A pectoral cross and a Kazan icon were found in the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War

Predecessor of the pectoral cross

Before the pectoral cross appeared, there was a so-called encolpium. This is a small casket of a round, cross-shaped or rectangular shape, on which an image of saints or Jesus Christ was placed. Pieces of prosphora or the relics of a saint were placed inside. It was believed that in this way a person could protect himself from all sorts of misfortunes during hikes or long journeys.

The first mention of their existence dates back to the 4th century. John Chrysostom writes how sacred objects were often hung around the neck by men and women as decoration.

The oldest specimen of encolpium that has survived to this day was discovered in the middle of the 19th century. In 1862, it was discovered on the chest of a skeleton found in the ruins of the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Rome. The basilica was built by Constantine the Great, and the person buried with the encolpium was most likely a bishop. Encolpias were also used for the ceremonial vestments of royalty in Constantinople.

In Rus' they were most often worn under clothes. They began to actively fall out of use in the 18th century. Pectoral crosses with decorations began to replace them. In Russia, the wearing of such crosses began to spread en masse since 1741.

Types of crosses

As mentioned above, crosses differ from each other. The silver St. Nicholas cross described above is the attribute with which a clergyman begins his career as a clergyman. For services to the church or length of service, he may be awarded the right to wear a four-pointed gold cross. The priest serves with him until he is elevated to the rank of archpriest. When this happens, he has the opportunity to receive the next reward - a pectoral cross with decorations.

This variety is usually richly inlaid with precious stones and, in principle, is no different from the paraphernalia worn by bishops. Usually this is where the awards in the field of chest decorations end. Sometimes, however, some clergy are given the right to wear two crosses at once. Another very rare award is the golden cross of the patriarch. But literally only a few receive this honor. Since 2011, the pectoral cross, called the doctor’s cross, has appeared, or rather, been restored. It is awarded, accordingly, to priests who have a doctorate in theology.

Pectoral cross in the Russian Orthodox Church

If we take a closer look at this attribute in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church, it is worth saying that until the 18th century, only bishops had the right to wear them.
This injustice was corrected by the Russian Empress Elizabeth. It was she who drew the attention of the Holy Synod to the fact that all Little Russian archimandrites wear pectoral crosses, unlike Great Russian ones. The injustice was promptly corrected. Already in 1797, Emperor Paul I, by a separate decree, decreed that silver pectoral crosses could be issued as special insignia. And he himself handed them over to priests and archpriests. They depicted a crucifixion.

Crosses as a distinctive sign of the learning of the Russian clergy

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, an interesting practice arose of issuing crosses to priests in accordance with the academic degree they held. The pectoral cross was awarded to doctors of science. And candidates and masters were content with these items, attaching them to the buttonhole on the collar of their cassock.

Gradually, wearing pectoral crosses became the norm for all priests in the Russian Church. The final line under this process was drawn by Emperor Nicholas II, who ordered a special decree in honor of his coronation to award all priests the right to wear an eight-pointed silver cross of the established pattern. Since then it has become an integral tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Pectoral crosses in the 19th century

Beginning in 1820, gold crosses with crucifixes, as well as an image of the imperial crown on the reverse side, began to be awarded to court priests. Ministers of foreign Orthodox parishes received them at the moment they entered the service. He remained with them forever after only 7 years.

Often, parishioners presented pectoral crosses to priests, photos of which are in this article. As a rule, they were decorated with precious stones. In 1808, master's and doctoral crosses were established, and in 1884, candidate crosses. Brown bronze pectoral crosses hanging on the Vladimir ribbon were issued to participants in the Patriotic War of 1812 and the Crimean War.

In 1896, after the official coronation of the new Russian Emperor Nicholas II, a new type of pectoral cross appeared. It had an eight-pointed shape and was made exclusively of silver. On the front side there was traditionally a crucifix, on the back - the monogram of the imperial house, as well as the date of the coronation of Nicholas II, inscribed in Church Slavonic numbers.

Since then, pectoral crosses have become considered an obligatory attribute of priests. This distinguishes the Russian Orthodox Church even from other dioceses. For example, in Greece, ordinary priests are not entitled to such crosses due to their status.

When did the priests put on the cross?

Pectoral crosses for priests appeared in the Russian Orthodox Church relatively recently. Until the 18th century, only bishops had the right to wear pectoral crosses. After modified Greek cassocks, cassocks and hoods came into use, the clothes of priests ceased to differ from the clothes of deacons and the cell clothes of monks, which should have contributed to the appearance of special signs by which a priest could be distinguished from other clergy.

This distinction was the pectoral cross, which until 1896 had the status of a church order: the pectoral cross, as a reward and sign of royal favor, was awarded to honored priests for long years of blameless service. This cross is four-pointed, with an elongated lower end.

On the front side it has a relief image of the Crucifixion, on the inside there is the inscription “To the Presbyter, who gives the image of the faithful word and life. Established during the pious reign of the great sovereign Emperor Paul I in 1797, December 18.”

The cross is worn on a chain of large flat links connected by double small rings. There is a jumper in the middle of the chain, so that the chain covers the neck in front and goes down to the back at the back.

The cross of a priest testifies that he is a servant of Jesus Christ, who suffered for the sins of the world, and must have Him in his heart and imitate Him. The two-pointed chain of the cross is a sign of the lost sheep, that is, pastoral care for the souls of the parishioners entrusted to the priest, and the cross that Christ carried on His back, as a sign of deeds and suffering in earthly life. The cross and chain are made silver-gilded.

At the beginning of the 19th century, priests began to be awarded crosses with decorations on special occasions. By a decree of the Holy Synod of February 24, 1820, Russian priests serving abroad were blessed to wear special gold crosses issued from the emperor’s office. Such crosses are called cabinet crosses. Sometimes they were given as a reward to certain priests and those who did not travel outside of Russia.

By state decree of May 14, 1896, the cross was introduced into church use, which is a sign of distinction for every priest and hieromonk. This cross, placed since then at priestly ordination, is silver, eight-pointed in shape with a relief image of the crucified Savior on the front side and the inscriptions in the upper part: “Where, Tsr, Slvy” (“The Lord is the King of Glory”); at the ends of the wide crossbar “IC, XC” (“Jesus Christ”), under the lower oblique crossbar – “Nike” (Greek - victory). On the reverse side of the cross is the inscription: “Be an image by faithful speech, conduct, love, spirit, faith, purity (1 Tim. 4:12). Summer 1896, May 14 days.” The cross is equipped with a silver chain of single elongated rings. This chain is also divided into two parts by a jumper in the middle. The crosses of 1896 became an indispensable insignia of priests, which they wear during divine services over their vestments and can be worn in everyday settings over their cassocks, and the crosses of 1797 remained an award, traditionally also awarded to all graduates of theological academies who have been ordained priests.

In addition, in the 19th century, archpriests began to receive crosses with decorations, similar to bishop’s pectoral crosses, as a reward.

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For all the priests

As a result, the crosses introduced by Nicholas began to be worn by all Russian priests, regardless of status.
By the middle of the 20th century, the patriarchal pectoral cross was established. It was the highest sign with the help of which the merits of an archimandrite or archpriest were recognized. Delivery was made in exceptional cases. The spiritual rank could be received only for special merits by decree of the Moscow Patriarch. In this case, length of service, as well as all previous awards, did not matter.

Priestly pectoral crosses in the Russian Orthodox Church were awarded to married priests after they had received a certain rank.

