Orthodox paintings by famous Russian artists. Orthodox art of painting

Bible - unique book, appealing to the hearts of people in all languages ​​of the world. The Gospel also speaks the language of art. Orthodox paintings by Russian artists prove that the Bible speaks to us not only in the Word, but also in visual images.

Orthodox paintings

Orthodox paintings and Orthodox painting throughout the ages have found inspiration in the Bible. Plots from the Holy Scriptures, the events of the Old and New Testaments came to life on the canvases. We decided to acquaint readers with the spiritual heritage of the great artists who embodied the plots of the great Book. Orthodox paintings they wrote at all times with oil and charcoal, on canvases and on the walls of secluded cells.

Our contemporary Elena Cherkasova- painter. Her Orthodox paintings based on stories from the Bible are already taking their place in the world history of painting.

Brought the artist to Orthodox paintings spiritual crisis as the art critics say. After coming to faith, Elena Cherkasova planned to take up icon painting. But in the end I came to my own language of conversation with people who come to faith through art. Her "naive" and at the same time profound paintings became an example of deep self-denial and objectivity.

Marriage at Cana

This painting is a sermon that conveys events in the form of a story about biblical heroes and their actions.

Elena Cherkasova's painting cannot be called classical; Elena managed to create a new classic. It does not attempt to copy the traditional icon-painting school, but this gives Orthodox paintings contemporary artists the opportunity to create something new, using their spiritual experience and imagination.

July 16, on the eve of the day of remembrance of saints Royal Martyrs, the People's Artist of Russia, a parishioner of the Church of All Saints Alekseevsky stauropegial, departed to the Lord convent Pavel Ryzhenko.

About himself, Paul wrote:

“Each, and especially Russian, person reaches out in the depths and secrets of his heart to the light - Christ. Faith in Christ came to me very late, but, believing, I wanted to run after Him, hoping someday to get closer to this light. It is difficult for me to write about this, there are no words to clearly express my thoughts, but I need to say about the people who are dead and alive, who are the bearers of the faith and spirit of the Russian Empire. And to say on the canvas, because it is my duty to the great truth of Russia. The duty of a not completely broken resident of the metropolis, who, through the outlines of modern houses, through the smog of the Third Ring, sees how again and again these strict and loving faces of our ancestors, who shed their sweat and blood for Christ and for each of us, appear again and again.
Approaching the boundary of my life, the boundary that the great Pushkin could not cross, at which many stopped, I ask myself a question of questions: whom did I serve? To whom, and not to what, and in general, what is art?
I hope that my paintings will awaken the genetic memory of my contemporaries, pride in their Fatherland, and perhaps help the viewer find the only right path for themselves. And then - I will be happy with the fulfilled duty. (pavel-ryzhenko.rf)

His paintings were loved by believers and secular people. Everyone remembers Paul himself as a man of great power of the Spirit and faith.

October 18 is the day of memory of the outstanding Russian Orthodox artist Mikhail Nesterov. Mikhail Nesterov died in 1942. The artist came to faith after the loss of his beloved wife. He was one of the founders of the Union of Russian Artists, preserved in his paintings the best traditions of the Russian Church and Orthodox painting.

Orthodox paintings by these artists allow us to reveal a little more of the mystery of the Bible.

Pavel Dmitrievich Korin is a famous Russian artist and icon painter, author of the heroic triptych "Alexander Nevsky", expressive portraits of his contemporaries: commander Georgy Zhukov, sculptor S.T. Konenkov, cartoonists M.V. Kupreyanov, P.N. Krylova, N.A. Sokolov (Kukryniksov), pianist K.N. Igumnov, Italian artist Renato Guttuso and others. Korin's portraits will remain the power of painting and the energy of creation unsurpassed masterpieces world art. “Your heroes have a posture,” high-ranking guests of his workshop told the artist. By artistic style portraits of Pavel Korin are comparable with the portraits of his mentor - M.V. Nesterov. A special place in the artist's heritage is occupied by amazing images of the people of the Church, made in the process of preparation for, perhaps, the most important work of P.D. Korina - painting "Requiem".

Pavel Korin was born on July 8, 1892 into a family of hereditary Russian icon painters, in the village of Palekh, Vladimir province. When Pavel was five years old, his father, Dmitry Nikolaevich Korin, died. In 1903, Pavel was admitted to the icon-painting school of Palekh, from which he graduated in 1907. The family lived very poorly, and at the age of 16, Pavel left to work in Moscow. He gets a job in the icon-painting workshop of K.P. Stepanov at the Donskoy Monastery, here he gets the opportunity to improve his art.

An important milestone Korin's development as an artist was the work on the murals for the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent in Moscow in 1908-1917. The monastery was created at the expense of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, sister Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. In 1908-1912, according to the project of the architect A.V. Shchusev in the monastery on Ordynka was erected main temple- in honor of the Intercession Holy Mother of God. On April 8, 1912, it was consecrated. The celebration was attended by Elizaveta Fedorovna, the authorities of Moscow, the architect A.V. Shchusev, artists Viktor Vasnetsov, Vasily Polenov, Mikhail Nesterov, Ilya Ostroukhov; Korina's brothers, Pavel and Alexander, were also here. In order to improve the skill of the icon painter, “in the summer of 1913, Pavel Korin, architect A.V. Shchusev was sent to the Pskov-Caves Monastery to copy two shrouds of the 16th century. Then Korin visited ancient Novgorod. Images similar to the faces of the saints of Novgorod will adorn the tomb in the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent.

In 1913, Elizaveta Fyodorovna asked the artist M.V. Nesterov. The temple-tomb in the name of the Forces of Heaven and All Saints was under the cathedral church of the Intercession of the Virgin. Korin was Nesterov's best assistant. Young icon painter M.V. Nesterova was personally introduced by the Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna (this happened back in 1908).

In 1914, in the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent, work continued on the decoration of the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin. The artist Nesterov and his assistant Korin jointly painted the main dome of the cathedral with the fresco "Father Savoaf with the Infant Jesus Christ" (a sketch in the State Tretyakov Gallery), and then Pavel Korin alone decorated the dome space of the temple, the vaults of windows and doors. The faces of archangels and seraphim in floral ornaments decorated the temple. The samples of painting were accepted by the Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, as if participating in their embodiment. After finishing the finishing work, Korin, on the recommendation of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, to increase art education went on a trip to the ancient ancient Russian cities. He will visit Yaroslavl, Rostov the Great, Vladimir.

On August 26, 1917, the complete consecration of the built and painted church of the Most Holy Theotokos took place.

Pavel Korin received other professional skills at the Art School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in Moscow (MUZHVZ), where he entered, having earned the necessary funds, in 1912. Here his painting teachers were Konstantin Korovin, Sergey Malyutin, Leonid Pasternak.

