All icons of Rublev. ​God-inspired painter. Seventeen questions about Andrei Rublev. A. Chronicle news

On July 17, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the holy icon painter, Reverend Andrei Rublev. The exclusivity of his icons was appreciated in antiquity, and from the 16th century the famous “Trinity” began to serve as an official model for Russian icon painters. We invite you to remember 7 amazing faces of the artistic genius of Ancient Rus'.

"The Last Judgment." Face of Christ

Thousands of people from all over the world come to Vladimir to visit the Assumption Cathedral and see the unforgettable frescoes created in 1408 by Daniil Cherny and Andrei Rublev. This painting today is the only monument of Rublev’s art confirmed in chronicles. Executed in the Byzantine tradition, the painting of the Second Coming of Christ is reinterpreted. The central figure of the composition is undoubtedly Christ, who seems to descend from heaven to the viewer waiting for Him. He seems surprisingly close, his face is bright and gentle. He brings peace and salvation to people. The presence of each participant in the picture is justified and symbolic: the Angel, twisting the heavens, like a scroll, announces the approach of Judgment; the prepared Throne with the instruments of the Passion recalls the atoning sacrifice of the Savior; the figures of the ancestors symbolize the bonds of original sin. Under the figure of Christ are the Mother of God and the Forerunner, who remind the viewer of the incessant prayer of the patron saints of the human race. Their prayer seems to be continued by the faces of the apostles, who look benevolently and at the same time sternly at the viewer. Almost for the first time in Russian art, the idea of ​​a righteous and merciful Court was embodied in this picture in such a perfect artistic form.

"Trinity". Faces of Angels

By the time Rublev painted the Old Testament Trinity icon (1411 or 1425-1427 (?)), there was a tradition of depicting this biblical episode, which was based on the legend of the hospitality of the forefather Abraham, receiving and treating three strangers. The Rublev icon became a new look at a well-known plot. There are no traditional Abraham and Sarah on it; in the background, their home and the Mamre Oak, under which the meal was served, remain almost invisible. Three Wandering Angels appear before the viewer. They sit in calm silence around the table with refreshments. Everything here is aimed at creating unsurpassed drama and reflective contemplation. The central Angel is identified with Christ, whose figure sets the circular rhythm of the entire composition: the silhouettes echo each other with the sliding and falling lines of clothing, bowed heads, and turned gazes. Equivalent figures of Angels are in unity with each other and in absolute agreement. Living specifics are replaced here by a sublime image of the eternal council and predestination of Christ’s sacrifice. You can see Rublev’s “Trinity” in the Tretyakov Gallery.

"Zvenigorod rank". Face of the Savior

In 1918, in a woodshed near the Zvenigorod Assumption Cathedral “on Gorodok,” three Deesis icons were discovered, which were attributed to I. Grabar based on a stylistic analysis of Rublev’s brush. Later, researchers almost unanimously accepted the attribution of Grabar, despite the fact that Rublev’s authorship was never documented. The “Zvenigorod rite” includes three icons: “Savior”, “Archangel Michael” and “Apostle Paul”. The most perfect, undoubtedly, is the image of the Savior, whose calm, thoughtful and surprisingly benevolent gaze is directed at the viewer. Hope, the promise of intimacy and heartfelt participation, along with sublime, ideal beauty, which is infinitely removed from the world of ordinary people - the Russian icon painter managed to perfectly embody all this.

"Zvenigorod rank". Face of Archangel Michael

The second icon of the “Zvenigorod rank” was the image of Archangel Michael. His face, turned to the Savior, seems to echo him with thoughtful meekness and tranquility of his gaze. This image refers us to the Angels of the Holy Trinity, and not only in its humility, but also in its visual similarity - a long, flexible, slightly elongated neck, a cap of thick curls, a bowed head. The third icon - “Apostle Paul” - was made in a manner different from Rublev’s, so a number of researchers believe that this face would have been created by another master, for example, Rublev’s long-time associate, Daniil Cherny. You can see the icons of the Zvenigorod rank in the Tretyakov Gallery.

List of icons of the Mother of God of Vladimir. Face of the Virgin Mary

Despite the obvious discovery of features of Rublev's writing, the author of the icon could not have been Rublev himself, but someone from his inner circle. Grabar unequivocally states that the work was made by a great master: “Everything here is from Rublev - the cold bluish overall tone, the character of the drawing, facial features, with the slight hump of the nose typical of Rublev, graceful hands, the beautiful silhouette of the entire composition, the rhythm of lines and harmony colors." The traditional Byzantine prototype - the Mother of God holding Her Son on her right hand and tenderly bending towards Him - was realized with some, most likely deliberate deviations. This is especially true for the figure of the Mother, since the Baby is reproduced exactly according to the Byzantine model. In the figure of the Mother of God, the anatomical correctness of the forms is violated, first of all, the bend of the neck, which allows the Mother’s face to come as close as possible to the face of Jesus. Their gazes meet. The hands of the Virgin Mary are amazingly depicted, wide open in a prayerful gesture. The Mother's face is covered with a maforium, which, like a dome, extends over the Baby, protecting and calming him. And, of course, one is struck by Rublev’s tranquility, purity, absence of sorrow and suffering, filled with silence, peace and a feeling of love in the face of the Mother of God. You can see the icon in the exhibition of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve.