Establishing the right of white priests to wear crosses

White, that is, married clergy received the right to wear a pectoral cross at the end of the 18th century. Of course, not everyone was allowed to do this right away. At first, Emperor Paul introduced this attribute as one of the church awards for priests. It could be received for any merit. For example, a special example of the cross was given to many priests in 1814 in honor of the victory over the French army two years earlier. Since 1820, crosses were also given to those clergy who served abroad or at the imperial court. However, the right to wear this item could be deprived if the clergyman served in his position for less than seven years. In other cases, the pectoral cross remained with the priest forever.

Crosses - what can they be?

By honoring the cross, an Orthodox Christian pays veneration to God Himself, who became incarnate and suffered on this ancient Roman instrument of execution for our sins. Without the cross and death there would be no redemption, resurrection and ascension, there would be no establishment of the Church in the world and no opportunity to follow the path of salvation for every person.

A Christian strives to remind himself as often as possible about the redemptive feat of the Savior and the hope for eternal life, therefore he wears a cross on his body, installs it on domes and inside churches (which also often have the shape of a cross in plan), depicts it on church utensils and the clothes of clergy, and installs for on-site worship.

Pectoral crosses

A pectoral cross can be made from a wide variety of materials and have all sorts of sizes and decorations, retaining only its shape. In Russia they are accustomed to seeing it in the form of a separate object hanging on a chain or rope on the chest of a believer. The pectoral cross is worn by believers of most Slavic Churches, as well as Catholic Christians. However, in the cultures of some Christian peoples there were also other traditions.

The cross could not be made of anything at all, but applied to the body in the form of a tattoo, so that a Christian could not accidentally lose it and so that it could not be taken away during persecution. This is exactly how the Celtic Christians wore the pectoral cross, and Egyptian Coptic Christians and Christians of the Ethiopian Church continue to wear it.

For some time, the tradition of getting a tattoo in the form of a cross was also among Christians of the Greek Churches, who now do not wear crosses at all.

Believers of the first centuries did not wear crosses. The first mention of the tradition of wearing them dates back to the 4th century, when the great persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire ceased and Christianity gradually began to become the state religion of the empire.

The most ancient form of the cross is four-pointed. It was on such a cross that the Savior Jesus Christ was crucified. The eight-pointed cross, which in some publications is called “Orthodox”, is essentially the same four-pointed cross with two additions.

The short upper crossbar represents the titlo - the tablet on which Pilate wrote down the guilt of Christ: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” In some images of the crucifixion, the words are abbreviated to form "INCI" - in Russian or "INRI" - in Latin.

The short oblique lower crossbar with the right edge raised up and the left edge down means the so-called “righteous standard” and reminds us of the two thieves crucified on the sides of Christ and their posthumous fate. The right one repented before death and inherited the Kingdom of Heaven, while the left one blasphemed the Savior and ended up in hell.

In Rus', they swore allegiance on crosses, and by exchanging them, they became sworn brothers of the cross. There was also a custom of casting many crosses from a broken church bell, which were especially revered by believers.

It is also interesting that sometimes the Savior is not depicted on the body cross, but an icon of the Mother of God or one of the saints is placed on the field of the cross, or even the cross is turned into a kind of miniature iconostasis.

Worship crosses

Since ancient times, Christians have erected worship crosses to remind themselves of God and to pray when going on a journey or arriving home from long journeys. As a rule, worship crosses are installed on hills, along river banks, near populated areas or at road intersections. Usually, they are placed flat to the east and the stones are stacked at the base, as a reminder of Golgotha ​​in the Holy Land.

The custom of installing worship crosses came to Rus' from Byzantium. Judging by the chronicle legend, the first such cross was erected on the hills on the site of present-day Kyiv by the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called in the 1st century after the Nativity of Christ.

The rulers of Rus' replaced with crosses the overthrown pagan idols on the sites of ancient idols, marked with crosses the places of future cities, as well as temples that they were going to build or places where temples had previously existed, but were once destroyed during wars or persecutions. The graves of Christians are also most often crowned with worship crosses, in front of which, in the absence of an icon, a litiya can be performed over the coffin of a loved one.

Sometimes, crosses had, in addition to prayer, another purpose. For example, residents of the Russian North installed them on capes at the entrance to bays, where they could safely wait out the storm, or on the tops of hills, counting the distance along them on the way to the goal of their next trip. In some areas, boundary crosses demarcated the lands of neighboring regions.

Sometimes, the cross also served as a monument to some event. Rulers placed crosses at the sites of the birth of sons, major battles, the opening of holy springs, and the appearance of God's miracles. They also marked time with crosses, erecting them during the years of epidemics and childbirth shortages. To be healed from an illness or to avoid great danger, Christians also put up crosses as a vow.

Worship crosses could differ in size - from one and a half to several tens of meters, in shape - eight-pointed, four-pointed, with a “roof”, carved, decorated with icons in the middle. They could be made from a variety of materials: stone, wood, and later metal, reinforced concrete, plastic, etc.

The largest worship cross in the world is located in Spain in the Valley of the Fallen and reaches a height of 150 meters. The highest cross in Russia was installed in Krasnoyarsk on Drokino Mountain in 2022. It is assembled from metal structures and rises 48.3 meters above the hill. The tallest cross in Russia made of natural material - northern pine - was installed on the banks of the Volga in the village of Spassky, Yaroslavl region. Its height is 13.42 meters.

Clergy pectoral crosses

We are all accustomed to the fact that a priest, even if not in service, still wears the required minimum of vestments - a pectoral cross and a cassock. But almost until the very end of the 19th century, crosses among priests were the exception rather than the rule.

Until the 18th century, only bishops had the right to wear a pectoral cross, and priests, like the laity, only wore a pectoral cross under their clothes. At the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, especially honored priests began to be awarded pectoral crosses. By a decree of the Holy Synod of February 24, 1820, Russian priests serving abroad were blessed to wear special gold crosses issued from the emperor’s office (and therefore called “office”).

If you look at the portraits of priests from the Crimean War, you can see on some of them 1-2 crosses on fabric ribbons on their chests. These are the “St. George” and “Vladimir” crosses, which were awarded to military clergy for valor.

Around the same time, a modern cross with decorations appeared as a reward from bishops for honored clergy of their dioceses. Thus, a Russian priest of the 18th century did not have a pectoral cross, but in the 19th century there could have been up to 4 of these crosses on his chest (cabinet cross, bishop’s award cross, awards for the military clergy).

Finally, in 1896, Emperor Nicholas II, by a personal decree of May 14, introduced the priestly pectoral cross into use as “a badge of honor for every priest and hieromonk.” This familiar eight-pointed silver cross has since been placed on every new priest during episcopal consecration. With age and merit, it can be replaced by a four-pointed gold cross and then, in turn, by a cross with decorations.

An additional cross can now also be found - but as a reward personally from the patriarch. It is distinguished by the dovetail shape of the rays, the “shine” around them and the miter at the pommel.

In other Orthodox Churches one can find other traditions. For example, in the Romanian Church, the pectoral cross, although only during divine services, can be worn not only by priests, but even by honored deacons (archdeacons). In the Churches of the Greek tradition, a priest can be recognized by his kamilavka (like our pectoral cross), but the cross on his chest is found only as a reward (like the kamilavka of Russian priests).

Cross as a military award

In the Middle Ages, the cross began to become a symbol of military associations - military orders and a reward for warriors for valor on the battlefield in most Christian states. Such a symbol reminded the soldiers of the Savior’s words that “greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

In the Russian award system, each military order consisted of three mandatory elements: the cross of the order, the star of the order and the ribbon and, almost always, was dedicated to a saint. There are known orders of St. Andrew the First-Called, whose cross was shaped like the letter “X”, like that of the crucified apostle, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Vladimir, St. Anna and others.

