Reflecting at my leisure, which I have a lot of, about the history of Christianity in Rus', I thought about icons, namely: which icon is considered the most ancient in Russia.
Useful to shovel the Internet.
And here's what I found.

The most ancient Russian icons date back to the 11th century. There are two of them. Both are from Novgorod. Both are huge in size - two and a half by one and a half meters.

Icon of the Apostles Peter and Paul, mid-11th century.
Wood, canvas, gesso. Egg tempera. 236×147 cm
Novgorod Museum-Reserve, Velikiy Novgorod.

“The Apostles Peter and Paul” is an icon of the middle of the 11th century and, in general, the earliest known Russian easel painting. The icon comes from Novgorod Sophia Cathedral, is stored in the collection of the Novgorod Museum-Reserve.

According to legend, he brought this icon from Korsun Grand Duke Vladimir Monomakh and therefore the icon was called "Korsun".
However, according to academician V.N. Lazarev, the significant size of the icon indicates that it was most likely painted on the spot, that is, in Novgorod, by an unknown master (Byzantine, Kyiv or local Novgorod). Her style is inspired by frescoes.
Shortly after painting, the icon was covered with a gilded silver frame.

The icon was taken out of Novgorod three times (in the 16th century by Ivan the Terrible, in the 20th century by German occupiers and in 2002 by restorers), but always returned to the city.

During the post-war restoration in 1951, the icon was covered with wax and mastic, which was a mistake. In 2002, the mistakes of the previous restoration were corrected, the boards were freed from the salary, which, when removed, was disassembled into 600 fragments, cleaned of oxide and sulfurous film, then reassembled, the original gilding was opened. However, for better preservation, scientists decided not to cover the icon with a salary anymore.

Alas, only fragments of the background, clothes executed in combinations of blue, white, soft pink and golden yellow tones, and a fragment of greenish-brown ocher around the neck of the Apostle Paul have survived from the original painting of the 11th century. All the rest original painting- faces, hands and feet of the apostles - completely lost. These fragments did not reveal a painting layer older than the 15th century.

The second oldest Russian icon is also from Novgorod.

Icon of the Golden Robe of the Savior, mid-11th century.
Wood, canvas, gesso. Egg tempera. 242×148 cm

The icon received its name “Golden Robe” from the now lost solid silver gilded frame that adorned it. "Spas Golden Robe" dates back to the 11th century. However, in 1700 the icon was completely rewritten by the royal painter Kirill Ulanov. At the same time, he painted the clothes in detail with gold so that they corresponded to the name of the image.

This icon also comes from the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral. It was taken out (more specifically, brazenly taken from the Novgorodians and taken away) to Moscow in 1570 by Ivan the Terrible, who collected ancient images in the capital. True, two years later a copy of it was sent to Novgorod.

Currently, the icon is in the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, to the right of the royal doors.
Scientists note that the icons "Apostles Peter and Paul" and "Golden Robe of the Savior" were most likely painted around 1050, when the construction of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod was completed.

Thus, there are no older icons in Russia.
Although in general in Rus' ...

In fact, in Rus' in the first half of the 11th century, Prince Yaroslav the Wise built the Hagia Sophia in the center of Kyiv. And inside the cathedral, the world's most complete ensemble of original mosaics and frescoes of the first half of the 11th century has been preserved. But frescoes and mosaics from the point of view of art criticism cannot be fully called icons***. Yes and Kievan Rus now it’s not Russia at all ...

Well, what is the most ancient Russian and not rewritten icon - what?
The omniscient Internet gladly answers this question.
This is "St. George" - the icon of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

"St. George", to. XI-XII centuries.
Wood, canvas, gesso. Egg tempera. 174×122 cm
Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, Moscow.

The indication "to XI-XII centuries.» says that the icon, even if it does not belong to the end of the XI century, then certainly refers to the very beginning of the XII. That is, it belongs to the number of the most ancient in Russia. This dating of the icon is based on the stylistic proximity of its painting to the mosaics and frescoes of St. Sophia of Kyiv.

The icon, according to academician V. N. Lazarev, is of Novgorod origin and was taken (I repeat: impudently espropriated) to Moscow by Ivan the Terrible. At the same time, the scientist believes that Prince Georgy Andreevich could be a possible customer for the icon, younger son Andrei Bogolyubsky, expelled from Novgorod in 1175 and moved to Georgia, where he became the first husband of Queen Tamara ... But this is just an assumption. Other experts attribute the icon to the end of the 11th century. And that's why.

The biggest distinguishing feature icons in that her painting has a uniquely good preservation. There are only small losses on the face, on the background and on the clothes at the bottom of the icon.
Such safety was ensured by the unknown “barbarian from icon painting”, who covered the image of George with a continuous layer of dark brown paint, which was discovered only in the 1930s.

At the same time, the icon acquired another unique feature, namely: for many centuries the front side of the icon was its reverse side!
And there was an image of the Virgin and Child, made by a Greek master who worked in Moscow, dating from the middle of the 14th century.
Such an ancient image is in itself a great value in iconography.

However, this is not enough: an even earlier painting was found under the image of the Virgin. But the restorers did not completely clean up the image of the XIV century, only fragments were cleared ...

*** In art history, icons are images made within the framework of the Eastern Christian tradition on a hard surface (mainly on lime board covered with gesso (that is, alabaster diluted with liquid glue).
However, from a theological and religious point of view, icons are also mosaic, pictorial and sculptural images in any artistic manner, if they are given the veneration established by the Seventh Ecumenical Council. Wikipedia

The Orthodox Churches of the world are organized according to the type of ancient Greek policies - each has its own self-government, but at the same time all are connected into the One Orthodox Church. Each has its own cultural characteristics, languages, including mental differences. But at the same time, all of them are fraternal churches that are in Eucharistic communion.

