Religion and culture of Cambodia. culture of cambodia

national character The Khmers are quite widely known - they are calm and reserved people, having some inclination to idle pastime, respecting the king and their country, and true Buddhists. They are very tolerant of the manifestation of dissent or ignorance of local laws, but it is still recommended not to neglect their patience. For the most part, they categorically do not accept alcohol and drugs, but this applies, basically, only to "European products." Some Cambodians, especially women, constantly chew betel. And men use chewing tobacco or various local herbs that have a weak narcotic effect.

The feeling of collectivism among the Khmers, according to many researchers, is very similar to the Japanese. At the same time, community and even some tribalism are very noticeable. The institution of the family and religious traditions are especially revered here. "Wat" or "Wat" ("temple") is the center of any Cambodian village. Usually Wat is a temple or pagoda itself, surrounded by a wall, a small "holy place" with Buddha statues, a reservoir and a residential area in which the monks live. Usually the temple keeps in care primary school where village children study.

When a Cambodian youth turns 16, he goes to the temple and lives a monastic life for several years. The purpose of this practice is to teach young people the basics of Buddhism, to elevate the level of a person, which is considered to accordingly raise the status of a person in the "next life", after rebirth. When living in a monastery, young people spend their time in work, prayer, reflection and study. Therefore, the subsequent close connection between man and religious commandments, so characteristic of Cambodia, becomes quite understandable.

When visiting temples, it is customary to leave hats and shoes at the entrance, respect the monks and Buddha images, and make donations to the temples. Walk around the temple in a clockwise direction. Photographing places of worship and local residents should be done only after asking for permission (in most cases, you will need to pay for this).

Cambodians traditionally greet each other with a handshake and a bow, similar to the Thai wai gesture, but in Lately Khmer people are increasingly just shaking hands. women use traditional greeting both among themselves and in dealing with men. When visiting a private home, office or organization, it is customary to give a small gift.

When visiting the country, it should be borne in mind that it is not customary for Khmers to show their anger or anger (this means "losing face"), touch someone else's head (especially for children), point a finger at someone, give and receive something with two hands (this can only be done with a “clean” right hand), put the feet on the table or show the soles to the interlocutor (the legs are considered “unclean” due to constant contact with the ground) and lift up thumb hands (among the Khmers this is considered a sexual gesture).

Dress code is mostly informal. Both men and women wear a cotton or blended sarong in everyday life. Silk sarongs are worn on holidays or used in everyday wear by fairly wealthy people. In cities, ordinary trousers and wide-cut dresses are commonly worn, covering most of the body. On formal occasions, like religious festivals or family gatherings, women often wear "hoi" (a specially cut shirt), but generally women dress very modestly.

Tourists are advised to wear light clothing - trousers (but not shorts and miniskirts!) and long sleeve shirts, especially when visiting religious sites. In all other cases, short-sleeved shirts and loose-fitting clothing are perfectly acceptable.

Buddhism is considered their religion by about 95% of the population of the country of Cambodia. The religion of this area is called Theravada, or "southern Buddhism."

In Cambodia, it is not surprising that Buddhism has the status of a founding religion and is fully recognized by the laws of the country.

There is a small percentage (1.5%) of the population of Cambodia whose religion is Islam. There are even fewer Christians here - about 0.5%. Here Buddhism bears the name and character of Theravada, which, moreover, is recognized as the state religion. There are a huge number (more than 4300) of monasteries and temples in Cambodia.

The monks of Cambodia are divided into two major orders: Thammayutnikai (more numerous) and Mahanikai. Although the second order is not so great, it is supported by local authorities.

Monastic groups live modestly and follow the 227 rules of Buddhist monks. They do not take part in recreational activities, and devote their entire existence to religion. Buddhist monasteries are called "vata".

In the life of the ordinary people of the country of Cambodia, religion is of the utmost importance, and Cambodians adhere to the religious Buddhist principles in everyday life.

In all the centuries of the formation of the culture of the country of Cambodia, religion was reflected in its art. The belief of local residents in animism was fully reflected in their cultural development. Hinduism and Buddhism also have their adherents. Both of these directions appeared on the Asian continent at the very beginning of our era.

Khmers live in settlements located close to each other. There they cultivate the land, and when the supply of useful properties of the soil, in the territory they have chosen, dries up, they leave this land and move. The rest of the main part of the inhabitants of Cambodia lives in permanent villages near the banks of reservoirs or near rivers. Khmer settlements often also include Chinese communities that practice Confucianism.

The Khmer Rouge, during their rule in the territory of the modern country of Cambodia, religion was banned until 1979.

Residents of Cambodia, who profess Buddhism, consider all existence to be a cycle of transmigration of the soul. Therefore, they try to “accumulate” good deeds. This they do by donating finances or things for the temples, or by bringing food for the monks.

The development of Khmer culture, in different eras, was influenced by international cultures. Cambodian cultural heritage combines features of Chinese and Thai cultures.

Sanskrit is the official language used in literature. Spoken language is Khmer, which is rather difficult to learn. The place of the second language of the country belongs to English, despite the fact that many residents speak French.

The extraordinary architectural buildings that have been preserved to date are the Angkor Wat and Bayon temple complexes located in the town of Siem Real. This is a powerful visual evidence of the majesty of the erected buildings of the cultural nature of the empire.

Along with the construction of buildings and temples, applied art, the development of sculptural monuments, the formation of musical and dance directions. All this, in the future, will play an extremely important role in the development of the culture and architecture of modern Cambodia, which is known today.
An example of the union of Cambodia's past and its present is the royal ballet, which was based on Thai, Javanese and Indian dance traditions and principles.