The most revered military order in the Russian Empire was the Order of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious. In addition to the cross of the order itself, there was also the famous soldier’s St. George Cross of four degrees, which was used to mark the mass heroism of the lower ranks.

It is interesting that for the military clergy who showed heroism on the battlefield, pectoral crosses on the St. George ribbon were made, and later St. George panagias (there are two known cases of awarding them in the First World War) to bishops.

Today in Russia the form of the cross still remains one of the main forms of the highest Russian military awards.

The Cross as a Spiritual Marker

In conclusion, I would like to say that the cross is a spiritual marker of that sacred space in the world given to us by God, which we, in turn, give to Him as our sacrifice.

The cross reminds us of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, but it also reminds us of His victory over death. Participating in the reality that it symbolizes, the symbol of the cross of Christ on our body makes us involved in the redemption and deification of humanity in Christ and that is why it is so important for us.

Andrey Szegeda

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Cross from Grandma's Chest: Pectoral Crosses

icons, crosses, folding » Cross from grandmother's chest: Pectoral crosses
Priest Mikhail Vorobyov

Pectoral and icon crosses of the 17th – 19th centuries

Leaving his father's house, the young Kursk tradesman Prokhor Moshnin, in the future a great ascetic of the Russian Church, received as a blessing from his mother a small copper cross, cast, most likely, in Guslitsky coppersmiths, which he carried on his chest until his death. Similar crosses in the 18th and 19th centuries were made in various foundries in hundreds of thousands of copies. They were loved by the Old Believers, but just as often they could be found in the homes of Russian Orthodox people, completely far from the schism. Pious peasant women fervently prayed for them, merchants brought them from fairs, they were carefully preserved during the most godless decades of Soviet power, taken out of the chest only to place them next to the coffin. These crosses, simple and elegant, rubbed smooth and preserving all the details of the relief, darkened with time and sparkling with enamels of different shades, constitute the most extensive layer of Russian church casting, after body crosses.

In order to bring at least some order to this amazing variety, it is necessary, first of all, to pay attention to the sizes and, so to speak, to the preferred functional purpose of the products. Based on these two characteristics, copper-cast crosses, which are larger in size than vests, that is, have a height of more than 8 cm, can be divided into two groups: pectoral and icon crosses. Pectoral crosses, which had an eyelet for a gaitan at the top or on the reverse side, were intended to be worn on the chest, over clothing. Icon cases were placed among the icons and were often inserted into special icon cases - stavrotheks. This classification is not absolutely accurate, since the same crosses could be both icon crosses and pectoral crosses, and were often cast either with an eyelet or without it; and the eyelet itself was sometimes intended only to make it more convenient to hang the cross on the wall. Even in our time, among the participants in some procession of the cross, there is sure to be a person on whose chest hangs a specially tied, obviously icon-case cross of considerable weight and size.

In the 19th century, icon crosses were sometimes embedded in the icon board. The result was a combined icon with an incised cross in the center and forthcoming ones written in the traditional manner.

Pectoral and icon crosses, with rare exceptions that will be specifically stated, are always eight-pointed. This is not necessarily due to the fact that they were cast in the workshops of the Old Believers, for whom the only true form of the cross was the eight-pointed cross. In fact, this typology goes back to pre-Mongol iconography. The first Russian “eight-pointed” cross is depicted on a Novgorod icon of the 12th century. This is the image of “Adoration of the Cross”, placed on the back of the famous Novgorod Savior.

Of course, the most natural form of the cross is the four-pointed one. On such a four-pointed cross or cross, shaped like the Greek letter T, the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. Such crosses stood in abundance in the Roman provinces during times of riots and popular uprisings.

Holy Rus', having adopted the four-pointed cross from Byzantium, sacredly revered it for five centuries, as evidenced by numerous crosses on the body, including encolpion relics found by archaeologists in excavations of ancient cities dating back to the 19th-16th centuries.

The spread of the eight-pointed cross, apparently, originates in the “Word and praise of Alexander about the twisted tree of Moses, about the pine trees and cedars, and kitharisi” from the collection later called “Fables of Priest Jeremiah,” which, among other apocrypha of Bogomil origin, was brought to Rus' in the XII century. According to this apocrypha, Adam's son Seth planted a branch brought from the Garden of Eden at the burial site of his father on the future Golgotha. From this branch grows a three-trunked tree of cedar, pine and cypress, which later becomes the material for making the Cross of the Lord. Three trunks give a six-pointed cross, Pilate adds another crossbar - a tablet made of olive wood, on which he writes the guilt of the Crucified One. Although “The Fables of Priest Jeremiah” was already included in the list of “renounced books” by Moscow Metropolitan Zosima at the beginning of the 16th century, the veneration of the eight-pointed cross successfully supplanted its other forms. Subsequently, the Old Believers considered only the eight-pointed cross to be correct, rejecting all its other varieties.

However, the prototypes of the eight-pointed crosses rooted in the Old Believers were the four-pointed pectoral crosses of the 15th–16th centuries. Sometimes they had the shape of ancient encolpions, increasing their size to 8-10 cm. However, the sides of the wings of such crosses were so low that it was impossible to place any significant particle of relics inside such a cross. Most likely, these pseudo-encolpions were intended to store the so-called “secondary shrines”, small parts of the vestments of holy relics, all kinds of plates and shrouds that decorated shrines with relics and arks with genuine “primary saints”. In addition to pseudoencolpions, overflowing encolpions with fixed tops appear at this time, in which the valves do not open at all. “Based on” these iridescences, ordinary thin crosses began to be cast, worn over clothes, which by the end of the 16th century completely replaced the miniature crosses of the pre-Mongol period.

Probably, the first Old Believer pectoral crosses that lost the function of vest crosses were small items, 95*60 mm in size, cast from red copper (later from brass). They can be dated to the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. They have a end-to-end title typical of pectoral crosses in the form of the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands, as well as chest-length images of the four standing at the ends of the middle crossbar. At the top of the cross, below the table of contents, there is an image of a cherub. The reverse side is smooth. It is this cross that can be considered the prototype of later pectoral and icon crosses. In one of the rare versions of this cross, the upcoming ones disappear, but the remaining figures become more prominent, the Crucifixion itself is depicted on a separate cross, and numerous inscriptions appear.

The simplest modification of this cross was a similar product, very common at the end of the 18th century. This is a cross of almost the same size, 95x55 mm, but more embossed and has a rim of small rectangles around the edge. The reverse side is one continuous recess with sides 2 mm high. Occasionally, another type of such cross is found. The difference lies in a single, but very expressive detail. In place of the cherub there is an angel with a towel in his hands. The artist, familiar with Baroque style, managed to convey the swiftness of the angel’s movement towards the crucified Christ, and this makes the composition very expressive.

Another type of pectoral cross with sides on the back dates back to the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. They have a larger size of 160x100 mm and look less elegant than the previous ones. The figure of Christ looks puffy. Above the middle crossbar of the internal cross the letters IC XC are barely legible. At the top of the cross there are images of two descending angels with towels in their hands; Between them is placed the explanatory inscription AGGLI GDNI. Such crosses are most often found in the Middle Volga region. Almost always on them the face of Christ remains very unclear or is not visible at all. This is probably due to the fact that they are all recasts made in some local workshop from an earlier original.

Close to this type of cross are similar products with less pronounced edges on the reverse. Sometimes a fancy floral ornament is placed there. On these crosses the angels take on their names of Michael and Gabriel. A dotted outline appears around the Crucifixion itself, designed to hold the enamel.