Each church is famous for something different. Today I would like to say about the most important feature of the Russian Orthodox Church(In my opinion). What was imprinted in the ages has been preserved in eternity and has given tangible, material fruits. Large-scale development and distribution of icon painting. And it's no coincidence Russian Orthodoxy more visually. Bright gilded domes of temples, bright clothes of clergy, bright gilding of altars. Everything plays with colors, emotions, greatness, scale, thanksgiving to the Creator. This is a cross section of Russian visual culture, which was formed long before the Baptism of Rus'. The traditions of the visual art of Rus' are a legacy of past centuries, organically and integrally revived after the Baptism.

Many masters worked on Russian icons.
Someone, having served God and people, did not perpetuate his name. And someone became famous for centuries. The latter will be discussed today. In chronological order.

1) Theophanes the Greek (about 1340 - about 1410)- the greatest icon painter of his time, born in Byzantium in 1340. During for long years painted the temples of Constantinople, Chalcedon, Galata, Kafa, Smyrna. But the world-wide fame to Feofan was brought by icons, frescoes and murals made in Rus'.

Being already a mature husband, Theophanes the Greek came to Rus', to Veliky Novgorod, in 1370. His first and only fully preserved work is the painting of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyin Street. Time did not spoil them, sparing the frescoes with the famous bust images of the Almighty Savior with the Gospel, with the figures of Adam, Abel, Noah, Seth and Melchizedek, as well as the images of the prophets Elijah and John.
In addition to icon painting, Theophanes the Greek was engaged in calligraphic writing, and also created artistic miniatures for books and designed the Gospels.
Traditionally, his authorship is credited with "The Assumption Mother of God”, “The Don Icon of the Mother of God”, “The Transfiguration of the Lord” and the Deesis rite of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kremlin.

Reverend Macarius the Great, a fresco from the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyin Street, the city of Veliky Novgorod.

2) Daniil Cherny (about 1350 - about 1428)
He was the most talented teacher and mentor of Andrei Rublev. The most self-sufficient artist, icon painter, monk, he differed from many of his contemporaries not only by the unique gift of the painter, but also by the ability to work with composition, color and the nature of the picture.

He left behind a rich heritage of frescoes, mosaics, icons, the most famous of which are the "Bosom of Abraham" and "John the Baptist" (Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir), as well as "The Mother of God" and "The Apostle Paul" (Trinity-Sergius Lavra).

Daniil was buried in the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery, where, probably, his remains were recently discovered. The fact that Daniil always worked in collaboration with Andrei Rublev creates the problem of dividing the work of the two artists. Icon painters of the 15th century did not leave autographs. Researchers are looking for a way out in an attempt to highlight the special stylistic devices characteristic of each master. Considering Daniil Cherny an artist of the older generation, I. Grabar proposed to attribute to him the authorship of those works in which the features of the previous school of writing of the XIV century, borrowed from Byzantine masters, are visible. An example of such an "old tradition" is the fresco "Bosom of Abraham", which is part of the painting of the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral, the composition of the southern nave, the southern slope of the central nave, a number of fragments on the northern wall of the main altar, as well as part of the icons from the iconostasis.

Fresco "Bosom of Abraham". Assumption Cathedral, Vladimir

3) Andrei Rublev (about 1360 - about 1428)- world-famous Russian icon painter, monk-artist, canonized. For hundreds of years it has been a symbol of the true greatness of Russian icon art. Rublev's work developed on the basis of the artistic traditions of the Moscow principality; he was also well acquainted with the Slavic artistic experience.

The earliest of famous works Rublev is considered to be joint painting of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin in 1405 with Feofan the Greek and Prokhor from Gorodets. After the completion of this work, Rublev painted the Assumption Cathedral in Zvenigorod, and later, together with Daniil Cherny, the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir.

Rublev's unsurpassed masterpiece is traditionally considered the icon of the Holy Trinity, painted in the first quarter of the 15th century - one of the most versatile icons ever created by Russian icon painters, which is based on the story of God appearing to the righteous Abraham in the form of three young angels.

Fresco "The Savior Not Made by Hands", Spassky Cathedral of the Andronikov Monastery, State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

4) Dionysius (about 1440 - 1502)- the most famous Moscow icon painter and iconographer of the late XV - early XVI centuries. The earliest known work of Dionysius is the miraculously preserved painting of the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God in the Pafnutyevo-Borovsky Monastery near Kaluga (XV century). More than a hundred years later, in 1586, the old cathedral was demolished in order to build a new one. Stone blocks with frescoes by Dionysius and Mitrofan were used in its foundation, where they were successfully discovered many years later. Today, these frescoes are kept in the Moscow Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art and the Borovsk branch of the Kaluga Museum of Local Lore.

In 1479, Dionysius painted the iconostasis for the wooden Church of the Assumption in the Joseph-Volokolamsk Monastery, and 3 years later - the image of Our Lady Hodegetria on a burnt Greek icon from the Ascension Monastery in the Moscow Kremlin, destroyed in 1929.

The work of Dionysius in the north of Russia deserves special mention: around 1481 he painted icons for the Spaso-Kamenny and Pavlovo-Obnorsky monasteries near Vologda, and in 1502, together with his sons Vladimir and Theodosius, frescoes for the Ferapontov Monastery on Beloozero.

