On the problems of painting icons of newly glorified holy warriors. Questions of the iconography of the holy royal martyrs

Gubareva O. V.

Questions of the iconography of the holy royal martyrs

* The text of the article is reproduced from the edition:

Gubareva O. V. Questions of the iconography of the holy royal martyrs. To the All-Russian glorification of Emperor Nicholas II and His Family. St. Petersburg, Publishing project “Russian Symbol”, 1999.

© Gubareva O.V., article, iconography, 1999

The text of the article has been adjusted to modern spelling.

A great event is approaching in the mystical life of our Fatherland - the glorification of the sovereign Emperor Nicholas II and his family. Undoubtedly, it will become the beginning of the repentance of the Russian people before God for the sin of apostasy from their tsar and betraying him into the hands of their enemies.

Even the smallest sin, just a thought admitted into the heart, alienates a person from his Creator and darkens his soul. The one that weighs heavily on Russia is special because it is directed against God’s anointed one. The Holy Scripture directly says that even if God Himself turns away from His anointed one, no one dares to shed his blood, just as the prophet David did not raise his hand against King Saul, who sought to kill him (1 Sam. XXIV, 5-11; XXVI, 8–10).

This sin is becoming increasingly recognized by Orthodox people. The veneration of St. is growing everywhere. royal martyrs. Many icons are painted royal family. But, unfortunately, in the majority - with violations of the iconographic canons of the Orthodox Church. At the same time, they are thoughtlessly replicated. In the newspaper “Orthodox Rus'” (No. 2 (20), 1999), for example, two controversial iconographies were reproduced at once. One of them is “The Opening of the Fifth Seal” (it is discussed in detail in the work of O.V. Gubareva), the other is a prophecy of the image of the martyr king. This image is of an extremely low artistic level and is simply ugly. In addition, the martyr king in this picture is named as “St. Tsar Redeemer Nicholas." We, of course, can talk about the sacrificial, redemptive nature of the martyrdom of the sovereign, but directly calling him “redeemer” on icons is an impermissible heresy. There is no such order of saints in the Church. We call only our Lord Jesus Christ the Redeemer. It is unlikely that such an icon will find a response in the hearts of believers.

The current kind of anarchy in the creation of icon paintings of the royal family is only a reflection of the general situation in modern icon painting. In many ways, this is a legacy of past centuries, when icon painting came under the strong influence of secular Western art and its study in theological schools was limited to the narrow framework of church archeology. Only now are some theological institutions beginning to take a more attentive approach to this problem, as there is a growing understanding that the revival of spirituality is unthinkable without a genuine revival of icon painting. It is no coincidence that the ancient holy fathers called the icon the first step to the knowledge of God and celebrated the victory of icon veneration over iconoclasm with the all-church holiday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy (843).

In the middle of the 16th century, a Council was convened in Moscow, designed to stop the process of destruction of ancient piety that was just beginning. His definitions (“Stoglav”) included a number of provisions concerning the preservation of the existing order in icon painting. First of all, it was about the need to supervise the behavior of icon painters, who began to turn their ministry into a craft. “Cursed be you who do God’s work carelessly. And those who at this time painted icons without studying, without permission, and not according to image, and those icons were exchanged cheaply for ordinary people, ignorant villagers, then such icon makers should be prohibited. Let them learn from good masters, and let him who God grants to write according to image and likeness, and he would write, but to whom God will not give, and such icon matters would not be touched, lest the name of God be blasphemed for the sake of such a letter.” The “Stoglava” also noted the need for spiritual control over the canonicity of icon painting: “Also, the archbishops and bishops within their borders, in all cities and villages, and in monasteries, should test icon painters and examine their letters themselves, and each of the saints, having chosen the best master painters within their borders, order that they observe all icon painters and so that there are no bad and disorderly people among them; and archbishops and bishops look over the masters themselves, and protect them and honor them more than other people.<...>And the saints have great care about this, each in his own area, so that icon painters and their students paint from ancient models, and from self-thinking do not describe the Deities with their own guesses.”.

There is no doubt that many of the provisions of the Council of 1551 have not lost their value for our time. Let me speak out in favor of establishing supervisory councils in the dioceses under the ruling archipelago, which would include specialists in church art and, perhaps, issue some sort of permits to artists, icon painters, and architects to work for the Church. Such measures, it seems to me, can also change situations where the quality and canonicity of wall painting and interior decoration, the arrangement of iconostasis in new churches, the restoration of old icons and the painting of new icons depend not so much on the financial capabilities of parishes, but on the personal tastes of elders and rectors.

Church art is a godly and very serious matter, about which much is said in the Holy Tradition. It is especially sinful for us, Russians, to forget about this, because everyone knows that it was with church beauty that Rus' was baptized. Appeal to the Holy Tradition and strict adherence to the teachings of the Church on the iconographic image is the main advantage of the work of O. V. Gubareva. The author, in a calm and balanced tone, points out frequently encountered errors in domestic and foreign iconography, however, not limiting himself to criticism, but offering his own version of the image of St. royal martyrs. In my opinion, the new iconography is excellent. Nothing to take away and nothing to add. The author's commentary indicates that a lot of careful work was done, with love for the work and the fear of God. The image undoubtedly reflects the martyrdom of the saints and their earthly service. Just the vision of the future icon already evokes a feeling of prayer.

The found strict ceremonial composition and good proportions make it possible to paint both large temple and home images. In addition, its traditionally closed construction allows, if necessary, to supplement the icon with hagiographical marks or images of other new martyrs in the margins. I am also pleased with the author’s careful attitude towards the already established idea among the church people about the iconographic depiction of the royal family.

I would like the icons painted according to this pattern to be accepted by every Orthodox Christian.

I hope that the work of O. V. Gubareva will be the beginning of a serious conversation about the place of the icon and its language in modern life Russian Orthodox Church.

Hieromonk Konstantin (Blinov)

Currently, there are several widely circulated iconographies of the holy royal martyrs. In connection with their upcoming canonization, new ones appear. But how correctly do they reveal the feat of the sovereign and his family? Who determines their content and what guides them?