At the end of the 17th century, more refined pectoral crosses appeared, the lower part of which bifurcated, and the side parts of the middle crossbar, where the next ones were placed, expanded. This cross is unique due to its amazing combination of old and new forms. On the one hand, it bears obvious stylistic features of the Moscow Baroque, with its penchant for curved lines, and on the other, it repeats the features of medieval encolpions and even pre-Mongol crosses.

At the same time, icon crosses with upcoming ones appeared, which were prototypes of numerous later Old Believer crosses of the same type. These exquisite pieces were clearly influenced by the Moscow Baroque. The body of the Crucified Christ has an elongated and strongly curved shape. The figures of the upcoming Mother of God and John the Evangelist are equally elongated. In the end-to-end top of the cross is the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands, below is the image of the Annunciation. Above the middle crossbar there are two cherubs in round medallions. The overall size of 150x90 mm (the sizes of some products may differ slightly) allows us to consider this cross as an icon case, however, the presence of a hole in the top allows it to be used as a pectoral cross. Originally cast from red copper, in the following century such crosses were made from brass; Often their surface was decorated with enamels. For this type of cross there is also a pre-Mongol prototype - a unique bronze cross found on Prince’s Mountain in Kyiv.

The fate of the Baroque in Russia differs significantly from its European history. If in Europe the Baroque appeared as a natural development of mannerism, which emerged from the art of the Renaissance, and marked a partial return to the aesthetics of the Middle Ages, then the Russian Baroque, not forgetting about its own Russian Renaissance, picked up European ideas and developed them on its own cultural soil. 3 The main historical feature of the spread of this artistic style in Russia was that, starting as its own style, mainly in architecture, the Moscow Baroque united with the European one, becoming fully a great artistic style. For a century and a half from the middle of the 17th century until the very end of the 18th century, the Baroque dominated in literature and art, in socio-political thought, theology, poetry, style of thinking, and line of behavior. The influence of the Baroque on icon painting, as well as church and applied art, including copper casting, is undeniable. The most clearly stylistic features of the Baroque are manifested in the plastic of pectoral crosses, which were the most numerous products of the foundry, as well as the pectoral and icon crosses that appeared at that time. Diversity and variability, which are the main features of the Baroque artistic style, are very clearly manifested in this area of ​​ecclesiastical art. Moreover, baroque elements appear here earlier than other areas of art, almost earlier than architecture. So V.N. Peretz O. 4

One of the striking examples of pectoral crosses made in the Moscow Baroque style is a small, 91x58 mm, pectoral cross with four facing ones and a cherub in the upper part. The cross has a keel-shaped finish, characteristic of pectoral crosses of the 16th century; At the ends of the crossbars there are balls characteristic of the Moscow Baroque.

Baroque features are even more clearly manifested in the more common types of pectoral crosses of the late 17th century, which were occasionally replicated in castings of the subsequent 18th century.

Since, starting from the 18th century, copper casting was concentrated mainly in the Old Believer environment, these crosses with pronounced features of the Baroque style did not become widespread. Their elegant, festive appearance introduced dissonance into the strict and harsh art of the zealots of ancient piety. However, the more restrained crosses of the era of the Great Moscow Council were adopted by the Old Believers and remained in circulation for at least another century. These are large, 120x80 mm in size, products with curved ends of the branches. Let us note that this form of the crossbars is typical for ancient Russian vests of the pre-Mongol period.

The first thing that catches the eye of anyone who sees a cross of this type is the two “trinities” located in the upper and lower parts of the cross. Of course, such a composition is a tribute to the Baroque style with its penchant for “symmetrical asymmetry.” If the upper Trinity is beyond doubt - this is a traditional image of the Holy Trinity in Russian art, then the lower one, upon closer examination, turns out to be the “trinity of the wicked,” an image of the three Roman soldiers mentioned in the Gospel, keen on dividing the clothes of the crucified Christ. The truth of this guess is confirmed by the inscription running along the side of the lower blade of the cross; This is the well-known text of the psalm “Dividing My garments for myself and casting lots for My clothing.”

Crosses of this type are very elegant. They were often decorated with multi-colored enamels. There are several versions of this type of cross. On some of them, under the hands of the Savior, there are schematic images of temples. There are crosses, in the lower blade of which two saints are depicted instead of warriors. Most often, this is Nikita Besogon paired with St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (in this case, Saints Tikhon and Mina are placed higher at the foot of the Cross) or two Sergius and Nikon (?) of Radonezh (on crosses of this type, on the middle crossbar above the hands of the Savior there are images of angels).

The rapid invasion of the Baroque into Russian church art also affected the production of copper-cast icons and crosses. However, the aesthetics of this great artistic style did not fully correlate with traditional Russian piety. Without denying beauty as such, it was not satisfied with the beauty of the Baroque, which seemed devoid of spiritual depth and genuine religiosity and was reduced, especially in later examples, to pure decorativeness. Experiments in this area created products of amazing sophistication, which, however, did not go into series, were not reproduced in repeated castings, remaining evidence of the artistic search of the master, in which the “sense of global responsiveness” was compensated by rootedness in spiritual tradition.

An example of such experiments is the pectoral cross of the late 17th century with the image of the Entrance to Jerusalem in the upper blade, cherubs moved to the foot and traditional angels in the upper part, more reminiscent in their forms of ancient Cupids.

1. The article is illustrated with images of items from the author’s own collection, kindly provided by Dmitry Anatolyevich Ostapenko, as well as caught in the vast expanses of the Internet. 2. The abundance of such crosses among the archaeological material suggests that most of them are later Old Believer crosses of the 18th – 19th centuries. To designate this form of cross, with a sufficient variety of types, search engines and collectors use the stable name “propellers”. 3. A comprehensive typology of pectoral crosses in the Moscow Baroque style is presented in the article by E.P. Vinokurova “Metal cast cross-vests of the 17th century” in the collection “Culture of Medieval Moscow. XVII century”, M. Nauka, 2000, p. 326. 4. Peretz.V.N. On some grounds for dating Old Russian copper casting. L. 1933. pp. 7-8. 5. In recent years, the name “Kursk” has been established to designate the last cross, since most of the finds come from the Kursk region. However, according to A.N. Rescued, such crosses were cast in one of the monasteries of the Ryazan region. 6. There are several designs of crosses of different types. Most sources date them to the end of the 16th century. However, the obvious Baroque style, as well as some heaviness of the casting, make it possible to date them to the end of the 17th century.

Other materials in the section Copper cast icons, crosses, folds

• The subject diversity of Old Believer copper casting I: The history of icon casting. Image of Jesus Christ
• Subject diversity of Old Believer copper casting II: Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Thematic diversity of Old Believer copper casting III: Holidays
• Subject diversity of Old Believer copper casting IV: Travel icons. Images of saints
• Information for copper cast collectors
• Unique colors of Russian enamel I: History of the Vygovsky monastery
• Unique colors of Russian enamel II: Pomeranian copper casting
• Unique colors of Russian enamel III: Moscow casting and other centers of Old Believer casting
• Pomeranian decrees on copper craftsmanship and the art of enamel (XVIII century)
• On the history of foundry of icons and crosses (early 20th century)
• Icon casting technology in the 18th-19th centuries
• Cross from grandma's chest: Icon crosses part 1
• Cross from Grandma's Chest: Icon Crosses Part 2
• Antsiferovo foundry masters

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Jewelry art V - XV centuries.

