Exhibition of masterpieces of Byzantium in the Tretyakov Gallery tickets. Masterpieces of Byzantium: what you need to know about the new exhibition in the Tretyakov Gallery

We are very fond of as confirmation of the accusations of the Russian Orthodox Church in collaboration with the Nazis, bring this photo:

Who is on it?

Pskovskaya Orthodox mission. Metropolitan Sergius (Voznesensky) and monks Pskov-Caves Monastery. Information for reflection: during the repressions of the 30s, the clergy of the Pskov region were practically destroyed, some literally, some were sent to camps. Therefore, missionaries were sent to the area.
Metropolitan Sergius retained nominal canonical subordination to the Moscow Patriarchate (headed by the Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), Patriarch since September 1943), despite the displeasure of the German authorities.
The Germans did not like this behavior at all, and despite the fact that in 1942 he sent a greeting telegram to Hitler, he dissociated himself from the positions taken by the Moscow Patriarchate, and she, in turn, "demanded an explanation from him" - he lost the confidence of the Germans.
Already in our time it became known that Metropolitan Sergius was in touch with Moscow and specifically - P.A. Sudoplatov. In 1944, Metropolitan Sergius was killed by people in German uniforms.

“It is appropriate to note the role of the NKVD intelligence in counteracting the cooperation of the German authorities with some of the leaders of the Orthodox Church in the Pskov region and Ukraine. With the assistance of one of the leaders in the 1930s of the "renovation" church, Bishop Ratmirov of Zhitomir, and the guardian of the patriarchal throne, Metropolitan Sergius, we managed to infiltrate our operatives V.M. Ivanov and I.I. Mikheev to the circles of churchmen who collaborated with the Germans in the occupied territory. At the same time, Mikheev successfully mastered the profession of a clergyman. Information came from him mainly about the "patriotic mood of church circles"

Sudoplatov P.A. “I remain the only living witness…” // Young Guard. 1995., No. 5. S. 40.

Scenario of the program "Secret War". Air date on the channel "Capital" 29.03.09
The following people worked on the program: S. Unigovskaya, S. Postriganev. Program participants: Archpriest Stefan Prystay, rector of the Church of the Assumption Holy Mother of God in Trinity-Lykovo; Dmitry Nikolayevich Filippov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Missile and Artillery Sciences, Full Member of the Academy of Military Sciences, Member of the Presidium of the Academy of Military Sciences; Yuri Viktorovich Rubtsov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Academy of Military Sciences.

The events that will be discussed were for many years the subject of state secrets, and documents about them were kept in the archives of Soviet intelligence. In the 1990s, retired lieutenant-general Pavel Sudoplatov, a veteran of the Soviet intelligence service, was the first to tell about the special operation, code-named "Novices". The operation was developed during the years of the Great Patriotic War special services of the USSR. Its goal is to oppose the activities of German intelligence services to use the Orthodox Church in propaganda campaigns and to identify agents of the SD and Abwehr among the clergy ... In other words, it was an attempt by the hands of church leaders to block the efforts that German intelligence made to involve the Russian Orthodox Church in anti-Soviet activities in the years war.

... But first, let's ask ourselves a question: what could be common between churchmen and representatives of the NKVD? After all, it is no secret to anyone that the repressions of these very bodies against the Russian Orthodox Church are perhaps the bloodiest page in the history of Christianity. In cruelty, total persecution and mass destruction of the clergy and believers, they surpassed the era of persecution of the first centuries of the affirmation of the faith of Christ, which produced a host of martyrs!..

Tendencies towards a change in policy towards the Russian Orthodox Church emerged around 1939. This is confirmed by a recently published document from Stalin's former archive on the review of the cases of clergy and the possible release of clergy, who, as it says, are not socially dangerous. But how it was brought to real steps? Were the clergy released from the Gulag? This did not acquire a mass character, although, of course, there were precedents ... In 1941, the Bezbozhnik magazine was closed, anti-religious propaganda was curtailed ...

... And the Great Patriotic War broke out ... "Brothers and sisters!" - this is how Stalin addressed the Soviet people after the Nazis invaded the country. The intonation was chosen unmistakably, and the words of the leader were heard ...