In the summer, Korin made a trip to Kyiv, got acquainted with the painting of the Vladimir Cathedral, its ancient frescoes, mosaics created by V. Vasnetsov, M. Nesterov, V. Zamirailo. The young artist also visited the Hermitage in Petrograd.

After graduating from MUZHVZ in 1917, Korin was invited to teach drawing at the 2nd State Art Workshops (as MUZHVZ was now called), where the artist worked through the bitter and hungry years of 1918-1919. In order to physically survive in this time of devastation and war, Pavel Korin in 1919-1922 had to get a job in the anatomist of the 1st Moscow University; this work turned out to be useful for him as an artist: he got the opportunity to improve his knowledge in human anatomy.

In 1922, in Petrograd, in the Museum of Anti-Religious Propaganda (Kazan Cathedral), the artist makes sketches of the holy relics of St. Joasaph of Belgorod. In 1931 he copies famous painting A. Ivanov "The Appearance of Christ to the People", when it is transferred from the Rumyantsev Museum to the Tretyakov Gallery.

In Italy in 1932 he studies best images Italian classics of the Renaissance. A trip to Italy was arranged for Korin by Maxim Gorky. The artist will paint his portrait at the same time, and later, already in the 1940s, and a portrait of Gorky's wife N.A. Peshkova.

The destruction of the foundations of the Orthodox state in Russia in the 1920s was an irreparable mistake of history. In Russian and Soviet painting XX century Pavel Korin will forever remain a religious painter, a pupil of Palekh. His work developed despite the February Revolution of 1917, which was treacherous for Russia, and the policy of the Soviet state. Works for icon painters during the years of persecution against Russian Orthodox Church did not have. The population of the USSR under the leadership of the Communists retreated from the faith of their grandfathers and fathers, everywhere they closed and collapsed Orthodox churches, only monks and hermits in monasteries preserved faith in Orthodox Russia with holy prayers. During this period, the artist's grandiose idea was born to perpetuate the "leaving Russia" on the canvas - his "Requiem".

The plot action of the picture takes place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, where church hierarchs, monastics and Russian Orthodox people pray for Orthodox Russia. The picture was technically difficult to execute, because a huge canvas measuring more than 5 x 9 meters was conceived.

The creative concept of "Requiem", of course, was influenced by the painting of M.V. Nesterov. In 1901-1905, Nesterov painted the painting "Holy Russia" (kept in the State Russian Museum) - about the meeting of pilgrims with the Lord Jesus Christ. In 1911, he created the painting “The Way to Christ” for the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent: “A fifteen-yard landscape, and good people wander through it - touching and no less impressive for the mind and heart,” wrote M.V. Nesterov in a letter on March 23, 1911. - I work furiously, I hope to finish on Passionate. The painting "The Way to Christ" was located in the refectory of the church of the monastery, on its eastern wall, right in the center, and, of course, was well known to Korin, who worked here together with Nesterov in those years, as well as to many Muscovites who came to the monastery. Pavel Dmitrievich's love for this place will remain with him for life, and when the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent is closed in 1926, he, together with his brother Alexander, will save its iconostasis and murals from destruction.

Russian believers became more and more convinced of the God-fighting essence of Soviet power. In the picture P.D. Korina "Requiem" Orthodox people in black sorrow and terrible grief stand in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin and pray - for holy Russia, for the Orthodox Church. For a long time the artist could not start working on the Requiem canvas itself, and then he still could not finally complete the picture, so strong were the feelings of the tragic power of grief and universal sorrow that fell upon everyone. The artist worked on the epic canvas for thirty years and three years - until 1959. 29 large portraits were made for him (they are kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery). These portraits of hierarchs, hermits, monks, priests, nuns and hermits shock the audience with their harsh realism. tragic and dramatic images believers of Orthodox Russia today can be seen at an exhibition in the State Tretyakov Gallery (on Krymsky Val). Exhibition “Requiem”. Toward the History of the “Outgoing Russia”, which opened in November 2013, will continue until March 30 of the current year. Maxim Gorky recommended to Pavel Korin that the name of the painting "Departing Russia" after visiting the artist's studio on the Arbat in 1931. Gorky patronized Korin, and this gave the artist the opportunity to work in peace.

Simultaneously with the work on the “Requiem”, Korin painted portraits of his contemporaries: mourning for the “departing Russia”, the artist did not lose a lively connection with the present, with his time, striving forward. Korin makes portraits of strong and talented people: the writer A.N. Tolstoy, scientist N.F. Gamaleya, actors V.I. Kachalova and L.M. Leonidov; visiting the island of Valaam, paints a portrait of M.V. Nesterov; later, in the 1940s, he created portraits of the sculptor S.T. Konenkov, pianist K.N. Igumnova; the 1950s include portraits by artists M.S. Saryan and Kukryniksov. These are monumental works with perfect composition and solid psychologically portrayed.

In 1942, Pavel Korin created the central part of his famous triptych "Alexander Nevsky" (kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery). The image of the heroic and majestic defender of the Fatherland was necessary for the Motherland in these mournful years for her. In the severe to the ascetic image of Prince Alexander Nevsky, heroism and unshakable stamina are expressed, personifying Russian beginning, consciously necessary Soviet people in difficult times of war. Later, the artist wrote versions of sketches for the triptych "Dmitry Donskoy" and part of the triptych "Alexander Nevsky" - "Old Tale" and "Northern Ballad". Heroic Skin warrior-commander of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky, created by P.D. Korin, has no equal in terms of its impact on the viewer.

In the autumn-winter of 1945, after the end of the Great Patriotic War, Korin painted a no less famous portrait of the commander Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov (kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery). Four times Hero of the Soviet Union, holder of two Orders of Victory, G.K. Zhukov is depicted in a marshal's uniform, with numerous orders and awards.

On June 24, 1945, Marshal Zhukov hosted the Victory Parade on Red Square in Moscow. And on September 7, 1945, the Victory Parade of the Allied Forces took place in Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate. From the Soviet Union, it was Marshal Zhukov who received the parade of units of the allied armies: the USSR, France, Great Britain and the USA. When the legendary commander returned from Berlin, Pavel Korin was invited to visit him: work began on the portrait. From the canvas, a man calmly looks at us, who for many has become a symbol of the power of the Russian army. Zhukov is stately, majestic and handsome.

In 1931-1958 Korin headed the restoration workshop of the State Museum fine arts in Moscow (GMII), where from the second half of the 1940s there were trophy masterpieces of the Dresden Art Gallery, for the safety of which the artist was responsible.