A wonderful place, with samples of Khmer culture and the image of Hindu deities, is the National Museum in Phnom Penh.

The depth and breadth of ties with India, which played an important role in shaping the culture of medieval Cambodia and were initially active, also had a certain significance.

In the process of processing and assimilating the achievements of Indian culture, the ways of development of Khmer art itself were increasingly identified and determined as a completely original phenomenon in the history of medieval Asian art. Indian religious, philosophical and cosmological ideas, which have been embodied in the art of Cambodia since the 9th century. have taken on a profoundly different meaning. In architecture, for example, if up to 9 and. the original isolated temple-tower somewhat resembles Indian models, then in the future such similarity almost disappears, and the art of Cambodia flourishes in its own, deeply national manner.

In Cambodia, the most ancient cult of snakes was widespread - many-headed nagas and fantastic creature- Garuda, which left a peculiar imprint on art. Cosmological dualism (for example, winged and water creatures, mountain and sea) was of great importance, and finally, the cult of ancestors procieted, which undoubtedly contributed to the grandiose scale of the construction of Khmer temples later. The sum of all these features early culture Cambodia significant role played by local tribal mythological ideas about the universe, which developed back in the tribal communal period.

Periodic repetition of waves of immigration from India to Funan contributed to the strengthening of the influence of Indian culture. This explains the presence of sculptures of the Funan period, depicting various deities of the Buddhist cult, but having a certain stylistic commonality.

Chinese influence

The cultural influence on Funan of China is not noted in the materials that have come down to us, although it undoubtedly existed. It is possible that Cambodia owes its relative restraint of architectural forms to the influence of Chinese architecture.

Several small brick and stone sanctuaries date back to the Funan era, the walls of which are either completely devoid of decorations or loosened with weakly protruding pilasters. Above the cornices, decorated with niches with figurines in them, is the upper part tapering upwards with terraces. Already in these modest buildings, which create the impression of compactness, there are subsequently obligatory elements of the portal: columns decorated with sculpture framing the entrance with a stone overhead.

At one time the capital was Sambir Prei Kuk. Among the many temples preserved on its territory of the first half of the 7th century. there are also isolated sanctuaries (prasa-ty), and groups of temples symmetrically placed on a common plinth. Mostly brick, they are square in plan, sometimes they have the shape of a rectangle. The walls are decorated with pilasters and covered with reliefs, partly made in the brickwork itself, which is a solid monolith, and partly in plaster. The upper part of the sanctuary is divided into tiers, decreasing upward both in height and width, and their breaks are simplified. The crowning part has a different shape: round, vase-shaped; if the roof is gable, then in its middle there is a row of stones with a slit in the middle, in which there are images of various mythological creatures.

Stone architecture was undoubtedly influenced by wooden architecture, in which the Khmers were great masters. With the development of stone architecture, this was reflected in the desire for an almost continuous sculptural treatment of the outer walls - first in plaster and later in stone. In a constructive sense, the transfer of methods of wooden architecture to stone caused great harm preservation of Khmer architecture. But in a decorative sense, this contributed to the flourishing of carving, ornamental and plastic decoration of buildings. Both in simple prasats and in complex later ensembles, a distinctive feature is an organic synthesis of architecture and sculpture.

Architectural elements of temples

Portals are an obligatory decoration of prasat facades, preserved throughout the history of Khmer stone architecture. Their main Elements are unchanged: two wall columns with a relief ornament, which support the overdoor - a wide stone slab decorated with sculpture, almost always made with great care. Above the doorway is a pediment. Characteristic are also found in the temples of Champa (Vietnam) and Indonesia stone "false doors", exactly repeating the wooden door of the entrance and its frame.

If early period Since the development of architecture (until the last quarter of the 9th century) is only the initial stage preceding the future remarkable achievements of Khmer architecture, then in the field of round sculpture, works later unsurpassed were created at that time. At first, based on imitations of Indian models of the style of Mathura and Lmaravati, Khmer masters already up to the 7th century. create original sculptures. Although it is generally accepted that no specimens of Funan sculpture have come down to us, it can be assumed that the art of this period is represented by a number of Buddha images found in the province of Prei Krabas. These excellent statues are distinguished by their ease of modeling and execution. Conditional clothing without folds, it envelops the figures as if with a transparent veil, so that the naked body stands out with complete clarity.

By the 6th - 9th centuries. includes a number of remarkable sculptural works. A true masterpiece is, for example, a statue of a standing female figure (7th century) (ill. 183). The feeling of balance and strength, grandeur and simplicity comes from her image. Without any dryness, fine detailing, with the help of a generalized and at the same time almost quivering processing of a massive volume, an unusually vital plasticity of the form was achieved. The head is also expressive, crowned with a cylindrical tiara, similar to Pallava (India). A full of life face is distinguished by the realism of its characterization; pay attention to some features of the Monkhmer ethnic type.

In the sculptures dedicated to the Brahminical cult, there is the same grandeur and integrity of the image, the same perfection of plastic modeling. Such, for example, is the statue of Hari-Hara (8th century) from the Prasat Andet temple (ill. 182), associated with the cult of Vishnu and Shiva in one person, which emphasizes syncretic religious tendencies. Characteristically, Shiva was never worshiped in Cambodia in his destructive and malevolent form. Shiva is always the god-creator here, which is connected with the light, in general, nature of the art of Cambodia. In this status of Hari-Hara, a desire for a certain accuracy in the transmission of individual anatomical details is noticeable. It is characteristic that in it, as in general in the round sculpture of Cambodia before the 10th century, there is no depiction of any jewelry; the folds of clothes hanging down in front are conveyed easily and almost do not disturb the general silhouette of the figure.