An interesting fact: Dionysius's manner of writing can be judged by the perfectly preserved frescoes of that same Ferapontov monastery on Beloozero. These frescoes have never been repainted or subjected to serious restoration, thus remaining as close as possible to their original style. original look and color range.

Icon of the Monk Demetrius of Prilutsky, Ferapontov Monastery, Kirillo-Belozersky Historical, Architectural and Art Museum Reserve, Arkhangelsk Region.

5) Gury Nikitin (1620 - 1691)- the largest Kostroma master of Russian murals of the 17th century. Nikitin's biblical frescoes are notable for their festive decorativeness and rich symbolism; the desire to secularize art emerges. Under his leadership, the most significant ensemble of Russian fresco painting of that century was made - the murals of the Church of Elijah the Prophet in Yaroslavl.

It was during the period of Nikitin's creative maturity - and this is approximately the 60s of the 17th century - that the rise of Russian monumental and decorative art falls - and these trends do not bypass the young master.

In a difficult year for the Russian church in 1666, Guriy Nikitin took part in the renewed work on the painting of the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin - Nikitin painted the images of martyr soldiers on pillars, as well as certain parts of the monumental composition "The Last Judgment". After 2 years, Nikitin painted 4 icons for the Moscow church of St. Gregory of Neokessaria.

"Song of Songs" by King Solomon. Fresco of the Trinity Cathedral of the Ipatiev Monastery in the city of Kostroma.

6) Simon Ushakov (1626 - 1686)
The favorite of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the favorite and only icon painter of the first persons of the state, an unsurpassed master of drawing and color, Simon Ushakov, in a certain sense, marked the beginning of the process of “secularization” of church art with his work. Fulfilling the orders of the tsar and the patriarch, the tsar's children, the boyars and other important people, Ushakov painted more than 50 icons, marking the beginning of a new, "Ushakov" period of Russian icon painting.

Many researchers agree that Ushakov had no equal in writing faces - and it is precisely by the way he wrote them that it is easiest to track which changes - logically coincided with church reform Patriarch Nikon - occurred with Russian icon painting. With Ushakov, the face of the Savior, traditional for Russian icon painting, acquired “new, hitherto unknown features. The Novgorod Savior was a formidable God, the new Savior is infinitely more affectionate: he is a God-man. This humanization of the Deity, its approach to us brought warmth to the stern appearance of the ancient Christ, but at the same time deprived him of monumentality.

Another important historical feature of Ushakov's work is the fact that, unlike the icon painters of the past, Ushakov signs his icons. At first glance, an insignificant detail in essence means a serious change in public consciousness of that time - if earlier it was believed that the Lord himself leads the icon painter's hand - and at least for this reason the master does not have the moral right to sign his work - now the situation is changing to the completely opposite and even religious art is acquiring secular features.

Icon " The Last Supper Assumption Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Moscow Region.

7) Theodore Zubov (circa 1647 - 1689)
Researchers of Russian icon painting agree that the main merit of Fyodor Zubov was the desire to return the depicted faces of saints to spiritual significance and purity. In other words, Zubov tried to combine the best achievements of the icon painting of the 17th century with the achievements of more ancient traditions.

Like Simon Ushakov, Zubov worked at the royal court and was one of the five "paid icon painters". Having worked in the capital for more than 40 years, Fyodor Zubov painted a huge number of icons, among which were images of the Savior Not Made by Hands, John the Baptist, Andrew the First-Called, the prophet Elijah, St. Nicholas and many other saints.

An interesting fact: the “complained icon painter” of the royal court, that is, the master who receives a monthly salary and through this - a certain confidence in tomorrow, Fedor Zubov became according to the principle "there would be no happiness, but misfortune helped." The fact is that in the early 1660s, the Zubov family was left practically without a livelihood, and the icon painter was forced to write a petition to the tsar.

Icon "Our Lady of All Who Sorrow". Icon-painting workshop of the Armory, Moscow.

Icons (gr. "image") - in the Christian tradition, the name of the picturesque images of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and the Saints. Icon images are of a sacred nature and serve as the subject of religious honoring as visual representations that can elevate the soul of a believer from the Downworld world to the Heavenly world, that is, from a wooden surface covered with paints to the depicted character. According to the words of the Byzantine theologian Gregory of Nyssa: “Icons are literacy for the illiterate… Holy icons are books written, instead of letters, by faces and things. The illiterate see in them what they must follow by faith. Christians study on icons.
The origin of icons dates back to the beginning of Christianity. According to legend, the Evangelist Luke personally painted several icons of the Mother of God.

The first icon is considered to be the "Savior Not Made by Hands", which is an imprint on the board of the face of the Savior, made personally by Jesus Christ.

In VI - VII centuries in Byzantium, common types of iconographic images were established. In later times, “icon-painting originals” appeared as a guide for icon painters, which contained detailed instructions regarding the nature of the depiction of external features and accessories for each saint.

In Rus', icon painting developed in strict accordance with Byzantine samples, which were periodically supplied from Byzantium to Russian state. Greek artists who came to Rus' brought with them sample books (in Rus' they were called copybooks), from which Russian masters made copies. This is the reason for the rapid success Byzantine art in Kievan Rus.

Icon-painting skill was strictly forbidden to persons of non-Christian religion. It was allowed to allow people skilled in art and distinguished by good behavior to icon painting.

In Rus', icons were regarded as the most perfect works of art and were treated with the greatest respect. It was considered indecent to talk about buying or selling icons. Icons were “exchanged for money” or given away. Instead of the expression “the icon burned down,” the phrase “the icon dropped out” or “the icon ascended to heaven” was used.