Archpriest STEFAN: At one time, he also graduated from the seminary, so that the call that he made for our people - “brothers and sisters”, they were close to him, these words, so he knew what to take a Russian person for, for the living thing, because brother and sister - this is unity, this is love, this is peace, this is the people. And our Russian people have been accustomed to this since ancient times, therefore, when he said “brothers and sisters”, it was understandable and pleasant for everyone. And, of course, joyful for a believer.

Even before the invasion of the USSR, the leadership of Nazi Germany tried to identify in advance potential allies who could become their support in the upcoming war. He saw the Russian Orthodox Church as such an ally. First of all - foreign. And this is understandable: the parishioners of this church, Russian emigrants, to put it mildly, were not supporters of Soviet power. And the secret services of the Third Reich could not but use such a powerful ideological and professional (in terms of military skills and political struggle against the Soviet Union) potential to their advantage.

Dmitry FILIPPOVICH: The Church Abroad welcomed the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, yes, and, in principle, the entire Second World War as a whole. It is no secret that in the Orthodox Church abroad, the highest positions of hierarchs were the subject of bargaining between the secret services of the Third Reich and, say, Orthodox hierarchs. For example, the same archbishop of Berlin and Germany. The National Socialists demanded from the foreign Orthodox Church that he must be an ethnic German. Otherwise... Otherwise, there was no talk of any further cooperation of the Orthodox Church Abroad with Germany, or with the leadership of the state-political III Reich. Therefore, the ethnic German Lade became the archbishop of Berlin and Germany.

The Nazi secret services planned to actively attract the foreign Orthodox Church to work in the Russian émigré environment. The purpose of this work: to find people for transfer to the occupied territories of the USSR, where they were to pursue the policy of National Socialism among the local population.

The calculation was correct: the functionaries, the de facto representatives of the civil administration in the occupied territories, were to be persons of Russian nationality devoted to National Socialism. And, most importantly, they were people of the same faith with those who are under the occupation of the German troops. Appealing to Orthodox faith, recruited Russian priests were supposed to propagate the new regime.
However, despite all the advantages and benefits of this plan, no consensus was developed between the secret services and the party leadership of the III Reich in relation to the foreign Orthodox Church.

Dmitry FILIPPOVICH: Hitler believed that in general there could be no talk of Orthodoxy, as such, and the Slavs in general and the Orthodox should be considered as Papuans, and it would be good if they moved away from Orthodoxy at all and eventually their beliefs would be reborn into some kind of sectarian directions, and as a result they will be at the level of, well, let's say, some primitive state in relation to religion. Alfred Rosenberg, the main ideologist of National Socialism, had a slightly different position.

Alfred Rosenberg knew firsthand what Orthodoxy was ... The son of a shoemaker and an Estonian mother, he was born in Russian Empire, the city of Revel. Studied architecture at the Moscow Higher Technical School. In October 1917, Rosenberg lived in Moscow and, imagine, sympathized with the Bolsheviks! True, it quickly passed ... One thing is important - the future chief ideologue Nazism knew Russian culture well and understood what important place occupies Orthodoxy in it. He also realized what a danger Orthodoxy could pose for National Socialism, especially its consolidating principle ... And it must be admitted that the author of the “racial theory” was undoubtedly right in this matter ...

Archpriest STEFAN: As for the church, church people believers, then, of course, no one stood aside. Already in the first days there was an appeal to both the church and the government to give everything dear to the defense of the Motherland. The feat that the people have done is holy. Many took part in hostilities - clergymen, believers. There were many commanders partisan detachments clergy. But at that time it was not customary to talk about it. The church itself built a squadron of aircraft, a column of tanks that helped our soldiers.

Fearing the consolidating role of the ROC, Rosenberg assumed joint work with its hierarchs only on initial stage war with the USSR.

The governors of the occupied territories, Gauleiters Erich Koch, Heinrich Lohse, Wilhelm Kube, had a special position in relation to the Russian Orthodox Church. population.

