Message on the topic Andrey Rublev. Rev. Andrei Rublev: what do we know about the life of the great icon painter? "The Last Judgment"

Andrei Rublev is a Russian icon painter, whose name and works have survived to this day. Unfortunately, little is known about his biography. He is mentioned several times in the chronicles of monasteries, when he is commissioned to paint a cathedral or temple.
Judging by his surname, his father came from artisans. The rubel, a derivative of his surname, is a tool for rolling leather. The Principality of Moscow is considered to be his birthplace. The date of birth is unknown for certain, somewhere around 1360-70. In adulthood, he took monastic vows and became a monk. All his life he was engaged in painting cathedrals and temples.

Together with other icon painters, Rublev painted the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (unfortunately, the frescoes have not survived to this day), and in Vladimir he participated in the design of the Assumption Cathedral.

The uniqueness of his works lies in the fact that, based on the traditions of Byzantine and South Slavic painting, he interweaves them, developing his own unique style.

His most famous work is the Trinity icon, which is considered a masterpiece of both Russian and world art. This icon has not only a religious background, but also a philosophical one. It was written in memory of Sergei of Radonezh. Rublev embodied his wishes in her: “by the sight of her unity, the hated discord of this world was overcome.” In the silence of the three figures, harmony and unity are visible.

Unfortunately, most of his works have not survived. Cathedrals were destroyed or did not withstand the passage of time. The icons are lost. But even from those that have survived, you can see how Andrei Rublev, through his creations, tried to convey hope for a wonderful and bright future. In his figures one can see not doom, as his contemporaries often painted, but lightness and lightness.

He died in 1427 in Moscow in the Andronikov Monastery. In our time, Andrei Rublev was canonized. The commemoration date is July 17.

Biography by dates and interesting facts. The most important.

Other biographies:

• Pasternak Boris Leonidovich

  Brief biography of Boris Pasternak

• Victor Golyavkin

  Victor Golyakin is a man who possessed many unique skills, a man who succeeded in many branches of art, made a huge contribution to the development of the infrastructure of his country, contribution to the development of painting

• Vitus Jonassen Bering

  Vitus Jonassen Bering is the greatest Russian discoverer of the lands of Kamchatka and adjacent territories. Vitus Jonassen Bering was born on August 2, 1681 in the Danish city of Horens

Completed by: 8th grade student of the Central School of Education Adodina Anna

St. Petersburg, Kolpino
2009

Introduction

Many miraculous icons appeared in Rus', they saved from illnesses, troubles, and streamed myrrh. Looking at icons, I often think about their creation. How to paint an impartial image, how, it seems, an ordinary image can work miracles, who were the first icon painters...

The icon is an integral part of the Orthodox tradition. It’s impossible to imagine without icons Orthodox church. In the home of every Orthodox person, icons always occupy a prominent place. When traveling, when visiting new places, an Orthodox Christian has an icon, before which he prays, just as he wears a small cross on his chest, first placed at baptism. The icon gives a feeling of the tactile presence of God.

There has always been a tradition in Rus': when a person was born or died, got married or started some important business, he was accompanied by an iconographic image. An icon is a common Christian spiritual heritage. Today it is the ancient icon that is perceived as a relevant revelation, necessary to modern man. An icon, as a sacred image, is one of the manifestations of Church Tradition, along with written Tradition and oral Tradition. Therefore, icons are rightly often called “theology in colors.” Many holy fathers attributed icon painting to the field of theology. For example, St. Basil the Great says: “What the word of narration offers to the ear, silent painting shows through images.”

History of the icon

IN Christian Church The use and veneration of icons began in ancient times. According to the most ancient church tradition, the first Christian icon was the image of Christ the Savior, imprinted by Himself on the ubrus for the Edessa prince Abgar. Church tradition considers the first icon painter to be St. ev. Luke, who painted icons of the Mother of God, which were passed down from generation to generation (in our country - the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God). - In the 2nd and 3rd centuries. sacred images were undoubtedly also used. Of course, icon veneration then, due to the circumstances of the time, could not be widespread, and the images themselves were primarily symbolic in nature. The most common were images of the Savior under the guise of the Good Shepherd, under the symbol of a fish, lamb, phoenix (symbol of resurrection), etc. Images of various events of sacred history were found in the catacombs, for example. The Nativity of the Savior, His Baptism, the transformation of water into wine, a conversation with the Samaritan woman, the resurrection of Lazarus, etc. Discovered in the catacombs are images of the Mother of God, with and without the Child, as well as images of the events of St. stories related to Her. Preserved in the catacombs are also images of Old Testament persons and events - Abraham, Moses, the prophets, etc. All these images undoubtedly had religious significance among the ancient Christians, since they were located in places of worship and bloodless sacrifice. Church teachers and writers of that time testify to the use and veneration of icons in the first three centuries of Christianity: such are Minucius Felix, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, etc.

Since the 4th century, since the triumph of Christianity, sacred images began to appear in significant numbers. The Fathers of the VIIth Ecumenical Council finally approved the dogma of icon veneration, giving the corresponding definition of faith: “Following the divine teaching of our holy fathers and the tradition of the Catholic Church.... we determine “like the image of an honest and life-giving cross to be placed in the holy churches of God, on consecrated vessels and clothes , on walls and on boards, in houses and on paths: honest and holy icons, painted with paints and from fractional stones (mosaics) and from other substances capable of this, constructed, like icons of the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ, and the immaculate Lady our holy Mother of God, as well as the honorable angels and all saints and reverend men... For the honor given to the image passes to the prototype, and the one who worships the icon worships the being depicted on it. This is how the teaching of our holy fathers is affirmed, this is the tradition of the Catholic Church, which has received the Gospel from end to end of the earth.”

The first icon painter was the holy evangelist Luke, who painted not only the icon of the Mother of God, but, according to legend, the icon of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and perhaps others.

He is followed by a whole host of icon painters, almost unknown to anyone. Among the Slavs, the first icon painter was Saint Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Bishop of Moravia, educator of the Slavic peoples. The Venerable Alipius the icon painter and ascetic of the Kiev Pechersk Monastery is well known in Rus'.

In the XIV-XV centuries, many great masters created outstanding icons. The will of St. Joseph of Volokolamsk gives the names of the icon painters of that time: Andrei Rublev, Savva, Alexander and Daniil Cherny.

The life and work of St. Andrei Rublev.

(Memorial Day: July 4)

No one will find, among the many thousands of ancient manuscripts preserved in large and small book depositories in Russia, any records about Rublev’s childhood, since they never existed. Sources are silent about what constitutes an essential part of the biography of the most ordinary person of modern times - where, in what year and in what environment he was born. Even the name given to the future artist at birth will remain hidden forever, for Andrei is his second, monastic, name...

St. Andrew was born around 1360. There is no reliable information that would allow one to accurately establish his place of birth. He came from educated circles and was distinguished by extraordinary wisdom, as evidenced by his work.