Icons accompanied the Christian from his birth to death. Icons had a huge impact on the soul of an Orthodox person in almost all circumstances of his life - personal, family, civil, military, public.

The main ancient Russian icon-painting schools

The practice of Russian icon-painting workshops goes back to the skills and techniques that were developed in Byzantium. However, domestic masters made their own adjustments to the process of icon production, dictated by local customs and materials.

The main icon-painting centers in Rus' were Novgorod, Pskov and Moscow. Nothing is known about the ancient iconography of the southern Russian cities (Chernigov and Kyiv), although these centers of icon painting undoubtedly existed. IN recent decades outlined the contours of such ancient Russian art centers as Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Tver, Rostov, Suzdal.

During the fragmentation of Rus', when the ancient Russian state broke up into many specific principalities, icons were made not only in large, but also in small cities, which by no means always meant the presence of icon-painting centers in them.

The main producers of icons in Novgorod, Vladimir, Yaroslavl and others major cities there were workshops at the princely and archiepiscopal courts, which most organically mastered the basics of Byzantine icon painting.

The icons of the 11th-13th centuries have so much in common that it is extremely difficult to group them according to schools. Only careful stylistic analysis helps here and fixed place origin of icons. The situation is further complicated by the fact that in those days, almost all the icon-painting centers of Rus' used the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir as an exemplary "iconic original", interpreting its formal and content qualities in every possible way.

Icons of the 11th-13th centuries stand out for their monumentality and special solemnity. The figures are given in calm motionless poses, the faces are strict, the backgrounds are smooth, gold or silver. These icons were painted by order of princes or higher clergy and adorned large churches. Since the icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir served as an icon-painting model for such images, these icons most often depicted Jesus Christ and the Mother of God. However, icons depicting patrons of customers (their patrons) were also widespread at that time. In the princely environment, such icons were especially revered.

The characteristic features of the Novgorod school of icon painting are the decorative line, the severity of faces and the simultaneous sensuality of the image, narrative, bright contrasts of colors. The most popular were the images of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

Icons "Ustyug Annunciation", "Angel Golden Hair", "Savior Not Made by Hands", "Nicholas the Wonderworker".

Characteristic features of the Vladimir school of icon painting are the mosaic style of writing, the use of the “Vladimir Mother of God” as a model.

Icons "Deesis", "Dmitry of Thessalonica".

The characteristic features of the Yaroslavl icon-painting school are a free and bold manner of writing, open color, deviation from the Byzantine canons, cheerfulness of colors, and a lot of decorations.

Icons "Our Lady of the Great Panagia", "Savior Golden Vlasy".

As for Moscow as an icon-painting center, Moscow icons of the XII-XIII centuries have not survived to our time. Throughout the 14th century, various artistic trends coexisted in Moscow icon painting, both local and brought from Byzantium, the western and southern regions of the country. The Moscow school of this period is characterized by the following features: an appeal to various icon-painting traditions; the desire for "ancient" forms of depicted figures, faces, architectural backgrounds; an attempt to turn the viewer into a witness, an accomplice of the depicted event; psychological images; close connection with literary texts; transmission of strong movements, complex angles; color wealth.

Icons "Boris and Gleb", "Boris and Gleb with life", "Boris and Gleb on horseback", "Savior the Bright Eye", "Our Lady of the Don".
Most researchers ancient Russian art connect the formation of the Moscow school of icon painting with the name of Andrei Rublev (c. 1370-1430). On the way of integrating numerous pictorial traditions, Rublev managed to develop such a perfect artistic language icon painting, which throughout the 15th century became the leading one in Rus'.

In general, Rublev's icons are characterized by the “borderliness” of the image (posture, gestures, etc. are not clear), “confidence” (there is a feeling of a heart-to-heart conversation), the “harmony” of dynamics and statics, three-dimensionality and flatness.

Icons "Apostle Paul", "Archangel Michael", "Saviour", "Trinity".

At the beginning of the 16th century, a number of trends were observed in ancient Russian icon painting: 1) the Moscow icon painting school received the status of the main ancient Russian state; 2) icons in composition and plot
have become more complicated; 3) there was a sharp turn towards the individualization of icon painting.

Icons of Dionysius (1430/40 - after 1508) "The Mother of God Hodegetria", "Metropolitan Peter with Life", "Metropolitan Alexy with Life", "Rapyatiye".

Toward the middle of the 16th century, icon images become excessively verbose, begin to be overloaded with allegories, and the dogmatically dictated principle intensifies in them. At this time, the church is increasingly zealous begins to ensure that innovations do not penetrate into icon painting, giving preference to the sensual phenomenon of the essence of enthusiastic aspiration human soul to God.

However, it was from the middle of the 16th century that icon painting ceased to be a purely spiritual art and divorced from everyday conditions. Incredibly increased interest in patterns. Icons instead of gold, ocher and red backgrounds have found dark ones. The symbolism of color was partly lost.

Tall Russian iconostasis

Initially in Orthodox churches Byzantium, the altar was covered with a cloth suspended on a pole with images of saints embroidered on it in gold. It was necessary to cover the altar because the actual altar space symbolized paradise. In this case, the fabric with the representations of the saints was understood as an image of the fence of paradise, through the windows of which the saints, whose souls belong to paradise, look at the parishioners.