Trinity iconostasis. Face of Dmitry Solunsky

The name of Rublev is associated with the creation of the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The icon painter's brush is supposedly visible in the icons of Archangel Gabriel, Demetrius of Thessaloniki and the Apostles Peter and Paul. The Trinity iconostasis is unique. It is the only architectural and picturesque temple ensemble that has been completely preserved to this day, created during the heyday of ancient Russian art. Who painted these icons - Andrei Rublev or Daniil Cherny - still remains a mystery. During the latest restoration work, a firm belief was expressed only that among the icons there are undoubtedly those that belong to Rublev. When looking, for example, at the image of Dmitry Thessaloniki, I really want to believe that it was painted by Rublev: the same head bowed in meek contemplation, the same graceful hands raised in prayer, the same cap of thick curly hair, the same wide-open and childishly naive eyes, the same meekness and tranquility.

Gospel Khitrovo. Face of the Evangelist Matthew

Another hypothetical monument of Rublev's writing - miniatures of the altar Gospel of Khitrovo - stand out in the heritage of the icon painter. This unique example of a manuscript, kept today in the collection of the Russian State Library, was allegedly made in one of the best workshops of the Grand Ducal Moscow at the turn of the 14th-15th centuries. The text of the manuscript is accompanied by eight miniature front illustrations depicting the evangelists and their symbols. The style of the miniatures suggests that they were painted by Theophanes the Greek, Daniil Cherny and Andrei Rublev, while the names of the last two icon painters are most often mentioned. There is no consensus among scientists: for example, G. Vzdornov believes that they all belong to the brush of Cherny, and O. Popova convincingly proves the opposite - they were all created by Rublev. The symbolic image of the Evangelist Matthew is most often attributed to Rublev. The tilt of the neck, the outline of the head of fluffy hair, and the type of face are very close to the Rublev images created by the master in the Vladimir frescoes. However, Angel's gaze is harsher. In clothes flying through the air with the Gospel in his hand, he quickly moves towards the viewer, wanting to quickly convey the Word of God to him.
Despite the fact that it is often not possible to accurately establish the authorship of the holy icon painter, our country has a grandiose heritage, including unsurpassed examples of ancient Russian culture.

The birth of the greatest genius of Russian icon painting supposedly dates back to the 1370s or 1380s. At this time, Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich reigned in Moscow, who was to remain in the memory of the Russian people with the nickname Donskoy.

History has not preserved any information about the artist’s parents; It is also unknown neither the place of his birth, nor what name he was given at baptism. Andrey is the name given to him when he was tonsured a monk.

There are some assumptions regarding the nickname Rublev. Most likely, it is not a family nickname (that is, a surname), since the icon painters of that time known to us had personal nicknames - Theophanes the Greek (Byzantine painter who worked in Russia in the second half of the 14th - early 15th centuries), Simeon the Black (d. 1427, monk of the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery) and so on.

As for its meaning, in all likelihood, the nickname Rublev comes not from the monetary unit - the ruble, but from the ancient word "rubel", which the peasants called a long pole that presses straw loaded onto a cart (hay, bread in sheaves) and is pulled together through end notches with rope. In other words, the nickname Rublev could have been given to a tall, but thin, lanky man. This version is supported by the fact that in the 15th century. the nicknames “Rublev”, “Ruble”, “Rubel” were worn by people from various classes: Nikifor Rubel, a Novgorod peasant (mentioned in 1495); Andrei Rublev, Pskov boyar (1484); Ivashko Ruble, Ivangorod merchant (1498); Kirilko Ruble, serf (1500).

The very word “icon” (in Russian, “image”) came to Rus' from Byzantium and meant images of the Savior, the Mother of God, holy men and women, as well as gospel events. According to church tradition, the creator of the first Christian icons was the holy apostle and evangelist Luke, who painted the first images of the Savior and the Mother of God. The line between icon veneration and idolatry is extremely thin. “The honor given to the image passes to the prototype, and the one who worships the icon worships the being depicted on it,” proclaimed the fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council in the 8th century, formulating the dogma on the veneration of icons. Christians were instructed to venerate the iconographic image “along with the cross and the Gospel.”

The first icons in Rus' were of “Greek writing”. However, already in the 11th century, along with Greek masters, Russians also appeared. Not only princely and boyar chambers, churches and monasteries, but also the houses of ordinary townspeople and peasants were decorated with holy images. In pre-Mongol times, ancient Russian icon painters created a number of real masterpieces. Unfortunately, the Mongol invasion destroyed almost all the works of the 10th-13th centuries (about thirty icons preserved in museums have survived from this period to the present day). Most of the skilled artists died or were taken to the Horde.

Only in the second half of the 14th century did icon painting schools begin to revive in the appanage Russian principalities. The Greeks helped the Russian land to rediscover a picturesque language capable of conveying the truths of the Orthodox faith. The best Byzantine masters were invited to paint the reviving and newly built churches. In the 70s and 80s of the 14th century, the great Theophanes the Greek worked in Novgorod - he painted the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyin Street. In the 1390s, the master moved to Moscow, where he painted frescoes, icons and miniatures for the handwritten Gospels. It seemed unusual to Muscovites that Theophan the Greek, while painting churches, did not look at the samples, but freely painted the figures and faces of saints. Epiphanius the Wise* He left the following note about him: “When I lived in Moscow, there lived the famous sage, the extremely cunning philosopher Theophanes, a Greek by birth, a master book painter and an excellent painter among icon painters...”

*Epiphanius the Wise (d. ca. 1420) - monk of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, author of the lives of St. Sergius of Radonezh, Stephen of Perm and works of other genres. He is revered among the saints.