There is an opinion that to practice icon painting you do not need to have any special knowledge - it is enough to master the technique of writing and be a pious Christian. You can really limit yourself to this if you use good samples. But Nicholas II is the only martyr tsar in the entire history of the Church. There is no example of the feat of his family. Therefore, it is quite difficult to paint an icon worthy of these saints, and the main reason is that the authors of the iconography either do not know patristic teaching about the image, or exists for them separately from creativity. Hence the formal approach to the search for historical analogies, to compositional and color structure, to the use of the so-called “reverse perspective”.

Therefore, before directly analyzing specific icon paintings, let us turn to the Holy Tradition.

The teaching of the Church on the iconographic image can be found in many holy fathers, but mainly it is set out in the Acts of the VII Ecumenical Council (787), in the works of St. John of Damascus († late 7th century) and Rev. Theodore the Studite († 826), who formulated their teachings in opposition to the Christological heresy of iconoclasm. At the Council, it was determined that the correct veneration of icons is, first of all, the true confession of Christ and the Holy Trinity, and honest icons should be created not by artists, but by the holy fathers. It was recorded in Acts that " iconography It was not invented at all by painters, but on the contrary, there is an approved legal provision and the tradition of the Catholic Church"; in content they are equal to the Holy Scriptures: "What a narrative expresses by letter, then same painting itself expresses itself with colors...", "the image follows the Gospel narrative in everything and explains it. Both are beautiful and worthy of honor, for they complement each other.”(Acts of the Ecumenical Councils. Kazan, 1873. Vol. VII). And in order to subsequently avoid any attempts to introduce innovations into the teaching of the Church, this last of the Ecumenical Councils decided: “What is preserved in the Catholic Church according to Tradition admits neither addition nor decrease, and whoever adds or subtracts anything faces great punishment, because it is said: cursed is he who transgresses the boundaries of his fathers (Deut. XXVII, 17)”.

If one of the first theologians, Origen († 254), counted up to three semantic levels in the Holy Scripture, and subsequent ones distinguished at least six in it, then the icon is just as multifaceted and profound. Only her images are not verbal, but artistic and are created in a special, not similar to literary, language of painting.

Rev. Theodore the Studite, summarizing and logically completing the entire patristic experience in icon painting, gave a definition of icons, and also pointed out its difference from any other human creation. An icon, he teaches, is a work of art created according to the laws artistic creativity established by God Himself, for “God is called the Creator and Artist of everything,” creating according to the laws of His Absolute Beauty. This is not just a painting or a portrait, the purpose of which is only an image of the created World, reflecting Divine Beauty. In the face of a saint, the icon painter strives to capture only the One Whose image he is, everything that is of the flesh is swept away. To achieve such a lofty goal, the creator of the icon must have the gift of spiritual vision and adhere to certain artistic rules, which Rev. Theodore the Studite also cites in his works (Priest. V. Preobrazhensky. The Venerable Theodore the Studite and His Time. M., 1897).

For example, the saint writes, when Christ was visible, in Him, in His human nature, those who looked at Him according to their capabilities, also contemplated His Divine Image, which was revealed in full only at the moment of the Transfiguration. And it is the transfigured body of Christ that we see on His holy icons. “One can see in Christ His image (eikon) abiding in Him, and in the image one can see Christ contemplated as a prototype.”

For saints who have achieved Christ's perfection in something, the image of God also becomes visible to others and shines in the flesh. Visible image of God Ven. Theodore the Studite calls " seal resemblance." Its imprint, he says, is the same everywhere: in the living saint, in his image and in the Divine nature of the Creator, the bearer of print. Hence the connection of the icon with the Prototype and its miraculousness.

The task of the icon creator is to recognize this seal in the old man and depict her. At the same time, the icon painter should not introduce anything superfluous and invent something new, remembering that the icon is always realistic and documentary.(For the holy fathers of the VII Ecumenical Council, the very existence of icons of Christ was confirmation of the authenticity of His incarnation.)

Ancient icons were always painted strictly within the limits established by the holy fathers according to the canons consecrated by the Church and were considered miraculous from the moment they were painted, and not because they were prayed for.

In Rus', understanding of the spiritual creativity of the icon painter was preserved for quite a long time. The first icons, not canonical, but painted by human wisdom, appeared only in the middle of the 16th century. They are markedly dominated by allegory, widespread in the West, and symbolic images Holy Scripture are no longer comprehended and find a pictorial interpretation, according to conciliar teaching, but are depicted directly. They were prohibited from being written by the Moscow Councils; St. Maxim the Greek († 1556), Patriarch Nikon († 1681) smashed them as heretical. But ours is difficult National history- The Time of Troubles, the Schism, the reforms of Peter I, which destroyed the Patriarchate, and much more - pushed the issue of icon veneration far beyond the basic interests of the state and the Church.

The beginning of the 20th century was marked by the discovery of the Russian icon. In 1901, Nicholas II approved the Committee of Trusteeship of Russian Icon Painting. However, the revolution and the subsequent persecution of the Church set back icon painting for a long time and church art generally.

The current lack of attention to ancient teaching The Church is sometimes explained by reasoning of this kind: it is completely unnecessary, moreover, it is alien to the Church itself, invented by art historians, and distracts believers from the “true” veneration of icons. As evidence, many miraculous shrines are cited, in which not only the canon is not observed, as, for example, in the Kozelshchansky icon of the Mother of God, painted in a Catholic pictorial manner, but there are even images that are prohibited from being painted (for example, the God of Hosts in the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God) . But in the last three centuries, these icons were not glorified by God to disgrace the ancient canons? Such thoughts lead to hidden iconoclasm and even Protestantism, since God works miracles where they pray to Him, including outside churches and without icons. His condescension to human weaknesses and imperfections never meant the abolition of patristic Tradition.

Today, when on Russian soil is being revived again Orthodox faith and thousands of new icons are being painted, the restoration of the patristic teachings, which had been consigned to oblivion, has become an urgent task. Having studied the Holy Tradition, under the guidance of ancient books, one can not create (like the Holy Fathers), but compose new canonical images; interpret existing icon paintings differently, interpreting them symbolically and mystically.

Let's look at several of the most common iconographies of St. royal martyrs. One of the first images, painted in the Russian diaspora, represents the saints Tsar and Tsarina standing on either side of Tsarevich Alexei and holding a cross above his head. Their daughters are written in the margins holding candles in their hands (Ill.: Alferyev E. E., Emperor Nicholas II as a man of strong will. Jordanville, 1983). This and some other icons of the royal martyrs reflected the search for a compositional solution in historical analogies.