Korin remained an unsurpassed specialist in ancient Russian painting, subtly feeling its style, the image of the worldview transmitted by it. The artist was involved in the creation of ancient Russian images in artistic mosaic panels for the assembly hall of the Moscow State University, mosaics and stained-glass windows for Arbatskaya, Komsomolskaya-Koltsevaya, Smolenskaya and Novoslobodskaya stations of the Moscow Metro. For these works in 1954 he received the State Prize of the USSR.

In 1958, Pavel Dmitrievich Korin was awarded the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR, he was elected a full member of the USSR Academy of Arts.

In 1963, on the occasion of the 45th anniversary creative activity artist, his personal exhibition was opened in the halls of the Academy of Arts, he was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR.

World fame came to Korin, he visits Italy, France, the USA; in 1965 in New York, on the initiative of Armand Hammer, a large personal exhibition of the artist was organized.

From 1933 until the end of his life, Pavel Korin lived in Moscow on Malaya Pirogovskaya Street, where his working workshop was also located. In 1967, after the death of the artist, the house-museum of the artist (a branch of the State Tretyakov Gallery) was created in the house at Pirogovskaya, 16.

Life in art creative potential personalities - one of the main topics that worried P.D. Korina, it is no coincidence that he created so many portraits of people of art. He himself, a brilliant painter, a deep connoisseur of ancient Russian art, subtly felt both literature and music, understanding the deep connections between different types of art. A note made by Korin after Rachmaninov's concert at the Moscow Conservatory is characteristic: “Last night I was at a Rachmaninov concert at the Conservatory. “Cliff” was performed - a fantasy for orchestra and concerto No. 2 for piano and orchestra. What strength, what breadth and what seriousness... Genius! You need such strength and such breadth in painting.

Orthodox art is a huge layer rich in achievements cultural heritage humanity, rooted in the culture of early Christianity and in the Old Testament times, and became the basis of almost all the art of Russia known to us today.

As you know, the most ancient areas of Orthodox art, which came to Russia in the 10th century along with Christianity, are painting and music. Having originated in quality and icon painting, these trends have been developing for many centuries, having been developed in beautiful secular music and fine arts.

Among the Russian Orthodox painting of the Middle Ages, the world-famous Novgorod icon painting is the most famous and appreciated. Its samples that have survived to this day are stored in state museums Russia and are included in the cultural heritage fund of UNESCO. These are known to all connoisseurs of the beautiful icon of the Novgorod Savior, the Archangel Michael, the Angel Golden Hair, as well as famous icon noble princes Boris and Gleb, on which the saints are depicted in full height. In addition to the Novgorod icons, Russian Orthodox painting is also famous for other holy images: the Vladimir icon of the Mother of God, the Trinity, which is allegedly attributed to the pen of Andrei Rublev, the Savior Almighty, the Savior Emmanuel.

Orthodox artists Nesterov, Vasnetsov, Vrubel

However, Orthodox painting has long been no longer limited to the art of icon painting. As soon as culture got out of the influence of the church, and the ban on depicting anyone other than the faces of saints was lifted, such a concept as secular painting appeared and began to develop and flourish in Russia. However, worldly artists also liked to depict biblical stories both Old Testament and Evangelical. One of the most famous Orthodox artists, without a doubt, can be called M.V. Nesterov, the author of many paintings painted on religious themes. He illustrated both monastic life and the life of the Orthodox community, and also wrote stories on the lives of the saints.

His most famous Orthodox painting, which we remember from school bench, is "Vision to the youth Bartholomew", the plot for which the artist borrowed from the biography of St. Sergius of Radonezh. Orthodox artists M. A. Vrubel and V. M. Vasnetsov are no less famous. Having nothing to do with classical icon painting, Vasnetsov, Vrubel, and Nesterov, in addition to paintings, are also famous for their church paintings. So, Nesterov took part in the painting of the Solovetsky Monastery, Vasnetsov - the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv, and the name of Vrubel is inextricably linked with the paintings of the Kiev St. Cyril's Church.

Modern Orthodox painting

Exhibitions of Orthodox art, held from time to time in different cities of Russia, show that in our time the development of Orthodox painting does not stand still. Among the young artists who distinguished themselves at exhibitions, one can note P. Chekmarev, E. Zaitsev, V. Sokovnin, Archpriest M. Maleev.

The Orthodox paintings of these authors show their keen interest in church life, spiritual figures, historical events that took place or are taking place in the church. In Russia and abroad, there are also exhibitions of the modern, but already quite well-known Orthodox artist A. Shilov, depicting the life of monasteries and their inhabitants. A. Shilov became famous thanks to the portraits of monks: bright, expressive, emotional. Young and old faces depicted in his paintings, touching, sentimental, with carefully written out details, involuntarily

10 major works of the church visual arts: paintings, icons and mosaics

Prepared by Irina Yazykova

1. Roman catacombs

early christian art

Until the beginning of the 4th century, Christianity in the Roman Empire was persecuted, and Christians often used catacombs for their meetings - underground cemeteries of the Romans, in which in the 2nd century they buried their dead. Here, on the relics of the martyrs, they performed the main Christian sacrament - the Eucharist Eucharist(Greek “thanksgiving”) is a sacrament in which the true Body and true Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is given to the believer under the guise of bread and wine., as evidenced by the images on the walls of the catacombs. The first communities, which consisted of Jews, were far from fine art, but as the apostolic preaching spread, more and more pagans joined the Church, for whom the images were familiar and understandable. In the catacombs, we can trace how Christian art was born.

In total, there are over 60 catacombs in Rome, their length is about 170 kilometers. But only a few are available today. Catacombs of Priscilla, Callista, Domitilla, Peter and Marcellinus, Commodilla, catacombs on Via Latina and others.. These underground tombs are galleries or corridors, in the walls of which tombs are arranged in the form of niches covered with slabs. Sometimes the corridors expand, forming halls - cubes with niches for sarcophagi. Paintings and inscriptions have been preserved on the walls and vaults of these halls, on the slabs. The range of images is from primitive graffiti to complex plot and decorative compositions, similar to Pompeian frescoes.

Early Christian art is permeated with deep symbolism. The most common symbols are a fish, an anchor, a ship, a vine, a lamb, a basket of bread, a phoenix bird, and others. For example, the fish was perceived as a symbol of baptism and the Eucharist. One of the earliest images of a fish and a basket of bread we find in the catacombs of Callistus, it dates back to the 2nd century. The fish also symbolized Christ himself, since the Greek word "ichthus" (fish) was read by the first Christians as an acronym in which the letters unfold into the phrase "Jesus Christ God's Son the Savior" (Ἰησοὺς Χριστὸς Θεoς ῾Υιὸς Σωτήρ).