It is no coincidence that Saint Epiphanius puts the wisdom and theology of Theophan in first place. The work of an icon painter in the Orthodox Church has always been considered sacred, carried out not only by the skill of the artist, but also by the help of God. Mastery here was not separated from piety and necessarily presupposed the skills of prayer and knowledge of theology. The works of Theophanes the Greek were theology in colors: the color in them was permeated with light, divine energy, the world of the saints did not know any darkness and evil. According to church teaching, this light was first seen by the apostles on Mount Tabor during the transfiguration of Christ. As the Gospel narrates, the Lord took three apostles with him to Mount Tabor in Galilee and during prayer “was transfigured before them: and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white like light” (Matthew 17:2). For a long time, there were debates among theologians about the nature of this light. Adherents of the humanistic worldview considered its nature to be created, that is, physical, accessible to the human eye. In contrast, the hesychasts (that is, the “silent ones”) believed that the Tabor light was of Divine origin and was accessible only to the vision of an enlightened, spiritual person. To become worthy of this light and to see it, hesychasts developed ascetic and prayerful practices. In the middle of the 14th century, shortly before the birth of Andrei Rublev, the Orthodox Church recognized the correct point of view of the hesychasts, and Metropolitan Gregory Palamas of Thessalonica (1296-1359), who finally formulated the doctrine of the Favorian light, was canonized.

Andrei Rublev became the heir to two traditions of “theology in color” - Greek and Russian. The young master could absorb the Greek tradition in communication with Theophan the Greek and the educated Byzantine priesthood, who came to Rus' along with the Greek metropolitans. But his compatriots also gave Andrey an example to follow. The Monk Alypius of Pechersk (d. 1088) became the first Russian icon painter to be canonized. His life, written in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, was undoubtedly known to Andrei. The Monk Alypius became famous not only for his feats of fasting and prayer, not only for his skill as an icon painter, but also for his gift of miracles: according to legend, he healed the sick with the touch of his brush and paints. St. Metropolitan Peter (d. 1326) and St. Dionysius of Glushitsky (1363-1437) were also involved in icon painting.

Unfortunately, no information has been preserved in which city Andrei studied: in those days, icon painting schools were formed in Novgorod, Pskov, Tver, and Moscow. But when looking at the icons of the already mature master Rublev, it becomes obvious that he belongs to the Moscow school, whose colorfulness, softness and grace had to be absorbed from childhood.

Having learned all the wisdom of the craft from Moscow icon painters, Andrei Rublev did not stop there and, apparently, continued his education in Constantinople.

Many people from Rus' in those days lived in the capital of the Byzantine Empire. By order of Russian metropolitans and bishops, icons and entire iconostases were painted here, which were then transported to Rus'. So, in 1392 Saint Afanasy Vysotsky*, who lived in the Greek capital for about two decades and worked on translations from Greek into Russian of the books of the holy fathers, brought from Constantinople to the Serpukhov monastery the Deesis rank (a series of icons), which has survived to this day and is called the Vysotsky rank.

*Athanasius (in the world Andrey) Vysotsky (XIV - early XV centuries) - abbot of the Serpukhov Vysotsky Monastery, disciple of Sergius of Radonezh, reverend.

It was from the Greeks that Andrei Rublev learned the warm ocher tones of the faces of saints, the imperceptibility of transitions from one color to another, the expressiveness of faces and figures - in a word, the highest skill and grace, beauty and depth, transparency and radiance of colors.

The years of study passed, and in the 1390s Andrei returned to Moscow.

The outcome of the 14th century was marked by the invasion of Rus' by the invincible Tamerlane. The huge empire he created in Central Asia competed with the decrepit power of the Mongols. In 1395, Tamerlane completely defeated the Khan of the Golden Horde, Tokhtamysh, and, continuing to move north, approached the southern border of Rus'. His huge army took the city of Yelets by storm, but suddenly turned back, as if driven by an unknown force. In Rus', the flight of the Basurman army was associated with the intercession of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which just at that time was transferred to Moscow at the request of Grand Duke Vasily Dmitrievich, the eldest son of Dmitry Donskoy.

The miraculous icon, which became a symbol and protector of the Russian land, remained in Moscow. Ten years later, Andrei Rublev, with the blessing of Metropolitan Cyprian, will write a copy of it for the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir.

It is likely that these shocks showed Saint Andrew the futility of worldly glory and determined his choice of the monastic path.

The place and time of the artist’s tonsure is not known exactly. Imitating the ancient holy icon painters, Andrei chose the monastic path to cleanse his soul with fasting and prayer, reading the Holy Scriptures and the works of the holy fathers. There is no doubt that he was familiar with the teachings of St. Gregory Palamas about the Favorian light - translations of his works had already appeared in Rus'. The icon of the Transfiguration of the Lord (1400) from the iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral by Andrei Rublev is literally permeated with this light, playing with white highlights in the folds of clothes, on the faces of the apostles, on the hills, and the white tunic of Christ sheds this light on the whole world.

It is no coincidence that the Rev. Joseph of Volotsky will later say that from the contemplation of Andrei Rublev’s icons there occurs an elevation of “mind and thought” to the “immaterial and divine light” (“the elevation of the sensual eye”).

By the beginning of the 15th century, Andrei Rublev had become so successful in his art that he moved to the forefront Russian artists*. Therefore, when the construction of the Annunciation Church was completed on the Kremlin Cathedral Square, the young icon painter was invited to paint it together with two other famous masters - Theophan the Greek and Elder Prokhor from Gorodets (1405).