The most famous iconography, in which the holy king and queen are present, is the image of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross: St. Emperor Constantine and St. Empress Elena stands on both sides of the Patriarch, holding the Life-Giving Cross on his head. In ancient images, the Patriarch forms the semblance of a temple, on the dome of which the Equal-to-the-Apostles Sovereigns erect a cross. This is a symbolic image of the creation of the Church on earth: the Body of Christ crucified on the Cross, with which we are united by the priesthood, which received special grace for this on the day of Pentecost. The literal repetition of the composition with the replacement of the figure of the Patriarch with the image of Tsarevich Alexei deprives the image of symbolic imagery. Only certain associations arise with the beginning of the Way of the Cross in Russia and the sacrifice of a pure youth.

Starting from this, in almost all subsequent iconographies, the figure of the heir to the throne becomes the center of the composition. Placing the image of Tsarevich Alexei, a villainously murdered innocent child, in the center of the iconography is humanly understandable, but mystically it is incorrect. The center of the image should be the king, anointed for the kingdom in the image of Christ.

Also, the image of the Empress and the Grand Duchesses in the vestments of sisters of mercy, and the sovereign and the heir in military uniform, is perceived in a very earthly way. Here the desire is obvious to emphasize their modesty, selfless service in the world and thereby confirm their holiness. But still, the sovereign and his family were killed not because they had military ranks and worked in the hospital, but because they belonged to the reigning house. It must be borne in mind that in the Church (and therefore on icons), according to biblical tradition, clothing has a symbolic meaning. The saints are God's chosen ones who came to the wedding feast of His Son in wedding clothes(Matt. XXII, 2–14). Gold, pearls, and precious stones depicted on them are all symbolic signs of the Heavenly Jerusalem, as it is described in the Gospel.

The same iconographic error on some icons depicts an open scroll in the hands of Nicholas II with words from the Book of Job inscribed on it. Any icon, no matter who is depicted on it, is always addressed to the Most Holy Trinity itself, which means that the text given on the scrolls should speak only about God. The scroll itself, as a rule, is held by the one who wrote it: prophet, evangelist, saint or monk. However, everything that reminds of the earthly path of the saint himself is given in the margins or in stamps. But the main thing is that there is no need to introduce any details into the iconography that indirectly confirm the holiness of the royal martyrs, since the icon doesn't prove A shows the holiness of those standing there.

But still, the allegory used in the above-mentioned foreign iconographies is consecrated, although not by Tradition, but time, which cannot be said about many newly painted icons. Particularly noteworthy is the icon from the iconostasis of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery “The Opening of the Fifth Seal”, which is completely unacceptable and does not fit into either the canons or traditions (Ill.: N. Bonetskaya. Tsar-Martyr. Publication of the Sretensky Monastery. M., 1997).

The royal martyrs are depicted here under the Throne of Christ Pantocrator in some black cave; everyone except Nicholas II, who is alone in red, is dressed in white clothes. Below in the margin is the text of the apocalyptic vision of St. Apostle John the Theologian. Verbal images are transferred to the icon without proper comprehension and interpretation. Such an interpretation, far from patristic, covers all the deep mystical meanings of Revelation. Hence the literary name, while icons are usually named after the saints depicted on them, or after a holiday associated with an event in Sacred history. After all "in the image is prototype and one in another with a difference in essence. That’s why the image of a cross is called a cross, and the icon of Christ is called Christ, not in the proper, but figurative sense.”(Venerable Theodore the Studite).

The proposed iconography of “The Breaking of the Fifth Seal” is neither an image of saints, because although they are recognizable, they are not even named, nor an icon of a holiday, because the indicated event does not directly exist either in the life of the past or the future century. This is a vision that carries mysterious images of future historical events.

At the VII Ecumenical Council, the holy fathers clearly ordered to adhere to the obligatory historical basis of any image: “Seeing icon painting, we come to the memory of Their godly(Christ, Mother of God and saints) life." The word “remembrance” in the mouths of the holy fathers is devoid of everyday connotations; it has an exclusively liturgical meaning, since the sacrament of the Eucharist itself is established in remembrance of Christ: “ This create in remembrance of Me"(Luke XXII, 19). How can one be united in eternity with vision? How can you pray to him? This question was a stumbling block for believers, when from the middle of the 16th century icons with a complicated symbolic-allegorical plot began to appear, requiring written explanations on the image (for example, the famous “Four-Part” icon of 1547 from the State Museums of the Moscow Kremlin). These icons had to be deciphered like paintings by contemporary German mystics (Bosch), which is why they were banned.

But still, if the icon painter wanted to capture an apocalyptic vision, why did he depict the royal martyrs in it, turning them into nameless saints? And if you wanted to sanctify the feat of Nicholas II and his family, why did you turn to the Apocalypse? The history of the Church does not know such an image of martyrs. The canonical image of someone testifying for the faith - wearing a cloak and holding a cross in his hand. Some great martyrs, glorified by special miracles, have their own additional attributes. Thus, the Great Martyr George - in armor and often in the image of the Victorious on a white horse, striking a serpent with a spear; Great Martyr Panteleimon - with oil in his hand; Great Martyr Barbara - in royal robes. But such details are written in icons to reveal the peculiarities of the ministry of the saints, that is, they help to most fully perceive how the saint revealed God in himself, how he became like Christ.

The feat of Nicholas II is special. He is not just a martyr - he is the murdered anointed of God, and we will not find historical analogies in icon painting. We also know other revered slain kings. This is Constantine XI, who died during the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, when the citizens of Byzantium refused to defend themselves and the king, with a small detachment of people loyal to him, went to the defense of the capital to perish along with his state. This was the conscious death of the Tsar for the Fatherland. Two more are from Russian history of the 19th century: Paul I and Alexander II. But all of them were not canonized.

