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The Ruined Byzantine Temples of Sochi — Problems of Succession and Museumification

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.37816/2073‑9567‑2026‑79‑270‑287
  • УДК / UDC: 7.025
  • Publication Type: Research Article
  • For Citation:

    Barsukova, N.I., Pritomskaya, A.R. “The Ruined Byzantine Temples of Sochi — Problems of Succession and Museumification.” Vestnik slavianskikh kul’tur, vol. 79, 2026, pp. 270–287. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.37816/2073‑9567‑2026‑79‑270‑287 
  • Author 1: Natalia I. Barsukova
  • Information about the Author 1:

    Natalia I. Barsukova — DSc in Art History, Professor, Chief Researcher, St. Petersburg State Stieglitz Academy of Art and Industry, Solyanoy Line, 13–15, 191028 St. Petersburg, Russia.

    ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000000192224885

    E‑mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
  • Abstract: The paper provides analysis of the current situation related to the archaeological finds of ancient Byzantine ruined temples in the territory of Greater Sochi and the understanding of their significance as the cultural origins of Medieval Russia. It also dwells upon some techniques of museumification of monuments of cultural and historical heritage of the Eastern Black Sea region as the only possible way to preserve the heritage. For the first time, the author raises the question of the urgency for intercultural communication and interdisciplinary research in studying this topic in order to combine efforts to preserve cultural heritage sites in Sochi. The paper puts forward the assumption about the expediency of reconstructing or modeling ancient temples with modern exposition tools, organizing special museum exhibitions in situ or on the territory adjacent to the ruined object. The study presents ways to visualize scientific knowledge about the Byzantine ruined temples of Sochi for demonstrating them to the wide groups of population. The author analyzes the design possibilities of architectural installations, augmented reality and virtual media — visual holography, optical design and multimedia media technologies and comes up with proposals to restore the entire monument, as well as its individual parts, by graphic, three‑dimensional or digital means of the destroyed object. All these measures should help to bridge the gap between the currently uninformative appearance of the ruined temple as an architectural monument and its restored appearance in one form or another. The study substantiates the importance of museumification of the most ancient temples of Russia of the VI–VIII centuries discovered on the territory of Sochi, as well as their uniqueness for our country, since there are no temples of this period anywhere in central or northern Russia, even in the form of ruins.
  • Keywords: architecture, Byzantium, ruined temples of Sochi, museumification, the exposition in situ, open storage, cultural heritage, digital reconstruction.
  • Страницы / Pages: 270–287
  • Received: June 2, 2025
  • Approved after Reviewing: January 23, 2026
  • Publication Date: March 25, 2026

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