chrysostom and Gregory the Divine. Though the church was closed during the Soviet period, the administration of the university managed to save magnificent murals and the iconostasis for us to see them now in their immaculate beauty. Nowadays the students of the College of Philosophy and Theology along with their professors and tutors revive the church services. Wedding ceremonies as well as christening are quite frequent in this church.

The Guest House

To the right of the main entrance there is the building called the presbytery. A Psalmist school, a Museum, Visitors' Chambers and a Candle Shop (founded in 1929) were on the premises. The main attraction of the presbytery is its tiled roof with traditional ornamental patterns of Bukovyna. The gracious tower on top of the building is also worth mentioning primarily because of its crown decorated with the Stars of David. The researchers assume that the architect intended to emphasize old biblical tradition common for both Judaism and Christianity.

Arboretum

There is also an arboretum on the territory of the Residence. It is encircled with a 3-metre (10 feet) high stone wall and covers an area of 5 hectares (12.5 acres). The biggest part of the arboretum is a landscape. Rare species of trees are mingled with the native ones: maples, oaks, lime-trees and hornbeams. They build up a solid defensive line all around the park. This line is supposed to provide the total isolation of the park thus creating the atmosphere of serenity. The park entrance completes the regular part of the ensemble with its buildings and the garden. In the middle there is a monument to J. Hlavka built in 1937 by sculptor A. Severyn. A fir-tree, the same age as the park itself, grows near the monument. Next to it there are two ponds with fountains. Behind the facade is the park. A path leads to a small pond with weeping willows, Soulangis magnolia and catalpas. It is one of the most picturesque nooks. From there the paths disperse. The park, with an asymmetric tree planting and glades, has pre- served some elements of ornamental design: artificial hills, garden benches, a large stone grotto and sculptures. One of the park wonders is a "three-legged" apple-tree. Its crown had been an understock for two grafts from neighbouring trees that formed together such a botanic wonder.

The ensemble of the Bukovynian Metropolitan Residence is undoubtedly one of the most impressive works of art in European architecture. It dates back to the second half of XIXc. and is considered the core of the architectural heritage of Chernivtsi. This unsurpassed complex is noted for its combination of styles, use of national motifs in roof decoration, in particular its colour spectrum, and its pristine authentic look. After WWII the Residence was restored twice, in 1944- 1945 and in 1955. In Europe the Metropolitan residence ensemble is certainly one of a kind.

Valeur universelle exceptionnelle

Satements of authenticity and/or integrity

At present, the monument has kept its authenticity. The original layout, composition and design have been preserved intact. By the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR N! 970 of 24 August, 1963, the property is included to the National Inventory of the Monuments of History and Culture as a monument of architecture with national status.

Comparison with other similar properties

The architectural monument the Residence of Bukovynian Metropolitans has no direct analogues in Europe.