*By the beginning of the 15th century. include miniatures from the Gospel, which previously belonged to the boyar Khitrovo. Some historians of Russian art believe that these wonderful miniatures (especially the symbol of the Evangelist Matthew - the Angel) could only have been created by a first-class master, which, no doubt, was already Andrei Rublev at that time.

Angel from the Gospel of Khitrovo .

The “painting” of the church then meant not only fresco painting on the walls, but also the creation of all the icons of the iconostasis. The Russian Orthodox iconostasis acquired its complete form by the 15th century, representing an impressive picturesque wall with five rows of icons, which separated the altar - a symbol of the heavenly world - from the temple space reserved for worshipers. The icons of the iconostasis expressed the idea of ​​the intercession of heavenly powers for the human race at the Last Judgment. The three icons above the Royal Doors - the Mother of God, the Savior and John the Baptist - are called "Deesis" (or Deisis), which means "prayer", which is why the entire row of these icons is called the "Deesis row".

Iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral in the Kremlin

The Deesis row icons in the Annunciation Cathedral were painted by the eldest and most revered of the three masters, Theophanes the Greek. Icons of the holidays were painted by Prokhor from Gorodets and Andrei Rublev, who also showed great skill and their own individual style. Contemporaries noted the dissimilarity of the habits of Greek and Russian painters: “And when Feofan Grechin painted, his eyes sparkled in all directions, and he held many conversations, so that the Moscow people were very amazed. The Monk Andrew, in complete silence of mind and lips and unceasing heartfelt prayer, performed, according to the tradition of his spiritual fathers.”

Rublev's brushes in the iconostasis of the Church of the Annunciation, in addition to the Transfiguration, include six more icons: the Annunciation, the Nativity of Christ, the Presentation, the Baptism, the Raising of Lazarus, the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. But the paintings of the temple have not been preserved, since it was rebuilt on the old foundation in 1489.

Annunciation. Icon from the festive rite of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin

From about this time, Saint Andrew had a friend and fellow-faster named Daniel, nicknamed Black. He was an outstanding icon painter, like Andrei, but older in years. The friendship of Daniel and Andrey, which lasted at least twenty years, until their death, left a bright mark on the history of the Church and church art, representing an example of a spiritual and creative union. One glance at their creations is enough to understand how strong the interpenetration and mutual enrichment of their talents was. Until now, art historians argue about the authorship of many icons, whether they belong to the brush of Daniel or Andrey.

Andrey Rublev, Daniil Cherny and the workshop. The middle part of the Deesis order: Archangel Michael, the Mother of God, the Savior in Powers, John the Baptist, Archangel Gabriel.

Rev. Joseph Volotsky notes that both masters worked every day, raising “the mind and thought to the immaterial and Divine light, and the sensual eyes to the images of the Savior and the Most Pure Mother.” The icons brought them such joy that even on holidays, for example on Easter, when it was not customary to work, Andrei and Daniel contemplated the holy icons and prayed before them.

In 1408, the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily Dmitrievich invited the already famous icon painter Andrei and his friend Daniil Cherny to re-paint the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir. Built back in the 12th century, this temple suffered greatly during Batu's invasion of 1237-1238, when its iconostasis and frescoes were destroyed in fire, and by the beginning of the 15th century it fell into complete disrepair.

The Grand Duke attached great importance to this work. Despite the fact that Moscow had already become the main place of residence of the head of the Russian Church, the metropolitan see was still formally located in Vladimir, and the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral continued to remain the main cathedral church of all Rus'. Therefore, the paintings in it were supposed to artistically affirm the dignity of the Russian Church and its Primate. In addition, the arrival of a new metropolitan from Constantinople was expected: Theognostus (since 1409), who replaced the deceased Cyprian in the Russian department.

Reverend Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny arrived in Vladimir. On May 25 they started work. The iconostasis and frescoes made by them have partially survived to this day. Andrei’s brushes include “The Savior in Powers,” “The Mother of God,” “John the Theologian” and “Apostle Andrew,” which are now stored in the Tretyakov Gallery. These are huge, three-meter high, full-length images of saints on a golden background, majestic and colorful.

Savior in Strength

For the first time in Russia, a high multi-tiered iconostasis was created, where a Deesis row, a festive row and a row of prophets were located above the icons of the local row and the royal doors. Of the 25 icons of the festive series, the Annunciation, the Descent into Hell, the Ascension, the Presentation and the Baptism have been preserved. From the prophetic - the icons of Zephaniah and Zechariah.

Meeting of the Lord. Icon from the festive rite of the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir.
Around 1408.

The iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir became one of the most grandiose works in the history of church art of ancient Rus'.

In the days when Andrei Rublev and Daniil were painting the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral, the horde of Khan Edigei approached Moscow, ravaged the surrounding area and burned the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. And in 1410, Vladimir was subjected to a sudden attack by the Tatars.

Around the same time, Zvenigorod Prince Yuri Dmitrievich, son of Dmitry Donskoy, invited Andrei Rublev to paint the newly built Assumption Cathedral in Zvenigorod.

When decorating his temple, the prince wanted to see in it icons of a master close in spirit to his spiritual father, St. Sergius of Radonezh.