Changes in the culture of Cambodia at the turn of the 9th century AD

At the turn of the 9th c. Cambodia was ruled by Jayavarman II. A new period of political unification of the country is coming. its economic recovery. During this period of strengthening feudal relations in Cambodia, several capitals were built in which the king lived alternately, including Hariharalaya, corresponding to modern Roluos. Under Jayavarman II, a new state religion was established, namely the sacred ritual of Devaraja, that is, the god-king, which had the character of one of the forms of Shaivism, and was also associated with the traditions of the Funan and Javanese "Kings of the Mountain". Under Devaraja was understood the "royal essence" either in general or a certain sovereign. Devaraja had his seat in the sacred lingam. This lingam had to be placed on the top of a mountain - natural or artificial.

If the first symbol of Devaraja, perhaps, was simply installed on Mount Kulen, the temporary residence of Jayavarman II, then “temple-mountains” were built for him, belonging to the most interesting monuments of the monumental art of Cambodia. Such a temple was considered as a copy of the five-headed stepped world mountain Meru, which is located in the center of the universe, with magical powers, on top of which the main gods of the Hindu pantheon reside.

Among the highest ruling stratum of Cambodia, ideas were widespread, according to which great importance was attached to the relationship of the macrocosm, that is, the universe, with various forms microcosm, that is, a state, a city, a building, a person. Cambodia, like China, was considered the "kingdom of the middle" of the universe, and the capital was the center. At the intersection of the diagonals of the capitals, the main "temple-mountain" was erected with the symbol of Devaraji in the middle, which, thus, marked the axis of the universe. It is clear that according to this idea, they tried to make the temple as majestic as possible. This was facilitated by the fact that the temple idol was considered a truly spiritualized god, alive - and only motionless. For the founder, the very presence of the deity was important, but not the presence of the masses of believers. If the idol is not "alive", he could not serve as an object of worship. One of the consequences of this was the fact that the interior of the sanctuaries of the most grandiose temples was strikingly small - the flock was not allowed here.

During this period, the mature type of the temple ensemble in feudal Cambodia begins to be determined. From the 10th c. the previously isolated prasats sometimes began to be surrounded by narrow long buildings, forming around them one or the bottom of a concentric rectangle. Later, these buildings in some cases took the form of closed quadrangular galleries, also sometimes arranged in several concentric rows; towers rise at their corners. The temple ensemble was closed by concentric fences with majestic decorative gates, which in later large temples took the form of grandiose triple pavilions.

Large compositional problems were first posed in the last quarter of the 9th century. in the architecture of the ancient capital of Hariharalai. Here, in 879, six brick prasats of the Prah Ko temple were completed, arranged three in a row and raised on a common foundation.

Almost next to Phra Ko in 881, the first large “temple-mountain” Bakong was completed, the outer fence of which covered a rectangle measuring 900 X 700 m. Between the inner and outer fences is a ditch 60 m wide, crossed from the east and west by wide dams. In the middle is a stepped pyramid of laterite lined with sandstone, with a base area of ​​3,000 square meters. m The height of the ledges decreases from the bottom up, and the platforms are made less wide, so that the pyramid seems higher than it really is. The sanctuary, located on the upper platform, has not been preserved at the present time. The pyramid is surrounded by eight brick towers - prasats, decorated with sculptures in plaster and stone (ill. 184). The ensemble included numerous other buildings, now almost completely destroyed.

On both sides of the entrance esplanades there are sculptures of crawling giant multi-headed snakes - nagas. According to Hindu and Khmer mythology, the path of unity between gods and people is represented by a rainbow, personified by one or two snakes - a double rainbow. Passing between two nagas-rainbows, a person is preparing to enter the divine sphere of the temple or city-microcosm - the "reduced universe".
The image of a many-headed stone naga was widespread in the art of Cambodia; nagas reign on pediments, overdoors, on giant parapets; they are carved on the ground, on the terraces; everywhere - their hoods, torsos, often colossal, reaching hundreds of meters. The size of the nagas and their raised fan-shaped heads corresponds to the size of the temples with which they merge into one harmonious whole; it is unthinkable to imagine the architecture of Cambodia without the images of nagas decorating it.

A distinctive feature of large temple ensembles, starting with the buildings of Roluos, is the exceptional ability, with the help of usually accurately calculated perspectives and increasing effects, to prepare for the contemplation of the main, although often small building, surrounded by various buildings, fences, galleries. In the "temple-mountains" the central prasat ascends to the sky, giving the ensemble a skyward silhouette.

The grandiose "temple-mountain", built around 900, is Phnom-Bak-kheng, the central structure of the new capital of Lshodharaiura, partially blocking the territory of the future famous city, known as Aigkor Thom.
Phnom Bakheng is a natural hill that has been shaped like a five-tiered pyramid, covered with stone clothing and rising 60 m from the ground. Sandstone towers are erected on its platforms, rhythmically repeating one above the other on the four sides of the pyramid. Five larger sanctuary towers were grouped on the upper platform.

By the end of the 10th - beginning of the 11th century. includes the remaining unfinished "temple-mountain" Ta Keo. The first platform has 100X100 m, its height is 2.2 m; the second is 75 X 80 m, and it is 5.5 m higher than the lower one. The upper part of the pyramid, on which there are five central prasats, consists of three tiers 5.8, 4.5 and 3.0 m high. Ta Keo already has a closed gallery; five prasats of the upper platform are built of sandstone, and the plan of each has the shape of an equal cross. Overlappings continue to be made of brick, to which the now unknown composition gave the property of a monolith. The sculptural treatment of the facades is almost absent, nevertheless, the temple seems to be complete: the harmony of the volume-spatial composition is so great. In its clearly organized compositional scheme, Ta Keo is a classic monument of Khmer architecture. It would be enough to connect the sanctuaries of the upper platform with galleries, and this scheme would approach the especially complex type of composition used in Angkor Wat.