In contemporary art criticism, the idea has become generally accepted that Rublev’s emergence as an independent master, with his own style and artistic personality, dates back to the 1390s. This also agrees with the approximate date of his birth - around 1360. The thirtieth birthday in Rus' in that era was considered a time of maturity, the fullness of the human personality. It was also important for the social assessment of a person, giving, for example, the right to receive priestly rank. It can be assumed that with the onset of his thirtieth birthday, and among icon painters, a talented artist with matured skill was supposed to be given the way to independent creativity. But by this age he had to go through all the stages of training and then work for some time to find his own voice.

He studied painting in Byzantium and Bulgaria. St. Andrew worked for some time with Theophan the Greek and may have been his student. The whole life of the monk is connected with two monasteries: the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and the Spaso-Andronikov Moscow Monastery. The saint took monastic tonsure at the Spaso-Andronik monastery in 1405. Living in a highly spiritual environment, in an atmosphere of holiness, Monk Andrei learned from both historical examples of holiness and the living example of the ascetics around him. For about 20 years, until his death, he, together with his “companion” Daniil Cherny, led the life of an ascetic icon painter.

The famous miraculous image of the Holy Trinity, which is still an unsurpassed example in icon painting, belongs to the brush of St. Andrei Rublev. Saint Andrew painted the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, the iconostasis and the Assumption Cathedral itself in Vladimir (1408). St. Andrei Rublev painted the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God for the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir; wrote the iconostasis and painted the walls of the Assumption Cathedral in Zvenigorod (late 14th - early 15th centuries); Deesis rite in the iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Savva-Storozhevsky Monastery; painted the walls and completed the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, etc.

The Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin was rebuilt in the 15th century, and its painting has not been preserved. Only the Deesis and festive rows of the iconostasis survived, moved to the now existing temple. Only a small part of the paintings has been preserved in the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral. Icons from the iconostasis of this cathedral have also reached us, now on display in Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum.

Little is known about the previous period of Andrei Rublev’s life. Compiled in the 17th century, “Tales of the Holy Icon Painters” states that he first lived in the Trinity Monastery in obedience to Nikon, a student of the monastery founder Sergius of Radonezh (Nikon was the Trinity abbot from 1390, died in 1427). According to the “Tale,” Nikon “commanded” Rublev to paint the icon of the Trinity “in praise of his father, Saint Sergius the Wonderworker.”

We know about Rublev’s other major works from the lives of Sergius and Nikon. Between 1425-1427, he, together with his friend and “spostnik” Daniil Cherny, participated in the creation of the now unpreserved paintings of the Trinity Cathedral of the Sergius Monastery, and then painted the Spassky Cathedral of the Moscow Andronikov Monastery, of which he was an elder. Rublev died there in 1430.

If those that have reached us biographical information While information about Rublev is replete with contradictions, the sources reveal rare unanimity in characterizing the master’s personality and in assessing his art. Andrei and Daniel appear in their depiction as “wonderful virtuous elders and painters,” “surpassing everyone in virtues.” Rublev especially emphasizes that he “far surpassed everyone in wisdom.”

To recreate the creative appearance of Rublev, the information communicated to Joseph of Volotsky in 1478 by the former abbot of the Trinity Sergius Monastery, Elder Spiridon, is very important. According to Spiridon, the amazing and famous icon painters Daniel and his student Andrei, monks of the Andronikov Monastery, were distinguished by such virtues that they were awarded unusual talents and were so successful in improving that they did not find time for worldly affairs.

These testimonies give a clear idea of ​​the high appreciation of Rublev’s work by his contemporaries, allow us to penetrate deeper into the figurative structure of his works and comprehend the essential features of his painting method. But in order to correctly understand the meaning of the above statements, it is necessary to get acquainted with some ideas of Byzantine mysticism, which became widespread among the followers of Sergius of Radonezh. According to these ideas, in order to reliably display the objects of mental contemplation, it is necessary to return the lost natural state - harmony of feelings, clarity and purity of mind. As the mind improved, it acquired the ability to perceive “immaterial” light. By analogy with physical light, without which it is impossible to see the world, mental light - knowledge and wisdom - illuminated the true nature, the prototypes of all objects and phenomena. The intensity of the manifestation of this light and the clarity of speculation were placed in direct dependence on the degree of moral purity of the contemplator. The painter, more than anyone else, needed to cleanse the “eyes of the mind,” clogged with deceptive sensual “thoughts,” because, as Basil of Caesarea stated, “ true beauty contemplated only by those who have a purified mind.” In achieving moral purity, a special role was assigned to the virtue of humility. It is no coincidence that in sources the epithet “humble” is often attached to Rublev’s name. Isaac the Syrian called humility a “mysterious power” that only the “perfect” possess; It is humility that gives omniscience and makes any contemplation accessible. He considered contemplation of the Trinity to be the highest and most difficult to achieve.

After the death of St. Andrew, Daniel, who was not separated from him in his heart and after his departure, dying, received a revelation about the glorification of his spiritual brother in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The most significant works of A. Rublev.

The name of Andrei Rublev is associated with a fundamentally new stage in the development of the Russian iconostasis - the formation of the so-called “high iconostasis”. This is one of the greatest artistic miracles that the 15th century gave us. Perhaps nothing else has been expressed with such force characteristics the thinking of Rublev’s contemporaries, the qualitative changes that occurred in the worldview of the Russian people during the 14th century. Of the three currently known iconostases that Rublev worked on, the one that is of greatest interest is the most extensive iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, placed in the main cathedral of Moscow Rus', the “universal church,” as one of the chroniclers put it.

The Vladimir Assumption Cathedral, mentioned in the chronicles, the oldest monument of the pre-Mongol era, erected in the second half of the 12th century under princes Andrei Bogolyubsky and Vsevolod the Big Nest, was the metropolitan's cathedral. The temple, devastated and burned by the Horde conquerors, needed restoration. Moscow Prince Vasily Dmitrievich, a representative of the branch of Vladimir princes, descendants of the Monomakhs, undertook the renovation of the Assumption Cathedral at the beginning of the 15th century as a certain logical and necessary act associated with the revival after the victory on the Kulikovo field of the spiritual and cultural traditions of Rus', the era of national independence. From the works of A. Rublev and D. Cherny in the Assumption Cathedral, the icons of the iconostasis have survived to this day, forming a single ensemble with frescoes, partially preserved on the walls of the temple. The iconostasis had 4 rows of icons. Above the local row, which has not survived, there was a huge Deesis rank (height 314 cm). Unfortunately, the Assumption iconostasis has reached us only partially. The Deesis tier of the Vladimir iconostasis consisted of 21 figures, of which only 13 have survived: images of the Deesis itself, the apostles and teachers of the church.

Andrey Rublev. Savior in power, 1408, State Tretyakov Gallery.