The Gauleiters were not directly subordinate to Rosenberg, although he was Minister of the Occupied Territories. As party functionaries, they were subordinate to Bormann... And the party genosse also had his own attitude to this problem...

Dmitry FILIPPOVICH: Here is the intrigue between the party functionaries, who, on the one hand, were administratively subordinate to Rosenberg, and in the party order were subordinate to Bormann, while Bormann and Rosenberg did not have one view and vision of the problem of a single one in relation to the Orthodox Church, they constantly entered into tough controversy, reaching the arbitrator in the person of Hitler. Suffice it to say that Rosenberg presented his views on the attitude towards the Orthodox Church 16 times, and in the end, not one of these 16 proposals was accepted by Hitler.

The Orthodox Church Abroad had high hopes that she would minister to parishes in the occupied territories. But already in the initial period of the invasion of the USSR, she was denied this - the priests of the foreign Russian Orthodox Church were not even allowed into the occupied territories! The reason turned out to be very simple: according to the reports of the Nazi secret services, in the USSR, among Orthodox clergy over the years of persecution, a huge potential for confronting the Soviet authorities was accumulated, more powerful than that of the foreign Orthodox Church, cut off from the realities of Soviet life by more than 20 years of emigration.

The top political and military leadership of the USSR and personally Stalin closely followed the mood of the population in the occupied territories. Through military intelligence and the NKVD, as well as from the leaders of the partisan movement, they constantly received reports that the German military and civil administrations were doing their best to promote the discovery Orthodox churches and activities of the clergy among the population.

Yuri RUBTSOV: The Germans tried to expand the network of the Russian Orthodox Church, in particular, with the help of the occupying authorities, up to 10,000 churches and temples were opened in the occupied territories. Of course, this was a huge increase compared to the pre-war period. And the military situation itself certainly contributed to the spread religious beliefs. Another thing is that people went to God with their pure intentions, and the invaders, of course, tried to put this faith of people at their service. And they tried - and in some cases not without success - to find agents, their agents among the priests of the Russian Orthodox Church, in particular in the north-west of the country.

Both Berlin and Moscow equally sought to use the Russian Orthodox Church for their own political purposes. This situation could not but affect the changes in the policy of both the USSR and Germany, which were forced in one form or another to allow the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church and even support it.

Stalin, the party leadership and the NKVD decided to restore church life in the country. On September 4, 1943, the NKVD organized a meeting in the Kremlin of Stalin, Molotov and Beria with three hierarchs of the Russian Church: Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) of Moscow, Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky) of Leningrad and Metropolitan Nikolai (Yarushevich) of Kiev. On September 8, for the first time in several decades, a Council of Bishops met in Moscow, which elected a new Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. They became Sergius (Stragorodsky).

... In July 1941, a priest entered the office of the Kalinin City Military Commissar. “Bishop Vasily Mikhailovich Ratmirov,” he introduced himself to the military commissar. Then Bishop Vasily stated his request - to send him to the front ...

Vasily Ratmirov once belonged to the so-called "Renovation Church", but became disillusioned with it and retired in 1939. In 1941, he turned 54 years old. In connection with the difficult situation in the country, he turned to the Patriarchal Locum Tenens, Metropolitan Sergiy, to accept him back into the bosom of the Church ... The Metropolitan appointed him Bishop of Zhytomyr. But Zhytomyr was soon occupied by the German invaders, and then he was appointed bishop in Kalinin. He rushed to the front and therefore turned to the city military registration and enlistment office.

Yuri RUBTSOV: But here, apparently, the personality of such an extraordinary person - it is not so often that bishops come to the city military commissar and ask to be sent to the front - became interested. Probably, here our intelligence, the Sudoplatov department, drew attention to him, and suggested that he, meaning Ratmirov, serve the Fatherland not at the front, more precisely, not at the front of open struggle, but on this invisible front of the fight against the Germans to prevent attempts German intelligence to put the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church in their service.

Bishop Ratmirov accepted the proposal of our intelligence. A little earlier than the events described, the head of the NKVD department for work behind enemy lines, Pavel Sudoplatov, and the intelligence officer Zoya Rybkina, began to develop an operation code-named "Novices". Subsequently, Zoya Rybkina, known to many Soviet readers as the children's writer Zoya Voskresenskaya, devoted a chapter of her book “Under the pseudonym Irina” to these events. The chapter was called "In the temple of God" ...