Footnotes descriptions of illustrations to the article in order of location

181. Colored frieze, East Entrance Portal to Banteay Srei. 967 Photo by Oleg Belyaev 182. Statue of Hari-Hara from Prasat Andet temple. 8th c. Sandstone. Phnom Penh Museum. 183. Female figure. Fragment of a sculpture. 7th c. Sandstone. Paris, Guimet Museum. 184. Bakong. Tower. 9th c. 185. Portal "library" in Banteay Srei. 967 186. Angkor Wat. 12th c. General form. Aerial photography. 187. Angkor Wat. 12th c. General form. Aerial photography. 188. Female figure. Fragment of a sculpture. Sandstone. Mid 11th century Saigon Museum. 189. Angkor Wat. Fragment of the central tower. 190. Angkor Wat. Portal. 191. Apsara. Sculpture in Banteay Srei. Fragment. 10th c. 192. Apsara. Fragment of the relief of Angkor Vaga. 193. Princesses and Apsaras. Relief of Angkor Wag. 194. A fragment of a relief depicting hell. Apgcore Wat. 195. Statue (perhaps Jayavarman VII). Fragment. Gray sandstone. 12th-13th centuries Phnom Penh Museum. 196. "Elephant Terrace" in Angkor Thom. Relief fragment. Late 12th century 197. "Gate of Victory". Angkor Tom. Late 12th century 198. Bayon Temple. 12th-13th centuries View from above. 199. Bayon Temple. Top part.

The layout of the temple ensemble of the Khmer Empire X-XII century AD.

In the period of 9-11 centuries. "temple-mountains" were a characteristic but not common architectural type. Usually the temple ensemble unfolds in a horizontal plane; Hundreds of such ensembles have survived to our time in a more or less damaged form. One of the most remarkable among them is the Banteay Srey ensemble (967). Three fences and a very wide ditch with steps descending to the water and dikes passing through it surround three central sanctuaries with two rather large rectangular buildings in front of them, called libraries (ill. 185).

The size of Banteay Srei shrines is very small; the length of the main one is only 10 m. a non-expansion false stepped vault, obtained by overhanging inside the rows of masonry of two opposite walls, did not allow covering large spaces (the maximum span - about 6 m - was achieved only in the 12th century). From the inside, the vault was not visible and was covered with a flat wooden ceiling.

The central sanctuaries are placed on a common terrace with clearly crafted profiles. The upper structure, which is taller than the sanctuary itself, is strongly dissected from the outside, thanks to which a rich picturesque play of chiaroscuro is created on its surface, but the elements of construction and decor in the architectonics of the coating are combined so harmoniously that they do not violate the overall harmony of the buildings.

The sculptural decoration of the temple of Banteay Srei is exemplary plastic art of this period (ill. 191). The reliefs, finely worked out and vividly reproducing the depicted plot, reflected new tendencies in the sculpture of medieval Cambodia in their narrative illustrativeness. At the same time, the harmonious, classically balanced composition is not violated here. So, for example, the sculptures of one of the tympanums arranged in several belts excellently illustrate the depicted plot; the evil many-headed and many-armed giant Ravana shakes the mountain, presented in the form of a stepped pyramid, in order to overthrow Shiva, who sits on top. His wife, Parvati, sits on his lap. Very lively and varied are the poses of the holy hermits depicted under the upper part of the tympanum, seized with amazement at the audacity of Ravana.

It is interesting to compare this composition with the relief of the 8th c. in ElUR on the same topic. Instead of a dynamic, full of tension composition, imbued with a sense of the superhuman conflict of the famous Indian relief, the clear, almost danceable rhythm and narrative-genre nature of the story attract attention here.

Even more perfect is the sculpture of one of the tympanums, depicting the duel of evil demons - asuras - for the possession of the beautiful woman Tilottama. The liveliness of the image is combined with a bold compositional shift: instead of traditional, axial symmetry, a balance of multidirectional mass movements is achieved. The figure of Tilottama is shifted to the left, she herself also looks to the left. The arrangement of the raised clubs of the demons emphasizes the dynamism of the scene; at the same time, these straight lines, the only ones in the tympanum, enrich the relief plastically, without violating the general clarity. compositional construction. Two floating figures fill the smooth background of the upper and make the overall composition even more balanced, echoing the kneeling figures at the bottom and introducing a dynamic element to it.

Of interest are the central pavilions of the upper gallery of the "temple-mountain" Baphuon (second half of the 11th century). decorated with sculptures representing, as it were, large rectangular paintings carved in stone. For the most part, they are located so high that they were not intended for viewing by believers during pradakshina (ritual; bypassing the temple from the outside), as in many other cases, pursuing the goal of “revitalizing” the temple. Plots taken from the legends of the Mahabharata and Ramayana and real life (hunting scenes, the toilet of the princess, everyday episodes) are distinguished by a highly decorative plastic solution, but the reliefs lack the transmission of perspective and all the characters are of the same size (except sometimes exaggeratedly large figures of gods and heroes). Images of buildings are smaller than actual size; the details, as it were, serve only to enable the viewer to understand what is shown in the relief.

In individual monuments of round sculpture of this time that have come down to us, the characteristic solidity and plasticity of the form, which distinguished the statues of the 7th-8th centuries, has still been preserved (ill. 188).