At the end of the 11th - beginning of the 12th century, they began to put a temple icon in front of the altar. Soon the temple icon was placed on the altar barrier next to the royal gates (the gates to the central apse). Typically, the Byzantine altar barrier-iconostasis included three rows or rows of icons: a) deesis (an image of Jesus Christ with two forthcoming ones), b) holidays, c) temple icons. On top of a solid altar barrier-iconostasis, either a cross or an icon of the Crucifixion was placed.

In Rus', not a solid, but a composite iconostasis-templon, brought from Byzantium, took root. This was due to the difficulties of delivery, and initially it was called "deesis".

At the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th century, a completely wooden blind altar barrier or wall with a “royal” door in the center appeared in Rus', located between the altar pillars of the central apse, not reaching the top of the altar arch.

At the end of the 14th - beginning of the 15th century, a solid altar wall appeared in Rus' from the northern to the southern wall. An example is the foundation of the altar wall-iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Consistently, the Russian iconostasis included all the main elements of church wall painting. The prophets and forefathers were transferred from the dome to the prophetic and forefathers tiers of the iconostasis. The scenes of the Orthodox holidays were transferred from the vaults and walls to the festive tier of the iconostasis. The deesis from the central apse was transferred to the deesis tier. The evangelists were transferred from the sails to the royal gates.

The classic type of the High Russian iconostasis is the iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, created under the direction of Theophan the Greek in 1405.

The iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Annunciation with its monumental rank icons and an extensive cycle of “holidays” served as the starting point for all further development of the classical form of the ancient Russian iconostasis.

I History of the icon

2. Early history icon painting

3. Persecution of icons

4. Reasons for the oblivion of the Russian icon

5. Recognition of the huge artistic value old Russian icon and renewed interest in it

6. Two eras of Russian icon painting

II FEATURES OF RUSSIAN ICON PAINTING

1. Features of Russian Icon Painting

2. The meaning of colors

3. Psychology of icon painting

III LANGUAGE OF ICONS

1. Plots of ancient Russian icon painting

2. Images of the Savior

3. Images of the Virgin

IV Creativity of Andrey Rublev

1. Andrei Rublev - Biography with white spots

2. The most significant works of A. Rublev

V conclusion

Vi application

V II bibliography

An icon is a picturesque, less often a relief image of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, angels and saints. It cannot be considered a picture; it reproduces not what the artist has before his eyes, but a certain prototype that he must follow.

There are several directions in the approach to icon painting. Some authors have focused all their attention on the factual side of the matter, on the time of the emergence and development of individual schools. Others are occupied by the pictorial side of iconography, that is, its iconography. Still others try to read its religious and philosophical meaning in ancient icon painting.

HISTORY OF THE ICON

1. The roots of ancient Russian icon painting

The interest in ancient Russian painting in our country is now enormous, and the difficulties of its perception among those who turn to it today are no less enormous. Almost everyone experiences them - both teenagers and adults, and even people who are otherwise well educated, although in Ancient Rus' her painting was available to everyone. The fact is that these difficulties are rooted not just in the lack of knowledge of an individual, their reason is much wider: it is in the dramatic fate of ancient Russian art itself, in the dramas of our history.

Christianity in Rus' is a little over a thousand years old, and the art of icon painting has the same ancient roots. The icon (from the Greek word for “image”, “image”) arose before the birth of ancient Russian culture and became widespread in all Orthodox countries. Icons in Rus' appeared as a result of the missionary activity of the Byzantine Church at a time when the significance of church art was experienced with particular force. What is especially important and what was a strong inner impulse for Russian ecclesiastical art is the fact that Rus' adopted Christianity precisely at the epoch of the revival of spiritual life in Byzantium itself, the epoch of its heyday. During this period, nowhere in Europe was church art as developed as in Byzantium. And at that time, the newly converted Rus' received, among other icons, as an example of Orthodox art, an unsurpassed masterpiece - the icon of the Mother of God, which later received the name of Vladimir.

Through the fine arts, ancient harmony and a sense of proportion become the property of Russian church art, enter into its living fabric. It should also be noted that for the rapid development of the Byzantine heritage in Rus' there were favorable prerequisites and, one might say, the ground had already been prepared. Recent studies suggest that pagan Rus' had a highly developed artistic culture. All this contributed to the fact that the cooperation of Russian masters with Byzantine ones was extremely fruitful. The newly converted people turned out to be able to accept the Byzantine heritage, which nowhere found such favorable soil and nowhere gave such a result as in Rus'.

Since ancient times, the word "Icon" has been used for individual images, usually written on a board. The reason for this phenomenon is obvious. Wood has been our main building material. The vast majority of Russian churches were made of wood, so not only mosaics, but also frescoes (paintings on fresh, damp plaster) were not destined to become the common decoration of the temple interior in Ancient Rus'. With their decorative effect, ease of placement in the church, brightness and strength of their colors, icons painted on boards (pine and lime, covered with alabaster ground - gesso) were the best suited for the decoration of Russian wooden churches.

No wonder it was noted that in ancient Rus' the icon appeared in the same classical form visual arts, as in Egypt - a relief, in Hellas - a sculpture, and in Byzantium - a mosaic.

Ancient Russian painting - the painting of Christian Rus' - played a very important and completely different role in the life of society than modern painting, and its character was determined by this role. Rus' was baptized by Byzantium and together with it inherited the idea that the task of painting is to "embodie the word" to embody the Christian dogma in images. Therefore, the basis of ancient Russian painting is the great Christian “word”. First of all, this Holy Bible, Bible (“Bible” in Greek - book), books created, according to Christian doctrine, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

It was necessary to embody the word, this grandiose literature, as clearly as possible - after all, this incarnation was supposed to bring a person closer to the truth of this word, to the depth of the dogma that he professed. Byzantine art, Orthodox world- all countries within the sphere of cultural and religious influence of Byzantium - solved this problem by developing a deeply unique set of techniques, creating an artistic system that was never seen before and never repeated, which made it possible to embody the Christian word in an unusually full and clear way in a pictorial image.