A cover was invented for the operation: a kind of anti-Soviet religious underground that allegedly existed in Kuibyshev. This mythical organization was allegedly supported by the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow. Bishop Ratmirov was the most suitable candidate for the church leader who, according to legend, was supposed to lead this underground. The operation was developed before the occupation of Kalinin by the Wehrmacht troops. It was possible to introduce two young officers of the NKVD into the circle of churchmen ...

Vasily Mikhailovich did not immediately agree to take these two scouts under his wing, he asked in detail what they would do and whether they would desecrate the temple with bloodshed. Zoya Rybkina assured him that these people would secretly monitor the enemy, military installations, the movement of military units, identify ROC figures collaborating with the Nazis, residents whom the Nazi authorities would prepare for being thrown into the Soviet rear ... And the bishop agreed ...

... Lieutenant colonel of the NKVD Vasily Mikhailovich Ivanov was appointed the head of the group. The lieutenant colonel took a liking to the bishop. But the bishop rejected the candidacy of a radio operator, selected for the Central Committee of the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League. The participants in the operation needed to master the Church Slavonic language and the Rule of worship well. After all, under the guise of clergymen, together with Bishop Vasily, they were to perform all kinds of services and services. At the same time, it should not have occurred to anyone that scouts were hiding under the guise of Orthodox clergy. Bishop Vasily himself supervised the special training. To begin with, he instructed the radio operator to learn the prayer "Our Father". As Zoya Rybkina later recalled, the "Komsomolets" behaved rather cheekily, but she knew that he was a first-class radio operator, and hoped for his prudence. Unfortunately, the guy turned out to be frivolous, and when Vladyka asked if he had learned the prayer, he briskly replied: “Our Father, spread pancakes. Izhe thou - bring pancakes to the table ... ". "Enough," the Bishop stopped him. "Consider yourself free."

Yuri RUBTSOV: And, in the end, they settled on the candidacies of the full namesake of Ratmirov, Vasily Mikhailovich Mikheev and Nikolai Ivanovich Ivanov. These two young men were really prepared and actually, together with Vasily Mikhailovich Ratmirov, served in the cathedral in occupied Kalinin.

The scouts received pseudonyms: Ivanov - Vasko, Mikheev - Mikhas. On August 18, 1941, the group was sent to the front-line Kalinin. They began the service in the Church of the Intercession, but on October 14 enemy aircraft bombed it, and the bishop and his assistants moved to the city cathedral.

Soon the Germans occupied Kalinin. Vladyka sent Mikhas to the burgomaster, asked to take him and his assistants for allowances, the shops in the city were empty. The burgomaster promised, but the bishop was immediately summoned to the head of the Gestapo. Vladyka explained to the local Fuhrer that he was a bishop, under the Soviet regime he was imprisoned and was serving his sentence in the North, in Komi. The head of the Gestapo expressed the hope that the Russian priest, offended by the commissars, would assist the German command, in particular, help to identify hidden food warehouses.

Yuri RUBTSOV: The Germans tried to recruit him to perform direct intelligence functions. But Ratmirov, who at one time became adept at discussions on church topics, managed to find the necessary arguments, managed to avoid a direct answer, saying that he sees his duty in carrying the word of God.

The rumor about Bishop Vasily, who so zealously cares for his parishioners, quickly spread throughout the city. Residents flocked to the cathedral. This fully corresponded to the task that Bishop Vasily assigned himself. And this liturgical activity was not hindered in the least, and even promoted by NKVD officers dressed in church robes ... In addition to serving in the cathedral, the reconnaissance group successfully carried out its operational task. Vasko and Mikhas established contacts with the population, identified accomplices of the occupiers, collected materials on the number and location of German headquarters and bases, and kept records of arriving reinforcements. The collected information was immediately transmitted to the Center through the radio cipher operator Anya Bazhenova (pseudonym "Marta").