Savior Almighty

Only three icons of the Deesis order from the Zvenigorod Assumption Cathedral have reached us, now stored in the Tretyakov Gallery: “The Savior,” “Archangel Michael” and “Apostle Paul.” The central icon of the Deesis rank, “Savior Pantocrator,” despite the large losses of the paint layer, can be considered the pinnacle in the depiction of Jesus Christ in all Russian icon painting. In the face of the Savior, the Monk Andrew amazingly combined strength and gentleness, greatness and humanity. Medium-sized, typically Russian facial features are full of love and peace. The combination of noble simplicity and splendor is a feature of the mature master Andrei Rublev.

Apostle Paul (from the Zvenigorod rank)

The subsequent years of the icon painter’s life were associated with the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. Andrei moved there at the invitation of Abbot Nikon of Radonezh, who was very sad that the newly erected white-stone Trinity Cathedral was not decorated with paintings, and wanted to see the icon painted “in praise of Sergius of Radonezh” during his lifetime.

Hegumen Nikon talks with Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny.
Fragment of a 16th century miniature .

Then the “Trinity” icon came out from under the brush of St. Andrew, becoming the pinnacle of all Russian icon painting. Working on it, the monk cried out to the great teacher Sergius of Radonezh, so that through his prayers and standing before the Lord he would help him glorify the Name of the Most Holy Trinity before angels and people. Contemplation of the image of the Trinity, according to his plan, was supposed to give rise to great peace and love in the soul: “may the hateful discord of this world be overcome by looking at this image.”

The biblical story about the appearance of three angels to the forefather Abraham under the brush of Andrei Rublev became the image of the Trinity, expressing the main dogma of Christianity: the unity of God in Three Persons. The artist, having excluded everyday details from the plot of the icon, placed three angels large on the icon, and gave symbolic depth to all the remaining details: the house of Abraham became the abode of the Heavenly Father, the mountain - a symbol of the height of the Holy Spirit, and the Oak of Mamre - the tree on which Christ will be crucified. In the center of the table there is a bowl with the head of a calf as a symbol of the Sacrifice made by the Savior for the sins of people, and the contours of the figures of the left and right angels form a large bowl - the image of the Eucharist.

Spaso-Andronikov Monastery. Nowadays the Museum of Ancient Russian Art named after Andrei Rublev.

Andrei and Daniel spent the last years of their lives in the Andronikov Monastery, working on the painting of the newly built Spassky Cathedral. Unfortunately, these works by the masters have not survived (with the exception of two ornamental fragments). In one 16th-century manuscript there is a miniature depicting the monk while working on the image of the Savior on the wall of the Savior Cathedral of the Andronikov Monastery.

Andrei Rublev paints an external fresco above the entrance to the Spassky Cathedral of the Andronikov Monastery.
From a 17th century miniature.

In the life of St. Nikon of Radonezh it is said that Andrei Rublev lived to see his gray hairs. However, the exact time of his death is unknown. The most likely date is 1428, when a plague epidemic raged in Moscow. The monastic tradition, recorded by Joseph Volotsky, says: “first Andrei reposed, then his fellow priest Daniel fell ill, and at the hour of his death he saw Andrei in great glory and joyfully calling him to eternal and endless bliss.”

Rublev on his deathbed. From a 16th century miniature.

Both icon painters were buried in the Andronikov Monastery near the Spassky Cathedral. Over the next three centuries, their memory was surrounded by deep reverence. At the monastery service, St. Andrew was commemorated on July 4, the day of St. Andrey Kritsky*, in honor of which he was probably tonsured. In miniatures of manuscripts of the 16th century, Andrei was already depicted with a halo.

*Andrew of Crete, (c. 660 - c. 740) - saint, archbishop of the city of Gortyna on Crete, ascetic and church poet-hymnographer.

In 1551, on the initiative of Sovereign Ivan IV Vasilyevich and Metropolitan Macarius, a council was convened in Moscow, which received the name Stoglavy - in its decisions (100 chapters) the rules of church life in the country were written down. The cathedral decrees recognized the Venerable Andrei Rublev as equal to the most famous Greek icon painters who formed the church canon, and ordered “painters to paint icons from ancient images, as Greek painters painted and as Andrei Rublev wrote.”

These instructions of the cathedral led to the fact that Rublev’s creations were copied in large numbers by subsequent generations of icon painters. And even now it is hardly possible to find a temple in Russia that does not have a copy of its “Trinity”.

At the end of the 16th century, the Stroganov icon-painting original was compiled, in which Andrei Rublev is called a saint, and about his work it is said: “he painted many holy icons, all miraculous.”

The 18th-19th centuries became a time of oblivion for many Orthodox traditions. Canonical icon painting was replaced by “lifelikeness” and then by academic painting. Ancient icons, including Rublev’s, darkened under a layer of old drying oil; they were written over with new images (renewed), and often destroyed due to dilapidation. It got to the point that the saint’s grave in the Spassky Monastery was forgotten and razed to the ground. The very name of the “notorious (glorious of the glorious) painter” was remembered only by lovers of ancient Russian art - collectors of icons “from Rublev’s letters,” that is, painted according to his models.

This is what Rublev’s “Trinity” looked like until the end of 1904.
The heavy golden robe left only the faces and hands of the angels exposed.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, ancient icons began to be restored - late records were cleaned out and their original appearance was restored. Andrei Rublev’s “Trinity” icon was one of the first to be cleared, in 1905. When the icon painter V.P. Guryanov, who arrived at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra at the invitation of the abbot of the monastery, removed three layers of later notes from the surface of the icon, everyone was amazed to see bright, truly heavenly colors instead of the “dark” image. The significance of this event in Russia cannot be overestimated. This was the discovery of an ancient icon, a revival of interest in ancient Russian culture.

