MOSCOW, 21 Jun. Until now, in the media and social networks, disputes around the main exhibit of the Tretyakov Gallery, the icon «Holy Trinity» by Andrei Rublev, have not subsided. Muscovites and tourists flock to it for many years during numerous excursions around the capital. Now almost every day there are new comments and publications about whether it was necessary to move this masterpiece to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. What will happen to the legendary icon, why it is so important for visitors and gallery experts, and what other important works can be seen there in the near future — in an interview with Elena Saenkova, head of the department of ancient Russian art at the State Tretyakov Gallery.
The Holy Trinity icon was painted by St. Andrew for the local row of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery in 1425-1427.It is worth emphasizing that the image has never been revered as miraculous. Only bits of information about the icon and Andrei Rublev himself have been preserved in historical sources. Recall that the great icon painter was canonized only in the 20th century, at the 1988 cathedral. His canonization is the result of worldwide recognition of the uniqueness of his main creation, which has become a symbol of Russian spiritual culture, the «Holy Trinity», which gained fame precisely during the years of his stay in the museum.
In the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, and then in Pilgrims went to the Trinity Lavra first of all to St. Sergius, before his relics prayers were offered both for the fate of the country, and for the troubles and sorrows of numerous pilgrims.Believers and all those who are interested in the history of their native country are well aware that there are legends about any revered image, where, in addition to its history, various miracles are described. It is enough to recall the stories about the Vladimir icon of the Mother of God, about the Kazan image, the cycle of stories about Nicholas Velikoretsky, and so on. There are no such legends about Andrei Rublev's «Holy Trinity». /ikona-1871995113.html» data-title='»The price of a mistake is high». What will happen to the famous icon of Rublev now'>
The first restoration of the icon was carried out in 1904 by master V. Guryanov in agreement with the Lavra's hierarchy.This was necessary, since the painting, which had been renewed many times, darkened, it was covered with black drying oil and the faces of the angels were practically invisible, that is, it was impossible to contemplate the image. It is important to understand that in the Christian tradition, it is eye contact with the icon that is important: contemplating the holy face, we raise our prayers to the Lord.
An icon is not a magic item, just by touching it you can get what you want.A miracle is an answer to prayers, and it is impossible to pray before a black image, since the whole essence of the subtle theology of the image, set forth by the fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, collapses. Precisely for the reason that the painting on the faces was absolutely dark (most of the icon was hidden by the salary), it was decided to begin the restoration of the «Holy Trinity», which was already completed after the revolution.
The Tretyakov Gallery, where the state of the «Holy Trinity» was stabilized, did a lot to popularize Russian medieval art.And naturally, attention to the monument associated with the name of St. Andrei Rublev was very great. A huge number of publications, articles of various kinds appear: historical, where they tried to recreate the biography of Andrei Rublev, art criticism, which spoke about the artistic merits of the image. It was in the museum that a new page in the history of the «Holy Trinity» began. The image of St. Andrei Rublev is the main Christian dogma about the consubstantial and trinitarian God, conveyed in an ideal artistic form.
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And it was in the museum that the apostolic mission of this unique image was carried out and continues to be carried out in full force — a witness to God for all who come to the icon. In those years when the temples were closed, the icons in the museums led their silent story about sacred events and spiritual truths — but they continue to tell it now.
Many memories of our contemporaries about the meeting with the «Trinity» have been preserved , about what was happening at that moment in the human soul. Suffice it to recall the articles and television appearances of academician Boris Raushenbakh.
The «Holy Trinity» is perceived as a symbol of the beautiful world of Russian medieval art, its speculation, its incredible beauty. It is in this context that she entered school textbooks. The icon gained fame as a work of the era of Andrei Rublev and St. Sergius and in world culture. We witnessed how people of different cultures and religions, once in Moscow, sought, first of all, to see the «Holy Trinity» in the Tretyakov Gallery, to stand before it in silence.
Unfortunately, a fragile structure demanded and requires careful and careful attitude. And it is no coincidence that, despite the general fame (and you and I know that the Gioconda, for example, travels), the Holy Trinity has never left the country. Meanwhile, starting from 1997, the icon was regularly brought to the church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi to participate in the festive divine service on the Day of the Holy Trinity. A specially equipped stationary showcase was arranged in the temple, which was developed for several years, taking into account all the necessary parameters that ensured the safety of the shrine. Each time before this, the «Trinity» was examined by the restorers, who gave their opinion on the possibility of transferring the icon.
Everything that the restorers have done, including research, very important, because we now know how the boards of the foundation of the «Holy Trinity» live, at the junction of which there are two dangerous cracks. We know how to support them so that they do not continue the path of slow divergence. With the help of a careful study under a microscope, our restorers were able to see the author's drawing of St. Andrei Rublev, which was somewhat modified by the artist himself in the process of work. You can read about this in detail by visiting our website and getting acquainted with the book from the «History of a Masterpiece» series, the text of which is laid out in full.
— Do you notice a special interest in ancient Russian art now?< br />
— There are several categories of viewers who have always been interested in ancient Russian culture. We have a lecture hall, which is attended by different audiences: students, professionals (for example, icon painters), those who are interested in the image as a spiritual phenomenon, or who want to learn more about ancient Russian art.