However, the fact that Ivanov and Mikheev were young men of military age might seem strange and suspicious to any outside observer. Why did they avoid being drafted? In order not to cause various rumors, and most importantly not to alert the Gestapo, Mikheev had to stage an epileptic seizure during the service. He did it so naturally that even a female doctor who was present at the service, who served as a secretary to the burgomaster, believed. She rushed to Mikheev, who was beating in a fit, and felt his pulse. He turned out to be very busy! Since then, all the parishioners knew that Mikheev was ill and had been released from the army at one time. But most of all, the group was afraid for the radio operator Marta, since she lived far away, and the Germans were chasing young girls: some were used in brothels, others were driven to work in Germany. She had to disguise herself as an old woman with the help of makeup. In this guise, a young girl regularly appeared in the temple during worship ...

The city was in the hands of the Germans for two months, and when the front began to rapidly approach, the reconnaissance group was instructed by the Center to leave with the German army. Nobody knew about the group's special task, so after the release of Kalinin, our command received many statements about the "suspicious" behavior of the bishop ... "Smersh" almost arrested the group. However, the Sudoplatov department took her under guard in time.

Yuri RUBTSOV: The operation lasted directly for about two months, because rather quickly Kalinin was returned. The Germans were expelled from there. But, nevertheless, until a certain time, the radio game with the Germans still continued, because even after the release of Kalinin they imitated the details of the church anti-Soviet underground, in the existence of which the German authorities so sincerely believed.

Sudoplatov later recalled: “The Germans were sure that they had a strong spy base in Kuibyshev. Maintaining regular radio contact with their intelligence bureau near Pskov, they constantly received false information from us about the transfer of raw materials and ammunition from Siberia to the front. Having reliable information from our agents, we at the same time successfully resisted the attempts of the Pskov clergy, who collaborated with the Germans, to arrogate to themselves the authority to lead the parishes of the Orthodox Church in the occupied territory.

The results of the work of the reconnaissance group were convincing. The scouts reported on more than 30 Gestapo agents they had identified, by name and with addresses, as well as the places of secret weapons stores ...

The patriotic feat of Bishop Vasily Ratmirov was highly appreciated. By the decision of the Synod, he was conferred the rank of archbishop. By order of Stalin, Bishop Ratmirov was awarded a gold watch and a medal after the war. Other members of the group were awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor. By order of Patriarch Alexy I, Vladyka Vasily was appointed Archbishop of Minsk.

Dmitry FILIPPOVICH: Remaining in the territory occupied by the enemy, the clergy performed their patriotic duty to the best of their ability and capabilities. They were the spiritual defenders of the Fatherland - Russia, Russia, the Soviet Union, whether the invaders wanted or did not want to talk about it.

Yuri RUBTSOV: And the church itself, and the many millions of believers went to the union, strong alliance with the state in the name of saving the motherland. This union was impossible before the war...

Counting on the obedience and cooperation of the hierarchs of the Orthodox Church with the occupying authorities, the Nazis did not take into account one very important circumstance: despite many years of persecution, these people did not cease to be Russian and love their Motherland, despite the fact that it was called the Soviet Union...

What do you think, is there something to dig into?

Tomorrow, an exhibition of unique exhibits from the collections of Greek museums will open in Lavrushinsky Lane

State Tretyakov Gallery
February 7 - April 9, 2017
Moscow, Lavrushinsky lane, 10, room 38

The exhibition is organized within the framework of the cross year of culture of Russia and Greece. In 2016, the Ascension icon by Andrei Rublev and a whole exhibition of Russian icons and sculptures of the 15th-19th centuries from the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery were shown in Athens. The return exhibition in Moscow will present 18 exhibits (12 icons, 2 illustrated manuscripts, liturgical items - a processional cross, air, 2 katsei) from the collections of the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens, the Benaki Museum, the collection of E. Velimesis - H. Margaritis.

The exhibits date back to the end of the 10th - beginning of the 16th century and give an idea of ​​the different periods of Byzantine art and different artistic centers. The exhibition allows you to evaluate the perfection of the work of the masters, as well as understand the ways of comprehending spiritual world in the Middle Ages, revealing the nuances in the exquisite coloring of icons, in luxurious miniatures of manuscripts, on the pages of which the artists of Byzantium sought to recreate the beauty mountain world.

