Vladimir V. Sedov

Institute of Archeology RAS, Moscow, Russia

E-mail: sedov1960@mail.ru

Keywords: Ancient Rus, Old Russian architecture, side-altars, altars, small architectural forms, small altars, lateral apses.

The article publishes a stone structure found during excavations in the northern lateral apse of Sts Boris and Gleb Church in Kideksha. The wall with a door dates back to the early 13th century and can be interpreted as a part of the side altar. Similar designs of a side altar segmented in plan have also been noted in two churches in Staraya Ladoga dating to the second half of the 12th century. A specific, previously unknown, group of side altars is distinguished. The assumption about the Byzantine origin of this type of altars is made. The author indicates the only analogue so far found in the countries of the Byzantine world: the altars of the lateral chapels of the Assumption Church in Gracanica of the early 14th century.

DOI: 10.31857/S086960630001650-4