Works of monumental architecture of Cambodia

By the 12th century is the creation of one of the most outstanding works monumental architecture of Cambodia - a remarkable monument of the feudal era of the temple of Angkor Wat (ill. 186-187). In ancient times, this temple was called Vrah Vishnuloka, getting its modern name in the 19th century.

One scale of the ensemble already gives an idea of ​​the scope of the architectural concept, solved with such high perfection. Its size is grandiose: about one and a half kilometers long, about a kilometer wide. This quadrangle is surrounded by a fence, symbolizing the outer fence of the universe, and a wide channel, depicting the oceans.

The entrance portico, stretching for hundreds of meters, is located on the western side. Esplanades lead from it to the central massif. The outer gallery of the temple is decorated throughout with relief images of scenes taken from Vishnuist legends. Between the outer and middle galleries there is a cruciform entrance with four open courtyards. Steep stairs lead to the courtyard of the next floor, raised by 7 meters, to the entrance portals (ill. 190). Dior is surrounded by a gallery with towers located at its corners. In the middle of this courtyard is an upper platform surrounded by a third, inner gallery. Twelve stairs lead up to it, one in the middle of each side and two at each corner. The four corner towers-sanctuaries of the upper part of the temple, together with the central, highest tower (ill. 189), are connected to the gallery of the upper platform by covered passages that form a cross in plan. The central tower rises about 65 m above ground level.

The unity of the architectural and volume-spatial composition of the Angkor Wat ensemble is achieved primarily by the perfection of its planning, which reflected the completion of a long search for a harmonious combination of high loaves and long, lower buildings, in this case galleries, organically connected with the stepped pyramid of the “temple-mountain”.

The impeccability of the proportions of Angkor Wat is also explained by the fact that here it was possible to block rather wide galleries without resorting to excessive reduction of the false vault. Therefore, they are especially well combined with towers, courtyards, pools, canals, fences, gates, esplanades.

This unity also lies in thoughtful rhythmic comparisons, repetitions and growths of similar architectural parts, design elements, etc. Characteristic in this respect is the motif of towers, repeating at the corners of the galleries of the second and third floors and culminating in the largest, central one. The stairs leading to the platforms are made higher and higher in accordance with the increasing height of the platform floors, raised above each other by 4.7 and 13 m. Thus, the closer to the central tower of the temple, the more a kind of rhythmic and volumetric spatial tension of interconnected architectural elements of the ensemble.

An important role is played by the comparison of vertical and horizontal parts. This is clearly seen in the façade of the entire ensemble, where the general silhouette of the temple combines the upward aspiration of the towers with the calmer rhythm of the horizontal lines of the long and relatively low galleries. With their general harmony, the elements of the latter tectonically constitute a huge variety.

Of great interest is the structure of the towers of Angkor Wat, in which the Khmers managed to create an original type that reached its final expression - a completely different character than the Indian shikhara. The surface of the towers of Angkor Wat, with its division into horizontal tiers, slightly resembles the divisions of a Chinese pagoda, while the vertical recesses and projections are dictated by the star-shaped plan of the upper part, which, closer to the base, turns into a traditional rectangle. In general, an organic unity of a complex internal structure with a rich external design has been achieved.

In the central tower, its splendor and significance are increased by the cascades of many carved pediments that rise above the place where the galleries adjoin it.

The top of the five central towers is covered with some kind of yellowish substance. This part was to be painted or gilded; in other places of the temple, traces of both gilding and coloring were preserved, which gave it even more picturesqueness.

The general impression created by Angkor Wat is exceptional grandeur. This is facilitated by all the splendor of the elements that unfold as you approach the central sanctuary: wide esplanades decorated with nagas, porticos, overdoors, pediments, galleries and colonnades, stretching, it seems, to infinity, courtyards and courtyards of finely thought out proportions, pools, a variety of tectonic forms, merging into an organically connected whole, and which includes decoration and reliefs, numerous monumental free-standing round sculptures and nudes on parapets.

As noted above, the inner walls of the first, outer gallery, for about 800 m, are covered with continuous bas-reliefs 1.5 m high (ill. 193, 194). The central theme is divine way Suryavarmana-Yishnu; large sections of the walls are devoted to the image of his earthly life. These scenes are for the most part full of clarity of image, vitality, persuasiveness and great creative imagination. The plastic language of these bas-reliefs is virtuoso and at the same time simple and accessible; it is intended for the broad masses of believers.

The entire surface allotted to the bas-reliefs is filled with figures or accessories designed to leave no free space: trees, flowers, arrows, etc. Naturally, with their incredible length, these bas-reliefs were not made at the same time, they the quality is not always the same.

However, their common difference is always an extremely low relief - in the decoration of friezes, pilasters, etc. - approaching the impression made by artistic embossing on leather, engraving or relief heavy fabric.

Of great importance in the bas-reliefs is rhythmic repetition, sometimes a kind of parallelism of individual figures. Like an endless ornament, rows of figures of warriors replace each other either in the favorite images of great battles, or forming peculiar long garlands of endless processions, in which individual figures often lose all individuality, turning into a decorative element that has only the most general semantic meaning in the whole composition.

The absence of any compositional restrictions, except for the upper edge of the long walls of the gallery, differs sharply from the strict isolation of the rectangular frames of the piers, for example, in Baphuon, and the picturesque, but also closed thyme frames in the Banteay Srei temple. Therefore, the nature of the reliefs in the large outer gallery of Angkor Wat is rather decorative and ornamental. At the same time, however, the rich plot characteristics of the depicted narratives are preserved, only in them mass scenes are of paramount importance. The cosmic character of the events and collisions shown is conveyed primarily through their purely quantitative scale. Emotionality and dramatic tension in the compositions of bas-reliefs is expressed by the contrasts of dynamic groups actors with more static small flat images and with central figures, clearly readable in the general construction.