For many centuries, ancient Russian painting carried people, unusually brightly and fully embodying them in images, the spiritual truths of Christianity. It was in the deep disclosure of these truths that the painting of the Byzantine world, including the painting of Ancient Rus', the frescoes, mosaics, miniatures, icons, acquired extraordinary, unprecedented, unique beauty.

2. Early history of icon painting.

From the first centuries christian church, persecuted and persecuted at that time, many conditional or symbolic images have come down to us, but there are very few clear and direct opposites.

This happened because Christians were afraid to impersonate these images to the pagans (at the time of the birth of the idea of ​​Christianity, the preachers of this religion and its paraphernalia were severely persecuted by the pagans), and also because many Christians themselves were against direct images of God, angels and saints. Most of the ancient symbolic images have come down to us

Jesus Christ like good shepherd. Drawings were made on the walls of underground caves-tombs, on tombs, vessels, lamps, rings and other objects; they are found in all countries of Christendom.

The oldest images of the "good shepherd" were found in the catacombs of Rome. In these underground caves, Christians were saved from the pagans, where they performed divine services.

In the underground cemetery of Ermia, the first paintings were found, from which, probably, icon painting began. There are images of the “good shepherd” healing the “possessed youth”, Jonah thrown ashore by Keith and others. In the catacomb of Marcellinus and Peter there is an image of the adoration of the Magi to the Divine Infant, held by the Blessed Virgin.

In addition to the image of the Savior under the guise of a "good shepherd", it was also common under the guise of a Fish. The fish served as an image of Christ, because its Greek name, consisting of five letters, contains the first letters of five Greek words, which in Russian mean: Jesus Christ God's Son, the Savior. She served as a symbol of Christ, “who baptizes with water and gives his flesh in food,” that is, it was a symbol of the sacraments of baptism and communion. One of these images is located in the underground Roman tomb of Lucina in Rome and belongs to the end of the first or second century. Often the Savior was portrayed under the guise of a lamb. This image was taken from Old Testament. (St. John the Baptist called Jesus Christ the Lamb of God, Hearing the sins of the world).

3. Persecution of icons.

Since ancient times, Christians have honored holy icons or sacred images of the Persons of the Most Holy Trinity - the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, saints, angels and God's people. But at the beginning of the eighth century, Leo III the Isaurian came to the throne of the Greek Empire. After 10 years of his reign, in 726, he issued a decree that forbade Christians to fall in prayer in front of icons on the ground, and after that many icons were set high. not to kiss them. Five years later, he issued another decree, which commanded to completely stop the veneration of icons and remove them from public places. He thought that through the abolition of icons, the rapprochement of the Jews and Mohammedans with the Church and the Greek Empire would follow. His son Constantine Copronymus, for 34 years (from 741 to 755) persecuted the worshipers of holy icons with even greater cruelty. His grandson Leo Khazar (775-780) followed the path of his father and grandfather. But they achieved the opposite results - not only did not please either the Jews or the Mohammedans, but aroused the people of their own empire against themselves. The popes of Rome, then independent of the Greek emperors, and the three eastern patriarchs: Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, who were already under the rule of the Mohammedans, did not want to have a spiritual or church fellowship with Constantinople, and although Eastern Christians suffered under the yoke of the Mohammedans, they had the opportunity to fearlessly pray before the icons, since the Mohammedan caliphs did not interfere in the affairs of the churches subject to them.

After the persecution of icons in the Greek Empire, which lasted about 60 years, under the great-grandson of the first iconoclast king Constantine VI and his mother, Queen Irene, in 787, the Seventh Ecumenical Council, which approved the veneration of icons. 25 years after this decree, the Greek emperor Leo V the Armenian, who ascended the throne, again began a cruel persecution of icons, which continued under his successors; after this new thirty-year persecution, Empress Theodora restored the veneration of holy icons in her kingdom. At the same time, on February 19, 842. A holiday of Orthodoxy was established and is still celebrated on the first week of Lent. Since that time, the icons have been unanimously revered by Christians in all the churches of the East and West for seven centuries, despite the fact that in 1054. the western church completely separated from the eastern, since the eastern patriarchs did not want to recognize the primacy of the Roman bishop over the entire Church.

Being a necessary accessory of worship, ancient Russian painting personified the most important church dogmas, biblical traditions, gospel symbols and events. She had one goal - preaching Christian faith, but not in a word, but in an image; it was supposed to awaken reverent feelings, create a prayerful mood. And just as a prayer could not be changed at its own discretion, so the icons had to strictly follow the canon borrowed by Russia from Byzantium.

Monuments of icon painting are a reflection of the Church's reading of faith and grace, it is a reflection of the religious life of the people as the basis of their whole life in general.

From the very early period Christianity in Rus', from pre-Mongol times, that is, from the XI-XIII centuries, very few monuments have come down to us: only about thirty. It is often difficult even to determine where and when these icons were painted, where they were brought from, which of them were created by Byzantine masters, and which ones were created by their Russian students. From the annals it is known that the Grand Duke Vladimir, after being baptized in the city of Korsun, brought Greek icons with him and placed them in the Church of the Tithes, the first in Kiev, built by him. We know that these icons were widely revered; icon painters who appeared in Rus' imitated them in everything; they were valued and protected from all sorts of disasters, and some even became so famous that the chronicles speak of them without any comment, as about something familiar to everyone.