It is impossible to portray Nicholas II simply as a martyr who suffered for his faith. Even a priest killed for the word of God is remembered by the Church as a martyr, and Nicholas II was a tsar, He was anointed as king and accepted a special sacred service. “The king is similar in nature to all man, but in power he is similar to the Most High God.”(Venerable Joseph of Volotsky († 1515). “Enlightener”). St. Simeon of Thessalonica (first half of the 15th century) wrote: “Being sealed with the peace, seal and anointing of the Existing King of all, the King is clothed with power, presented in His image on earth and accepts the grace of the Spirit communicated by the fragrant world.<...>The King is sanctified by the Holy One and consecrated by Christ as the King of the sanctified. Then the King, like supreme lord of all, places a crown on the head, and the Crowned One bows the head, paying the debt of obedience to the Lord of all- God.<...>Having passed the temple, which signifies life here, he enters to the Royal Gates sanctuary, where he stands near the Priests praying for him: that he may receive the kingdom from Christ. Soon afterwards he is honored with the very Kingdom of Christ in the pledge that he accepts.<...>Having entered the sanctuary, as if into heaven, The Tsar partakes of the Heavenly Kingdom of Jesus Christ our God itself, and through holy communion he is consummated as a Tsar.” (St. Simeon, Archbishop of Thessaloniki. Conversation about the sacred rites and sacraments of the Church // Writings of Blessed Simeon, Archbishop of Thessaloniki. St. Petersburg, 1856. Series “Writings of the Holy Fathers and Teachers of the Church relating to the interpretation of Orthodox worship”).

The king is the image of Christ the Pantocrator, and the earthly kingdom is the image of the Kingdom of Heaven. The rite of acceptance by the king of his power is called the crowning of the kingdom, that is, the king is married to the state in the image of the apocalyptic vision of the apostle. John, where Heavenly Jerusalem appears as the Bride of the Lamb: “ AND one of the seven angels came to me<...>and he said to me, “Come, I will show you the wife, the bride of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me a great city, a holy Jerusalem, which came down from heaven from God.<...>The saved nations will walk in the light of it (the Lamb), and the kings of the earth will bring their glory and honor into it.<...>And nothing will be cursed anymore; but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it.”(Rev. XXI, 9–10; XXI, 24; XXII, 3). It is precisely the image of this heavenly marriage, about which St. Paul says: "This mystery is great"(Eph. V, 32), is a marriage between a man and a woman. If Christ says about this earthly union: "And the two will become one flesh"(Matt. XIX, 5), then how immeasurably greater is the unity of the king and the kingdom. The king personifies the entire state and its people, like Christ, who represents the entire Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, in icons, the feat of Nicholas II should be interpreted through his earthly service.

It is well known that Nicholas II abdicated the throne and therefore Last year In his life he was not a king, but an ordinary person. But from a church point of view, his renunciation was formal: signing the papers does not destroy the power of the sacrament. (Married spouses, for example, cannot get married in 3AGS; can the one married to the kingdom do this?)

Nicholas II is often reproached for not dealing with troublemakers. But is the power of Christ tyranny? If the power of the king is its image, then it can only be based on the love and loyalty of his subjects to the sovereign. The king himself, like the Heavenly Father, is always the redeemer of the sins of his people. The sovereign, by his abdication, only recorded the fact of the collapse of the state council. The words he wrote in his diary then: “There is treason, cowardice, and deception all around,” are evidence of this. He did not deviate from his vows made at the wedding; the kiss of the cross and the oaths were broken by the people.

The “Certificate approved on the election of Mikhail Feodorovich Romanov to the Russian throne as Tsar and Autocrat,” which, of course, Nicholas II knew well, states that “the entire consecrated cathedral, and the sovereign boyars, and the entire royal synclit, and the Christ-loving army, and there are Orthodox Christians», “May the scripture in it be unforgettable throughout generations and generations and forever,” kissed the cross for loyalty to the Romanov family. “And whoever does not want to listen to this conciliar code, God wills him, and will begin to speak differently", will be excommunicated from the Church as a "schismatic"" and "destroyer of God's law"", And "will be clothed with an oath." Nicholas II was always aware of his royal service and at the end of his life did not abandon it. On the contrary, he died as a king and passion-bearer. The sovereign meekly accepted the sin of the people's retreat and atoned for it with blood, like Christ the King of kings. Christ delivered humanity from the oath imposed on it for the fall of its forefathers; the king, by his sacrifice, became like Christ, freeing the people and future generations from the curse.

Another earthly service of Nicholas II should be reflected in the icon: He was the head of the family council, which shared with him his martyrdom. Just as God sent His Only Begotten Son to die, so the sovereign did not look for ways to evade God’s will, he sacrificed his life, managing to raise the same obedience to God in his children and strengthen in his wife. In his small family cathedral, he embodied the Christian ideal, which he strove to achieve throughout Russia.

Taking into account all that has been said, it is possible to develop an iconography project that would to some extent reflect the feat of Nicholas II according to the teaching of the Church about the image (ill. 1).

The Sovereign should be depicted against a golden background, signifying the light of Heavenly Jerusalem, with a cross in his hand, in royal robes and in a mantle, which is the sacred robe of the king, placed on him after the sacrament of confirmation as a sign of his obligations to the Church. On his head should not be the imperial crown, which is a symbolic image of the power and estate of the emperor, but the more historically and mystically correct Monomakh cap. All clothing and mantle should be covered with golden assist (rays of Divine glory) and decorated with pearls and precious stones. His place, as the universal head, is in the center of the icon and above the others. Considering the peculiarity of the royal service, one could fold the fingers of his right hand in a fatherly blessing. On both sides of the sovereign are members of his family, in royal robes, in martyr's cloaks and with crosses. The queen, who was crowned king together with Nicholas II, should have a crown on her head. The princesses have their heads covered with scarves, from under which their hair can be visible. It is appropriate to wear tiaras on top of them, like the Great Martyr Barbara, who was also of royal descent. The prince can be depicted as on most icons: in princely robes and a martyr's crown, only of a more ancient type (like that of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica).

