The construction history of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Pereslavl'-Zalessky in the light of new discoveries
Researchers of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Pereslavl'-Zalessky have long been trying to prove the authenticity of the building's exterior. With the exception of several small details introduced by later additions and renovations, the facades of the cathedral have been believed to survive in their most pristine form. In 2015, the pre-restoration clearing revealed some graffiti on high-elevated blocks, some blocks with mesh ornaments (located in no special order) and hewn-off semi-columns, a number of blocks with fresco fragments and a carved fragment in the backfilling. All of the finds brought us back to the original question of the cathedral's authenticity. Studying the cathedral walls from the scaffolding and the use of a photorealistic 3D model has allowed the authors to find traces of a fire on the surface of the blocks. Also discovered were a network of holes from the original scaffolding and some previously unseen features of the masonry, such as joints, grips and leveling courses. Seen together, all of these finds prove that the facades are homogenic and thus genuine. The elements of the decor which do not match the cathedral's known exterior survive from its earliest design never to be completed. At an early stage of construction, it must have been rejected - a decision which fashioned the cathedral we know, with its well-known laconism of style.