The collection of decorative and applied art of the Novgorod Museum is one of the most significant in Russia and covers the period from the 5th to the 19th centuries. It is based on the treasures of the cathedral and monastery sacristies of Veliky Novgorod, one of the largest silver-making centers of Ancient Rus'. It was here that precious relics were preserved and the continuity of artistic traditions was preserved.

The Gothic Hall clearly demonstrates the different stages of development of gold and silversmithing. These are monuments of jewelry art, small sculptures of Constantinople, Russian and Western European masters. Among them are high examples of the 11th-12th centuries, the “golden age” of Novgorod toreutics, associated with the culture of the Byzantine imperial house, the princely and lordly court: the most ancient Eucharistic vessels, the Small and Great Zion, kratyra.

Products of jewelers, bone, stone and wood carvers from the period of the Mongol-Tatar invasion of the 13th-14th centuries. are represented by a few of the surviving objects of personal piety, introducing the local characteristics of miniature sculpture. Samples of unique temple utensils of the 14th-15th centuries. reveal the meaning of Orthodox worship. Particularly noteworthy is the world-famous Sofia Panagiar, made by the Novgorod jeweler Ivan in 1435. The works of Novgorod silversmithing display a clearly expressed original character, developed under the undoubted influence of Byzantine and European artistic traditions. Mastery of a variety of technical techniques that reveal the beauty of the material, innovation, and understanding of the style of the era complement the artistic features of the products.

Jerusalem (Little Zion). Savior Almighty.

First half of the 11th century. Byzantium. From St. Sophia Cathedral. Silver, rock crystal, glass; embossing, carving, casting, gilding. Height 63 cm; tray diameter 36 cm.

Little Jerusalem, as it was originally called, appeared among the first items of utensils in the altar of the main temple of Novgorod. A later name for the liturgical work, Zion, dates back to the 17th century. Made of gilded silver. In its form, Zion goes back to the rotunda of the Holy Sepulcher, built by Emperor Constantine and his mother Helen in Jerusalem on Mount Zion. Unfortunately, the monument has not reached us completely. Currently, only the six-column rotunda, ending with a hemispherical dome and cross, has survived. The slightly elongated arches of the dome drum accommodate openwork lattices with vine motifs and craniums. Smooth columns with massive bases support the canopy.

Traces of doors, loss of precious decorations, ornamental fillings of the arches of the dome, later insertions of mastic and glass indicate the trials endured over the thousand-year history of its existence. The rotunda on the paten dish was installed later. In the center of the paten there is a carved cross with a chased image of Christ in a medallion, amazing in its virtuosity of execution. The style of the relief image, the significance and calm grandeur of the appearance, the sculptural volume of the modeling place the image on the paten among the Byzantine monuments of the 10th – early 11th centuries.

Zion represents the vessel for transferring the sacred bread during the Great Entrance of the liturgy. It was necessary for the celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist (“Eucharist” from Greek means thanksgiving), the communion of those present at the liturgy with the Holy Gifts in memory of Christ’s last meal with his disciples at the Last Supper. The presence of this shrine in the temple was reminiscent of the real Jerusalem, as if transferred to the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral.

The Little Zion could have been ordered in Constantinople by Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich for the consecration of the main temple, it could also be a state gift from the Byzantine emperor and patriarch, or a diplomatic action related to the strengthening of the northernmost Orthodox bishopric.

During the desecration of Novgorod and the sack of Sofia by Prince Vseslav of Polotsk at the beginning of the 12th century. First of all, jewelry was taken out, among which were Jerusalem relics. After 116 years, his great-grandson Mstislav and the Novgorodians, who had not forgotten the insult, went on a campaign and, perhaps, returned this Zion, but its condition changed greatly. According to mentions in chronicles and other written sources, ten ancient Russian Jerusalems are known. Currently, four have survived: two Novgorod Zions and two Moscow ones.

Jerusalem (Great Zion). Deesis. Apostles.

First quarter of the 12th century. Novgorod. From St. Sophia Cathedral. Silver, glassy paste; embossing, casting, carving, niello, gilding.

Greater Jerusalem or Zion belongs to the oldest monuments of Russian church utensils. Zion resembles the rotunda erected by Emperor Constantine and his mother Helen in the capital of Byzantium.

Gilded Jerusalem is one of the rarest works of ancient Russian jewelry art of the pre-Mongol era. It was probably used as a Eucharistic vessel, shaped like a temple, topped with a hemispherical dome and cross. Most of the forged surface of the sion is covered with ornaments and facial images. On the dome, made of a single sheet of silver, the master placed six medallions with chased half-figures included in the Deesis rank with the image of the creator of the liturgy, Basil the Great. The slightly elongated drum is cut through with arched openings with an openwork lattice in the form of ribbons of relief ornament.

The large floral ornament of the hollow columns is emphasized by the black background. Between them are paired doors, each of which depicts a relief figure of the apostle with a columnar inscription. The 12 apostles are presented in pairs: the supreme apostles Peter and Paul, on either side are the evangelists Luke, John the Theologian, Maitheus and Mark, then James, Bartholomew, Thomas, Philip, Simon, Andrew. The saints are depicted full-length, slightly turning towards each other. The virtuosity of execution, the interest in movement, the linear manner of individual details, the play of chiaroscuro, the solemn harmony of the Greater Zion, testify to the source of inspiration for the silversmith - an unknown Constantinople prototype.

Through the open doors in the center of the paten dish, which serves as the base of the rotunda, the image of the flourishing Calvary cross with the traditional inscription: IC XC, NI KA is clearly visible.

The highly artistic monument belongs to the aristocratic trend of ancient Russian silver-making and may be associated with a princely order. The tradition of significant contributions from secular history is well known. A number of researchers connect the structure of Greater Jerusalem with the name of the Novgorod prince Mstislav Vladimirovich, who reigned in Novgorod from the end of the 11th century. until 1117.

At the beginning of the 12th century. work began on the renovation of the St. Sophia Cathedral. At the same time, perhaps, Greater Jerusalem was created for Sofia, “as the last princely gesture.” At the beginning of the 12th century. The princely residence was moved to Gorodishche, where in 1103 a new princely temple, the Church of the Annunciation, was built.

Temporal rings . Ryasny . Rings.

Temporal rings. Ryasny. XI-XIII centuries Ancient Rus'. Gold, pearls; embossing, casting, filigree. Rings. XII, XIV centuries Ancient Rus'. Gold; casting.

Barms.

XII century Ancient Rus'. Silver; carving, embossing, gilding. Found in 1892 near the village of Soltsy, Starorussky district, as part of a treasure (there were 6 medallions when found). The diameter of the medallion is 7.5 cm. The silver gilded barma necklaces (part) consist of four round medallions with ear-shaped heads, interspersed with hollow chased egg-shaped beads. The medallions are decorated with carved flourished crosses. Two of them have cast smooth beads. Barmas complemented the ceremonial dress in the middle of the 12th-13th centuries. They served as a kind of amulets and at the same time signs of power. As a rule, silver bars were decorated with images of saints and prosperous crosses - symbols of eternal life and renewal, borrowed by ancient Russian jewelers from Byzantine products.

Drobnitsa St. George.

Second half of the 12th century. Novgorod. Gold, cloisonne enamel. Found at the Rurik settlement before 1933. 2.6 x 0.8 cm.

A gold plate, slightly convex, rectangular in shape with slightly rounded corners, with a full-length image of St. George, made using the cloisonné enamel technique. The saint is presented frontally with a spear in his right hand. George's face is youthful, with red-brown curly hair. Dressed in a red-brown cloak, fastened with a white fibula, a blue shirt, dark blue pants and tricolor boots. On the left is the inscription pressed in and filled with bluish-white enamel: YUORGI. The tray protrudes 1 mm from the back; the gold partitions are thin. Enamel in seven colors. The plate has no traces of fastening. Plates with cloisonné enamel of a similar shape are unknown. One can assume its use as an applied decoration for the frame of an icon or cross.

