Architecture of the Northern Balkans in the 9th–10th Centuries and its Connection with the Adriatic Coast

The barbarian invasions of the 6th and 7th centuries weakened Byzantine influence in the Balkans. The gradual recovery from the crisis in the northern regions of the Balkans and the Dalmatian coast took place under different cultural and political conditions, but had many similarities in terms of artistic development. After the Christianization of the Balkans was completed in the second half of the 9th century, church construction intensified. During this period, artistic revision of the late Roman and early Christian heritage continued on the Dalmatian coast, while new forms penetrating from both the West and Byzantium were assimilated. Several interesting architectural types stand out in Dalmatian church construction at this time, including domed polyconches. At the end of the 9th and 10th centuries, the northern regions of the Balkans were subordinate to the First Bulgarian Empire, whose borders stretched from the Danube to the shores of the Adriatic. The architectural features of a number of buildings suggest that Dalmatian builders may have been involved in this contact zone, carrying out projects related to the activities of St. Clement and St. Naum of Ohrid. At the beginning of the 10th century, in the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire, Preslav, the involvement of Dalmatian builders may have been in demand during periods of intensified Bulgarian-Byzantine wars, when artistic ties with Constantinople were severed. In this regard, the Round Church, built in the form of a polyconch unique to this region, is of interest. In our presentation, we will try to identify not only parallel trends, but also differences in the architectural development of the northern Balkan regions and the Adriatic coast. Special attention will be paid to analyzing the nature of Byzantine influences in the regions under consideration. (The research is supported by the Russian Science Foundation, project 25-18-00656).