Senty Church
Senty Church is a Christian church built in 965 in the territory of modern Karachay-Cherkessia. It is situated on the left bank of the Teberda River, near the village of Nizhnyaya Teberda, 18 km south of Karachaevsk. Senty Church is the earliest dated church in Russia.
History
Precise dating of the church is based on the inscription found on the northern wall of the eastern aisle. The text is as follows:+ Ἐνεκενθ, ἐνεώσ ὁ να τ
ὑπεραγίας θου ἐπὴ βασηλ καὶ ωκράτην Ἀπρη β´, ἡμέρᾳ ἁγου Α κ δηὰ χειρὸς from the creation of the world.
Written by the hand of ,
apocrisiarius patriciusLike the Shoana Church and the Arkhyz Cathedral, Senty Church is believed to have been constructed in connection with missionary activities of Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos in the 10th century.
In the second half oh the 19th century an orthodox Spassko-Preobrazhenskiy convent was built near the Senty church. The church was much altered at the urging of the nuns, its original form was changed.
In the soviet times the convent was turned into an orphan house. At the present time it is being rebuilt.
Near the church lie the ruins of a mausoleum which is also dates back to the 10th century. Supposedly it was intended to be used as a burial place for higher church officials. This building is unique for the northern Caucasus.