Among the various scenes, the image of the battle between gods and demons stands out (occupying about 100 square meters). It is remarkable for the accuracy of the accessories, the truthfulness of the transmitted poses and facial expressions, the vitality and realism of the transfer of the fury that has seized the combatants. Researchers in Cambodia have always noted that nowhere can one find such diverse and detailed illustrations of the Mahabharata as in the reliefs of Angkor Wat.

Among the reliefs, an exceptionally large image of the churning of the world ocean to extract the oil of immortality, saturated with the same abundance of figures, united by a common collective tension, stands out. In another, hundred-meter bas-relief, representing a procession moving in front of the king, the monotony of the image of the procession of warriors is interrupted by the image of court ladies, clergymen, and elephants. In the sculptural decoration of Angkor Wat, the bas-relief mythological female figures of the Apsaras (ill. 492), which are not found in special niches in Angkor Wat, have a peculiar charm. These figures are sometimes placed at the pilasters, and sometimes, with repeated repetition, they are shown taking each other by the arms, forming rows of bas-relief images that create, in a wonderful rhythm, like living garlands. Their postures are relaxed, their heads are finely sculpted; one holds a flower in her hand, the other a fan, the third a bird - and all of them are unusually decorative.

Of great importance in the decoration of the temple is ornamental carving, among which plant motifs are usually stylized when they are not part of thematic reliefs; in the latter case, their interpretation sometimes has a greater accuracy of transmission.

The apogee of the Mahayana cult in Cambodia XII century AD

Under the last prominent ruler of ancient Cambodia, Jayavarman VII, at the end of the 12th century, Cambodia escaped the threat of a foreign yoke and expanded its borders. But at the same time, the burden of huge temple construction, unprecedented in terms of volume, associated with the cult of royal ancestors, was placed on the exhausted country.

Jayavarman VII was a Buddhist. Under him, the Mahayana cult reached its apogee in Cambodia. Even Devaraja was replaced by the Buddha-king, who, however, was again in the center of the “temple-mountain”, marking the center of the city, the state and even the universe.

During the period of the spread of the Mahayana with the cult of the bodhisattva beloved in Cambodia, the blissful "lord looking in all directions" Lokeshvara, the last flowering of Khmer architecture takes place, distinguished by the original, the only decorative and monumental motif in the world - the giant faces of the bodhisattva (behind which, perhaps, , the image of the king was hidden), placed on four sides on the temple towers and entrance pavilions.

During this period, however, with all the originality artistic achievements no such clearly thought-out and well-planned ensemble was created as Angkor Wat was. In essence, the search for the new was directed towards complication, towards the boundless saturation of the old schemes and planning foundations with architectural (and sculptural) forms.

The capital, captured in 1177 by the enemies, was restored, with some reductions in its size and the movement of its city square to the north. The new city, Angkor Thom, was surrounded by a 100 m wide canal and a wall with five remarkable gopuram towers crowned with faces, more than 20 m high and located in the middle of each side of the quadrangle; they look like triple pavilions; on the one hand - two gopurams, one of which is called the "Gate of Victory" (ill. 197). The esplanade leading to the gates is bordered by parapets in the form of nagas, and on the one hand, the nagas are supported by good deities, and on the other, by the embodiment of evil, asuras.

Inside the Angkor Thom fence there are many temples, pools, terraces. From the palace, only fences with gopurams and the famous "Royal terraces" have survived.

Exceptionally interesting are the reliefs depicting scenes of folk life on the wall of the "Elephant Terrace", which is more than 300 m long and served as the plinth of the disappeared wooden palace; with great vivacity here transmitted folk entertainment, hunting for elephants, competitions of wrestlers, ball players. Behind this wall is another walled up wall, also covered with sculptures of rare beauty, well preserved. Excellent generalized modeling of torsos and heads, plasticity of sculptural volumes in general high relief distinguish these remarkable examples of late Khmer art (ill. 196).

The central temple of this period, Bayon (12th-13th centuries) (ill. 198), which is distinguished by its fantastic appearance, was very badly damaged. Surrounded by two concentric galleries, the central array rises with dozens of towers and turrets, which all had four faces at the top. It gives the impression not so much of an architectural structure as of a gigantic, completely covered with statues of some kind of spiritualized stone mass, from where faces with a majestic, benevolent, mysterious smile look from above from all sides (ill. 199).

Architecturally, as noted above, the composition and layout suffer from a certain lack of that classical clarity that so distinguished the style of Angkor Wat. The courtyards inside the second gallery of the Bayon encircling the central massif have a well-shaped character, and the person who is in them is overwhelmed by the walls rising all around, covered with reliefs, and the towering towers of the sanctuaries, decorated with gigantic faces. Although in general the layout of the Bayon is logical, there is still a certain tendency towards the dominance of the architectural mass over the space, violating the former balance and harmony. The richest "sculpting" of architectural volumes, the organic synthesis of sculptural and decorative forms with structural details, the combination of various articulations, ledges and breaks with the plastic forms of faces on the towers creates an unusually complex play of light and shadow on the surfaces of the buildings of the ensemble. Some researchers have not quite successfully defined this style in the history of Khmer architecture as "romantic". In any case, this style testifies to the beginning of serious changes in the development of the art of Cambodia, perhaps foreshadowing its future decline.