Fish and a basket of bread. Fresco from the Catacombs of Callistus. 2nd century Wikimedia Commons

Good Shepherd. Fresco from the catacombs of Domitilla. 3rd century Wikimedia Commons

Jesus Christ. Fresco from the catacombs of Commodilla. End of the 4th century Wikimedia Commons

Orpheus. Fresco from the catacombs of Domitilla. 3rd century Wikimedia Commons

It is important to note that the image of Christ until the 4th century is hidden under various symbols and allegories. For example, the image of the Good Shepherd is often found - a shepherd boy with a lamb on his shoulders, referring to the words of the Savior: "I am the good shepherd ..." (John 10:14). Another most important symbol of Christ was the lamb, often depicted in a circle, with a halo around its head. And only in the 4th century do images appear in which we recognize the more familiar image of Christ as the God-man (for example, in the catacombs of Commodilla).

Christians often rethought pagan images. For example, on the vault in the catacombs of Domitilla, Orpheus is depicted sitting on a stone with a lyre in his hands; around him are birds and animals listening to his singing. The whole composition is inscribed in an octagon, along the edges of which there are biblical scenes: Daniel in the lions' den; Moses drawing water from a rock; resurrection of Lazarus. All these plots are a prototype of the image of Christ and His resurrection. So Orpheus in this context also corresponds with Christ, who descended into hell to bring out the souls of sinners.

But more often in the painting of the catacombs, Old Testament scenes were used: Noah with the ark; the sacrifice of Abraham; Jacob's ladder; Jonah being swallowed by a whale; Daniel, Moses, three youths in the fiery furnace and others. From the New Testament - the adoration of the Magi, the conversation of Christ with the Samaritan woman, the resurrection of Lazarus. There are many images of meals on the walls of the catacombs, which can be interpreted both as the Eucharist and as funeral meals. Often there are images of praying people - orants and orants. Some female images correspond with the Mother of God. It must be said that the image of the Virgin appears in the catacombs earlier than the image of Christ in human form. The most ancient image of the Mother of God in the catacombs of Priscilla dates back to the 2nd century: Mary is represented here sitting with the Baby in her arms, and a young man stands nearby pointing at a star (they say different versions: prophet Isaiah, Balaam, husband of Mary Joseph Betrothed).

With the invasion of the barbarians and the fall of Rome, the looting of burials begins, and they stop burying in the catacombs. By order of Pope Paul I (700-767), the popes buried in the catacombs are transferred to the city and temples are built over their relics, and the catacombs are closed. So by the VIII century, the history of the catacombs ends.

2. Icon "Christ Pantocrator"

Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai, Egypt, VI century

“Christ Pantocrator” (Greek “Almighty”) is the most famous icon of the pre-Icono-Nobor period Iconoclasm- a heretical movement, expressed in the denial of the veneration of icons and the persecution of them. In the period from the 8th to the 9th century, it received official recognition several times in the Eastern Church.. It is written on a blackboard using the encaustic technique. Encaustic- a painting technique in which the binder of paints is wax, and not oil, as, for example, in oil painting., which has long been used in ancient art; all early icons were written in this technique. The icon is not very large, its size is 84 × 45.5 cm, but the nature of the image makes it monumental. The image is written in a free, somewhat expressive pictorial manner; pasty smears pasty smear- a thick smear of undiluted paint. clearly sculpt the shape, showing the volume and three-dimensionality of space. There is still no striving for flatness and conventionality, as it will be later in canonical iconography. The artist was faced with the task of showing the reality of the Incarnation, and he sought to convey the maximum sensation of the human flesh of Christ. At the same time, he does not miss the spiritual side, showing in the face, especially in the look, strength and power that instantly affects the viewer. The image of the Savior is already quite iconographically traditional and at the same time unusual. The face of Christ, framed by long hair and beard, surrounded by a halo with a cross inscribed in it, is calm and peaceful. Christ is dressed in a dark blue tunic with gold clave clav- an ornament sewn in the form of a vertical strip from the shoulder to the bottom edge of the garment. and a purple cloak - the robes of emperors. The figure is depicted to the waist, but the niche that we see behind the Savior suggests that he is seated on a throne, behind which stretches the blue sky. With his right hand (right hand) Christ blesses, in his left hand he holds the Gospel in a precious frame adorned with gold and stones.

The image is majestic, even triumphant, and at the same time unusually attractive. Harmony is felt in it, but it is largely built on dissonances. The viewer cannot fail to notice the obvious asymmetry in the face of Christ, especially in the way the eyes are written. Researchers explain this effect in different ways. Some elevate it to the traditions of ancient art, when the gods depicted one punishing eye, the other merciful. According to a more convincing version, this reflected a controversy with the Monophysites, who affirmed one nature in Christ - divine, which absorbs his human nature. And as an answer to them, the artist depicts Christ, emphasizing in Him both divinity and humanity at the same time.

Apparently, this icon was painted in Constantinople and ended up in the Sinai Monastery as a contribution of Emperor Justinian, who was a kti-tor, that is, a donor, of the monastery. The highest quality of execution and the theological depth of the development of the image speak in favor of its origin in the capital.

3. Mosaic "Our Lady on the Throne"

Hagia Sophia - Wisdom of God, Constantinople, IX century

After a long iconoclastic crisis that lasted more than a hundred years, in 867, by imperial decree, they began to decorate the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople with mosaics again. One of the first mosaic compositions was the image of the Mother of God on the throne in conch Conha- semi-dome ceiling over semi-cylindrical parts of buildings, such as apses.. It is quite possible that this image restored an earlier image that had been destroyed by the icon-fighters. The Russian pilgrim from Novgorod Anthony, who visited Constantinople around 1200, left in his notes a mention that the mosaics of the Hagia Sophia altar were made by Lazarus. Indeed, the iconographer Lazar lived in Constantinople, who suffered under the iconoclasts, and after the Council of 843, which restored icon veneration, he received nationwide recognition. However, in 855 he was sent to Rome as an ambassador of Emperor Michael III to Pope Benedict III and died around 865, so he could not be the author of the Constantinople mosaic. But his fame as a victim of the iconoclasts connected this image with his name.

This image of the Mother of God is one of the most beautiful in Byzantine monumental painting. On a golden shining background, on a throne adorned with precious stones, the Mother of God sits regally on high pillows. She holds before her the infant Christ, seated on her knees, as if on a throne. And on the sides, on the arch, there are two archangels in the vestments of the courtiers, with spears and mirrors, guarding the throne. Along the edge of the conha is an inscription, almost lost: "The images that the deceivers overthrew here, the pious rulers restored."