Before the clearing, the Rublev icon was renewed at least five times (the last time in the mid-19th century)
This is how she appeared to Guryanov’s gaze after the salary was removed .

Photo of “Trinity” after the completion of clearing Guryanov.

Photo of “Trinity” after Guryanov’s renovation.

However, Guryanov’s renovation of the icon caused criticism from specialists. In 1915, researcher Sychev said that Guryanov’s restoration actually hid the monument from us. IN The second, final stage of clearing was completed in 1918-1919.

An icon in the process of clearing 1918-1919.
On the angel’s clothes on the right you can see a light stripe of Guryanov’s recording.

Since the 1920s, many books have been published (by M. Alpatov, I. Grabar, and others) dedicated to the life and work of the artist. Numerous exhibitions with the master’s icons have traveled not only to many Russian cities, but also to foreign countries. The art of Andrei Rublev began a triumphal march throughout the world.

After the Great Patriotic War, in connection with the restoration of the Andronikov Monastery, an initiative group led by Academician I. Grabar turned to the government with a request to create a Museum of Old Russian Painting on the territory of the monastery. Soon, J.V. Stalin signed an order to create a historical and architectural museum-reserve named after Andrei Rublev. The secular repository of ancient church art opened in 1960, which UNESCO declared the year of the Russian icon painter Andrei Rublev.

In 1988, the Council of the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Andrei Rublev with the rank of saint.

With the advent of the third millennium, churches began to be built in Russia in honor of St. Andrew (for example, in Moscow on Ramenki Street). And the “Trinity” he wrote is currently one of the most recognizable artistic symbols of Russia.

Years of life: approximately 1360-1370 to 1428

From the biography.

• Andrey Rublev, icon painter. He was a student of Theophanes the Greek.
• Rublev is a contemporary of Sergius of Radonezh and Dmitry Donskoy.
• There is practically no information about the origin of Rublev. And we don’t know his name given at birth. Andrey is the name given to him when he was tonsured as a monk. One can only guess that he comes from a family of artisans, since the “rubel” is a knife for working with leather. Perhaps this is where his nickname, Rublev, comes from.
• For the first time in the chronicle, Andrei Rublev was mentioned when it came to the painting of the Annunciation Cathedral in Moscow in 1405 by Theophan the Greek, Elder Prokhor and Rublev.
• The end of the 14th and beginning of the 15th century in the history of Rus' is characterized by a national upsurge caused by the victories of Dmitry Donskoy over the Golden Horde. These ideas were reflected in the works of A. Rublev. He was interested in moral and spiritual problems, and he reflected the greatness, strength and beauty of man in his works.

Historical portrait of Andrei Rublev

Activities

Features of Andrei Rublev's creativity

• The work of A. Rublev belongs to the Moscow school of icon painting. It is characterized by a synthesis of the traditions of the Novgorod and Vladimir-Suzdal schools, as well as Byzantine icon painting. The stern faces of saints, full of drama, were alien to him. His images are more enlightened. There is a lot of light and peace on the canvases.
• The works are distinguished by humanity, the idea of ​​harmony and agreement. They bring to the world purity, love, the desire for ideals, happiness, despite hostility, cruelty, hardships and troubles around.
• Perfection of the form of works
• Reflection in visible images of heavenly purity, reverence for the Divine. There is a lot of light in his icons, it seems to come from within, illuminating the entire space around, filling the soul with joy and happiness. Lightness in the proportions of the figures is one of the features of his icons.

RESULTS OF ACTIVITY

• The works of Andrei Rublev - icons, paintings - are the greatest cultural heritage of Russia. The icons are carefully kept in the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum in Moscow; they and the paintings are protected by the state.
• Andrei Rublev had a huge influence on his contemporaries and descendants, changing the visual image of the Kingdom of Heaven.
• The Russian Orthodox Church canonized Andrei Rublev in 1988.

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: extremely little documented data about the life of the famous Russian icon painter has been preserved. Neither the exact dates of birth and death, nor the place of birth and place of residence are known; there is no information about his parents; it is unknown what the icon painter’s name was in the world before he was tonsured.

With such a lack of information, anyone who is interested in the personality of Andrei Rublev has many questions. We tried to answer the most common of them.

1.Where did the surname “Rublev” come from?

The origin of the surname, like many other facts from the life of the great icon painter, causes controversy among scientists. According to some researchers, the nickname comes from the word “rubel” - that was the name of the tool used for rolling leather.

2.Who was Andrei Rublev by origin?

There are assumptions about the origin of Andrei Rublev from the craft class.

3.Where did Andrei Rublev live?

Probably in the Principality of Moscow: all the surviving works are in one way or another connected precisely with this destiny. The exception is the paintings in Vladimir; but the Monk Andrei could work there by invitation, temporarily.

4. How do we know that Andrei Rublev was a monk?

The chronicles call him "monk". Surviving images of Andrei Rublev also depict him in monastic robes.

5. Did Andrei Rublev have friends?

It is impossible to answer unequivocally. At an early stage of creativity, he worked together with Feofan the Greek. He created many of his works in collaboration with Daniil Cherny, who was called Rublev’s “companion”. Among the persons with whom Andrei Rublev was or could be familiar are the Venerable Andronik of Moscow, Nikon of Radonezh, Savva Storozhevsky, Athanasius Vysotsky, the Moscow Metropolitans Photius and Cyprian, the learned monk Epiphanius the Wise.