The second plan in icons is usually symbolic. Although, as a rule, it is present in holiday icons, the complexity of the iconography, in which it is necessary to reflect the unity of the feat, the royal dignity and family ties of those depicted, requires auxiliary symbolic signs. Therefore, it makes sense to include the figure of Nicholas II in the image of the temple - so often the icons depict Christ (“Assurance of Thomas”), the Mother of God (“Annunciation”) and any king, even a villain (for example, Herod on the fresco “Massacre of the Innocents” in the Chora Monastery) , because every king is the image of his kingdom. The temple is an image of the sovereign’s physical temple, mystically absorbing the entire council of subjects for whom he suffered and now prays in heaven. On the icons, in order to emphasize the special connection of the saints with the central image, architectural extensions are placed behind them, rhythmically and compositionally connected with it. It seems that this is also appropriate here: the symbol of the temple then acquires a new meaning - a family cathedral.

To give the icon another, ecclesiological meaning, on both sides of the temple you can depict the worshiping archangels Michael and Gabriel with their hands covered as a sign of reverence. Its architecture, as if continuing the figures of the upcoming king, queen and their children, becomes the image of the Prepared Throne, the Church of the future century, growing and strengthening on the blood of martyrs.

Often in icons the background architecture appears recognizable (for example, St. Sophia in the Intercession). The new iconography should depict not the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, as on one of the existing icons, but the Theodore Sovereign Cathedral in Tsarskoe Selo. This cathedral was built by the sovereign at his own expense, was the prayer temple of his family and in its architectural design embodied the ideas of Nicholas II about Holy Rus' and the conciliar statehood, which he sought to revive. In addition, since the very architectural image of this temple contains and even deliberately emphasizes the idea of ​​conciliarity, it very naturally fits into the artistic and symbolic structure of the icon.

The most interesting for the image is the southern facade of the temple. Many architectural details and two extensions opening on the sides: the bell tower and the porch of the royal entrance - help to emphasize the connection of all those present in the central figure of the sovereign. He stands along the axis of the temple dome, as the head of all, on an elevation symbolizing the throne: both royal and sacrificial. The small dome next to the officer's entrance, located above the image of Tsarevich Alexei, becomes a sign distinguishing him as the heir to the throne.

To prevent the icon from becoming an image of the Feodorovsky Cathedral, it is necessary to present it with a certain degree of convention, from two perspective points, so that at the edges of the icon its architecture appears to be turned toward the center. In terms of volume, it should not occupy more than a third of the entire composition. And in color - it is filled with transparent, almost white ocher with ocher trims and golden domes and roofs.

The most difficult thing, of course, is writing the faces. An example for a personal letter can be an icon that became famous for its miracles during the religious procession in Moscow on the day of the 80th anniversary of the martyrdom of Nicholas II and his family (Ill.: God glorifies His saints. M., 1999). According to eyewitnesses, it was registered anew over a pale, almost monochrome, enlarged photocopy. Compared to the original, the colors of the clothes on it have changed, and most importantly, the faces of the saints.

The proposed iconography does not pretend to be the only possible interpretation of the feat of the holy royal martyrs. It was created with the hope that it would be discussed by the clergy and interested laity.

1999

The materials of this publication were transferred to the Commission of the Holy Synod for the canonization of saints.

Among large quantity Saints revered by Christians include the martyr Christopher, who is depicted on icons in a rather unusual image. This saint is traditionally depicted with the head of a dog or horse, however, he is quite rare and is practically unknown to Orthodox Christians.

ROGOZH SACRY Holy Martyr Christopher.
Vetka. End of the 18th century Wood, gesso, tempera. 44.9x37.6 cm. On the back there is an inscription in cinnabar: “To the house of Alexander Dimi/Triev Shyshkin.”
The martyr Christopher is represented with a dog-headed figure, waist-deep, turning to the left. On his left shoulder is a thin red spear, which he holds with his left hand, his right hand is raised with two fingers. Human eyes look at the viewer, brown hair falls in long curls over the shoulders. The armor, the cloak clasp and the spear tip are gold, with a niello pattern on the same gold sheet, which also covers the saint’s halo, the background and the margins of the icon. The personal letter is executed using the usual sankir technique: a lighter reddish ocher is placed on a light brown base, followed by highlights. As a result, a dark skin color is conveyed. The master manages to give the animal’s mask a blissful, touching and trusting expression. In the design of fabrics there is a noticeable dependence on the style of Baroque and Rococo. On the cloak, the pattern and shading of the folds are brown-crimson, the final highlights are made using a gold-white technique. At the top of the middle there is the inscription: “S(Y)THY MU(SCHILNIK) CHRISTOPHOR.”
The coloring of the icon is based on a combination of the crimson tone of the cloak with the blue tone of the saint’s shirt and with the brown tone of the personal one. Dense yellow gold serves to unite them and create conventional depth. The master's work with color, techniques for modeling the form, as well as the color and rhythm of the stripes that frame the centerpiece and the entire icon are characteristic of Vetka icon painting of the late 18th century. // V.M. Forty.

Rare shot
At the entrance to the Intercession Church there is another practically unknown icon with the image of St. Christopher.

The Holy Martyr Christopher is depicted among the martyrs

The last compelling argument for organizing the study was a letter from a reader of the Starove website:

“Good evening! Today I was in the store of church utensils and icons “Sofrino” of the Russian Orthodox Church MP. I wanted to order an image of the martyr Christopher of ancient writing (with a dog’s head). They told me: “The image is not canonical. It was prohibited by the Holy Synod in the 18th century. Not everything that is on the Internet, right. The true image is this..." (and they show me on their computer the martyr Christopher in the image of a man carrying the Divine Infant on his shoulders). I answer: "The Council of 1971 abolished all oaths to the old rituals, canons, icons and removed anathemas from the Old Believers. A similar spelling of Christopher is still used in many local Orthodox Churches" They answer me: “This is none of our business. The plant's confessor forbade production. What you want is blasphemy. We don’t know where and how you will order such an icon, or who will make it for you, but only we have the true image.”
Just like that... It was not the oaths that became “as if they had not been”, but the resolutions of the Council of 1971 and all subsequent Councils of the Russian Orthodox Church. We are talking about the store of the art and production enterprise “Sofrino” of the Russian Orthodox Church MP. There are two branded stores in Moscow: 1) on Kropotkinskaya (central); 2) in Sokolniki (on the territory of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ), where I tried to place an order."