The face of the Mother of God is noble and beautiful, it still does not have that asceticism and austerity that will be characteristic of later Byzantine images, it still has a lot of antique: a rounded oval face, beautifully defined lips, a straight nose. The look of large eyes under the curved arches of the eyebrows is set aside a little to the side, this shows the chastity of the Virgin, on which the eyes of thousands of people entering the temple are fixed. In the figure of the Mother of God one can feel the royal grandeur and at the same time truly feminine grace. Her robe of deep of blue color, decorated with three golden stars, falls off in soft folds, emphasizing the monumentality of the figure. The thin hands of the Mother of God with long fingers hold the baby Christ, protecting Him and at the same time revealing to the world. The face of the baby is very lively, childishly plump, although the proportions of the body are rather adolescent, but the golden royal robe, straight posture and blessing gesture are called upon to show: we have before us the true King, and He sits on the lap of the Mother with royal dignity.

The iconographic type of the Mother of God on the throne with the baby Christ gained particular popularity in the 9th century, the post-iconoclastic era, as a symbol of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. And often it was placed precisely in the apse of the temple, signifying a visible phenomenon Heavenly Kingdom and the mystery of the Incarnation. We meet him at the Church of Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki, at Santa Maria in Domnik in Rome and elsewhere. But the masters of Constantinople developed a special type of image in which bodily beauty and spiritual beauty coincided, artistic perfection and theological depth harmoniously coexisted. In any case, the artists aspired to this ideal. Such is the image of the Mother of God from Hagia Sophia, who laid the foundation for the so-called Macedonian Renaissance - this name was given to art from the middle of the 9th to the beginning of the 11th century.

4. Fresco "Resurrection"

Chora Monastery, Constantinople, XIV century

Two recent centuries Byzantine art is called the Palaiologan Renaissance. This name is given according to the ruling dynasty of the Palaiologos, the last in the history of Byzantium. The empire was waning, pressed by the Turks, it was losing territory, strength, power. But her art was on the rise. And one of the examples of this is the image of the Resurrection from the monastery of Chora.

The Chora Monastery of Constantinople, dedicated to Christ the Savior, according to legend, was founded in the VI century by the Monk Savva the Sanctified. At the beginning of the 11th century, under the Byzantine emperor Alexei Komnenos, his mother-in-law Maria Duka ordered the construction of a new temple and turned it into a royal tomb. In the XIV century, between 1316 and 1321, the temple was again rebuilt and decorated by the efforts of Theodore Metochites, the great logothete Logothete- the highest official (auditor, chancellor) of the royal or patriarchal office in Byzantium. at the court of Andro-nik II Andronikos II Palaiologos(1259-1332) - emperor Byzantine Empire in the years 1282-1328.. (On one of the mosaics of the temple, he is depicted at the feet of Christ with a temple in his hands.)

The mosaics and frescoes of Hora were created by the best masters of Constantinople and are masterpieces of late Byzantine art. But the image of the Resurrection stands out especially, because it expresses the eschatological ideas of the era in a magnificent artistic form. The composition is located on the eastern wall of the paraclesia (southern aisle), where the tombs stood, which, apparently, explains the choice of theme. The interpretation of the plot is connected with the ideas of Gregory Palamas, an apologist for hesychasm and the doctrine of divine energies. Hesychasm in the Byzantine monastic tradition was a special form of prayer in which the mind is silent, is in a state of hesychia, silence. The main goal of this prayer is to achieve inner illumination with a special Light of Tabor, the same one that the apostles saw during the Transfiguration of the Lord..

The image of the Resurrection is located on the curved surface of the apse, which enhances its spatial dynamics. In the center we see the Risen Christ in white shining clothes against the background of a dazzling blue and white mandorla. mandorla(Italian mandorla - "almond") - in Christian iconography, an almond-shaped or round radiance around the figure of Christ or the Mother of God, symbolizing their heavenly glory.. His figure is like a clot of energy that spreads waves of light in all directions, dispersing darkness. The Savior with a wide, energetic step crosses the abyss of hell, one might say - flies over it, because one of his legs rests on the broken sash of the gates of hell, and the other hangs over the abyss. The face of Christ is solemn and concentrated. With an imperious movement, He drags Adam and Eve along, lifting them above the tombs, and they seem to soar in weightlessness. To the right and left of Christ are the righteous, whom He leads out of the kingdom of death: John the Baptist, Kings David and Solomon, Abel and others. And in the black abyss of hell, open under the feet of the Savior, chains, hooks, locks, pincers and other symbols of hellish torment are visible, and there is also a connected figure: this is the defeated Satan, deprived of his strength and power. Above the Savior in white letters on a dark background is the inscription "Anastasis" (Greek "Resurrection").

The iconography of the Resurrection of Christ in such a version, which was also called the “Descent into Hell”, appears in Byzantine art in the post-combat era, when the theological and liturgical interpretation of the image began to prevail over the historical one. In the Gospel we will not find a description of the Resurrection of Christ, it remains a mystery, but, reflecting on the mystery of the Resurrection, theologians, and after them the icon painters, created an image that shows the victory of Christ over hell and death. And this image does not appeal to the past, as a memory of an event that occurred at a certain moment in history, it is turned to the future, as the fulfillment of the aspirations of a general resurrection, which began with the Resurrection of Christ and entails the resurrection of all mankind . This is a cosmic event - it is no coincidence that on the vault of the paraclesia, above the composition of the Resurrection, we see the image of the Last Judgment and angels folding the scroll of heaven.

5. Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

First third of the 12th century

The image was painted in Constantinople and brought in the 30s of the XII century as a gift from the Patriarch of Constantinople Kiev prince Yuri Dolgo-rukiy. The icon was placed in Vyshgorod Now the district center in the Kiev region; located on the right bank of the Dnieper, 8 km from Kyiv. where she became famous for miracles. In 1155, Yuri's son Andrey Bogolyubsky took it to Vladimir, where the icon was located for more than two centuries. In 1395, at the behest of Grand Duke Vasily Dmitrievich, she was brought to Moscow, to the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, where she stayed until 1918, when she was taken for restoration. Now she is in the State Tretyakov Gallery. This icon is associated with legends about numerous miracles, including the deliverance of Moscow from the invasion of Tamerlane in 1395. Metropolitans and patriarchs were elected before her, monarchs were crowned to the kingdom. Our Lady of Vladimir is revered as a talisman of the Russian land.

Unfortunately, the icon is not in very good condition; according to the restoration work of 1918, it was rewritten many times: in the first half of the 13th century after Baty's ruin; at the beginning of the 15th century; in 1514, in 1566, in 1896. From the original painting, only the faces of the Mother of God and the infant Christ, part of the cap and the border of the cape - maforia Maforius- women's attire in the form of a board, covering almost the entire figure of the Mother of God. with golden assist Assist- in icon painting, strokes of gold or silver on the folds of clothes, on the wings of angels, on objects, symbolizing reflections of Divine light., a part of an ocher tunic of Jesus with a gold assist and a shirt visible from under it, the baby’s left hand and part of the right hand, the remains of a golden background with fragments of the inscription: “Mr. .U".