Inside the concentric galleries there are continuous bas-relief scenes, and in the outer gallery - plots are mainly everyday or tell about historical events, and in the inner gallery they are dedicated to the epic and legends. In contrast to the reliefs of the galleries of Angkor Wat, there is less graphics here. Although the division of the composition into horizontal belts has become more distinct, there is more modeling in the images of Bayon, the relief is higher; in it the virtuoso contour, which characterizes the drawing of figures and accessories in Apg-kor Vat, plays a lesser role. At the same time, in Bayon there are a number of details and many depicted scenes, individual figures - and not only people, but also animals, birds, fish - all of which are sometimes distinguished by great realism of observations, a huge variety. In the images - scenes in the market, the birth of a child, fishing, walks on the river - life is felt everywhere. Interspersed are battle scenes on land and on water, the supply of provisions to the troops, war elephants, the flight of the defeated tyams, the solemn procession of the victorious troops in the liberated capital. There are also scenes of court life; finally, mythological scenes are transmitted: Ravana shaking the sacred mountain, etc.

An example of a round sculpture of this time is a statue originating from Bayon. She has the same expression of detachment and blissful enigmatic smile, which distinguishes the "faces" of the temples of Bayon (ill. 195).

During this period, a number of temples were built. Grandiose and most complex ensembles were also created, completely “woven” with sculpture, such as Ta Irohm (Rajavihara), Prah Khan, Banteay Kdei - all three near Angkor Thom; the area of ​​each of them is more than 500 sq. .", their plan is extremely complex, so that it is difficult to realize where the main sanctuary is located. These ensembles show distinctive features of this period: the complexity of the plan, the faces of Lokeshvara at the top of the towers, parapets in the form of nagas supported by deities and asuras.

Decline of the Khmer Empire XIV-XV century AD

The last significant stone monuments of ancient Khmer architecture were built at the end of the 13th century. and partly in the first half of the 14th century.

Meanwhile, a thunderstorm was approaching from the north in the form of the thai, depicted on the reliefs of Angkor Wat as clumsy savages fleeing from the Khmer troops.

In 1351, Angkor was temporarily captured by the Thai. Later, after a hard struggle against the Tai, the Khmers left the old capital, and in the 15th century. Phnom Penh became the main city of Cambodia.

Introduction to the 13th -14th centuries. Hinayana Buddhist cult, which received state support(apparently, during the period of degeneration of the Brahmin high aristocracy), was a kind of ideological reaction to the cult of the Buddha-king, associated with expensive temple construction. The new religion did not need it. At the same time, the religious syncretism of the previous time was unthinkable for her. The former inaccessible gods were almost forgotten, although the pilgrimage to Angkor Wat did not stop. Cambodia was economically exhausted and politically weakened, there were no longer the means to maintain those colossal armies of workers and sculptors that were needed for stone construction with its precious decorations. The rapid development of medieval Khmer art ended there.

The art of Cambodia, and above all its classical period, is a remarkable contribution to the medieval art of Asia. Such outstanding artistic monuments as Angkor Wat, Bayon belong to the highest achievements feudal art.

Author of the article Yu.D. Lebedev

"The General History of Art" prepared by the Institute of Theory and History fine arts Academy of Arts of the USSR with the participation of scientists - art historians of other scientific institutions and museums: the State Hermitage, State Museum Fine Arts named after A.S. Pushkin and others.
"The General History of Art" is the history of painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture and applied art of all ages and peoples from primitive art to the art of our days, inclusive. Hellenistic art, art ancient rome, Northern Black Sea region, Transcaucasia, Iran, Ancient Central Asia, ancient art India and China.
Volume two. Art of the Middle Ages. Book 1: the art of Byzantium, the medieval Balkans, ancient Russian art (up to the 17th century inclusive), the art of Armenia, Georgia, Arab countries, Turkey, Merovingian and Carolingian art of Western Europe, Romanesque and Gothic art of France, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Italy and Spain "Book 2: the art of Central Asia from the 6th to the 18th century, Azerbaijan, Iran, Afghanistan; India from the 7th to the 18th century, Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia; China from the 3rd to the 18th century, Korea, Japan. In this book - the art of the peoples Ancient America and ancient Africa.

Religion had a great influence on its development and culture. In the unique Khmer culture are displayed religious beliefs the local population into animism, and elements of Hinduism and Buddhism also found their place. These two religions, along with Sanskrit and other elements of Indian culture, penetrated the mainland. South-East Asia even in the first centuries of our era.

Due to its geographical position, port cities arose on the territory of Cambodia, which were transit points in the Gulf of Thailand for merchants conducting their trading business along the entire coast from India to China. In those days, the territory of modern Cambodia was part of the first Khmer state of Bapnom.

A Khmer wedding consists of several ceremonies in a strict order, which tell about ancient Buddhist traditions.

The classical Khmer dance originates from the Indian court dance, which in turn absorbed the features of the dance of the demigods in Hindu mythology - the Apsar.

The houses of local residents in the ancient Khmer state were similar to those that can now be found in the Cambodian outback.

The ancient Khmers adopted the unprecedented skill of stone carving from the Indian civilization, but later they modified it, turning it into a unique Khmer style.

Theravada Buddhism is the official religion of Cambodia, which is followed by 90% of the country's population, a similar situation can be observed in Thailand, Sri Lanka.

In Khmer culture, there are two main types of ensembles performing traditional music, one of them locals called " Pinpeat"and the other" Mohori".

IN different times Khmer culture was influenced Javanese, Chinese and Thai cultures, That's why culture of cambodia contains their traits. From the 9th-15th centuries, the powerful empire of Angkor flourished in the northwest of Cambodia, named after its capital of the same name. This Khmer Empire dominated all of Southeast Asia (Laos, Vietnam, Thailand). The religious and political views of India had a huge impact on the development of the culture of the state. official literary language, the language of the royal court was Sanskrit, colloquial speech used the Khmer language.