At the exhibition, each of the works is a unique monument of its era. The exhibits provide an opportunity to present the history of Byzantine culture and trace the mutual influence of the traditions of Eastern and Western Christian art. The earliest monument in the exposition is a silver processional cross of the end of the 10th century with images of Christ, the Mother of God and saints engraved on it.

The art of the 12th century is represented by the icon "The Resurrection of Lazarus", which embodies the refined, refined style of painting of this time. The collection of the Tretyakov Gallery contains an icon of Our Lady of Vladimir of the same era, created in Constantinople in the first third of the 12th century and then brought to Russia.

One of the most striking exhibits of the exhibition is a relief with the image of the Great Martyr George with scenes from his life. It serves as an example of the interaction between Byzantine and Western European masters, which marked the beginning of the phenomenon of master crusaders - an interesting page in the history of the 13th century. The wood carving technique in which the figure of St. George is made is not characteristic of Byzantine art and was obviously borrowed from the Western tradition, while the magnificent frame of stamps was created in accordance with the canons of Byzantine painting.

The icon of the Mother of God with the Child, painted at the beginning of the 13th century, presumably by a Cypriot master, demonstrates a different path of mutual influence of the medieval art of East and West. IN artistic culture During this period, associated with the revival of the empire and the Palaiologos dynasty, the movement towards ancient traditions was perceived as a search for one's cultural identity.

The mature style of art of the Palaiologos era belongs to the double-sided image of the Mother of God Hodegetria, with the Twelve Feasts. The Throne Prepared” at the end of the 14th century. This icon is a contemporary of the works of Theophanes the Greek. Both masters use the same artistic techniques - in particular, thin lines penetrating the faces of the Mother of God and the Child, symbolizing the energies divine light. This image, obviously, is a list from the miraculous icon of Constantinople Hodegetria.

Several objects tell about the richness of the decorative and applied arts of Byzantium, among which are a katseya (censer) depicting the great martyrs Theodore and Demetrius and an embroidered air (veil) on the Holy Gifts.

The technique of the artists was especially virtuosic, decorating the manuscripts with complex exquisite ornaments in headpieces, initials and miniatures with images of the evangelists. The level of their mastery is demonstrated by two gospel codes - the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century.

The post-Byzantine period is represented by three icons of Greek masters who left for Crete after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. These works allow us to trace the synthesis of the creative finds of European art and the traditional Byzantine canon.

The Byzantine artistic tradition stood at the origins of the formation of the art of many peoples. From the beginning of the spread of Christianity in Kievan Rus Greek artists and architects passed on the skills of temple construction, fresco painting, icon painting, book design, and jewelry art to Russian masters. This cultural interaction continued for many centuries. From the 10th to the 15th century Russian art went from apprenticeship to high mastery, preserving the memory of Byzantium as a fertile source that spiritually nourished Russian culture for many years.

The exhibition "Masterpieces of Byzantium" is located next to the halls of the permanent exhibition of ancient Russian art of the XI-XVII centuries, which allows the viewer to trace the parallels and see the features of the works of Russian and Greek artists.

Project curator E. M. Saenkova.

A source: State Tretyakov Gallery press release

The State Tretyakov Gallery opens a Byzantine exposition as part of the cross Year of Cultures of Russia and Greece. Its exhibits - icons, books and objects of arts and crafts - reflect the evolution of Byzantine art in the Middle Ages.

Virgin with Child. 12th century

Exhibition "Masterpieces of Byzantium" in the Tretyakov Gallery

Each of the 18 works presented at the exhibition "Masterpieces of Byzantium" is a real monument of its era. Survivors of the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and the collapse Byzantine Empire the exhibits were transferred to the Tretyakov Gallery by the Athens Byzantine and Christian Museum and private collections in Greece.

One of the most unusual icons of the exposition is scenes from the life of the Great Martyr George. It is made in the technique of high relief, which was unusual for Orthodox icon painters. The icon was created during the Crusades, when big influence Byzantine masters were provided by artists from Western Europe.