Nevertheless, the image retained its charm and high spiritual intensity. It is built on a combination of tenderness and strength: the Mother of God presses her Son to her, wanting to protect her from future suffering, and He gently presses her cheek and hugs her neck with his hand. The eyes of Jesus are fixed with love on the Mother, and her eyes look at the viewer. And in this piercing gaze a whole range of feelings - from pain and compassion to hope and forgiveness. This iconography, developed in Byzantium, received the name “Tenderness” in Russia, which is not quite exact translation the Greek word "eleusa" - "mercy", as many images of the Mother of God were called. In Byzantium, this iconography was called "Glykophilus" - "Sweet Kiss".

Icon Color ( we are talking about faces) is built on a combination of transparent ocher and color linings with tonal transitions, glazes (floats) and thin white strokes of light, which creates the effect of the most delicate, almost breathing flesh. The eyes of the Mother of God are especially expressive, they are painted in light brown-rich-non-howling paint, with a red stroke in the teardrop. Beautifully contoured lips are painted with cinnabar in three shades. The face is framed by a blue cap with dark blue folds, outlined by an almost black outline. The face of the Baby is written softly, transparent ocher and brown create the effect of warm soft baby skin. The lively, spontaneous expression of Jesus' face is also created by vigorous strokes of paint molding the form. All this testifies to the high skill of the artist who created this image.

The dark cherry maphorium of the Mother of God and the golden chiton of the Divine Infant were painted much later than the faces, but on the whole they harmoniously fit into the image, creating a beautiful contrast, and the general silhouette of the figures, united by embraces into a single whole, is a kind of pedestal for beautiful faces.

The icon of Vladimir is two-sided, portable (that is, for performing various processions, religious processions), on the back there is an altar with instruments of the passions (beginning of the 15th century). On the throne, covered with a red cloth decorated with gold ornaments with gold borders, are nails, a crown of thorns and a book in gold binding, and on it - White dove with a golden halo. Above the throne rises a cross, a spear and a cane. If we read the image of the Mother of God in unity with the turnover, then the gentle embrace of the Mother of God and the Son becomes a prototype of the future suffering of the Savior; clutching the Infant Christ to her breast, the Mother of God mourns His death. That's how it is in Ancient Russia and understand the image of the Mother of God, giving birth to Christ for a redemptive sacrifice in the name of the salvation of mankind.

6. Icon "Savior Not Made by Hands"

Novgorod, XII century

The double-sided remote icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands with the scene “Adoration of the Cross” on the back, a monument of pre-Mongol times, testifies to the deep assimilation of the artistic and theological heritage of Byzantium by Russian icon painters.

On a board close to a square (77 × 71 cm), the face of the Savior is depicted, surrounded by a halo with a crosshair. large, wide open eyes They look slightly to the left of Christ, but at the same time the viewer feels that he is in the field of view of the Savior. High arches of the eyebrows are curved and emphasize the sharpness of the look. forked beard and long hair with a golden assist they frame the face of the Savior - strict, but not severe. The image is concise, restrained, very capacious. There is no action here, no additional details, only a face, a halo with a cross and letters - IC XC (abbreviated "Jesus Christ").

The image was created by the firm hand of an artist who owns a classic drawing. The almost perfect symmetry of the face emphasizes its importance. Restrained, but refined coloring is built on subtle transitions of ocher - from golden yellow to brown and olive, although the nuances of color are not visible today in their entirety due to the loss of the upper paint layers. Due to loss, traces of the image are barely visible precious stones a halo in the crosshairs and letters in the upper corners of the icon.

Name " Holy Savior”is connected with the legend of the first icon of Christ, created not by hands, that is, not by the artist’s hand. This legend says: King Abgar lived in the city of Edessa, he was sick with leprosy. Hearing about Jesus Christ healing the sick and raising the dead, he sent a servant after him. Not being able to leave his mission, Christ nevertheless decided to help Abgar: He washed his face, wiped it with a towel, and immediately the face of the Savior miraculously imprinted on the fabric. The servant took this towel (ubrus) to Avgar, and the king was healed.

Church considers miraculous image as evidence of the Incarnation, for it shows us the face of Christ - God, who became a man and came to earth for the salvation of people. This salvation is accomplished through His atoning sacrifice, which is symbolized by the cross in the halo of the Savior.

The composition on the back of the icon is also dedicated to the expiatory sacrifice of Christ, which depicts the Golgotha ​​cross, on which hangs a crown of thorns. On either side of the cross are worshiping archangels with instruments of passion. On the left, Michael with a spear that pierced the heart of the Savior on the cross; on the right, Gabriel with a cane and a sponge soaked in vinegar, which was given to drink by the crucified. Above - fiery seraphim and green-winged cherubs with ripids Ripids- liturgical objects - metal circles mounted on long handles with the image of six-winged seraphim. in the hands, as well as the sun and the moon - two faces in round medallions. Under the cross we see a small black cave, and in it is the skull and bones of Adam, the first man who, by his disobedience to God, plunged mankind into the kingdom of death. Christ, the second Adam, as the Holy Scriptures call Him, conquers death by his death on the cross, restoring eternal life to mankind.

The icon is in the State Tretyakov Gallery. Before the revolution, it was kept in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. But initially, as Gerold Vzdornov established Gerold Vzdornov(b. 1936) is a specialist in the history of ancient Russian art and culture. Leading researcher of the State Research Institute of Restoration. Creator of the Dionysius Frescoes Museum in Ferapontov., it comes from the Novgorod wooden church of the Holy Image, erected in 1191, now defunct.

7. Presumably, Theophanes the Greek. Icon of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Pereslavl-Zalessky, around 1403

Among the works of ancient Russian art located in the halls of the Tretyakov Gallery, the icon "Transfiguration" attracts attention not only for its large size - 184 × 134 cm, but also for its original interpretation of the gospel story. This icon was once a temple icon in the Transfiguration Cathedral of Pereslavl-Zalessky. In 1302, Pereslavl became part of the Moscow principality, and almost a hundred years later Grand Duke Vasily Dmitrievich is undertaking the renovation of the ancient Spassky Cathedral, built in the 12th century. And it is quite possible that he attracted the famous icon painter Theophan the Greek, who had previously worked in Veliky Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod and other cities. In ancient times, icons were not signed, so the authorship of Theophan cannot be proved, but the special handwriting of this master and his connection with the spiritual movement, called hesychasm, speaks in his favor. Hesychasm paid special attention to the theme of divine energies, or, in other words, the uncreated Tabor Light, which the apostles contemplated during the Transfiguration of Christ on the mountain. Let us consider how the master creates an image of this luminiferous phenomenon.