Icon-painting in Rus' was a sacred affair. The icon painters were presented special requirements, which were recorded in a special decree of the Stoglavy Cathedral of 1551: “It is fitting for a painter to be humble, meek, reverent, not an idle talker, not a laugher, not a quarrelsome, not envious, not a drunkard, not a robber, not a murderer, but even more so keep the purity of his soul and bodily"... It also says that the images of Jesus Christ, and the Mother of God, and the saints must be painted "with great care," "looking at the image of ancient painters," and "marked from good examples." Particularly distinguished painters will be favored by the tsar himself, and the saints should protect them and revere them "more than ordinary people."

Icon painters of that time never signed their works. Old Russian painting is mostly nameless, and we can confidently name the icon of only one master of the pre-Mongolian period - Alexa Petrov from Novgorod, who painted the temple image of St. Nicholas for the church in the name of the Mirliki saint in Lipna near Novgorod.

Even from famous first Russian icon painter Alippy, a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk monastery, not a single icon has come down to us.

True, the legends associate with his name the now known large, almost two meters high, icon, which is in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery - "Our Lady of the Great Panagia", which is otherwise called the "Yaroslavl Oranta".

In contrast to the canonical image of Oranta, on the monument of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Mother of God appears with the Child in a medallion on her chest, that is, she is an iconographic version of the Great Panagia type (all-holy). Christ is represented in a circle on the bosom of the Blessed Virgin, for the image "Our Lady of the Great Panagia" is a figurative rendering of the prophecy about the birth of Christ. The baby Jesus is shown here waist-deep, with outstretched hands in blessing.

Name Yaroslavl icon received because it was discovered in Yaroslavl, in the Spassky Monastery.

Specialists of the Tretyakov Gallery date the icon to 1114. With such certainty, the date is not named by chance - it was in this year that Alypiy Pechersky, who became famous in his time, died, and tradition ascribes to his brush the "large Rostov icon", transferred there from Kiev.

About Alipiy himself and how the icon of his brush ended up in Rostov, tells the "Kiev-Pechersky Paterik" ("father" - a collection of stories about the monks and their deeds).

Then the Great Pechersk Church was erected in Kyiv, and the masters decorated the altar with mosaics. Alippius learned from them and helped them. And then one day "... the image of Our Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary suddenly shone brighter than the sun so that it was impossible to look, and everyone fell on their faces in horror. They rose a little to see the miracle that had happened, and now a white dove flew out of the mouth of the Most Pure Mother of God, flew up to the icon of Spasov and hid there "... This happened several times, and Alypiy, "who saw with his own eyes the Holy Spirit dwelling in that holy and honest church of the Caves", took tonsure there. And he paints icons "cunningly".

He did not write for the sake of wealth, he did not take anything for his work, and no one ever saw him idle. The abbot for many virtues made Alipy a priest, and the Lord gave him the ability to perform the miracle of healing a leper.

Once, a certain pious man decided to build a church on Podil at his own expense and decorate it with icons of the Alipi letter. Through two monks, he sent seven boards and money to the icon, but Alypiy's henchmen appropriated all this for themselves. Three times they took payment for the icons, three times they deceived the master, keeping the money for themselves, until the deception was revealed. The customer was angry and reproached Alipiy: after all, the next day the icons should already be ready.

But here, too, a miracle happened. In one night, all seven icons were painted and appeared before the amazed customer and brethren. "And, seeing this, everyone was surprised, in horror and trembling fell prostrate on the ground, bowed to the miraculous image of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother, and His saints. And a loud glory about this spread throughout Kiev."

But in 1112 there was a big fire in the city, and the whole Podol burned to the ground. The church where the creations of Alipiy stood was burned down, but all seven icons remained intact and unharmed. Grand Duke Vladimir himself came to see this miracle, "which happened to the icons painted by God's call in one night."

Vladimir took one of the icons, which depicted the Mother of God, and sent it to the city of Rostov, to the church, which was created at his command. So a large icon of the Mother of God painted by Alipiy ended up in Rostov. There, her miraculous properties were manifested: when the church in which she was located collapsed, the image Holy Mother of God remained safe and sound and was transferred to another temple.

But how did this Big Icon get from Rostov the Great to Yaroslavl, to the Cathedral of the Savior?

It turns out that in late XVIII century, or rather, in 1788, the Spassky Monastery became the residence of the Yaroslavl metropolitans. She was transferred here from Rostov the Great after the abolition of the ancient Rostov metropolis. All the property of the Bishop's house was also transported.

By that time, the ancient icon, apparently, had grown old, blackened, or maybe it had been written down. It was discovered in the vast pantry, "junk" of the Spassky Monastery, among other icons, handicrafts, old books and other items of bishop's use.

Among the Rostov inheritance, in the pantry, by the way, was also kept an ancient manuscript of a priceless literary monument - "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", which A.I. Musin-Pushkin bought in 1795 from the archimandrite of the Spassky Monastery.

Let's make a reservation that for a long time the icon of Alipius in Rostov was considered the "Our Lady of Vladimir", but studies have shown that this monument was written only in the 18th century. So the "Our Lady of the Great Panagia", discovered in 1919 by the expedition of the Central State Restoration Workshops in the "junk" of the Spassky Monastery in Yaroslavl and uncovered in 1925-1929, may well be the "great icon" from the legend associated with the name of the no less legendary Alipiy .