6.How many of Andrei Rublev’s works have survived?

The issue still causes controversy in the art criticism community, since today it is possible to attribute a particular icon or fresco to the brush of Andrei Rublev only on the basis of an analysis of the nature of the writing - and this is not the most reliable method, from a scientific point of view. In ancient Rus', copyright catalogs of icons were not created, and none of the chronicles that have reached us contains a consolidated list of the creations of St. Andrew.

With a greater or lesser degree of probability, the following works are attributed to the brushes of Andrei Rublev:

Zvenigorod rite: Savior, Archangel Michael, Apostle Paul. They were written for the Assumption Cathedral in Gorodok (Zvenigorod). Opened in 1918. Stored in the Tretyakov Gallery. Presumably, the entire tier consisted of either 7 or 9 icons. The authorship is not documented, but experts almost unanimously attribute it to the creations of Andrei Rublev.

The frescoes of the Annunciation Cathedral in the Kremlin (1405) have not survived. Seven icons of the festive series (Annunciation, Nativity, Presentation, Baptism, Transfiguration, Raising of Lazarus, Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem) are attributed to Andrei Rublev, but expert opinions differ, because According to chronicles, on June 21, 1547, the decoration of the cathedral was destroyed by fire.

The frescoes of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir (1408) have been partially preserved. The iconostasis is presumably associated with the name of Andrei Rublev. 13 icons of the Deesis order have survived. Of the festive series, which originally included 25 icons, only five have survived: the Annunciation, the Descent into Hell, the Ascension, the Presentation and the Baptism. From the prophetic series there are two: the prophets Zephaniah and Zechariah.

“Trinity” from the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. It was revered as miraculous, its authorship was confirmed by contemporaries and later documents.

The frescoes of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, made by Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny, have not survived.

Spassky Cathedral of the Andronikov Monastery: only small fragments of the ornament have been preserved.

He is also credited with miniatures and initials of the Khitrovo Gospel (c. 1400), as well as fragments of frescoes of the Nativity Cathedral of the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery.

7.Where can you see the creations of Andrei Rublev?

Most of them are collected in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, several icons are kept in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. In the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir you can see preserved frescoes.

8.Why is Andrei Rublev’s “Trinity” considered the pinnacle of ancient Russian art?

It's difficult to explain. But back in the 16th century, at the so-called Stoglav Cathedral, it was recognized that this image is a standard and model for all icon painters. Many modern authors consider Rublev’s “Trinity” to be the highest creation of not only ancient Russian, but also world fine art. This is a monument of world significance.

9. Why was Andrei Rublev canonized?

The rules of the Orthodox Church regarding the canonization of new saints imply several conditions. “For a saint of God to be considered among the locally revered saints, it is necessary that the godly life of a righteous person be witnessed by the gift of miracles after his death and by popular veneration of him,” says the “Resolution of the Holy Council of the Russian Orthodox Church on the procedure for glorifying saints for local veneration” (August 21 ( September 3, AD) 1918).

Historical documents have not preserved evidence of miracles through the prayers of Andrei Rublev himself, but since ancient times such cases have occurred from icons painted by him. “The Stroganov Icon Painting Original,” a set of rules for icon painters compiled at the end of the 16th century, calls Andrei Rublev a venerable: “Reverend Andrei of Radonezh, an icon painter, nicknamed Rublev, painted many holy icons, all miraculous.”

In addition, church tradition has preserved deep veneration for Andrei Rublev as a “God-inspired”, “notorious” painter, whose creative genius became a reflection of the highest spiritual life and feat of prayer.

10. When and how did the canonization of Andrei Rublev take place?

The glorification took place at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988. The meetings of the cathedral were held in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. On the first day of the cathedral, June 6, Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsa announced the report “Canonization of Saints in the Russian Orthodox Church.” The report noted that Andrei Rublev is expected to be glorified as a saint for his “ascetic feat and creativity in icon painting.”

“The Council determines: it has pleased the Holy Spirit and us to number among the saints of God for all-Russian church veneration the following ascetics of Christian piety:

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2. The Venerable Andrei Rublev (1360-1st half of the 15th century), faster and ascetic, famous icon painter, creator of many icons, now glorified throughout the world, always revered as a locally revered saint in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. Contemporaries testified to St. Andrew as an ascetic of a holy life, who abundantly demonstrated Christian love for his neighbors. The Monk Joseph of Volotsky speaks of him as having been granted the vision and contemplation of the immaterial Divine Light and who appeared after his death dressed in shining vestments to his associate in icon painting, Daniel. Through many icons of St. Andrew, especially through the image of the “Holy Trinity,” which has become the perfect expression of the dogma of the Triune God after more than a thousand years of its understanding in Orthodox iconography, the Christian gospel is spreading throughout the world today.”

Andrei Rublev was canonized among the nine ascetics glorified by the cathedral, along with Blgv. Demetrius Donskoy, Rev. Maxim the Greek, St. Macarius of Moscow, St. Paisiy Velichkovsky, Blessed. Xenia of Petersburg, St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), St. Ambrose of Optina and St. Theophan the Recluse.

11. Why did the glorification of Andrei Rublev occur only at the end of the 20th century, if he had been revered since ancient times?