“Savior in power” is given symbolically, as if against the background of the universe: the blue-green oval means the sky with heavenly forces - angels; a large red square - the earth with four corners, cardinal points: East, West, North and South. The symbols of the evangelists are painted on the corners: the angel corresponds to Matthew, the eagle to John, the lion to Mark, the calf to Luke. Similar compositions were in use in Rus' at that time. Rublev’s “Savior in Power” has not been completely preserved: his face has been altered, the gold on his clothes has been lost, and the color has become darker. New graphs (cut lines) of clothing folds are also unsuccessful. The former charm of this work can be judged by the surviving small, miniature-like icon on the same theme (“The Savior is in Power”) from the early 15th century, attributed to Rublev. The pitted edges of the icon, lost over time, the uneven dark wood, exposed in places, do not interfere with the complete perception of the image and contrasts with the freshness bright colors. The face of the Savior, glowing with transparent reflections, is full of life, painted tenderly and lightly. The movement of the head and neck is natural and speaks volumes about how skillfully the artist paints the human image. The gold shading of the clothing and the shining gold background have been preserved.

Above there was a festive row, of which only 5 icons survived. The iconostasis ended with waist-length icons of the prophets (this is the first example of the prophetic order); only 2 of them have survived. It is interesting that studies of the fastening of the iconostasis revealed the uneven arrangement of the rows of icons. The Deesis rite was brought forward to the worshipers, and the holidays were located a few

The next most important work of A. Rublev was the so-called Zvenigorod rank(between 1408 and 1422), one of the most beautiful icon ensembles of Rublev painting. The rite consists of three waist icons: the Savior, the Archangel Michael and the Apostle Paul. They come from Zvenigorod near Moscow, in the past a central appanage principality. Three large icons were probably once part of the seven-figure Deesis. In accordance with the established tradition, the Mother of God and John the Baptist were located on the sides of the Savior, on the right the icon of the Archangel Michael corresponded to the icon of the Archangel Gabriel, and paired with the icon of the Apostle Paul there should have been an icon of the Apostle Peter on the left. The surviving icons were discovered by restorer G. Chirikov in 1918 in a woodshed near the Assumption Cathedral on Gorodok, where the princely temple of Yuri of Zvenigorod, the second son of Dmitry Donskoy, was located.

The Zvenigorod rank combined high pictorial merits with depth of figurative content. The soft, soulful intonations, the “quiet” light of his coloring amazingly resonate with the poetic mood of the landscape of the Zvenigorod outskirts. In the Zvenigorod rank, Rublev acts as an established master who reached the pinnacle of that path, an important stage of which was the painting of 1408 in the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir. Using the possibilities of a half-length image, which seems to bring enlarged faces closer to the viewer, the artist expects long-term contemplation, attentive peering, and an interview.

Andrey Rublev. Spas, 1410s, Tretyakov Gallery

The icon of the Savior (Savior) was the center of the composition of the Zvenigorod Deesis rank (row).

Rublev's Savior is a work that had a huge influence on the artist's contemporaries, and on all subsequent generations of Russian people. He is lively, open, majestic, and at the same time there is a softness in him, in accordance with the Slavic type, he has medium-sized facial features framed by a light brown silky beard. The color scheme consists of golden, different shades of ocher, darkish light azure himation (on clothes). The facial expression combined with the color scheme creates the impression of wise calm. The painting on the surface of the board is poorly preserved; only a part with the image of the face of the Savior remains. But everything that has survived is so magnificent that this work is undoubtedly one of the masterpieces of ancient Russian art. The noble simplicity of the image of “The Savior” and its monumental character are typical features of Rublev’s style.

Trinity.

The most famous work of Andrei Rublev, the famous “Trinity,” is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. Created in the prime of his creative powers, the icon is the pinnacle of the artist’s art.

During the time of Andrei Rublev, the theme of the Trinity, which embodied the idea of ​​a triune deity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), was perceived as a certain symbol of time, a symbol of spiritual unity, peace, harmony, mutual love and humility, readiness to sacrifice oneself for the common good. Sergius of Radonezh founded a monastery near Moscow with a main church in the name of the Trinity, firmly believing that “by looking at the Holy Trinity, the fear of the hated discord of this world was overcome.”

Andrei Rublev's worldview was largely shaped by the ideas of St. Sergius of Radonezh.

The personality of Sergius of Radonezh had special authority for his contemporaries, and Andrei Rublev, as the spiritual heir of these ideas, embodied them in his work.

In the twenties of the 15th century, a team of masters, headed by Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny, decorated the Trinity Cathedral in the monastery of St. Sergius, erected above his tomb, with icons and frescoes. The iconostasis included the “Trinity” icon as a highly revered temple image, placed according to tradition in the lower (local) row on the right side of the Royal Doors. There is evidence from one of the sources of the 17th century about how the abbot of the monastery Nikon instructed Andrei Rublev “to paint the image of the Most Holy Trinity in praise of his father Saint Sergius.”

The plot of “Trinity” is based on the biblical story of the appearance of deity to righteous Abraham in the form of three beautiful young angels. Abraham and his wife Sarah treated the strangers under the shade of the Mamre oak, and Abraham was given to understand that the deity in three persons was embodied in the angels. Since ancient times, there have been several options for depicting the Trinity, sometimes with details of the feast and episodes of the slaughter of a calf and the baking of bread (in the gallery’s collection these are 14th-century Trinity icons from Rostov the Great and 15th-century icons from Pskov).

In the Rublevskaya icon, attention is focused on the three angels and their condition. They are depicted seated around a throne, in the center of which is a Eucharistic cup with the head of a sacrificial calf, symbolizing the New Testament lamb, that is, Christ. The meaning of this image is sacrificial love.

The left angel, signifying God the Father, blesses the cup with his right hand. The middle angel (Son), depicted in the gospel clothes of Jesus Christ, with his right hand lowered onto the throne with a symbolic sign, expresses submission to the will of God the Father and readiness to sacrifice himself in the name of love for people. The gesture of the right angel (the Holy Spirit) completes the symbolic conversation between the Father and the Son, affirming the high meaning of sacrificial love, and comforts the doomed to sacrifice. Thus, the image of the Old Testament Trinity (that is, with details of the plot from the Old Testament) turns into the image of the Eucharist (the Good Sacrifice), symbolically reproducing the meaning of the Gospel Last Supper and the sacrament established at it (communion with bread and wine as the body and blood of Christ) They see in the circle a reflection of the idea of ​​the Universe, peace, unity, embracing plurality, cosmos. When comprehending the content of the Trinity, it is important to understand its versatility. The symbolism and polysemy of the images of the “Trinity” go back to ancient times. For most peoples, such concepts (and images) as a tree, a bowl, a meal, a house (temple), a mountain, a circle, had a symbolic meaning. The depth of Andrei Rublev's awareness in the field of ancient symbolic images and their interpretations, the ability to combine their meaning with the content of Christian dogma, suggest a high level of education, characteristic of the enlightened society of that time and, in particular, of the artist’s likely environment.

The symbolism of the “Trinity” is correlated with its pictorial and stylistic properties. Among them vital importance has color. Since the contemplated deity was a picture of the heavenly world, the artist, with the help of paints, sought to convey the sublime “heavenly” beauty that was revealed to the earthly gaze. Andrei Rublev's paintings are distinguished by their special purity of color and nobility tonal transitions, the ability to give color a luminous radiance. Light is emitted not only by golden backgrounds, ornamental cuts and assists, but also by the delicate melting of bright faces, pure shades of ocher, and the peacefully clear blue, pink and green tones of the angels’ clothes. The symbolism of color in the icon is especially noticeable in the leading sound of blue-blue, called Rublevsky cabbage roll.

