THE ALTAR SCREEN OF THE CHURCHIN VESYOLOYE VILLAGE:AN ATTEMPT AT VIRTUAL RECONSTRUCTION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32653/CH222%25pKeywords:
Abkhazian Kingdom, Greater Sochi, architectural decoration, Middle Byzantine period, altar screenAbstract
TThis study examines the principles of reconstructing the altar screen of a medieval church in the village of Vesyoloye, Adler District, Greater Sochi. Discovered and explored during archaeological excavations in the construction zone of the XXII Olympic Winter Games, the church ruins were preserved predominantly at the foundation level. The excavations yielded sixteen fragments of architectural decoration, including unique artifacts that offer critical insights into the screen’s original appearance. Notably, a fragment of a tyablo (architrave) depicting “Daniel in the Lions’ Den” suggests an altar screen typology characteristic of Greece and Asia Minor from the 10th to the early 11th century. This hypothesis is further supported by other architectural elements, including presumed pillar caps for hanging chancel doors, portions of octagonal columns from the upper registers of the altar screen pillars, and a square-section lower fragment decorated with braided ornamentation. To reconstruct the screen’s appearance, ten fragments of carved decoration were selected and digitized using photogrammetry and direct 3D modeling, serving as the foundation for the final digital reconstruction. The overall proportions of the screen were determined based on a scaled plan of the building, statistical data on Middle Byzantine altar screens from Greece and Asia Minor, and anthropometric indicators. Integrated into a previously developed 3D model of the Vesyoloye church, the resulting reconstruction demonstrates a unique symbiosis of Byzantine design and distinct regional Caucasian features, as exemplified by the specific placement of the “Daniel in the Lions’ Den” motif on the lower edge of the architrave’s trapezoidal cross-section.
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