Reliquary icon of Saint Hypatius.

XIII century Novgorod. Wood, copper, silver; cloisonne enamel, embossing, basma, gilding. Received from St. Sophia Cathedral. 8.2 x 6.6 cm.

The reliquary-ark was made specifically for the relics of St. Hypatius, placed in the recess of a wooden plate lined with silver basma. On the copper retractable lid there is an enamel image of St. Hypatius. The saint is presented full-length, frontally, the saint's right hand is in a blessing gesture, and in his left covered hand he holds a codex. The figure of the saint is shortened, asymmetrical, his arms and feet are large. The saint's clothes: a long phelonion, the folds of which are conveyed by partitions, a cross omophorion. The cover of the codex is decorated with five overlays. The partitions are thin in the form of sharp corners. On both sides of the image there is a columnar enamel inscription with the name of the saint: AGNOS NAATHI. The enamel is dark blue, white, reddish, ocher. The front and sides of the ark are covered with a gilded silver frame with a relief ornament of S-shaped curls and saddle-shaped figures. The inner surface of the tablet is covered with a gilded silver sheet with a scaly ornament. In the center there is a rectangular depression with a bone embedded in it. The image of the Hieromartyr Hypatius can be attributed to the Bishop of Gangra, whose cult was widespread in Novgorod, where in the 12th century. The Church of St. Hypatius was built. This is a rare example using a complex technique of cloisonné enamel on copper in imitation of the Byzantine.

Temporal rings. Pectoral crosses.

Temporal rings. V-VII centuries Byzantium (?) Gold, glass; drawing, casting. Purchased in 2006. Diameter 4 x 4 cm; 5.3 x 5.0 cm

Temporal rings are an example of a characteristic amulet jewelry that was part of the attire of a noble woman. Made in the form of rings from large cross-section gold dart wire, made using the drawing technique. The rings feature faceted hollow beads with diamond-shaped glass inlays and beaded embellishments. Temple rings were items of urban fashion in Europe and Byzantium for several centuries, and from the 8th-9th centuries. - Ancient Rus'. They were worn woven into the hair at the temples, on ribbons, cords, straps, and attached to the headdress. In one piece they could combine different temple rings that beautifully framed the face. This part of the decoration is associated with heavenly symbolism, giving them a magical meaning and a protective function.

Pectoral crosses. VIII-IX centuries Byzantium (?) Gold, glass, garnets; casting, basma, granulation, filigree.

Pectoral icon. Savior Almighty. Pectoral icon. Savior Almighty.

Pectoral icon. Savior Almighty. Cameo. XII-XIII centuries Byzantium. Frame. XV century Novgorod. From the Vyazhishchi Monastery. Jasper, silver; carving, filigree, gilding.

Pectoral icon. Savior Almighty. Cameo. XIII century (?) Byzantium. Frame. XV century Ancient Rus' (?) Heliotrope, silver; thread.

Casket.

Beginning of the 11th century Byzantium. Overlays. XVII century Western Europe. From St. Sophia Cathedral. Bone, copper; carving, embossing, casting, gilding. 26 x 17 x 13 cm

Avorium casket.

The casket is made of wood, the inside is lined with burgundy silk, with a removable hinged lid in the shape of a truncated pyramid. The outside is covered with ivory plates attached with bone pins. In the center of the front side there is an applied gilded metal plate. On the lid there is a cast gilded handle, on the upper corners of which there are mascarons ending with griffin heads. Each of the carved plates depicts warrior boys and Hercules fighting a lion (?). on the upper surface of the lid there is a picture of putti playing with a panther and a dog. The extreme images of animals are covered with later metal plates for attaching a cast handle. On the trapezoidal plates of the lid, in relief circles formed by the stems, boy musicians, a centaur and boy warriors with swords, spears and shields in their hands are depicted. Below is a strip in the form of relief rings with eight-petal rosettes inscribed in them.

The casket is a monument to the Macedonian dynasty of the 10th-11th centuries, when products of Byzantine artistic craft received wide recognition outside the empire. They reached Rus' through the port cities of Crimea - Chersonesos and Sudak. Outside the empire they served as models for local craftsmen.

A later chased plate with a monogram topped with a crown framed by palm branches is mysterious. The Latin letters "HRST" presumably stand for the initials of the Swedish Queen Hedwig Eleonora, wife of Charles X. The Queen is known as one of the major collectors of ivory.

Perhaps the casket was a diplomatic offering to the reigning persons of Russia, and later a contribution to the St. Sophia House, where it was used to store valuables in the sacristy of the cathedral.

Pectoral icons.

XVI century Novgorod.

Pectoral icon (panagia). Saint James of Compostela.

XIV, XVI centuries Spain, Novgorod. Jet, silver, copper, wax, pearls; carving, filigree, gilding. From the Znamensky Cathedral. 8.5 x 6.0 cm.

Panagia is a sign of the highest authority in the church, given to the bishop upon consecration. Pectoral and “gate” icons with a table of contents are a “testimony of faith”, not only worn on the chest, but they can often be seen in the form of granted decorations hanging on icons.

The panagia from the Cathedral of the Sign is an oval-shaped jet icon mounted in a gilded silver frame of an octagonal shape. It bears a relief image of St. James with the inscription in relief: “S IACOB.” Jacob is presented full-length with a cup in his hand, flanked by two wanderers in wide-brimmed hats with staves in their hands. The frame is a gilded silver icon frame, the front side is covered with filigree in the form of heart-shaped figures against a background of small rings. The god sides of the panagia are decorated with filigree scrolls on a smooth background. There are pearls on the backs in the corners of the frame. The title is also gilded silver with a carved image of the Savior Not Made by Hands in a rhombus. Inside are relic icons filled with wax.

Many researchers have paid attention to the different times of the components of the pectoral icon - panagia. It is assumed that the icon was originally brought to Novgorod by pilgrims from Sant'Iago de Compostello, where the production of similar items was established and its probable Spanish origin is confirmed among the monuments of the era.

The setting of the icon is stylistically close to the group of Novgorod jewelry of the first half of the 16th century. with an expressive thin pattern of spiral and heart-shaped figures against a background of small filigree rings, which is a characteristic feature of Novgorod.

Thimble icon.

XVI century Novgorod.

Setting of the icon “Our Lady of the Sign”.

Master Kalina Ryabkov. 1854 Novgorod. Cameo. Savior Almighty. XI century Byzantium. Cloisonne enamel crushers. Deesis. XII century Novgorod. Cufflinks. XVI century Novgorod. Silver, gold, precious stones, pearls, glass; embossing, filigree, enamel, carving, gilding. 56 x 52 cm

Setting of the icon “Our Lady of the Sign”, 19th century. covered a late copy of an ancient miraculous icon. In Russian writing, the word “Znamenie”, in addition to the meaning of the concept of “sign, indication, prediction”, also has an objective meaning - “banner, banner”.

The chasuble is known for its ancient expensive jewelry, which was transferred from an older gold setting to a new one by a Novgorod jeweler in the mid-19th century. Among them is a Byzantine cameo, carved on chalcedony and mounted on the lower field, in the center. It features a relief image of Christ in the original gold frame. The fine art of glyptics was very highly valued in Rus', which is why recycled cameos have reached us.