By comprehending the beauty and depth of content, correlating the meaning of the “Trinity” with the ideas of Sergius of Radonezh, we seem to come into contact with the inner world of Andrei Rublev, his thoughts translated into this work.

The icon was in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity Monastery, which later became a monastery, until the twenties of the 20th century. During this time, the icon underwent a number of renovations and copy-pasting. In 1904-1905, on the initiative of I.S. Ostroukhov, a famous collector of icons and trustee of the Tretyakov Gallery, the first thorough clearing of the “Trinity” from later records was undertaken. The work was supervised by the famous icon painter and restorer V.P. Guryanov. The main notes were removed, but the writings were left on the inserts of the new gesso, and in accordance with the restoration methods of that time, additions were made in places of loss that did not distort the author’s painting.

In 1929, "Trinity" as a priceless masterpiece ancient Russian painting was moved to the Tretyakov Gallery.

The list of Rublev's works does not end there. “Reverend Father Andrei of Radonezh, icon painter, nicknamed Rublev, painted many holy icons, all miraculous.” In addition to the works mentioned above, a number of icons that have not survived are mentioned in various sources. Several monuments that have reached us are associated with the name of Rublev by oral tradition. Finally, in a number of works Rublev’s authorship is established by stylistic analogies. But even in cases where Rublev’s involvement in the work on the monument is documented - this is the case with the icons from the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral - it is extremely difficult to identify works belonging to his hand, since they were created jointly by a large group of masters under the leadership of Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny, who, according to the author of “The Tale of the Holy Icon Painters,” “wrote many wonderful icons with him.”

Andrei Rublev managed to fill traditional images with new content, correlating it with the most important ideas time: the unification of Russian lands into a single state and universal peace and harmony.

Rublev's era was an era of revival of faith in man, in his moral strength, in his ability to sacrifice himself in the name of high ideals.

Locally revered as a saint since the 17th century, in our time he has become one of the all-Russian saints: he was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988; The church celebrates his memory on July 4 (17). Since 1959, the Andrei Rublev Museum has been operating in the Andronikov Monastery, demonstrating the art of his era.

Conclusion

Throughout the history of Christianity, icons have served as a symbol of people's faith in God and his help to them. Icons were protected: they were protected from pagans and, later, from iconoclast kings.

An icon is not just a picture depicting those whom believers worship, but also a kind of psychological indicator of the spiritual life and experiences of the people of the period in which it was painted.

Spiritual ups and downs were clearly reflected in Russian icon painting of the 15th-17th centuries, when Rus' freed itself from the Tatar yoke. Then Russian icon painters, believing in the strength of their people, freed themselves from Greek pressure and the faces of the saints became Russian.

Icon painting is a complex art in which everything has special meaning: colors of paints, structure of temples, gestures and positions of saints in relation to each other.

Despite numerous persecutions and destruction of icons, some of them have still reached us and are of historical and spiritual value.

Andrey Rublev. Icon (icon painting)

At the turn of the 14th - 15th centuries, the greatest of the masters of ancient Rus', Andrei Rublev, worked in Moscow, who essentially became the founder of the independent Moscow art school.

The creative activity of this greatest Russian icon painter contributed greatly to the revival of the crushed Mongol invasion Rus'. The self-awareness of medieval people was largely determined by the church; any historical movement was filled with religious meaning for them. In this dark time for Rus', the time of the Asian elements, Christianity is opposed to the gloomy reality as the spiritual rise of overrun Rus'.

The father of the Russian Renaissance, monk Sergius of Radonezh, built the Trinity Church, which became the home of Andrei Rublev, who grew up in this monastery. Andrei Rublev revered Sergius of Radonezh as his own father, shared his views, dreams and hopes.

In 1400, Andrei moved to Moscow, where, together with Theophan the Greek and other masters, he painted first the Annunciation Cathedral in the Kremlin, and then the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir and other churches. Rublev was very grateful to Theophanes the Greek, who taught him free strokes of the brush, the ability to understand and convey living gestures and gait in an icon. And yet how different Rublev’s apostles are from the formidable elders of Theophanes! So alive, so human. what contradictory characters!
The dramatic, stormy temperament of the Greeks is replaced by a feeling of peace, thoughtful silence. This property is purely Russian. The people depicted by Rublev, while participating in events, are at the same time immersed in themselves. The artist is interested in not the external, but the internal state of mind, thought and feeling in a person. Rublev's color is amazingly joyful and harmonious, its clear, pure glow is an image of light emanating from the icon.
Rublev painted these icons, as they had painted before him for many hundreds of years, but under his brush they were filled with a quiet light, precisely the light of kindness and love for all living things. Every movement of his brush was meaningful and reverent. Behind his concentrated, in-depth work were forever vivid impressions of the exciting days celebrated throughout Rus' from generation to generation. And now, centuries later, peering at these works filled with subtle poetry, we will only understand the great artist’s intention if we turn to the meaning of the images and, first of all, to the plots that formed their basis and which were well known to both artists and viewers - contemporaries Rublev, those for whom they were written.
(To describe the icons, material from the book “Rublev”, author Valery Sergeev, was used)

Trinity

In honor of Sergius of Radonezh, the inspirer of the unification of Russian lands, Andrei Rublev painted his most famous icon, the Trinity, which became a symbol of the resurgent Rus'. Icons of the Holy Trinity were created in those days throughout the Orthodox world.

The basis for Andrei Rublev's Trinity was the biblical story about the hospitality shown by the forefather Abraham and his Sarah to God, who visited them in the form of three travelers. Having accepted the treat, God announced a miracle to the couple: despite their extreme old age, they would have a son, and from him would come a nation, great and strong, and in him all the nations of the world would be blessed.

Before Rublev, icon painters usually sought to convey this story in full detail. Three travelers (and these were God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) in the form of beautiful, formidable angels, sit at a table in the shade of the oak grove near which Abraham lived. The forefather brought them food, and Sarah’s wife listened to the conversation of the guests in the tent.

Rublev gave this story his solution. The country groans under the Mongol yoke, is torn apart by civil strife, and Andrei Rublev bases the plot on the idea of ​​unity, which is what Sergius of Radonezh dreamed of. Neither Abraham nor his wife Sarah are on the Rublev icon, because It's not the main point of the plot. In the center are three angels - travelers. they do not look like menacing rulers, but sadly and tenderly bow to each other, forming a single circular group around a round bowl. The love emanating from themselves draws them towards each other and binds them together.

For his masterpiece, Rublev took out lapis lazuli, a paint that was valued more than gold, because it was made from turquoise. Its ringing blue turned the cloaks of angels into the likeness of a precious gem embedded in an icon.

Stable rumors about the icon, like ripples on water, spread throughout Rus'. The Russian people cherish the memory of their famous artist, Andrei Rublev.

