The Church of St. John the Baptist in Tolchkov can be called one of the most interesting examples of Russian architecture. Temples with onion domes are a distinctive tradition of Russian architectural schools, but in the Church of St. John the Baptist in Tolchkov this tradition is greatly enhanced. Here you can see the only church in Russia with 15 domes.
The exterior and interior decor of the Church of St. John the Baptist is so complex that the image of the church was placed on the most common in Russia banknote of 1000 rubles. Many experts recognize the architecture of this church as a manifestation of the highest flourishing of the Yaroslavl school. The domes of the temple are assembled in "bundles" - one central dome, and around it four small domes.
The Church of St. John the Baptist was founded in 1671. Now it is located inside the urban development of Yaroslavl, but in the 17th century the village of Tolchkovo was located here, far outside the city. If you want to see this church, it is better to take a taxi from the city center here.
The distance from the Volga Embankment or other attractions of the center of Yaroslavl is about 4 kilometers. The Fedorovskaya church, built in 1683, is 800 meters away from the Church of St. John the Baptist in Tolchkovo. It has preserved wonderful frescoes made by Yaroslavl masters in the 18th century. These two churches are within walking distance of each other, so their visits should be combined.
After restoration in 2020, the Church of St. John the Baptist became a branch of the Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve. Its main expositions are located in the Transfiguration Monastery. On the exterior decor of the church, dozens of variations of curly bricks and majolica, which masters used for creating of various patterns.
The main artistic value of the Church of John the Baptist in Tolchkovo is in the interior paintings, which were made in just 1 year, from 1694 to 1695. The artels of the masters who painted the temple were led by Dmitry Grigoriev and Fyodor Ignatiev. The Baroque iconostasis was made in 1701.
All the surfaces of the walls, columns and ceiling inside the temple, as well as all the walls in the galleries and even the window openings are covered with paintings. In total, you can see more than one and a half thousand plots on the themes of the Old and New Testaments. The detail of the frescos is amazing. Experts believe that in terms of the number of frescoes and their details inside one church, this church has no equal not only in Russia, but also throughout the world.
