Medieval architectural monuments are a valuable part of Estonia's architectural heritage. Tartu's Jaan Church occupies a special place, primarily because of its decorative details made of burnt clay - terracotta. Originally, their number was more than 1000. During the whole period of the church's history of the church, not all of the terracotta sculptures have survived, but still a fair number of them are intact. number of these figures are intact and we can see them today.
Although terracotta was a well-known and widely used material in the medieval architecture, among the buildings constructed at the time, there is no structure that could rival the Church of St. John (Yaanovskya Church) in terms of the size and the and the high level of sculpture in this technique. Thanks to this the church is a remarkable architectural monument on the scale of all Western European Gothic.
The church has been destroyed and restored several times in its history, but its medieval appearance is easily recognisable today. Church of St. John is a three-nave structure with a strong western tower. Since the church was not built according to a single plan, it got its final form after several additions and rebuildings, as well as catastrophes. The exact date of the beginning and and progress of construction is unknown. Sources say that in 1323. the parish or even the church itself already existed. Archaeological excavations have helped to reconstruct and complete the history of the church.
So, for example, it turned out that the history of the construction of the church goes back centuries, much further back than the appearance of the sacred structure would suggest. Fragments of a longitudinal wooden structure discovered during excavations are dated to the 12th-13th centuries. It is difficult to judge the external appearance of the building from such finds, However, it is known for sure that it was a Christian temple, which existed before the conquest and total Christianisation of Estonia in the 13th century.
It is most likely that the architectural appearance of the church, built in the second half of the 14th century, was characterised by a strong, powerful western tower stood out. The western portal of the building was adorned with a decorative pediment containing 15 sculptures. In the centre of the composition Jesus was at the centre of the composition, surrounded by Mary, John the Baptist and the 12 apostles. This composition represents a scene of the terrible judgement and prayer and intercession for people before Jesus Christ by the Mother of God, the Baptist and the holy apostles.
The interior of the church was richly decorated, especially the centre of the church. Unfortunately, only small remnants of the former beauty have survived to our time. Uniquely decorated is the main wall between the arcades and the upper, windowed parts of the parish hall. In rows of niches creating an illusory trifolium, are seated sculptures under canopies, in the centre are figures wearing crowns and holding sceptres. Examples of such exclusive decoration of the main wall can be found only in the English Gothic. A significant role belongs to terracotta sculptures and in the design of the end walls of the central nave of the church building.
The Lübeck chapel, which was added much later, had a long and complicated way of in its construction. The result was the construction of a double-vaulted room, which was joined to the main aisle by a large portal.
The church was badly damaged during the Great Northern War, and during the Second World War after the raid on Tartu. World War II, after Soviet bombers raided Tartu, the Church of St. John burned down.
The restoration of the church began in 1989. Repairs and restoration works were carried out periodically until 2005. In the summer of 2005, a solemn ceremony of opening of the restored Yaanovskaya church took place.