We see a mountainous landscape on the icon, Jesus Christ stands on the top of the central mountain, He blesses with His right hand, and holds a scroll in His left. To the right of Him is Moses with the tablet, to the left is the prophet Elijah. At the bottom of the mountain are three apostles, they are thrown to the ground, James covered his eyes with his hand, John turned away in fear, and Peter, pointing with his hand at Christ, as the gospels testify, exclaims: “It is good for us here with you, let us make three tabernacles” (Matthew 17:4). What so struck the apostles, causing a whole range of emotions, from fear to delight? This, of course, is the light that came from Christ. In Matthew we read: “And he was transformed before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light” (Matthew 17:2). And on the icon, Christ is dressed in shining clothes - white with golden highlights, a radiance emanates from Him in the form of a six-pointed white-gold star, surrounded by a blue spherical mandorla, pierced by thin golden rays. White, gold, blue - all these modifications of light create the effect of a multiform radiance around the figure of Christ. But the light goes further: three rays come from the star, reaching each of the apostles and literally nailing them to the ground. On the clothes of the prophets and apostles, there are also reflections of bluish light. The light glides over mountains, trees, falls wherever possible, even the caves are outlined in white: they look like funnels from an explosion - as if the light coming from Christ does not just illuminate, but penetrates into the earth, it transforms, changes the universe .

The space of the icon develops from top to bottom, like a stream flowing down a mountain, which is ready to flow into the viewer's zone and involve him in what is happening. The time of the icon is the time of eternity, here everything happens at the same time. The icon combines plans from different times: on the left, Christ and the apostles are ascending the mountain, and on the right, they are already descending from the mountain. And in the upper corners we see the clouds, on which the angels bring Elijah and Moses to the Mount of Transfiguration.

The icon "Transfiguration" from Pereslavl-Zalessky is a unique work, written with virtuoso skill and freedom, while here you can see the incredible depth of interpretation of the gospel text and find their visual image of those ideas that were expressed by the theorists of hesychasm - Simeon the New Theologian, Grigory Palamas , Gregory of Sinai and others.

8. Andrey Rublev. Icon "Trinity"

Early 15th century

The image of the Holy Trinity is the pinnacle of Andrei Rublev's work and the pinnacle of ancient Russian art. The “Tale of the Holy Icon Painters”, compiled at the end of the 17th century, says that the icon was painted by order of the abbot of the Trinity Monastery Nikon “in memory and praise of St. Sergius”, making the contemplation of the Holy Trinity the center of his spiritual life. Andrei Rublev managed to reflect in paints the full depth of the mystical experience of St. Sergius of Radonezh, the founder of the monastic movement, reviving prayer and contemplative practice, which, in turn, influenced the spiritual revival of Russia in the late XIV - early XV centuries .

From the moment of creation, the icon was in the Trinity Cathedral, over time it darkened, it was renovated several times, covered with gilded vestments, and for many centuries no one saw its beauty. But in 1904, a miracle happened: at the initiative of the landscape painter and collector Ilya Semenovich Ostro-ukhov, a member of the Imperial Archaeological Commission, a group of restorers led by Vasily Guryanov began to clear the icon. And when a cabbage roll and gold suddenly peeped out from under the dark layers, it was perceived as a phenomenon of truly heavenly beauty. The icon was not cleaned then, only after the closure of the Lavra in 1918 it was taken to the Central Restoration Workshops, and the cleaning continued. The restoration was completed only in 1926.

The plot for the icon was the 18th chapter of the Book of Genesis, which tells how one day three travelers came to the forefather Abraham and he arranged a meal for them, then angels (in Greek “angelos” - “messenger, messenger”) told Abraham that he would have a son, from whom great people. Traditionally, icon painters portrayed the "Hospitality of Abraham" as a scene from everyday life, in which the viewer only guessed that the three angels symbolized the Holy Trinity. Andrei Rublev, excluding everyday details, depicted only three angels as the appearance of the Trinity, revealing to us the secret of the Divine Trinity.

Against a golden background (now almost lost) three angels are depicted sitting around a table on which a bowl stands. The middle angel rises above the rest, a tree (tree of life) grows behind him, behind the right angel - a mountain (an image of the mountain world), behind the left - a building (Abraham's chambers and an image of the Divine economy, the Church). The heads of the angels are bowed as if they are having a silent conversation. Their faces are similar - as if it is one face, depicted three times. The composition is based on a system of concentric circles, which converge to the center of the icon, where a bowl is depicted. In the bowl we see the head of a calf, a symbol of sacrifice. Before us is a sacred meal in which an expiatory sacrifice is made. The middle angel blesses the cup; the one sitting to his right expresses his consent to accept the cup with a gesture; an angel, located on the left hand of the central one, moves the bowl to the one sitting opposite him. Andrei Rublev, who was called a God-seer, makes us witnesses of how in the bowels of the Holy Trinity a council is taking place about a redemptive sacrifice for the salvation of mankind. In ancient times, this image was called “Eternal Council”.

Quite naturally, the viewer has a question: who is who on this icon? We see that the middle angel is dressed in the clothes of Christ - a cherry chiton and a blue himation Himatius(ancient Greek “fabric, cape”) - among the ancient Greeks outerwear in the form of a rectangular piece of fabric; usually worn over a tunic.
Chiton- similarity of a shirt, more often without sleeves., therefore, we can assume that this is the Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. In this case, an Angel is depicted to the left of the viewer, personifying the Father, his blue tunic is covered with a pinkish cloak. On the right is the Holy Spirit, the angel is dressed in blue-green clothes (green is a symbol of the spirit, the rebirth of life). This version is the most common, although there are other interpretations. Often, on the icons of the middle angel, they depicted a cross halo and inscribed IC XC - the initials of Christ. However, the Stoglavy Cathedral of 1551 strictly forbade the depiction of cross-shaped halos and the inscription of the name in the Trinity, explaining that the icon of the Trinity does not depict the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit separately, but it is an image of the divine tri-unity and the trinity of divine being . Equally, each of the angels may seem to us one or another hypostasis, for, according to St. Basil the Great, "The Son is the image of the Father, and the Spirit is the image of the Son." And when we look from one angel to another, we see how similar they are and how they are not similar - the same face, but different clothes, different gestures, different poses. So the icon painter conveys the mystery of the inseparability and inseparability of the hypostases of the Holy Trinity, the mystery of their consubstantiality. According to the definitions of the Stoglavy Cathedral Stoglavy Cathedral- the church council of 1551, the decisions of the council were presented in Stoglav., the image created by Andrei Rublev is the only acceptable image of the Trinity (which, however, is not always respected).