Nikon-Petrovsky “new items” in action: the “corrected” image of St. Martyr Christopher on top of an ancient fresco in Yaroslavl

This note is based on Scientific research S.K. Chernova – leading specialist of the Cherepovets Museum Association.
In Cherepovets there is also an image of St. Martyr Christopher Pseglavets, dating back to the 17th century, but this is not the only place where people became interested in the history of the unusual image. Blogger carabaas shares the story of the appearance of the image of St. Martyr Christopher with a dog's head from the collection of icons of the Rostov Museum:
This icon was originally located in the Rostov Museum, and got there by order of the New Believer Archbishop Jonathan (with whose blessing the museum itself was created in 1883). The background to the appearance of the icon was described in the Diocesan Gazette as follows:
“When reviewing the diocesan churches in August 1880, His Eminence in the church of the village “Bogorodskoye in Oseka” saw, among other things, an icon of the martyr Christopher, the size of a man, with the head of an animal, namely a dog. The Bishop noticed all the indecency in the temple of such an icon and ordered it to be taken out of the temple”...
Christopher is a holy martyr, revered by the Orthodox and Catholic churches, who, according to legend, lived in the 3rd century AD. The life of Saint Christopher, which was distributed in Cyprus and later in Rus', says that the saint was very handsome, but in order to avoid temptation, he begged the Lord to disfigure his appearance. Modern theologians, as well as Rogozhsky old-timers, adhere to this version, emphasizing the original ordinariness of the saint and at the same time “reconciling with the mythologized Russian image of the saint that has taken root over the centuries.” (quote from the Encyclopedia “Myths of the Peoples of the World”. M., 1982. T. 2, P. 604).

Examples of traditional images of St. much Christopher

Eastern tradition of venerating St. martyr Christopher

The legend of the Eastern tradition says (see: Lives of the Saints, in Russian. P. 290; Menaion - May. Part 1, P. 363) that during the reign of Emperor Decius Trajan, a man named Reprev was captured during battle with tribes in eastern Egypt. He was a man of enormous stature, cynocephalic (that is, with a dog’s head), like all representatives of his tribe.
Even before baptism, Reprev confessed faith in Christ and denounced those who persecuted Christians. Emperor Decius sent 200 soldiers for him. Reprev obeyed without resistance. Miracles happened along the way: the rod blossomed in the saint’s hand, and through his prayer the loaves multiplied, just as the Savior multiplied the loaves in the desert.

Saint Christopher. Greek icon. Constantinople

The soldiers accompanying Reprev were amazed by the miracles, believed in Christ and, together with Reprev, were baptized by the Bishop of Antioch, Vavila. After baptism, Reprev received the name “Christopher”. When Christopher was brought to the emperor, he called two female harlots and ordered them to persuade the saint to renounce Christ, but the women, returning to the emperor, declared themselves Christians, for which they were subjected to cruel torture and died as martyrs. Decius sentenced Christopher to execution, and after cruel torture the martyr's head was glassed. (see: Lives of the Saints, in Russian. P. 290). One of the miracles of the martyr was that he remained unharmed after the emperor ordered him to be placed in a red-hot copper box.

Saint Christopher. Greek icon. 18 century

In Antioch, the memory of the martyr began to be venerated not immediately after his death, but some time later, so that even his real name was forgotten and was replaced by the honorary title Christophoros. This is quite understandable, since the saint was not a member of the local Church, but was a foreigner who served in a special cohort of the Roman army in Syria. Moreover, Christopher was not baptized Bishop of Antioch, and the Alexandrian presbyter Peter, who was in exile, who, after the execution, ransomed the body of the saint and transported it to his homeland. In the art of Byzantium, there were several variants of the image of the martyr, which were formed already in the early era. The most common image is of a young man dressed in patrician robes (frescoes of Dečan and the Church of St. Clement in Ohrid) or in military armor. The latter option is represented by the paintings of the Old Church (Tokali Kilisse in Goreme, Turkey, X - XI centuries), in the mosaics of the Hosios Loukas Monastery (second quarter of the XI century). In Rus', the image of St. Christopher as a young warrior was preserved in the deacon arch of the Church of St. George in Staraya Ladoga (last quarter of the 12th century).

Saint Christopher. Greek icon

Icon from the Yegoryevsk History and Art Museum

Saints Christopher and George slaying snakes. Terracotta. Vinika. Macedonia. 6-7 centuries

Saint Christopher and the Yaroslavl Wonderworkers. Russian icon. 18 century. State Historical Museum

Saint Christopher. Icon. XVIII century State Museum history of religion, St. Petersburg

A modern image of St. Christopher, created under the influence of Catholic legends

Old Believer hagiography icon of St. Christopher

Saint Christopher with a wolf's head. Popular picture

Later versions of the writing of the chapter of St. Martyr Christopher in Rus'

Saints Florus, Laurus and Christopher. Perm icon.1888

Modern icon of St. Christopher Pseglavets

In Russia, the veneration of Saint Christopher is not so widespread, and on the icons sold in the church shops of the Russian Orthodox Church MP one can only find an image of the Saint in human form with the Divine Child on his shoulders. The image of Christopher Cynocephalus is revered unchanged only among Old Believer Church and remained only on those rare icons and temple paintings that the New Believers did not have time to “moderate.”

People please God in different ways: the Heavenly Father endows everyone with talents in due measure and accepts labors from everyone for His glory, therefore the Church glorifies the saints of God in different faces.

Holy prophets

Prophets include holy people who received from God the gift of insight into the future, who proclaimed to the world the ways of His Providence; at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they predicted future events, especially about the promised Savior.

The most revered prophets: Elijah (August 2), John the Baptist (July 7, September 11). There are well-known prophetesses, for example, righteous Anna (February 16).

In the iconography of the prophets there is always an image of a halo as a symbol of holiness and special chosenness of God; on their heads there are prophetic caps (for example, the prophet Daniel) or a crown, like the kings David and Solomon; Prophets are also depicted with their heads uncovered; the scrolls in their hands contain excerpts from the texts of their prophecies. The prophets are dressed in a tunic (underwear in the form of a shirt to the toes) and a himation (outer clothing in the form of a cloak), and on the shoulders of some (the Prophet Elijah) is a mantle - a sheepskin cape.

The last of the prophets who proclaimed: “...repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2) and who saw with his own eyes the fulfillment of all the prophecies about the Savior was John the Baptist, whose iconography is very diverse.