Savior is in power

In icons common in ancient Russian painting, “The Savior on the Throne” and the version “The Savior is in Power” are often depicted. The plot of the icons is very similar. Rublev's Savior solemnly sits on the throne, against a red and black background. His figure is strictly straightened, the folds of his clothing lie motionless. Concentrated, and in its concentration, an inaccessible gaze is directed straight ahead. The gesture of the blessing right hand raised in front of the chest is restrained, calm and clear. With his left hand, the Savior holds the Gospel on the page where the Law is inscribed, according to which he calmly and firmly carries out his Judgment, a Law that clearly and immutably provides the path of salvation, the opportunity to obtain the blessing that the raised right hand brings. The Gospel text on the open page reads: “I am the light of the whole world; whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have eternal life,”

Apostle Paul (from the Deesis rank) 1410s

Before us is the image of the Apostle Paul, who had a very dramatic fate - at first he was an ardent persecutor of Christians, and then became an apostle-preacher. Rublev did not show the drama of formation, the complexity of the apostle’s life path. Rublev presented an ideal, perfect image of a contemplative thinker. Peering into this face, into the eyes surrounded by deep shadows, you clearly realize that the apostle sees something inaccessible to the external, physical gaze. The combination of enormous inner power and peace is one of the striking features of the icon. Blue, with white glimpses, and faded lilac, with gray tint clothes. Their folds are complex and not entirely calm. The clothes are unfolded on a plane and contrast with the almost sculptural volumes of the hunched back, powerful neck and superbly sculpted head of the apostle. The pronounced plasticity of the face, the transparency of the pictorial technique of the face soften the sharp features, smoothes them out, highlighting the internal state and thought. Pavel is not young, but has retained his physical strength. A sign of age - a head bald in front - reveals the wisdom of Paul, revealing the huge dome of his forehead. The folds of the forehead not only highlight the relief, their movement seems to express a high degree of comprehension and knowledge. Rublev shows Paul as a righteous man of high spiritual potential.

Archangel Michael (from the Deesis rank) 1414

Mikhail as a formidable commander heavenly powers, was always depicted as a stern messenger in the armor of a warrior. In this icon, a meek and self-absorbed light-haired archangel, with a gently bowed curly head, is not involved in evil. In this decision of the image there is a mature thought that has long become close to Rublev: the fight against evil requires the greatest heights, absolute immersion in goodness. Evil is terrible not only in itself, but also because, causing the need to resist it, it gives birth to its germ in good itself. And then, in the shell of truth and under its banner, the same evil is reborn in a different form and “the last is worse than the first.” Here, solving for myself the eternal question of good and evil as incommensurable, incontiguous principles. Rublev, as it were, founded a tradition that has never become scarce in the Russian culture of the future. Something fresh, youthful, morning permeates the very image of the archangel, mood, color. The bright expression of wide eyes, the tenderness of a softly rounded, pinkish glowing face. Elastic waves of curly hair, soft hands. Sky-azure and pink, like dawn, clothes, warm glow of golden wings. An azure headband holding his wavy, soft hair ends in flowing ribbons behind his head. They were called in the Old Russian language “toroks”, or “rumors”, and denoted the property of angels - constant hearing of the higher will, connection with it. The archangel’s right hand is stretched forward, and its hand is barely noticeably rounded, as if in this hand he is holding something round and completely transparent, which is not an obstacle to the view. This “mirror” outlined with a light line is an image of the constant contemplation of Christ.

Annunciation

The Annunciation is an image of the spring March (old style) holiday. March, according to the old Russian calendar, is the first month of the year. It was also considered the first month of creation. It was argued that the earth and waters, the firmament, plants and animals, and the first man on earth began their existence in March. And then, in March, the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary took place about the birth of the savior of the world from her. Since childhood, Andrei has heard this story many times, since childhood he remembered familiar sensations - the smell of melting snow, gray. a warm morning and amid the mournful days of Lent, joyful singing, blue smoke from incense, hundreds of burning candles and slowly, chanting words announced by a deacon in the middle of the church. He now painted this gospel scene on a golden background, as it had been painted since ancient times. Archaeologists date the Roman catacombs, where the oldest surviving image of a messenger kneeling before the Virgin Mary is now located, to the second century AD. In the icon, the Archangel Gabriel is in motion, with raised wings, with moving folds of clothes, with a blessing hand extended towards Mary. He looks at her with a long, deep gaze. Maria doesn’t seem to see Gabriel, she lowered her head and thinks. In her hands is a scarlet thread of yarn; extraordinary news finds her at work. Lightly shaped chambers, semicircular arches on slender columns. The scarlet cloth falling from the chambers is pierced by a ray of light with a soaring dove in a round sphere - an image of the spirit, unearthly energy sent down by Mary. Free, airy space. Thin and clear sound cherry-brown, red, from delicate and transparent, showing a light yellowness, to thick, deep. Golden ochres, flashes of white, even light of gold, cinnabar.

Our Lady of Vladimir (c.1408)

There is a famous icon of the “Vladimir Mother of God” from the 12th century, painted by an unknown Constantinople artist. At first it was in the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, and later it was transported to Moscow. But Vladimir also did not want to be left without such an icon, and Andrei Rublev, being in Vladimir in 1408, created his own “list” from that icon. (It should be said that there was such a tradition then - icon painters made lists of various icons beloved by the people.) Rublev’s icon of the “Vladimir Mother of God” is one of its most famous repetitions, created in order to replace the ancient shrine in the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir. Naturally, the artist, when creating this icon, tries not to deviate from the original, preserving, according to the ancient Russian expression, the “measure and likeness” of the ancient icon, repeating its size and all the characteristic features. Indeed, even now, looking at Rublevskaya’s “Vladimirskaya”, we recognize in it an ancient prototype: the beautiful Mother of God and her mysterious infant Son, endowed with childish wisdom, appear in the same poses caressing each other, and her hand is also extended in a gesture of prayer to him. But in comparison with the ancient icon, the beautiful recognizable features of the Mother of God are softer here, the pupils of her elongated eyes are more transparent, the thin eyebrows above them are lighter, the oval of her face shining with pink light is more rounded and softer. And the immeasurable maternal feeling that animates these features takes on a different shade: pure, tender and enlightened is the all-encompassing, concentrated love with which the face of the Mother of God is filled here.

Epiphany

In the center of the icon on the blue waters of the Jordan stands Jesus Christ, to whom a desperate hand points, towards whom a dove flies. And according to a tradition dating back to ancient times, in the waters of the Jordan the figures of an old man and a young man are the personification of the river, and fish splash next to them. The appearance of Christ shows him so clearly here wonderful nature that, comprehending a miracle, the eyes of all participants in the event are turned not to heaven, but to it - both the Forerunner and the angels on the other side. John reverently touches it with his hand while performing the ritual, and this reverence is all the more touching because not only has the traditional power of Christ the Forerunner not lost here, but it is also emphasized by the broad outline of his figure. The entire icon is flooded with light, illuminating all the figures on the icon, filling the tops of the hills behind Christ with gold. The Epiphany of the Lord is celebrated on January 6 (18). This holiday follows 12 days after Christmas. Since ancient times, this has been the most fun and joyful time of the year - Christmastide. Christmas joys, fun and merriment are still known to us from numerous descriptions in Russian literature. Both in the images of the Nativity of Christ and in the images of the Baptism of the Lord in Russian art the motif of joy that both birth and the appearance of God for its sake brings to the world has never disappeared.

