Saint Nicholas church in Kamenskoe
This is one of the first white-stoned churches of the Moscow Rus. It was built in the early 14th century. It has one exceptional feature. It is the traditional Russian cruciform church with a dome, but it has no pillars! More exactly, the pillars exist, but they are moved to the corners and joined to the external walls. This creates a unique interior. The load from the tholobate distributes over arches and pendentives to these corner pillars. Supposedly, such rare churches became prototypes for the pillarless churches with cross vaults. Initially, the walls ended with zakomaras with kokoshniks.
Even today the church looks amazing. It has beautiful raw stone textures, only some details are smoothly carved. The atmosphere is intimate. The vaults and general tectonics of the church are interesting.
Zakomara is a semicircular or keeled completion of a wall in the Old Russian architecture.
Kokoshnik is a semicircular or keel-like exterior decorative element in the Old Russian architecture.
Even today the church looks amazing. It has beautiful raw stone textures, only some details are smoothly carved. The atmosphere is intimate. The vaults and general tectonics of the church are interesting.
Zakomara is a semicircular or keeled completion of a wall in the Old Russian architecture.
Kokoshnik is a semicircular or keel-like exterior decorative element in the Old Russian architecture.
