Bricks from the Twelfth-Century Churches in Pskov

The authors produced a review of the available data on the plinthoi (thin bricks) of the four known masonry churches of Pskov of the period before the Mongol invasion (neither plinthoi nor bricks are known in the architecture of Pskov in the consequent period, i. e., in the 13th-16th centuries). Generalized observations were made on the features of the manufacturing technology (ceramic fabric, molding, and formats) of this building material, its use in structures (opus mixtum masonry of walls, arches, and vaults), and its role in the design of these landmarks. Thus, we can admit that these features generally correspond to the traditions of the Novgorod architectural school, which had evolved by the beginning of the 12th century. At the same time, some local deviations are also present, expressed in more developed marking of plinthoi, no use of brick dentils in the cornices of arches, as well as no external plastering of facades constructed using the opus mixtum masonry technique with the alternating rows of limestone slabs or bricks, irregularly recessed (Transfiguration Church of the Mirozh Monastery). The brick stamps, including those with princely emblems (bidents), on the plinth originating from the St. Demetrius of Solun Church, remain unique