A striking example of the flourishing of Byzantine art of the 14th century is the double-sided icon of the Mother of God Hodegetria, on the back of which there is another icon - the Crucifixion. The graceful thin lettering, rich colors - the harmony of gold and azure - have been preserved, which was typical for the icons of the era of the Paleologs. The tempera icon “John the Baptist, the Angel of the Desert” of the 16th century, which depicts a common icon-painting plot, looks just as exquisite. John the Baptist is written winged, which symbolizes his purity. On the icon, John is depicted as a herald of the coming and martyrdom of Christ.

Our Lady of Kardiotis. 1st floor 15th century

Great Martyr George with scenes from his life. XIII century

Great Martyr Marina. Late 14th - early 15th century

In the center of the exposition is a large-scale icon of the Mother of God Kardiotissa (translated from Greek - “heart”). The image of the infant Christ and the Mother of God is imbued with tenderness, devoid of the usual severity. The author of this extraordinary icon is Angelos Akotantos, a famous Greek painter of the 15th century.

The most ancient exhibit of the exhibition arrived in Moscow from the Benaki Museum in Athens, founded in 1930 by millionaire Emmanuel Benakis. This is a silver processional cross, created at the end of the 10th century, on which the figures of Christ and saints are finely engraved. It is curious that the rarely mentioned holy martyr Sisinius is depicted on the cross. The inscription on the handle says that he was the patron saint of the customer of this cross.

The exhibition "Masterpieces of Byzantium" runs in the main building of the State Tretyakov Gallery until April 9. The exposition is located in hall No. 38, next to the halls of ancient Russian art. This proximity allows the guests of the exhibition to trace the parallels in Russian and Byzantine art of those years.

The Cross Year of Russia and Greece ends cultural project, which starts today at the Tretyakov Gallery - the exhibition "Masterpieces of Byzantine Art". Unique monuments X-XV centuries, collected from Greek museums and private collections. Visitors will be able to imagine the history of the great empire, trace the mutual influence of the traditions of Eastern and Western Christian art.

Artifacts of the vanished Byzantine Empire. The earliest - church cross X century. A contemporary of the Baptism of Russia. In the center - another metal, not original. The insert appeared when a relic was torn out of here - a particle of the Cross of the Lord.

“You and I see the two hands of the great martyr, which are raised to Christ. And his figure is clearly visible here, voluminous. It almost seems to emerge from the surface of the icon, from the plane of the icon to us, to those who pray,” says Elena Saenkova, curator of the exhibition.

The curator of the exhibition at the "volumetric" icon - such appeared in the XIII century, after the arrival of the Crusaders. Two collided Christian world: western and eastern. The carving technique, robes, even the shield at the feet of St. George are European, and the painting technique is Byzantine.

And this is far from all the surprises from the Byzantine masters. Bilateral icons - a rarity. For example, this one, from the end of the 14th century, depicts the crucifixion of Christ on one side, and the Mother of God on the other. Such icons are also called processional, that is, they participated in church services, celebrations, religious processions. But the most interesting thing is different - art historians suggest that they were located inside the temple in a special way. One side was turned to the worshipers, that is, here. And the other side - inside the altar, to the clergy.

Withered edges, lost colors in some places, and somewhere deliberately knocked down faces of saints shock more than the restored images. These icons breathe time, live in every crack, in spite of all the conquerors of Byzantium.

“When the Turks took Constantinople, they began to destroy the decoration of temples, disfigure icons: they gouged out the eyes, the faces of saints,” says Fedra Kalafati, an employee of the Byzantine and Christian Museum.

18 unique exhibits came from museums and private collections in Greece. This visit is a return one: in the fall of 2016, an exhibition of Russian icons was held in Athens. The cross year of Russia-Greece has already ended, but in fact it is closing now.

Manuscript of the Gospel of the XIV century - in a precious setting, with rich miniatures, perfectly preserved text and marginal notes. Basis - veal skin of the thinnest dressing.

