The collection of the Tobolsk Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve contains a square-shaped tin plate. It has rough edges which are slightly chipped. The text on the obverse says that the church of the Holy Prophet ZacharIah and the Righteous Elizabeth was founded on June 26, 1759 in Tobolsk. The author of the inscription mentioned that this event happened during the reign of ‘our pious Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna’, when His Eminence Varlaam was the bishop of Tobolsk and Siberia.
The text on the plate was carved by hand. The relief is shallow, but clear and well preserved. To make the inscription properly aligned, the artisan drew horizontal lines.
The plate is stored in a square case made of pinkish-gray sandstone. The case consists of two parts. On the obverse of the lid, there is a carved relief image of a cross with four equal arms, each flaring from the center to the edge. At the bottom of the case, there is a recess for the plate, surrounded by low rims.
The tradition of solemnly laying the first so-called cornerstone dates back to ancient times. It originated from biblical references to the stone that ‘became the head of the corner.’ When an Orthodox church was to be built, the ceremony was performed by clergymen. They made a procession and carried out a prayer service, consecrated water and read a special prayer, the ‘rite upon the foundation’. After that, a square stone with the image of a cross was sprinkled with holy water and laid in the foundation of the future building. Miniature icons, crosses, coins or memorial tablets could be placed inside.
Contrary to tradition, a plate from the collection of the Bishop’s House was placed not in the foundation of the church, but in the brickwork of the window sill. The church, where it was kept, was built in the Siberian baroque style, as the local religious architecture style of the 18th century is called. This style is characterized by complex forms and rich exterior decoration with oriental elements: they may have been adopted by the architects from the Buryats.
The text on the plate was carved by hand. The relief is shallow, but clear and well preserved. To make the inscription properly aligned, the artisan drew horizontal lines.
The plate is stored in a square case made of pinkish-gray sandstone. The case consists of two parts. On the obverse of the lid, there is a carved relief image of a cross with four equal arms, each flaring from the center to the edge. At the bottom of the case, there is a recess for the plate, surrounded by low rims.
The tradition of solemnly laying the first so-called cornerstone dates back to ancient times. It originated from biblical references to the stone that ‘became the head of the corner.’ When an Orthodox church was to be built, the ceremony was performed by clergymen. They made a procession and carried out a prayer service, consecrated water and read a special prayer, the ‘rite upon the foundation’. After that, a square stone with the image of a cross was sprinkled with holy water and laid in the foundation of the future building. Miniature icons, crosses, coins or memorial tablets could be placed inside.
Contrary to tradition, a plate from the collection of the Bishop’s House was placed not in the foundation of the church, but in the brickwork of the window sill. The church, where it was kept, was built in the Siberian baroque style, as the local religious architecture style of the 18th century is called. This style is characterized by complex forms and rich exterior decoration with oriental elements: they may have been adopted by the architects from the Buryats.