Ten gold pellets or overlays with waist-length images of saints are located on either side of the cutout for the image of the Mother of God. They are made using the exceptionally labor-intensive cloisonné enamel technique. This technique has been known for a long time; the Persians knew it well. Novgorodians learned the art of enamel on gold and copper from Byzantine masters. It is important that this artistic technique became widespread in Rus' only in the pre-Mongol period.

The complexity of the technique consisted primarily in the preparation of the enamel powder itself, which included many components, and in the preparation of a thin gold plate with a recessed tray. The thinnest partitions were soldered into a miniature tray, into which the enamel was laid.

Fractions in the form of icon cases with facial images placed on the background and margins of the frame make up the “Deesis” composition and, probably, could previously have been on the golden crown of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God. They can be classified as rarities of the Novgorod collection.

The upper and lower fields of the salary also retain the applied gold cufflinks. The openwork filigree is complemented with colored enamel and precious stones. Stones played a special role in decorating gold and silver items. Novgorod master Kalina Ryabkov, the author of the monument, used more than two hundred high-quality stones as a decorative element.

Stavrotheque Crucifixion with upcoming ones.

XII, XIV, XVI centuries. Novgorod. Wood, silver, pearls, tourmalines; carving, basma, embossing, gilding. Received from St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod. 11.8 x 8.5 cm.

Stavroteka - is a small wooden plate in a silver frame, with a retractable lid and a movable table of contents on a hinge. All parts of the stavrotheque are of different periods.

Inside, the wooden plate has a rectangular recess, covered with a smooth gilded silver sheet, in the center there is an ark in the form of a six-pointed cross with masticated particles of true wood. At the junction of the crosshairs of the cross, 8 pearls are fixed on the outside.

On the silver lid there is a carved composition “The Crucifixion with those present.” The body of Christ is strongly bent towards the Mother of God, blood flows from the wound towards the Mother of God, close to Christ and looking at him. John with his head bowed, his right hand supporting his cheek. At the base of the cross is the head of Adam in profile. The Jerusalem Wall is in the form of a double horizontal line with two chamber towers with triangular ends. On the sides there are carved traditional inscriptions corresponding to the images. On the top of the narrow plank there is an in-depth inscription (the surviving part) about the contribution: SI CANCER WOULD BE THE GREAT.

The fields of the stavrotheque are covered with a gilded silver frame with floral patterns, on the side fields there is a basmen one, on the bottom there is a chased frame with six-petal rosettes in the corners. The reverse side is covered with gilded basma with 25 squares, in which lilies alternate with double-headed eagles.

The stavrotheca, as a special ark, was intended to contain a particle of the tree of the cross of Christ, usually placed inside.

The cross is elevated. Deesis.

Wooden base of the 12th century, frame of the 14th century. Novgorod. Wood, silver, gold, rock crystal, precious stones, paper; tempera, basma, enamel, carving, gilding. Received from St. Sophia Cathedral. 59.5 x 21.7 x 3.5 cm.

Crosses with a part of the Tree of the Cross of the Lord enjoyed special veneration. They recalled the true cross found by Saint Helena in Jerusalem. As a rule, such crosses were larger in size and had a longer handle; they were called exalted.

The six-pointed wooden cross is covered with silver gilded basma, thin plates with a relief pattern (“basma” from Turkic - imprint). On the front side, under crystal lenses, there are bust-length images of the Mother of God, John the Baptist and two archangels, executed in tempera on paper and included in the composition “Deesis”. The central image of Christ has not survived. Between the crystals there are eight square silver inserts with carved ornaments, partially covered with colored enamel in green, blue and black.

In the center of the reverse side, in a four-pointed recess, there is a part of the Life-Giving Tree, covered with a gold openwork plate. Eleven oval castes contain smoothly cut sapphires, amethysts and glass. On the crossbars of the reverse side, against an ornamental background, there are three square overlays with a carved pattern with traces of the same colored enamel.

Exalted crosses were presented to the bishop on a platter before entering the monastery when participating in religious processions. The oldest of these dates back to the 10th century. and are associated with the liturgical purpose, the rite of worship of the cross on the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, when the bishop extended the cross to the 4 cardinal directions in memory of how Macarius of Jerusalem did it on the day of the discovery of the True Tree of the Lord, in order to show it to those gathered.

The cross is elevated. Deesis. XII century The cross is elevated. XII - XIII centuries.

The cross is elevated. Deesis. XII century Salary. End of the 14th century Novgorod. From St. Sophia Cathedral. Wood, silver, gold, precious stones, paper; tempera, basma, embossing, carving, gilding.

The cross is elevated. XII - XIII centuries. Salary. XIX century (?) Novgorod. From St. Sophia Cathedral. Wood, silver, rock crystal, jasper, glass; basma, enamel, gilding.

Kratir. Christ. Our Lady. Apostle Peter. St. Barbara.

Master Bratilo. 30s XII century Novgorod. From St. Sophia Cathedral. Silver; embossing, casting, carving, niello, gilding.

Kratir. Christ. Our Lady. Apostle Peter. St. Anastasia.

Master Costa. End of the 11th – beginning of the 12th centuries. Novgorod. From St. Sophia Cathedral. Silver; embossing, casting, carving, niello, gilding.

Novgorod kratyrs belong to the priceless masterpieces of pre-Mongol liturgical utensils of Veliky Novgorod. Precious cups were once filled with eucharistic wine, as evidenced by the solemn Gospel inscription on the crown, executed in a semi-statutory letter, in rabble: DRINK FROM HER ALL I HAVE MY NEW TESTAMENT POURED OUT FOR YOU FOR MANY FORMINATION OF SINS //, an inscription reminiscent of the cup of the Last Supper.

In terms of their size, the kratyra have no analogues among the surviving Byzantine and Western European sacrament bowls. Later, the sacrament vessels were used to store holy water. The works are unique and include the names of the jewelers, which are engraved on the bottom of the vessels.

The inscriptions begin: +ГN HELP YOUR SLAVE, then CONSTANTINE COSTA D'LAL AMEN, on one vessel. On the second vessel are carved the pagan and Christian names of the master Bratila (Flora): +ГN HELP YOUR SLAVE FLOROVN BRATILO DYLAL; then below is the weight: S Fun.

The most skillful jewelers Costa and Bratilo minted four canonical large-sized images of Christ, the Mother of God, the Apostle Peter and holy women on the semicircular protrusions of the body of the kratyrs: the Martyr Anastasia (Master Costa) on one vessel and the Great Martyr Barbara (Master Bratilo) on the other. The saints are presented full-length, frontally: hair, details of their faces, and clothes are graphically worked out. Each image is accompanied by a carved monogram. The choice of saints is not accidental. The female images of Anastasia, Varvara, the Mother of God and the Apostle Peter may be patrons, customers of the vessels, eminent persons of Novgorod. This is confirmed by a strip of inset black inscriptions decorating the legs of the craters: S SUSUD PETROV AND HIS WIVES MARIE S SUSUD PETRILOV AND HIS WIVES VARVARA

The faceted parts of the body are decorated with relief ornamental compositions, ending at the bottom with the “tree of life”. The handles are curved stripes reminiscent of the letter S, ending at the top with an eight-petalled rosette and shoots representing a grapevine with clusters. The handles are connected to the body of the bowl by trapezoidal links, in the upper part decorated with images of birds, a traditional image of the human soul.

All decorative elements of cult works of the pre-Mongol period are not simply related to the purpose of the utensils, but have a deep ideological meaning, and also allow us to talk about the orientation towards Byzantine examples and the beginning of the formation of the Novgorod style.