In an image written in a difficult time of princely strife and Tatar-Mongol yoke, the testament of St. Sergius is embodied: "By looking at the Holy Trinity, the hated strife of this world is defeated."

9. Dionysius. Icon "Metropolitan Alexy with Life"

End XV - beginning of the XVI century

The hagiographic icon of Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, was painted by Dionysius, whose contemporaries called him “the notorious philosopher” (famous, glorified) for his mastery. The most common dating of the icon is the 1480s, when the new Assumption Cathedral in Moscow was built and consecrated, for which Dionysius was ordered two icons of Moscow saints - Alexy and Peter. However, a number of researchers attribute the writing of the icon to the beginning of the 16th century on the basis of its style, in which they found the classical expression of the skill of Dionysius, which was most fully manifested in the painting of the Ferapontov Monastery.

Indeed, it is clear that the icon was painted by a mature master, who mastered both the monumental style (the size of the icon is 197 × 152 cm) and miniature writing, which is noticeable in the example of hallmarks. stigma- small compositions with an independent plot, located on the icon around the central image - the centerpiece.. This is a hagiographic icon, where the image of the saint in the middle is surrounded by hallmarks with scenes of his life. The need for such an icon could arise after the reconstruction of the Cathedral of the Chudov Monastery in 1501-1503, the founder of which was Metropolitan Alexy.

Metropolitan Alexy was outstanding personality. Descended from the boyar family Byakontov, was a tonsurer of the Epiphany Monastery in Moscow, then became the Metropolitan of Moscow, played a prominent role in governing the state under Ivan Ivanovich Krasny (1353-1359), and under his young son, Dmitry Ivanovich, later nicknamed Donskoy (1359-1389). Possessing the gift of a diplomat, Alexy managed to establish peaceful relations with the Horde.

In the middle of the icon, Metropolitan Alexy is represented full-length, in solemn liturgical vestments: a red sakkos Sakkos- long, loose clothes with wide sleeves, liturgical vestments of a bishop., decorated with golden crosses in green circles, on top of which hangs a white stole with crosses Stole- part of the vestments of the priests, worn around the neck under the robe and a strip descending to the bottom. This is a symbol of the priest's grace, and without it the priest does not perform any of the divine services., on the head - a white cockle doll- the upper vestment of a monk who has taken the great schema (the highest degree of monastic renunciation) in the form of a pointed hood with two long strips of matter covering the back and chest.. With his right hand, the saint blesses, in his left he holds the Gospel with a red edge, standing on a light green veil (kerchief). The color of the icon is dominated by White color, against which a wide variety of tones and shades stand out brightly - from cold green-new and bluish, pale pink and ocher-yellow to bright spots of flashing scarlet cinnabar. All this multicolor makes the icon festive.

The centerpiece is framed by twenty hallmarks of life, which should be read from left to right. The order of the hallmarks is as follows: the birth of Eleutherius, the future Metropolitan Alexy; bringing the youth into teaching; a dream of Eleutherius, foreshadowing his calling as a shepherd (according to the Life of Alexy, during a dream he heard the words: “I will make you a fisher of men”); the tonsure of Eleutherius and the naming of the name Alexy; the appointment of Alexy as a bishop of the city of Vladimir; Alexy in the Horde (he stands with a book in his hands in front of the khan sitting on the throne); Alexy asks Sergius of Radonezh to give his disciple [Sergius] Andronik as hegumen in the Spassky (later Andronikov) monastery founded by him in 1357; Alexy blesses Andronicus for hegumenate; Alexy prays at the tomb of Metropolitan Peter before leaving for the Horde; Khan meets Alexis in the Horde; Alexy heals Khansha Taidula from blindness; The Moscow prince with the boy-rams meets Alexy upon his return from the Horde; Alexy, feeling the approach of death, offers Sergius of Radonezh to become his successor, Metropolitan of Moscow; Alexy is preparing a tomb for himself in the Miracle Monastery; the death of St. Alexis; acquisition of relics; further the miracles of the Metropolitan - the miracle of the dead baby, the miracle lame monk Naum and others.

10. Icon "John the Baptist - Angel of the Desert"

1560s

The icon comes from the Trinity Cathedral of the Stefano-Makhrishchsky Monastery near Moscow, now it is in the Andrei Rublev Central Museum of Old Russian Culture. The size of the icon is 165.5 × 98 cm.

The iconography of the image seems unusual: John the Baptist is depicted with angel wings. This is a symbolic image that reveals his special mission as a messenger (“angelos” in Greek - “messenger, messenger”), a prophet and forerunner of the Messiah (Christ). The image goes back not only to the Gospel, where much attention is paid to John, but also to the prophecy of Malachi: “Behold, I am sending my angel, and he will prepare the way before me” (Ml. 3:1). Like the prophets of the Old Testament, John called for repentance, he came before the very coming of Christ to prepare the way for Him (“Forerunner” and means “going ahead”), and the words of the prophet Isaiah were also attributed to him: “ The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths” (Isaiah 40:3).

John the Baptist appears dressed in a sackcloth and himation, with a scroll and a bowl in his hand. On the scroll is an inscription composed of fragments of his sermon: “Behold, I have seen and testified about me, as if I am the Lamb of God, take away the sins of the world. Repent nearer, for fear of the Kingdom of Heaven, the ax is already at the root of the tree, for every tree is cut down” (John 1:29; Matt. 3:2, 10). And as an illustration of these words - right there, at the feet of the Baptist, an ax is depicted at the root of a tree, one branch of which is cut down, and the other turns green. This is a symbol of the Last Judgment, showing that the time is near and soon there will be a judgment for this world, the Judge of Heaven will punish sinners. At the same time, in the bowl we see the head of John, his symbol martyrdom which he endured for his preaching. The death of the Forerunner prepared the atoning sacrifice of Christ, which grants salvation to sinners, and therefore John blesses those who pray with his right hand. In the face of John, ascetic, with deep furrows of wrinkles, flour and compassion are visible.

The background of the icon is dark green, very characteristic of icon painting of that time. The ocher wings of John resemble flashes of fire. In general, the coloring of the icon is gloomy, which conveys the spirit of the times - heavy, full of fears, bad signs, but also hopes for salvation from above.

In Russian art, the image of John the Baptist, the Angel of the Desert, has been known since the 14th century, but it becomes especially popular in the 16th century, in the era of John the Terrible, when so far-yang---new moods in society are increasing. John the Baptist was the heavenly patron of Ivan the Terrible. The Stefano-Makhrishchsky Monastery enjoyed special patronage of the tsar, which is confirmed by the monastery inventories containing information about the numerous royal contributions made in the 1560s-70s. Among these contributions was this icon.

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