He is depicted wearing camel hair or a chiton and himation; The “Angel of the Desert” icon is widespread, where John the Baptist has wings behind his back - a symbol of the purity of his life as a desert dweller. On this icon, the holy prophet John the Baptist holds in his hand his own severed head, which is a feature of icon painting when events that are far apart in time are depicted simultaneously, and also in the same way as St. martyrs are depicted with the instruments of their suffering for the Lord, and virgins are depicted with a palm or flower branch as a symbol of purity. The figures of the prophets are most often depicted from the waist up and in full height.

Holy Apostles

Apostles(in Greek - messengers) - disciples of Christ who accompanied Him during public service, and subsequently sent by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to all ends of the earth, spreading faith throughout the world. The apostles Peter and Paul (July 12) are called supreme.

Traditionally, the holy apostles are depicted with scrolls or a book in the form of a codex, with halos around their heads; the clothes of the apostles - tunic and himation.

On icons, the Chief Apostle Peter is usually depicted with a bunch of keys, which means a set of church Sacraments, which are symbolic keys to the Kingdom of Heaven: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it; and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19).

Four icons of the holy evangelists are always placed on the Royal Doors. The evangelists Matthew, Mark and Luke are depicted while working on the Gospels, sitting indoors behind open books, and the holy evangelist John is among the mountains on the island of Patmos, where, according to Tradition, he dictated the inspired text to his disciple Prochorus.

Saints Equal to the Apostles

Equal to the Apostles- these are saints, like the apostles, who labored in converting countries and peoples to Christ. Such, for example, are Tsars Constantine and Helen (June 3), the baptist of Rus', Prince Vladimir (July 28), and Grand Duchess Olga (July 24).

Images of saints equal to the apostles have basically the same iconographic symbolism; differences may be in the images of clothing that is characteristic of its time and people. Often in the iconography of saints equal to the apostles, the image of a cross appears - a symbol of baptism and salvation from eternal death.

Saints

Saints - patriarchs, metropolitans, archbishops and bishops who achieved holiness through the purity of their personal lives and became famous for their tireless care for their flock and the preservation of Orthodoxy from heresies and schisms. Among their great host, the most revered saints among the Russian people are: Nicholas the Wonderworker (December 19 and May 22), Ecumenical teachers Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom (common memory February 12); Moscow saints Peter, Alexy, Jonah, Philip, Job, Ermogen and Tikhon (common memory October 18).

Only bishops can be counted among the saints, since they, leading the community, receive the gift of teaching and continue the continuity of apostolic succession through the ordination of new bishops.

On the icons the saints are depicted in their liturgical episcopal vestments. On their head they may have a miter - a special headdress, decorated with small icons and precious stones, symbolizing the Savior's crown of thorns (but more often the saints are depicted with their heads uncovered); they are dressed in sakkos - outer clothing, signifying the scarlet robe of the Savior; on the shoulders there is an omophorion - a long ribbon-shaped cloth, decorated with crosses, which is an obligatory part of the bishop's vestment. The omophorion symbolizes the lost sheep that the gospel good shepherd carries home on his shoulders.

Saints are most often depicted with a book in their left hand; the right hand is in a blessing gesture. Sometimes the saints hold a cross, chalice or staff in their hands. The figures of saints can be full-length or waist-length.

Holy Martyrs

Martyrs- which includes the majority of saints - those who endured suffering and death for the name of Christ, for the right faith, for refusing to serve idols.

Those who have undergone particularly severe torment are called great martyrs. Among them are the healer Panteleimon (August 9), St. George the Victorious (May 6), Saints Barbara (December 17) and Catherine (December 7).

The holy martyrs accepted death in the priesthood, and the holy martyrs died in monastic vows.

Separately in Rus' they honor passion-bearers who died at the hands of murderers and villains. The first Russian saints were the passion-bearing princes Boris and Gleb (August 6).

The prototype of martyrdom is Christ Himself, who witnessed with his own blood the salvation of the human race.

Martyrs(from the holy first martyr Stephen (Acts 7) to the new martyrs of our time) - continuers of the apostolic ministry, and therefore there is a cross on their icons. It is depicted in the hands of a saint and is a symbol of both the apostolic gospel and the symbol of sacrifice. Joyfully giving earthly existence in exchange for heavenly existence, the martyrs become co-workers with Christ Himself.

The iconography of martyrs uses the color red as a figurative expression of suffering for the faith, and the red robes of martyrs are a symbol of shed blood.

Confessors The Church refers to those who suffered a lot for Christ, openly professing their faith, endured persecution, torment and torture for this, but survived, avoiding martyrdom. Since the 6th century, confessors have been called saints who have attested to the Christian faith through the special righteousness of their lives.

Reverends

Reverends (those who have become like the Lord) are saints who became famous in monastic feats. Through fasting, prayer, and labor, they created great virtues in their souls - humility, chastity, meekness. Almost every monastery is glorified before God by a holy saint. In Rus', the Venerables Sergius of Radonezh (July 18 and October 8) and Seraphim of Sarov (January 15 and August 1) are especially loved. Among the venerable women, the most famous is Saint Mary of Egypt (April 14).

Monastic asceticism is a special type of following Christ, which involves a complete renunciation of all worldly attachments. The basis of monastic feat is fasting and prayer as the path of knowledge of God and the desire for life in God. But monasticism is not only a means of personal salvation. “Save yourself, and thousands around you will be saved,” these words of St. Seraphim of Sarov indicate that the difficult monastic feat is marked by special gifts of God, using which the ascetic leads to the salvation of all his spiritual children.

The monks are depicted in full height and to the waist, in monastic vestments; right hand - in a nominal blessing finger; in the left - there may be an unfolded or, most often, a rolled scroll; A characteristic detail of the iconography of the saints is the rosary - a symbol of monastic prayer work.

The background for icons of saints can be a panoramic image of the monastery in which the saint labored.

Standing on the pillars are depicted the holy venerable pillars, who have chosen this type of extreme asceticism for themselves as a way of withdrawing from the world and concentrating on unceasing prayer.

Often on icons (this applies to all the iconography of saints) there is an image of the blessing right hand of the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the Mother of God, angels and archangels.

The figures can be single, but there are also multi-figure compositions, called “icons with selected saints.” Single figures are depicted surrounded by hagiographical marks - individual scenes from the life of the saint.