Old Russian art is not so easy for the perception of the modern viewer, it requires a good level of education. Often, in order to understand the idea of an icon, it is necessary to know the literary source, to understand the symbolism of Christian art. For this reason, explanations are often needed for a particular image.
— Could you give a specific example of when a professional interpretation is useful for the viewer?
— Old Russian icon painting is not a simple illustration of this or that evangelical event. For example, we exhibit several icons of the 17th — early 18th centuries «John the Baptist in the Desert». The desert will amaze the viewer with an abundance of herbs, trees, animals — real and fantastic. Of course, the ancient Russian master understood what a desert was. However, the master painted the so-called beautiful desert — an image of the world before the fall, when all the animals and birds lived in harmony. The sermon of John the Baptist and the expiatory sacrifice of Christ the Savior must once again return to the world its heavenly state. In order to «count» the author's intention, immersion in culture is necessary.
— Please tell us about new arrivals works of ancient Russian art to the Tretyakov Gallery.
— Unfortunately, we are recruited with difficulty, unlike the departments of the latest trends. For almost 30 years that I have been working at the Tretyakov Gallery, the department of ancient Russian art has not had significant replenishment. But still, we managed to acquire a few iconic items. Among them is an icon that is a list of the miraculous image of the Savior of Boris and Gleb, located in the Resurrection Cathedral in Tutaev. A protograph is an ancient large-format icon standing on a raised platform above the floor. There is a local tradition of crawling on your knees under this image. At the turn of the 17th-18th centuries, several copies of this icon were made, one of them is now in our collection. There are a few more works that we would like to purchase, but, as a rule, high-quality works of Russian medieval art are very expensive.
—Your collection contains not only icons, but also sculptures.< /strong>
— Yes, even small plastic, there is a wooden sculpture. New arrivals include a large sculpture of Nil Stolobensky and an image of Christ in the dungeon.
We would very much like to replenish our collection, because we plan to expand the Old Russian exposition. Now it ends with works of the late 17th century. This is due to tradition: it was believed that in the post-Petrine time, icons were practically not created, and if they were created, they had no artistic value, being the work of artisans.
We, as a gallery of national art, dream of presenting the entire history of icon painting from the most ancient monuments of the 12th century to the beginning of the 20th century. Along with the capital's works of the era of the New Age, show Palekh, masterful images, as well as icons created in the centers of the Old Believers. Now works of the 18th-19th centuries are included only in temporary exhibitions. They are of constant interest both in terms of spiritual content, revealing different aspects of the culture of that time, and in terms of performance technique. Each of our exhibitions, each catalog is a valuable guide for contemporary icon painters. Our exhibition spaces are expanding, and I hope that soon we will be able to take such steps to expand the exposition of iconography.
— And how do you get the exhibits, how is the collection completed your department?
— These are, as a rule, private collections — they now have a good potential. When museums had no money, the best works went into private hands. Many were bought abroad, at auctions. These are things that were taken out in the first half of the 20th century.
Private collections and various galleries regularly exhibit their collections at the Antique Salon. If a museum is interested in some work, then after our own thorough examination, we can put it on the purchasing commission.
We have accumulated rich experience in the study and research of ancient Russian art. The department has specialists who can give an opinion on the authenticity and degree of safety of the author's paint layer. If there is an approval of the purchasing commission, then an application for sponsorship programs is made. Financing in this direction always comes from sponsors, but now private collectors are very interested in icons — most often they will prefer to buy an outstanding work for themselves rather than donate it to a museum.
— Could you give examples of scientific restoration, who are you especially proud of?
“The uncovering of monuments that have not yet been cleared of centuries-old layers continues. Over the past couple of years, we have presented the audience with two works by the masters of the Armory. This is the image of Tikhon Filatiev, which depicts St. Nicholas and John the Baptist. It was once located in the church of St. Nicholas in Golutvin, next to the house of Pavel Tretyakov. Also, the masters of the Armory made the icon of the guardian angel, which is now shown at the exhibition «Holy Warrior» in the Kremlin Museums.
It has undergone a complex restoration and after the completion of the project it will enter the halls of our renewed exposition. It is also necessary to note the project carried out jointly with the Society for the Promotion of the Preservation and Popularization of Russian Culture by Mikhail Abramov. This is a restoration of icons of the Passionate Order from the iconostasis of the Church of St. Gregory of Neocaesarea. Upon completion of the restoration, an exhibition is expected. width=»600″ data-crop-height=»400″ data-source-sid=»» class=»lazyload» lazy=»1″ />
Until August 13, the Tretyakov Gallery is running the project «Life and Miracle. Icons of the 14th-19th centuries from a private collection», which exhibits 75 icons with unique hagiographic cycles telling about holy healers, wives, warriors, reverends. These are amazingly beautiful monuments that allow you to appreciate the skill of our icon painters. The quality of painting is in no way inferior to European masters. We have to state with regret that European religious painting of the 17th-18th centuries is better known to the domestic audience than their own art, which many European museums tried to get at exhibitions before the covid. , fragments of compositions from the blown up Cathedral of Christ the Savior, as well as some Yaroslavl churches. They are «assembled» by restorers, and hopefully, in 2024 or 2025, these images revived from dust and ruins can be presented at the exhibition.