In the Middle Ages, the Church was in no hurry to canonize new saints, very carefully and carefully collecting information about the ascetics revered by the people. Perhaps the fact of the extreme paucity of information about his life also played against Andrei Rublev. In any case, at the so-called Makariev Councils of 1547 and 1549, when more than two dozen saints were glorified, his name was not mentioned.

And then, in the 17th and especially in the 18th centuries, when secular influence increased in Russian Orthodoxy, including in church art, the name of Andrei Rublev, as well as his works, were almost forgotten. Only among the Old Believers the veneration of Andrei Rublev was not interrupted due to their careful attitude to the pre-Nikon church tradition.

Andrei Rublev took his rightful place in the history of the Russian Church and Russian fine art only at the beginning of the 20th century, when work began on the discovery and restoration of the icons of his writing.

12. Why was July 17th chosen for the holiday in honor of Andrei Rublev?

Day of Veneration of St. Andrew - July 17 (July 4, Art. Art.) - is not reflected in the biography of the saint. On this day, since ancient times, the memory of the Monk Andrei of Crete was celebrated, in whose honor Andrei Rublev may have been tonsured a monk.

Later, two more dates for the celebration were established - in the Cathedrals of the Radonezh Saints (July 19) and in the Cathedral of Moscow Saints (on the Sunday before September 8).

13.Are the relics of Andrei Rublev preserved?

In 1992, remains were discovered in the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery, which were later presumably attributed to Andrei Rublev. In 2006, documents containing research data on these and other remains found on the territory of the monastery were transferred to the Moscow Patriarchate. Despite some indirect signs, no clear conclusion was made. To date, the question of the relics of St. Andrei Rublev remains open.

14.Are there churches dedicated to Andrei Rublev?

Yes, there are two such churches in Moscow alone: ​​the one operating in Ramenki and the one under construction on the street. Verkhnyaya Maslovka; another one was erected in Elektrostal, Moscow region. Temples in honor of St. Andrei Rubleva is in Bratsk (Irkutsk region), Naberezhnye Chelny (Tatarstan), Leninsk (Volgograd region), in the Pokrovsko-Vasilevsky Monastery in Pavlov Posad (Moscow region).

Church in honor of St. Andrei Rublev is in France, it was erected in the city of Silvanes back in 1993-1994 and is under the jurisdiction of the ROCOR.

15.How else is the name of Andrei Rublev immortalized?

Since 1947, the Andrei Rublev Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art has been located in the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery.

In front of the Andronikov Monastery in the park there is a monument to the holy icon painter. There is another monument in Vladimir.

16. Is there some kind of award or prize for icon painters named after Andrei Rublev?

In the Russian Orthodox Church there is the Order of St. Andrei Rublev of three degrees and the Medal of St. Andrei Rublev - two degrees. The award was established in 2001.

It is awarded to both clergy and secular persons - for services in the field of icon painting, as well as restoration and decoration of churches, chapels and monasteries, for scientific research and teaching work in the field of icon painting and church archeology, for publishing activities related to icon painting and church architecture , for work on the protection and return of lost objects of church art.

In the hierarchy of Russian church awards, the Order of Andrei Rublev is the youngest.

The Order of the 1st degree is made of cupronickel with gilding and cold enamel.

A medal is an award of lesser status than an order.

In practice, the Order of St. Andrei Rublev is awarded infrequently. The first Order of St. Andrei Rublev, 1st degree, was awarded in 2002 to Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Vladimir (Kotlyarov; now retired) for his outstanding contribution to the restoration, restoration and beautification of the churches of St. Petersburg and the diocese, as well as in connection with the 40th anniversary of the bishop’s service.

17. How true is the image of Andrei Rublev in the film of the same name by A. Tarkovsky?

It's difficult to judge this. As already mentioned, almost no reliable information about the life of the holy icon painter has survived. Plus - any work of art implies a certain fiction.

The film was harshly criticized by A.I. Solzhenitsyn. He believed that the director’s approach to the topic was primitive and shallow, and from this point of view, characteristic of the understanding of Orthodoxy inherent in the creative, intelligentsia environment of that time.

An illustration can be found in an excerpt from the memoirs of Valery Sergeev, one of the oldest employees of the Andrei Rublev Museum, the author of the book “Andrei Rublev” from the “Life of Remarkable People” series, published back in 1981 and subsequently republished several times:

“In the autumn of the now distant 1964, I had the opportunity, together with the film crew of the film “Andrei Rublev,” to take part in a trip to the Ferapontov Monastery. I myself had nothing to do with this film - from the art criticism side, the omnipresent Savely Yamshchikov was considered his consultant (towards the end of his days he began to be called Savva for some reason).

Once, during one of the cheerful friendly feasts in Kirillov - it was attended by the witty Savely-Savva and the nicest people - the great cinematographer of our time, the recently deceased Vadim Ivanovich Yusov, one of the film's artists Zhenya Chernyaev and Andrei Arsenievich Tarkovsky - I felt a twitch to speak out about some factual inconsistencies in the Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky scenario that was already familiar to me (my comments generally coincided with Solzhenitsyn’s future ones).

In response to this criticism, Tarkovsky, who usually drank almost nothing, but after drinking a little, fell into enthusiasm and frankness, decisively stated the following: “Rublev is generally an “empty place” (he put it that way, explaining that no one and nothing is supposedly about him). does not know). “My film,” he continued, “is not about Rublev, but about the fate of talent in Russia in general and, if you like, about my own - he is Andrei and I am Andrei,” the by-then famous film director more than openly outlined his dubious authorial credo "