The amazing architectural structures of that time that have survived to this day, namely the largest temple complexes "Angkor Wat" and "Bayon" in the center of Angkor Thom (Siem Reap province), are an excellent clear example and evidence of the power of the empire and the development of its culture . Already in those days, applied arts, sculpture, music, dances reached an impressive development, and it was the models of those times that served as models for the subsequent cultural development in modern Cambodia.

Angkor ceased to exist after the capital was moved deep into the peninsula - to Phnom Penh in the 15th century, historians suggest that the reason for this was the frequent devastating raids of the Thais. Phnom Penh will mark a new milestone in the history of Cambodia, and the jungle quickly grew on the site of the structures of Angkor. In the following centuries, due to numerous wars, the Cambodian state decreased in territory, and also lost its former power and wealth. Nevertheless, it existed with its capital Phnom Penh until the 19th century. The most significant work of Cambodian literature "Ram Ker" (Khmer version of the ancient Indian epic "Ramayana") was written just during this period.

Thanks to the efforts of France (Cambodia was a French protectorate from 1863 to 1953), at the beginning of the 20th century, the restoration of Angkor from the thickets of the jungle began. Unfortunately, in the 70s and 90s of the XX century, many architectural monuments (including Angkor), like the rest of traditional culture Cambodia, were in danger due to the unfolding civil war. The Khmer Rouge regime that came to power caused enormous damage to the culture of Cambodia, in particular, all educational institutions, not only religious monuments were destroyed, but also people who shared any religious belief, art and writing were banned. When the extremist regime was overthrown in 1991 and the warring parties signed a peace agreement, international organizations helped the new Cambodian government rebuild Angkori and revive traditional crafts.

A few words about the way of local life.
When you look at the housing of Cambodians, firstly, you are surprised by poverty. Secondly, you notice that the houses are on piles, in case of flooding and for arranging a recreation area in the shade, and have 2 floors. They sleep on the top floor in the cold season, then, depending on the temperature, they first go down to the 1st floor, and in the very heat, they even go outside to the ground (some houses on the ground have flooring). Inside the house there is practically no furniture, the Khmers sleep right on the floor on a mat. They live very, very poorly! In particular, therefore, but in many respects and because of their own laziness, they eat everything that runs, jumps and crawls. Moreover, they came up with a lazy way to catch insects - they install neon lamps, and buckets under them. Insects hit the lamp and fall into the bucket. The contents of the bucket then fall into the pan. We did not try local delicacies, for me it is wildness.

Cambodian laziness is determined by their faith. I didn't go into the details, but the bottom line is that they believe in reincarnation. And it is very good to be born poor, because it means that the earthly path is coming to an end. And so no one seeks to change anything in their lives. They are satisfied with everything. Since it was given to them to be born poor, it means that it must be so, and they have no right to change it. Here is such a philosophy.

However, when I returned to Cambodia three years later, I noticed that the standard of living in the country had risen noticeably. A lot of its inhabitants got cars, and most of of which are Lexus. Prices for everything have gone up too. Cambodia can no longer be called a "one dollar" country))

In the previous part, I already mentioned the goddess of dance Apsara. Her images are in almost all. The legend says: "The water surface parted, and girls of the most delicate beauty came to the earth's shore." It's just about them. During the heyday of the Angkor Empire, these amazing nymphs danced for the nobility. Apsara representations of steel integral part royal ballet. Dancers were brought up and lived in the royal palace. Being an Apsara was very prestigious, they were treated with respect and honor. After the defeat of the empire by the Siamese, the art of dance was lost. And it is not known what his fate would have been if Cambodia had not been colonized by France. The French liked the dance tradition, and it was restored from temple frescoes with minor changes. Initially, the Apsaras were dressed only in silk skirts and massive jewelry, the chest was left bare. The French changed the outfit to a more modest one, more like a sari. And the dance itself has lost its sacred meaning and has become more of an entertainment for the residents and guests of Cambodia. Although there is another version, which is that after the defeat of Angkor, the dancers were sent to work in the rice fields, but some of them later returned and began to secretly teach the girls the art of this dance. That is, he was not forgotten and lost. But, in any case, the Apsara dance owes its revival to the French.

In Angkor, we were so impressed with the images of the Apsaras that we decided to definitely see the dance itself. There were two options for this - either go to a restaurant where they give dance performances, or go to real ballet apsaras - Laser show"The Smile of Angkor". We chose the second option, because, according to the locals, only a miserable semblance of apsara is shown in restaurants, and a real dance can only be seen in the ballet theater. And we, of course, wanted the impressions of a real apsara))
It was impossible to take pictures, and I didn’t want to be distracted from seeing such beauty) Therefore, photos from the Internet:

Impressions, of course, we got the sea! One only dance with candlesticks was worth it! It was the most grandiose performance I have ever seen in my life. Honestly, you can't dance like that! A common person it definitely can't! There was definitely the demigod Apsara on the stage! It is a pity that I did not find any photo or video of this dance on the Internet, but it was unforgettable!

When I was at this show in 2014, the ticket included dinner at the theater buffet. Now it is possible to buy a ticket without dinner, but cheaper than the regular price. In January 2018, depending on the sector, visiting the theater cost $40 and $30 without dinner, and $8 more with dinner. You can see current prices and book tickets on the official website.

If you have time, be sure to walk around Siem Reap and visit it. So you can better understand the culture and traditions of this amazing country. And I'm sure you'll love it and want to come back again and again.

P.S. More information about our travels and photos - in my