Transfiguration

Perhaps more has been written about this outstanding work, where not only the style, but also the worldview of the great artist is most clearly visible, than about all other festive images from the Annunciation Cathedral. “The “Transfiguration” is especially good, designed in a cold silvery tones. One must see in the original these silvery-green, malachite-green, pale green and white colors, subtly harmonizing with the strokes of mauve, pinkish-red and golden ocher, so that to appreciate the exceptional... gift of the artist" (V.I. Lazarev).

In August, Transfiguration Day is celebrated in Rus' - since ancient times it has been celebrated publicly and joyfully. Early, already on a cold morning, people hurried to the blessing of the first ripened apples. Hence the colloquial name for the holiday - “apple” saved. Baskets, clean linen bundles with selected, best fruits. Light, almost floral scent. The blue sky is still summer, but it gives off a pre-autumn chill. The green foliage turns silver in the wind. The grass begins to wilt slightly and turn yellow. Autumn is showing its first signs. Time to reap the fruits of the year's labors on earth...

But this is not an ordinary holiday. The legend says that on the feast of the Savior of Apples, the Savior and his three closest disciples, his closest confidants, John, Peter and James, once went from a noisy city to a distant, secluded place, Mount Tabor. And there the students were given the opportunity to see something strange, mysterious... The teacher’s body before their eyes suddenly shone with an extraordinary light. Many considered this phenomenon to be a manifestation of the deity in Jesus Christ. (Although later researchers thought, argued, and did not come to a consensus about this wonderful light, about its meaning, and most importantly, about its origin, nature).

Rublev's icon shines with a light and even light from the inside. We do not see the rays from which the apostles hid. They contemplate the light within themselves. It is diffused throughout creation, quietly and almost invisibly enlightening people, the earth, and plants. People's faces are not turned to the external, they are concentrated, in the movements of the figures there is more thoughtfulness than instant shock. Mysterious light everywhere. In the icon, Rublev very subtly conveyed the image summer nature on the day of the holiday itself, when the colors fade barely noticeably, the reflections of summer become more transparent, colder and silverier, and even from afar one can feel the beginning of the movement towards autumn. This insight into the meaning of the holiday in the images of nature itself is a national, Russian trait.

Nativity of Christ (Annunciation Cathedral)

The action takes place on Earth. The horse-slides at the entrance to the cave, the soft hilly roundness at the bottom of the icon, small trees and bushes scattered here and there - all this is an image of the earthly space, along which the sages of the East gallop for a long time following a mysterious star moving across the sky to the place of nativity, to Bethlehem - Magi (they are depicted in the upper left corner of the icon).
These are also the peaks from which the shepherds hear the singing of angels. And that part of the path across the earth that the shepherds, informed by the wonderful angelic singing, made, is also depicted by these forested hills and hills.
Here in the upper right corner, three angels in shining robes are highlighted from the singing angelic host. The first of them holds his hands in the folds of his clothes. Covered hands are an ancient symbol of reverence and respect. Here it is a sign of admiration for what is happening. The middle angel, talking with the first, seems to learn about the event... The third of them, bowing down, turns to the two shepherds, telling them the good news. They listen attentively, leaning on their knobby staffs. They were the first on earth to discover the wondrous birth.

These shepherds, guarding their cattle day and night in an area remote from the village, “were purified by solitude and silence.” Here is one of them - an old man in clothes sewn from skins with the fur on the outside, which was called a mantle among the Greeks and Slavs and was the clothing of the poorest, poorest people, standing. bowing with benevolent attention before Joseph, Mary’s betrothed. Joseph is depicted by Rublev thinking about miraculous events. Behind the shepherd, under the shade of a tree, lie several animals - sheep, goats. They, like people, plants, the earth itself, are participants in an event that is so significant that it concerns the entire creation, every single creature.

And in the center of the icon, in accordance with tradition, Andrei depicted a scarlet bed on which Mary, wrapped in crimson-brown clothes, reclines, leaning on her hand. Her figure is outlined by a flexible, melodious line. She is not shocked or tired, the extraordinary birth is painless. But it is difficult to accommodate in human consciousness. Therefore, Maria realizes what happened in deep thought. She is located in a cave, but according to the laws of space inherent in icon painting, her bed is “brought” to the foreground by the artist and is shown against the background of the cave in a larger form than the other figures. The viewer sees everything at once: the mountain, the entrance to the cave, and what is happening inside it.
Behind Mary’s bed, in a manger-feeding trough for animals, lies a swaddled baby, and above him stand animals - an ox and a horse-like donkey. Nearby is another group of angels, bent over, with covered hands.
Downstairs, the maids bathe the newborn "otracho mlado". One of them, bending over, pours water from a jug into the font, the other holds a half-naked baby on her lap, who is reaching out to her with his childish little hand...
Personal. a lively and touching experience of the event, deep poetry are characteristic of this Rublevsky creation.

The Descent of the Holy Spirit. (Fresco) Vladimir. 1408.

Since ancient times, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles has been revered as a most important event: in it the Spirit of God descended into the world manifested itself, sanctifying the beginning of the preaching of Christ’s teaching, the beginning of the Church as a community of people united by one faith. The descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles is commemorated 50 days after Easter. On the second day of this holiday, which is called the Spiritual Day, special veneration is given to the Holy Spirit, who apparently descended on the disciples of Christ. They began to depict the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles from ancient times. For this purpose, a very simple and expressive composition was developed in Byzantine art. In the center of the composition there are closed doors - a sign of the closed upper room in which the apostles remained in essence on the day of Pentecost - they sit here as if on the sides of a semi-oval turned towards the viewer. As a sign that the Holy Spirit had descended on them, there were golden halos around the apostles, golden light was poured around, giving the apostles strength. A sign of their high, world-facing teaching are the scrolls in the hands of the four apostles and the hands of the saints raised in blessing.

Descent into Hell (1410)

After the crucifixion, Jesus Christ descended into hell, crushing its gates, brought his gospel sermon, freed the souls imprisoned there and brought out of hell all the Old Testament righteous people, as well as Adam and Eve. The descent of Christ into hell is included in the Passion of Christ. It is believed that this event occurred on the second day of Christ’s stay in the tomb and is remembered during the service of Holy Saturday. In Christianity, the “Descent into Hell” completed the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ and was the limit of Christ’s humiliation and at the same time the beginning of his glory. According to Christian doctrine, Jesus, with his free suffering and painful death on the cross, atoned for the original sin of his first parents and gave the strength to fight its consequences to their descendants. Standing on the crossed doors of the gates of hell, Christ took the hand of Adam, represented on the right kneeling in his stone tomb. Little Eve in a red robe stood up behind Adam. The forefathers are crowded behind them, behind them is the son of Simeon the God-Receiver, on whose behalf the event is told in the apocrypha. On the left are Kings David and Solomon. Above them stands the large figure of John the Baptist, turning to the prophets following him. The light blue glory of Christ circles against the background of a black cave. Above rises a wide, gentle rock with two peaks reaching into the upper corners of the icon. Rublev used golden and greenish ocher, blue, cabbage roll and bright cinnabar for his painting. The icon creates a mood of joy and hope.