Tradition also ascribes another icon to the first Russian icon painter - "Tsar Tsar" or "Tsarina Appears" from the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. However, the icon was repainted at the beginning of the 18th century by the royal painter Kirill Ulanov, and modern art historians believe that it was created by a Serbian master, most likely in Novgorod in the 14th century.

And the third icon, which tradition associates with the name of the Kiev icon painter, is the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, known as the Pechersk Svenskaya.

The name itself indicates its origin - the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery. It is called Svenskaya after the Svensky Monastery, located near Bryansk on the Svina or Sven River. The icon is in the Tretyakov Gallery, experts attribute it to the Kyiv school and conditionally date it to 1288.

This year also did not come about by chance. In the ancient manuscripts of the Svensky Monastery there is a legend about the icon of Our Lady of the Caves (Svenskaya), about its transfer from the Kiev-Pechersky Monastery to a new place, to the Bryansk region.

In 1288, the great prince of Chernigov Roman Mikhailovich, after the death of his father, St. Mikhail of Chernigov, reigned in his district in the city of Bryansk. Suddenly, trouble happened - the prince "blinded with his eyes". But he heard about the great miracles and healings that come from the miraculous image of the Most Holy Theotokos, located in the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery with the Monks Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves.

The prince sent his messenger to the monastery to ask for great mercy - to let him go to the city of Bryansk miraculous icon"to ask her for healing."

The Archimandrite of the Caves, having heard about that great need, conferred with the brethren, and the miraculous image was released according to the order with the priests to Bryansk.

How many days the boats sailed on the water is unknown, but one day they stopped on the Pig River and did not move. The escorts decided to spend the night on the shore, and when in the morning they went to pray to the Most Holy Theotokos, they did not see the miraculous icon. They began to search around the area, in the mountains, and "gained an image of the Most Holy Theotokos, standing on an oak tree, between the branches." They sent a messenger to the Grand Duke, and when he heard

0 miracle Roman Mikhailovich, so he immediately gathered the entire consecrated cathedral and was "blinded out of the city of Bryansk." On the way, he fervently prayed to the Blessed Virgin: "Give me to the Lady of the eyes to see the light and Your miraculous image."

And as soon as the Grand Duke approached the tree, at the same hour he received his sight. The icon was removed, a prayer service was sung, and after the funeral of this beginning, the prince himself, with his own hands, with all those who were, on the temple of God to the Most Pure Mother of God, chop wood. The church was erected right there, it was consecrated, and soon a monastery arose here, for the creation of which and for the maintenance of the brethren the prince gave enough gold and silver.

In 1567, Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible ordered to build a stone cathedral church instead of a wooden one in the name of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, now called the Pechersk-Svenskaya. Thus, in a desert area, a monastery arose, which became famous throughout Russia.

In 1925, the icon was taken out of the monastery and opened, and then, in 1930, transferred to the Tretyakov Gallery. Art historians believe that in style it refers to XIII century, and, perhaps, is a list with one of the ancient Pechersk icons that have not come down to us, made in connection with the request of the Chernigov prince.

Indeed, it is unlikely that the Kiev-Pechersk brethren would agree to let go so far, to Bryansk, their miraculous icon, especially if it belonged to the brush of Alipiy. Most likely made exact list from the icon of the Mother of God, sent to the prince. Moreover, they attributed to the image of the Virgin Mary the founders of the Kiev-Pechersk monastery Anthony and Theodosius, who were revered as miracle workers. They stand next to the figure of the Mother of God, seated on a throne with the Infant Jesus Christ on her knees. Perhaps the creator of the copy wanted to enhance the significance of the original by introducing two saints.

Experts agree that the faces of Anthony and Theodosius of the Pechersks are endowed with portrait features, so the icon is also valuable because it depicts saints depicted relatively soon after their death. On the left, with his head uncovered, stands the dark-haired Theodosius, on the right - Anthony in a pointed doll, like a monk who has taken the schema.

Well-known art critic I.E. Grabar notes that the style of this icon echoes the Kyiv mosaics of the 10th-11th centuries and that this monument is close to the era of Alipy. He considers it to be a list from an earlier icon, but dating back not to 1288, when the icon was first mentioned, but to a more distant time.

Such a detail about this monument is also known: under Ivan the Terrible, the Svensk Icon of the Mother of God of the Caves was brought to Moscow for renewal, then again sent to the Bryansk Assumption Monastery, decorated with golden crowns, expensive stones and pearls.

And about the icon painter Alipiy in the "Kiev-Pechersk Patericon" there is another legend, which tells that an angel himself helped him to paint icons. Once the monk fell very ill and could not complete the work on time. The customer strongly reproached the painter, and he replied: “Didn’t I do it out of laziness? Can’t God write the icon of His Mother with a word? I, as the Lord revealed to me, am leaving this world” ... In the workshop of Alipiy, a bright young man began to paint an icon. The speed with which he worked showed that he was not a simple master, but "incorporeal".

In the morning, the customer, seeing the icon painted, brought all the household to the church, and "seeing the icon shining brighter than the sun, they fell prostrate on the ground, bowed to the icon and venerated it in spiritual joy."

When everyone, together with the abbot, came to the painter, they saw that he was already departing from this world. The abbot asked him: “Father, how and by whom was the icon painted? He told them everything that he saw, saying: "An angel wrote it, and now he is standing near me and wants to take me with him." And having said this, he gave up his spirit."

Alipiy was buried in a cave in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra together with the Reverend Fathers.

We only have to bitterly regret that from the first greatest painter of Rus', whose brush, as they say, the angel himself drove, there is not a single indisputable icon left.