Their name and complex form follow the Greek tradition. They were performed at a time when the new Christian religion had just begun to adapt to Slavic pagan soil. Representatives of the supreme power of Novgorod were clearly familiar with the world's shrines and could influence the patterns of church use of local craftsmen.

Both vessels probably appeared half a century apart and testified to the wealth and power of the investors. The order could have been influenced by specific circumstances of Novgorod political life, the ambitions of patrons, and even family events, concern for the salvation of the souls of loved ones.

Settings of the Gospels. Crucifixion. Christ in glory.

XIII century Limoges, France. From the Anthony Monastery. Wood, copper; basma, enamel, gilding. 32.2 x 19.8 cm 32.0 x 20 cm

The Gospel cover is made of two separate boards with a rectangular wooden base in the form of a shallow ark, to which the margins and centerpiece made of solid copper plates with enamel, carved images are attached with nails, separated by a basma border.

On the middle of the first board there is a depiction of the “Crucifixion with those present.” Against the background of a dark green six-pointed cross, the body of Christ is slightly curved, the halo is cross-shaped, on the sides are two trefoils on thin curved stems. The Mother of God and John the Evangelist are represented standing, almost frontally, with their heads slightly bowed towards Christ. Mary's hands are folded, John holds a scroll (?) in his right hand. Above Christ is a tablet with an inscription, above it is a two-fingered blessing right hand. At the foot of Golgotha ​​in the form of three conical hills, in the middle is the head of Adam.

Above the cross are half-figures of angels resting on segments of the sky. The blue background of the middle is divided into five registers, decorated with four-petal flowers and small gilded disks.

On the middle of the second board is the composition “Christ in Glory,” the subject, called “Maestas Domini.” Christ is represented in heavenly glory, seated on a throne, with a stool at his foot. The mandorla is oval with pointed ends and framed by an ornamented border. On either side of Christ are the Greek letters alpha and omega.

Christ is surrounded by apocryphal creatures, symbols of the evangelists, arranged in the usual order. On the blue enamel background of the mandorla there are four-petaled flowers; the background of the middle is decorated with small gilded discs with five-petaled flowers.

A border in the form of a husk is basmene, gilded, composed of 4 plates with an ornament of rhombuses and dots. The figures are gilded, engraved, the relief heads of Christ, the Mother of God, John, angels, and the symbols of the evangelists are cast. The color of the background enamel and various ornaments vary and repeat: dark blue, blue, light blue, white, green, yellow, red.

The setting of the Gospel can be attributed to the best works of the masters of Limoges, the largest center of enamel making in Western Europe. The iconography of monuments, compositional design, casting features, luxurious ornamental decor, and bright colors of enamel are characteristic of the late Romanesque style of the late 12th and early 13th centuries.

The frame boards come from the ancient Novgorod Anthony Monastery, possibly brought to Novgorod by medieval pilgrims. It is known that until the 1930s, in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary there were six paired boards from the 3 Gospels. In the 19th century they were installed in the central part of the cathedral in front of the iconostasis near the shrine of St. Anthony the Roman, the founder of the monastery. Two pairs of boards have been preserved in the collection of the Novgorod Museum. The fate of the third salary remains mysterious. One of the boards depicting “Christ in Glory” was mentioned in 1940 in a private collection in Amsterdam.

Reliquary casket. Apostles.

XII-XIII centuries Western Europe. From St. Sophia Cathedral. Wood, copper, rock crystal; embossing, gilding.

Panagiar. Ascension. Our Lady of the Sign. Archangels. Trinity.

Master Ivan. 1435 Novgorod. From St. Sophia Cathedral. Silver, copper; casting, embossing, carving, filigree, enamel, gilding. 30 x 25 x 22.5 cm

Panagiar is a type of folding panagia, the so-called dining room, with a stand and a tray. The Novgorod panagiar, the oldest surviving vessel of this type, was intended for the consecration of bread in honor of the Mother of God. He participated in ceremonial occasions at bishops' or patriarchal meals, at the end of which the rite of panagia, the offering of bread, took place accompanied by hymns.

The upper flap, a plate on the outside, stores the overhead composition “Ascension” of eight cast figures associated with the glorification of the Mother of God.

The lower part of the panagiar is especially interesting. Representing four angels standing around a stand and supporting plates. The angels fall to their knees and lean on the backs of lions biting each other's tails. The figures are cast, the wings of angels are chased, the halos are filigree. There are traces of dark green enamel in the recesses (eyebrows and angels' belts). The tray is tiered with a base in the form of an eight-petal rosette. In its upper smooth part there are four holes arranged in a diamond shape and an openwork cruciferous pattern.

Until the 19th century the object was called a panagia. Different opinions have been expressed about the place of execution of the vessel. At present, the Novgorod origin of the vessel is not disputed. But there is definitely a special connection with Western European art in the use of ornamental motifs on the pallet and the image of angels, which once again confirm the assumption of close contacts with Western Europe, the customer of the panagiar of Novgorod Archbishop Euthymius II.

Reliquary. Apostles.

XV century Western Europe. From St. Sophia Cathedral. Silver; casting, embossing, carving, enamel, gilding.

External cross. Calvary cross. Our Lady. John the Baptist. Archangels. St. Nikolai. Georgy. Dimitri. Theodore.

XI century Byzantium. Overlays. XVII century Ancient Rus'. From the Church of the Origin of the Honest Trees of the Holy Cross in the village of Orelye, Novgorod district. Wood, copper, iron, glass; embossing, carving, gilding. 168 x 54.5 cm

An external four-pointed wooden cross on a long handle, covered with a copper alloy frame. At the ends, widening from the center of the cross, there are round discs with waist-length images on both sides of the Mother of God, John the Baptist, Archangels, Saints Nicholas, Demetrius, George, Theodore. A later plate from the 17th century is placed in the middle cross. with the image of the Calvary cross.

On the front side, the frame is decorated with three rows of oval castes; only 7 of them have preserved colored glass inserts. On the back there are embossed bulges, repeating the decorations on the front side (imitation of stones on the front side). A row of hammered beads runs along the perimeter of the frame. The end sides are complemented by hollow half-beads with loops for attaching pre-existing jewelry.

The cross was found by V.A. Kvashonkin, an employee of the Novgorod Provincial Museum, in the 1920s. during a survey of the Novgorod province on the bell tower of a village church among rubbish and debris. The condition of the cross was emergency: the wood was destroyed, the frame was significantly damaged due to deformations, loss of the frame and decorations. The restoration of the cross was carried out much later.

Processional crosses, as a symbol of Christ’s victory over death, were intended to be taken out during services held outside the walls of churches with the participation of clergy and laity on the occasion of holidays or in memory of natural disasters. The long tradition of religious processions has developed in Orthodox Rus' over the centuries to our time.

Crown.

XVI century Novgorod. Silver, almandine, glass; filigree, gilding.

Panagia. Sophia the Wisdom of God. Etimasiya. Selected Saints.

Cameo. Savior Almighty. X-XI centuries Byzantium. Mid-16th century Novgorod. From St. Sophia Cathedral. Belonged to Archbishop Pimen. Wood, gold, silver, sapphirine, precious stones, pearls; carving, filigree, enamel, gilding.

Gospel. 1671

Salary. Crucifixion. Evangelists. 30s XVI century Novgorod. From Yuryev Monastery. Silver, copper; casting, carving, embossing, filigree, enamel, gilding.

Crown. Tsata.

XVI century Novgorod. Silver, precious stones, mother of pearl, glass; filigree, enamel, gilding.

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VELIKIY NOVGOROD

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