Dmitiry Church of Thessalonica is in Staraya Ladoga - known place, covered with stories and legends. The first mention in the annals of Staraya Ladoga found in 862 much earlier than other Russian cities. It is here called for the reign of the founder of the first dynasty of Russian tsars - Rurik. In 1114 there was laid the first stone fortress in Russia. Built in 1164 in the fortress of St. George's Cathedral, Alexander Nevsky prayed for the victory of Russian troops.

Demetrios Church refers to an ancient type of wooden churches. It was built in the forms of "Kletskaya" buildings, at its core - the same structural and compositional techniques, as in an ordinary peasant hut.

The first in Russia temples were built in the 10th century. Kiev Byzantine masters. St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod, was built of stone in the middle of the 11th century. But not all architects can learn from the people, and then take the basis of traditions of the Byzantine church architecture, engraved in the stone churches of Novgorod and Kiev. For this reason, the first in Russia temple inherited form of ordinary housing, and the peasants were cut in the form of "cages" - rectangular simple log cabins - "bushels". The altar in the wooden churches also perform rectangular faces on it did not cut. Only cupola with the cross is a testament to the functional purpose of this building.

Demetrios Church was built in the early 17th c., After the release of Ladoga from the Swedes. St. Demetrius of Thessalonica, like George, the Slavs have long enjoyed special reverence. One of the first mentions of the church is found in the 1646 census in the books, but the temple was built before - about 1612-1613. In those days Ladoga just rebuilt after the devastation of the Time of Troubles. As winter (warm) Church at St. George's Church, Church of Demetrios was a member of St. George Monastery. The monastery was founded in 1146, in 1764 it was abolished by the decree of Catherine II.

The first church because of dilapidation was dismantled, and in this place, at the request of parishioners built a new, is a replica of the previous one. Older, but suitable for the construction of timber used for the construction of a new church, but unsuitable burned. In 1901 the church was again dismantled because of disrepair, but six months later she brought a stone base and re-assembled. The new church in detail copied the previous one. Individual parts remaining from the old building, took their place in the new church. It - lattice windows, parts of the porch, carved pricheliny, lock the door with the canvas deck. Through the use of old pieces extant Demetrius Church preserved the form originally a temple here.

The temple consists of three stands: the church, the altar and the refectory. On the west side of the church prirubleny canopy over the porch which arranged a canopy resembling the barrel, which is based on two carved columns. The church, refectory and porch have a high gable roof, an altar covered roof for five rays, which follows the shape of its framework. The church roof is raised over the entire roof, its crowning cupola consisting of cervical and Makovytsya ending cross.

The roof of the church is made of "red" planks, which at the end of a decorative cutouts. Below him in the old paving layer of birch bark, and under it was an extra layer of planks. I saw the Russian North was not used until the mid 18th century. And in some places and up to the early 20th c., So the production of planks was a laborious process: logs laid on the ground and splits into wedges, then it is hewing to the required thickness. Glaucus Demetrius Church covered with aspen shingles in the "scales". The architectural decoration of the church is not a single part, which is only a decorative ornament.

Now inside the church it is a small museum. Opening sheathed iron door, you get into the hall, where, through the refectory was held in the church. The altar of capital is separated from the wall opening from the main log. There is speculation that the King's Gate has been preserved from the first church Demetrios, or have been transferred here from some ancient temple, as they date back to the early 16th century.