Unmercenary

Unmercenary had the gift of healing and used it free of charge, healing illnesses both physical and mental. Such doctors were, for example, Saints Cosmas and Damian (July 14), the great martyr and healer Panteleimon (August 9), etc.

Blessed (foolish)

Holy Fools For Christ's sake, taking on the guise of madness, enduring reproaches from those around them, they exposed human vices, admonished those in power, and consoled the suffering. Among them (Aug. 2), Ksenia Petersburgskaya(February 6) and other saints.

External madness, combined with the gift of foresight, behavior that goes against the generally accepted, but allows, regardless of their faces, to expose sinners and call for salvation through awareness of one’s own imperfection and repentance - these are the main features of the feat of foolishness.

The blessed ones are depicted on the icons in the form in which they accomplished their feat: naked or with a light bandage around their loins, in shabby clothes, with chains on their shoulders.

An obligatory element of the iconography of holy fools - nimbus.

Holy saints

Being family people and living in the world, the righteous saints were awarded holiness for their especially pious and pleasing way of life to God.

Forefathers- the first righteous people in human history.

These are the Old Testament patriarchs (forefathers Adam, Noah, Abraham etc.), as well as the righteous Joachim and Anna(September 22) - parents of the Mother of God (to whom the Church has adopted the still high title of Godfather), righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth(July 8) - parents of St. John the Baptist, and the betrothed of the Mother of God - righteous Joseph. The forefathers participate educationally in the history of the salvation of mankind, being in the flesh the ancestors of Jesus Christ, and in the spiritual sense, they are an example of combining the righteousness of life with the anticipation of future liberation from eternal death. On the icons, the patriarchs are depicted with scrolls containing texts from the Holy Scriptures; the forefather Noah is sometimes depicted with the ark in his hands.

The great Russian saint, the Righteous One, also belongs to the list of righteous saints John, the Wonderworker of Kronstadt(January 2), who was a priest - a representative of the white (married) clergy.

The figures of saints are depicted both in full height and waist-length. The background is often a panorama of the city where the saint lived, a monastery or a church.

Holy saints

Holy saints- these are kings and princes who used the greatness and wealth received from God for works of mercy, enlightenment, and preservation of people's shrines. Among them - (September 12 and December 6) and Dimitry Donskoy(June 1st).

The main theological meaning of all the iconography of the saints is victory over sin, and therefore over eternal death, salvation and entry into the Kingdom of Heaven. According to St. John of Damascus, “the saints were filled with the Holy Spirit during their lifetime, but when they died, the grace of the Holy Spirit is present with their souls, and with their bodies in tombs, and with figures, and with their holy icons - not in essence, but by grace and action."

Saints are people who have acquired special grace, people who have been cleansed from sin and transformed. The basis of holiness is not only the awareness of one’s deep damage and desires, not only life according to the commandments of God and the acquisition of the Holy Spirit, but also faith.

When canonization occurs, that is, the glorification of a saint by the entire Church, his image is necessarily painted. The icons depict all the saints who are canonized by the Church: forefathers, prophets, martyrs, saints, saints, blessed (fools), righteous, unmercenary, faithful, etc.

Who are the holy prophets?

Holy prophets - prophets include holy people who, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, predicted future events and, in particular, the appearance of the promised Messiah. In the iconography of the prophets there is always an image of a halo as a symbol of holiness and special chosenness of God. The scrolls in the hands contain excerpts from the texts of their prophecies.

Who are the holy apostles?

The holy apostles are the heralds of the word of God, the spreaders of the Good News, sent by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to all the ends of the earth. Traditionally, the holy apostles are depicted with scrolls or a book in the form of a codex, with halos around their heads.

Who are Equal-to-the-Apostles?

Equal to the Apostles are saints, especially famous for converting peoples to the Christian faith and who lived in the times following the first apostles. Often in the iconography of saints equal to the apostles, the image of a cross appears - a symbol of baptism and salvation from eternal death.

Who are the holy martyrs?

Holy martyrs are saints glorified by the Church for their martyrdom for their faith. There are two sides to martyrdom: first, the martyrs testify to the appearance of God the Word in the flesh and to the victory over eternal death; secondly, the martyrs, following Christ, seem to repeat his atoning sacrifice. Christ is the prototype of martyrdom, testifying with his own blood to the salvation of the human race. The martyrs continue the apostolic ministry and therefore there is a cross on their icons. It is depicted in the hand of a saint and is a symbol of the apostolic gospel and sacrifice. Joyfully giving earthly existence in exchange for heavenly existence, the martyrs become co-workers with Christ Himself. In the iconography of martyrs, the color red is actively used as a figurative expression of suffering for the faith. The red robes of the martyrs are a symbol not of royal dignity, but of the blood shed for Christ.

Who are confessors?

Confessors are Christians who openly professed faith in Christ and suffered persecution, torment and torture for this, but survived. Since the 6th century, confessors have been called saints who have attested to the Christian faith through the special righteousness of their lives.

Who are the saints?

Saints are clergy who, through their holy lives and zealous pastoral service, carry out God’s Providence for the Church as the Body of Christ. Only bishops can be counted among the saints, since they, leading the community, receive the gift of teaching and continue the continuity of apostolic succession through the ordination of new bishops. On icons, saints are most often depicted in their liturgical episcopal vestments. The figures of saints can be full-length and waist-length; Main images are extremely rare.

Who are the Reverends?

Reverends are the saints of the monastics. Monastic asceticism is a special type of following Christ, which involves a complete renunciation of all worldly attachments. The basis of monastic feat is fasting and prayer as the path of knowledge of God and striving for life in God. The monks are depicted in full height and to the waist, in monastic vestments; the right hand is in a nominal blessing fist or turned to the heavenly segment; the left may contain an unfolded or, most often, a rolled scroll; Some icons depict rosary beads - a symbol of monastic feat of prayer.

Who are the blessed (foolish)?

Blessed (foolish) are saints, outwardly insane. Their behavior is contrary to the generally accepted, but allows, regardless of their faces, to expose sinners and call for salvation through awareness of their own imperfection and repentance - these are the main features of the feat of foolishness, which is a full-fledged path to holiness.