Nearby is even less familiar to the ear "air" - an embroidered cover on the Holy Gifts. It was used during the Liturgy. Judging by the pattern, wine was covered. Even the threads retain their brightness from the Byzantine masters, because the dyes were created from natural pigments. Cinnabar - red, lapis lazuli - blue, ocher - flesh-orange. The palette is small, but how skillfully the artists mastered it.

“To look at these icons is a great pleasure for the eye, because this is the finest painting, the finest work with paint, with color, with gold,” says Zelfira Tregulova, director of the State Tretyakov Gallery.

And also the details. It would seem that, canonical image The Virgin and Child, but how humanly playfully a sandal slides off one of Christ's feet.

"Masterpieces of Byzantium". There are only 18 works in the exposition, but each of them is a unique example of its time.

Kazei handle. Around 1300. Fragment

Byzantium - where is it?

Angel. Fragment of the icon

Byzantium is a state that appeared on the world map in 395, after the fall of the Roman Empire and the division of its territory into western and eastern parts. Just 80 years after these events, the Western Roman Empire ceased to exist, and Byzantium remained the only full-fledged successor to all the achievements of Rome and antiquity. Its capital, Constantinople, began to be called the second Rome. Hence, Moscow, as the capital of the Russian state and the successor of Byzantine traditions, received the unofficial title of the Third Rome. Russian princes periodically married Byzantine princesses to emphasize this connection. The state of Byzantium lasted until 1453, when the Turks captured Constantinople, turning it into Istanbul.

"Our Lady Hodegetria", XIV century

Byzantine art has always stood on the threshold between Western European (read - Roman Catholic) and Eastern European (read - Old Russian) art. It served as a filter for traditions and new trends, which then strongest influence on the formation of artistic principles in Kiev, Vladimir and Novgorod, where Greek masters and their students went to work. The icon "The Mother of God Hodegetria, with the Twelve Feasts. Throne Prepared", presented at the exhibition, is a contemporary of the works of Theophan the Greek, who came to Russia from Constantinople, the famous teacher of the main Russian icon painter Andrei Rublev. Russian masters at first copied Greek samples, sometimes adding some additional elements of the image to the image. The image of the Mother of God Hodegetria or the Guide with the Infant Jesus in her arms was one of the most common in Byzantine and ancient Russian art. This type of icons includes, for example, the Tikhvin, Smolensk, Kazan and Iberian icons of the Mother of God. And here is the Vladimir icon Mother of God refers to another type - "eleusa" or "tenderness". Unlike Hodegetria, Eleusa presses the Child to her and touches his head with her cheek.

Why are there icons in the exhibition, but no sculptures? Were they at all?

Great Martyr George, with scenes from his life

Yes, there were wooden images of Christ in Byzantine and Old Russian art. Some researchers believe that Nicaea Cathedral in 325 he forbade the creation of sculptural images of saints. This is not so: the Council of Nicaea made prescriptions for how icons should be painted, but there was no clear list of prohibitions. Most likely, the lack of wide distribution of sculpture in Russia was due to the fact that at first Christian preachers had to fight paganism and idolatry, so the tradition of three-dimensional plastic art did not develop. Although wooden images were indeed created in Novgorod and Pskov. The exhibition presents a unique three-dimensional relief "Great Martyr George, with scenes from his life", where the figure of the saint protrudes above the surface of the icon. Also in the exposition you can see a katseya (censer) with a three-dimensional image of the Mother of God and a beautiful chased ornament along the contour and an embroidered air (veil) on the Holy Gifts, which were used in church processions.

It turns out that all Byzantine art was religious?

Processional Cross. End of the 10th century

No, it's not. Byzantium was secular state though very devout. At the court of the Komnenos, Palaiologos and Angels, there has always been a large number of masters glorifying the emperor's luxury and wealth with their art. Many silver goblets, golden bowls, decorated with precious stones and enamel, bone carvings and jewelry. But, unfortunately, they are not presented at the exhibition. This time, exhibits from the collection of the Byzantine and Christian Museum, the Benaki Museum, and the collection of Velimesis and Margaritis arrived at the Tretyakov Gallery. They are located in adjacent halls with works of ancient Russian art, so that guests can compare these versions of Orthodox icon painting and feel their closeness and unique features.