extended abstracts - Geomorphic Processes and Geoarchaeology

Geomorphic processes and geoarchaeology
horizon, but also a rare clot and dust structure, peculiar to the places of centuriesold
reclamation.
The annexe built at the southern side of the church in order to show the main
entrance, which existed for a long time till the beginning of the restoration which was
held in the 70 s , can be treated as another evidence that the Prince’s residence was located
to the south of the church. It was demolished as well as another larger annexe on the
pretext that they were both built later than the church itself.
The territory to the south of the church has been subjected to the anthropogenic
influence for all the centuries since the construction of the church. However, there are no
data on what has ever been built there. There is no doubt that there have been numerous
changes in the state of this land. The last significant change took place during the Great
Patriotic War. There were anti-aircraft guns there, apart from that some shelters and
dugouts were built on its territory.
Some traces of foreigners’ stay were found there. There is some evidence of their
stay such as a sabre of some foreign origin found in the last century in the 50 s . Big forged
nails, pieces of broken crockery made of clay, which were not typical for the plates and
vessels of that time, are also attributed to the past times.
These days this lot is somehow preserved. As the soil is not being cultivated at the
moment, there are favourable conditions for conducting excavations. Even in case no
diggings are carried out or nothing significant is found as a result of excavations, the soil
of this territory should be applied as an original testing ground for exploration of all
changes that have happen to it in the process of long usage.
There is an old open pit, which is mainly lined with cottages, to the south-east of
the church less than 300 meters away. It is possible that the loamy soil extracted from this
open pit was used for production of bricks to build the church. This hypothesis can be
proved by the fact that no substantial buildings have been built in this western part of the
city for the last few centuries. Another old open pit, where there are also many cottages,
is situated several hundred meters to the south of the first open pit. Only specialists
conducting special research can define whether the soil extracted from these open pits
was used for building the Svirskaya church or any other churches. Nothing is mentioned
in the chronicle about who built the church, where the raw materials for producing bricks
were extracted from or where other construction materials were brought from.
The cemetery which is located near the church is one of the oldest in the city.
Burial places in its southern part, where primarily noble people were buried in the ancient
times, could tell us much about the history. It can be proved by original creative
monuments that existed here till the 60 s of the last century (e.g. a peculiar monument in
the south-eastern part of the cemetery made of granite in the form of an oak tree) and
burial vaults. Some coffin chambers, where people of different generations were buried,
are characterized by rich decorations and by various articles made of silver and gold.
Unfortunately, they were plundered during the first post-war years after the prohibition to
bury people in this cemetery.
Nowadays there are neither any monuments, no any tombs of different burial
periods. Almost all the territory of the cemetery near the church, especially to the south
and to the east, is flattened. From the south-eastern part there is a road built on the place
where there used to be tombs. A lot of cars move on this road on significant religious
holidays. There is also a building owned by the church erected in the western part of the
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