Five icons of the XV century have been returned to the Kirillo-Belozersky museum

Five icons of the XV century from the iconostasis of the wooden church of Rizopolozheniya (Placing of the Robe) from the village Borodava of the Kirillovsky district which since 1956 were in the Central museum of Old Russian Culture and Art named after Andrey Rublyov, have been returned to the Kirillo-Belozersky museum - reserve of History, Architecture and Art .

The most known icon is a temple image «Placing of the Belt and the Robe of the Virgin in the Vlakhernsky temple in Constantinople». Three more icons of the Deesis Range are the images of Vasily the Great and Great martyrs George and Dimitry, which iconographic model bears the features of Andrey Rublyov's style. And the last icon is a double-sided procession image with the Virgin of Smolensk on its face sheet, with St. Nicolas the Miricle-worker on its turnaround. Due to returning of all the19 relics to the Vologda Land (14 icons were returned in 1998) it is possible now to create a complex of the iconostasis in the well preserved wooden church of the XV century.

The Church of the Placing of the Robe and its iconostasis are unique monuments of the world architecture and art. Now the third stage of restoration works is to begin in this wooden temple and it will be carried out by Alexander Popov's restoration center.

Now the Kirillo-Belozersky museum - reserve and the Department of culture of the Vologda Oblast are planning to show these icons to the Vollogodians. One of them will be exposed in the Archbishop building of the Kirillo-Belozersky museum - reserve on the eve of Easter, and all the five icons can be seen there on May, 18.

The process of returning of the icons was very long and difficult. Many art workers, statesmen were involved into the decision making. Sometimes it seemed impossible to solve it. The Head of the Vologda Oblast Department of Culture Lyudmila Kashina noted, that the icons had been returned in many respects due to political will and persistence of Governor V.Ye. Pozgalyov. Words of gratitude are also addressed to minister of culture A.A.Avdeev for finishing this long history.

Maria Kuznetsova