Savior Pantocrator (15th century)

The face of the Savior breathes strength and peace. This is the face of a mature person in the measured development of spiritual and physical strength. The strongly open, strong neck of the Savior is turned somewhat to the side, while the face, framed by a heavy cap of long hair descending almost to the shoulders, is turned directly to the viewer. This ratio of the turn of the neck and face communicates an immediately clearly perceptible movement towards the person who is standing in front of the icon. Small, slightly narrowed eyes look attentively and benevolently from under slightly raised eyebrows. In the gentle painterly glow of the face, painted in smooth highlights of transparent ocher, with warm highlights that softly define the volumes, this look definitely stands out. Rublev outlined the eyes, upper eyelids and eyebrows with a clear, confidently outlined line.

Rublev's "Savior" amazed his contemporaries. The Russian person highlighted the most important thing that he saw in the Savior - love, readiness to suffer for one's neighbor, even to the point of painful death. The same idea was clearly expressed in the inscription that was once drawn by Rublev on the open pages of the book in the hands of Jesus. This inscription has been lost, since only the head and a small part of the clothes have survived from the icon. Presumably, the words were: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Presentation of the Lord (1405)

The holiday "Candlemas" was known already in the 4th century. In Rome, in the Church of Mary the Great, the oldest surviving image, dating back to the 5th century, has survived to this day. The meaning of the Meeting is closely related to Christmas. It was celebrated on the fortieth day after the Christmas celebrations. In Rus' in the first days of February (now it is February 15), according to the old folk superstition, after windy, snowy days the frost intensified. It was deep winter. But preparations began for spring field and other work. The days are still short. A quiet time conducive to reflection. The holiday itself is strict, and the mood of repentance grows in its chants. You look at Rublev’s icon, and the first impression is that it depicts a ceremony full of triumph and significance. Mary and Joseph bring the forty-day-old Jesus to the temple. Here, at the temple, the prophetess Anna lives. She predicts an extraordinary fate for the newborn. They are met in the temple itself, hence the name of the event "meeting" - meeting, Elder Simeon, to whom the promise had long been given that he would not taste death until he saw and accepted into his arms the savior of the world born on earth. And now he recognizes, clearly feels that this moment has come...

In the icon, walking steadily towards Simeon, at the same distance from each other, a mother with a baby in her arms, Anna, followed by the betrothed Joseph. Rublev depicted their tall, slender figures in such a way that they appear connected, flowing into one another. Their measured movement, solemn, steady and irrevocable, as if indicating its significance, is echoed by the easily curving wall that depicts the vestibule of the temple. And the old servant of the Old Testament temple stretches out his hands, reverently covered with robes, towards the baby in a deep, humble bow. Now he accepts in his arms...His own death. His work on earth is finished: “Now send thy servant away, O lord, according to thy word, in peace...” The old, ancient one is replaced by a new world, a different covenant. And he, this new one, such is the universal and all-encompassing law of life, will have to take root in the world only through sacrifice. The young “adolescent” will face shame, reproach, and torture on the cross.

In a restrained mood, in faces as if shrouded in a haze of sadness, Rublev expressed this future, sacrificial, mortal. And the artist experienced this with particular force when he painted the face of the Mother of God. Mary knows about the fate of her son, and she also sees her own suffering, a “weapon” that “will pierce her heart.” This reverent maternal feeling is clearly visible, but is given with a rare and noble measure of restraint. Everything that is destined to happen is needed for people, for the whole world.

Raising Lazarus

The holiday "Lazarus Saturday" falls on the Saturday before Palm Sunday, always in spring, in April or May. In nature, everything seems to be waiting. It seems that winter has passed, and the snow has almost melted, and the first drops are ringing, but there are still frosts in the mornings. And only in the afternoon, when the sun comes out, will the thawed earth smell excitingly. On the forest edges there are modest Central Russian primroses, fluffy balls of blossoming willow...
Jesus and a few disciples wander through the rocky deserts and villages of Palestine. He does many good deeds, heals the sick and crippled. More and more definitely in his words there are recognitions of his heavenly messenger.

But the Jews were not waiting for such a “messiah” - a savior. Many would agree to consider him both a teacher and a prophet, but he preaches patience and meekness, calls to give one’s own and not to take someone else’s. And completely strange, unbearable thoughts are sometimes heard by the crowd that he attracts with his speeches. Not only one people on earth has been chosen by God, there are others, and the honor of being chosen will soon be taken away from “stiff-necked Israel.”

The Jewish authorities and scribes are looking for a way to seize Christ and kill him. But there are also those who understand, are grateful, and thirsty for learning. And yet times come true, his death hour is near. But Jesus is still evading the hands of his pursuers and goes to Transjordan, to those places where his predecessor, the “forerunner” John, had recently called the people to cleansing and repentance. During Jesus' absence in Bethany, a village near Jerusalem, his friend Lazarus dies. When Jesus, returning back, passed this village, the sisters of the deceased, Martha and Mary, reported that their brother had been dead for four days...
And now Andrei Rublev paints the icon “The Return of Lazarus”. Human figures and chambers have already been outlined... At the entrance to the burial cave, Jesus, his disciples, and a crowd. On the right, in grief, he outlines a figure with swaddled legs and arms...
“Throw away the stone,” says Jesus, and already in a loud voice cries out: “Lazarus, come!” And the dead man came out, wrapped hand and foot in burial shrouds...

He writes out details with quick strokes. The last strokes...Here the grateful Martha and Mary fall at the feet of Jesus. This swiftness is emphasized by Rublev and the bent figures of young men moving in the opposite direction, carrying a heavy slab rolled away from the cave. Lazarus moves slowly and awkwardly, but is already outside the grave. The young man to the right of Lazarus turned in a lively movement towards the resurrected one, in his hand the end of the ribbon with which the burial shrouds were wrapped.

The whole action takes place against the backdrop of golden, softly glowing hills, between which in the distance a building of almost the same color is visible, apparently the abandoned house of Lazarus. This warm glow imparts a mood of festive joy and peace to the entire image.
This is a celebration of the victory of light, life over the theme of death.

Ascension of the Lord (1408)

The ascension into heaven of Jesus Christ, God incarnate and the Son of God, is the great, final event of gospel history. one of the greatest Christian holidays was established in his honor. Even in Byzantine art, a canon of depicting the Ascension was formed in those details and details that were inherited by ancient Russian icon painters. filling the images of the Ascension with the joy that his holiday seeks to reveal to people. Here in Rublev’s icon the Ascension appears before us. The white hills, flooded with light, represent both the Mount of Olives and the entire land abandoned by the ascended Jesus Christ. The ascended One himself hovers above her; his human clothing has already been transformed into garments pierced with gold, and the shining turquoise circle of mandorola - glory - surrounds him with a sign of divine light. Jesus Christ, according to the Gospel, ascended himself, but here angels, the eternal companions of God, carry his mandorola, giving him honor. Jesus Christ appears here as the true Almighty, who conquered the suffering and death inherent in human nature. And therefore such joy and hope are brought by the blessing that he sends from the shining light, raising his right hand, to the land he leaves, to the witnesses of his Ascension standing on it. Directly below Jesus Christ stands the Mother of God. She rejoices at the victory of the Son and the light of this joy permeates her clothes with light, thin strokes. The Apostles surround the Mother of God on both sides. Their gestures are filled with joyful shock, light fills their scarlet, dark pink, and soft yellow clothes. Between the Mother of God and the apostles on both sides, two angels who appeared at the place of the Ascension solemnly look at her. Their figures in snow-white robes and shimmering golden halos enhance the feeling of light and joy emanating from the icon. And their raised hands point to the ascending Jesus Christ as a source of joy not only for the apostles, but also for everyone who looks at this icon.

Andrey Rublev's 5th grade message, briefly summarized in this article, will tell you a lot of useful information about the life and work of the Russian icon painter. The report on Andrei Rublev can be supplemented with interesting facts.

Andrey Rublev report

Icon painter Andrei Rublev for people of world Orthodoxy it is a symbol of art and a standard of the greatness of the Slavic spirit. His frescoes and icons breathe the universe, serenity, and harmony. The master's work is compared to the poetry of Alexander Pushkin. The faces of saints, painted by the hand of genius, deplete the beauty, self-sacrifice and greatness of man.

The icon painter was born on the territory of the Moscow Principality in 1360 year. Some sources indicate that his birthplace was Veliky Novgorod. There is practically no information about the artist’s family, childhood and youth. Based on his last name, historians assume that the master’s ancestors were artisans.

In 1405, the first written mention of him was found. According to the chronicle, Monk Rublev, together with Prokhor the Elder and who arrived from Kafa, painted the walls of the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. Since such work could only be entrusted to a talented and respected master, scientists suggest that young Rublev already had experience in artistic Slavic icon painting. After working with the Greek and Prokhor the Elder, he adopted a certain technique of brushstrokes and developed his own style of icon painting. To this day, 7 icons painted by his hand have been preserved in the cathedral iconostasis of the Annunciation Church.

Another written mention of the artist dates back to 1408. At the beginning of the 15th century, together with Daniil Cherny, Andrei Rublev painted the Assumption Cathedral and the Vladimir Church near Zvenigorod. At the end of the same year, Rus' was attacked by a horde of the Tatar Khan Edigei. They destroyed Pereslavl, Serpukhov, Rostov and Nizhny Novgorod, approached Moscow. The Tatar army destroyed the Trinity Monastery, and in 1410 they destroyed the Assumption Cathedral. Therefore, most of Andrei Rublev's works were destroyed.

For the next 20 years nothing was heard about the icon painter. Perhaps he stayed all the time in the Andronikov Monastery. In 1422, the restoration of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery began. Abbot Nikon invites Rublev to paint the walls. He created the “Trinity” icon for the cathedral, which became the pinnacle and masterpiece of the master’s creative heritage.

The great icon painter Andrei Rublev died in 1428 in Moscow, where a plague epidemic was raging. He died in the Andronikov Monastery, where he worked with Daniil Cherny on the frescoes of the Spassky Cathedral. Some scientists claim that he died in the spring of 1930.

• What worldly name Rublev had is unknown (he became Andrei after monastic tonsure in a monastery on the left bank of the Yauza). The only thing that can be stated for sure is that his patronymic is Ivanovich: the signature “Andrei Ivanov son Rublev” was found on an icon of that time.
• The artist mainly painted the figures of the Archangel Michael and the Apostle Peter, the martyrs George and Dmitry, and the saints Florus and Laurus. His brushes include three frescoes of the “Zvenigorod Rite”, the fresco “Transfiguration”, the icon “Savior”, illustrations for the “Gospel of Khitrov”, the icons of Our Lady of Vladimir”, “Archangel Michael” and “Apostle Paul”.
• In his youth, he abandoned his family and the desire to have children, because took monastic vows.
• After the death of Andrei Rublev, his friend Daniil Cherny soon died. Before his death, Rublev appeared to him and urged him to go with him to heaven.
• The artist was canonized in 1988 and canonized as saints. The church established the day of his memory on July 17.

We hope that the message about Andrei Rublev helped you prepare for the lesson, and you learned a lot of useful information about this person.

The artist received the name Andrei only when he took monastic vows, and instead of a surname he simply has a nickname - the family was a craftsman, and the word “rubel” means a tool for tanning leather. His first “work” was painting the Annunciation Church in Moscow. It is known that the icon painter died of the plague in 1428. Later he was canonized.

"Trinity", "Life-Giving Trinity", or "The Hospitality of Abraham"

This icon is now exhibited in the Tretyakov Gallery. It was written in the 20s of the 15th century. Rublev’s life has been mythologized, the authorship of most of his icons has not been proven, but the “Trinity” undoubtedly belongs to him.

In the center of the icon are three angels, they are sitting at a table, and behind them there is a mountain, a tree and a house. The plot is taken from the Bible. Three angels mean the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The bowl on the table is a symbol of wisdom and life. According to some versions, the icon depicts the Holy Grail. Jesus drank from it at the Last Supper, after which he was betrayed by his disciple Judas.

Many have tried to find the Grail. It is believed that if a person drinks water from this cup, he is guaranteed eternal life.

“Spas”, or “Savior Almighty”, “Zvenigorod Spas”.

This icon was found in 1918 in the Assumption Monastery in Zvenigorod in the most inappropriate place - in a barn under a pile of firewood. It is also “registered” in the Tretyakov repository. "Spas" was written at the beginning of the 15th century, around 1410.

Unfortunately, the icon was poorly preserved. Only the middle of the canvas with the face of Jesus Christ survived. What was on the sides and made up the composition of the icon is no longer recognizable. By the way, researchers believe that Rublev deliberately gave Christ Russian facial features, although previously he was depicted according to the Byzantine canon, the Greek.

There is an interesting legend associated with this icon. Rublev painted the icon around 1409, but allegedly copied it from a copy of a drawing by Luke, one of the compilers of the Gospel. Luke wrote his Theotokos during her lifetime, on a board from the table at which the mother of Christ dined. This image is dated 450. Then Prince Yuri Dolgoruky ordered himself a copy of this image, but Andrei Rublev wrote his “Our Lady of Vladimir” from the first copy.

The icon of the Mother of God with a baby in her arms is revered in Russia as the protector of the country. Now it is kept in the Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after Andrei Rublev, and once Vladimir and Moscow argued over it, transported from one city to another

Another famous icon of Andrei Rublev, the Transfiguration of the Lord, is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. Biblical story - Christ led his disciples to Mount Tarbor. I wanted to show what would happen to all of them after death. The prophets Moses and Elijah, who were once mere mortals, descended from heaven to them.

The Annunciation is kept in the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, dating back to 1405. The basis of the plot of the icon is that Mary learns from an angel that her child is not a mere mortal, but the son of God. In this icon great importance color plays. Everything around is red, alarming, and the angel’s cloak is green, the color of hope.

This icon is dedicated to one of the biggest holidays in Orthodoxy - the Annunciation, which is celebrated on April 7.