Khlebnikov D.V. —
The Riddles of the "Pereyaslavsky Gospel" and the Iconography of Christ in Power
// History magazine - researches. – 2019. – ¹ 4.
– P. 47 - 73.
DOI: 10.7256/2454-0609.2019.4.29254
URL: https://en.e-notabene.ru/hsmag/article_29254.html
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Abstract: By centering the deesis row and locating it above the Royal Gates, the image of the Savior in Power (Pantocrator) - a Russian version of the image of the Savior in Glory accompanied by the four living Beings - became the semantic and compositional dominant of the Russian high iconostasis and, thus, its main icon. The examination of the meaning and sources of this image is fundamental in solving the issue of the origin and design of the entire high iconostasis as a whole, which, in turn, is one of the key icons in the history and theory of Christian art. It is believed that the earliest icons of the Savior in Power are in the iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, in the row of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir and in the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the St. Sergius Lavra. Another image of the Savior in Power, considered early, is depicted in a miniature of the "Pereyaslavsky Gospel"; some scholars believe that it is the oldest preserved image of this icon and that it lies at the origins of this iconography. The miniature contains rudiments of more ancient compositions that supposedly are its source. If this is so, then this miniature should be considered one of the most important monuments of Old Russian visual art and deserves our closest attention. This article is focused on this monument and on the analysis of the evidence that supports the claim of it antiquity: the author describes the features of the miniature codex and identifies previously unknown or erroneously interpreted particularities of the miniature's composition of the Savior; additionally, the author introduces new material that is important for solving a number of attribution problems and theoretical issues. The author concludes that the features of the Pereyaslavsky miniature are the result of its later alterations.
Khlebnikov D.V. —
Saviour in Powers: Interpretation of Iconography. Remarks on Sources and Parallels in the East and West
// Culture and Art. – 2018. – ¹ 9.
– P. 86 - 114.
DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2018.9.26697
URL: https://en.e-notabene.ru/camag/article_26697.html
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Abstract: The objective of this research is to analyze the ideas in the literature regarding the origin and content of the Russian iconography of Saviour in Glory; the subject is its relation to the western and eastern counterparts and images of the vision of the prophet Ezekiel. In the iconography of Saviour in Glory, there are features that gave the researchers reason to see the iconography as the direct source of the Book of Ezekiel, and to understand it as an image of the Vision; its appearance is associated with the introduction of readings from Ezekiel into Russian worship. The methodological basis of the article is an interdisciplinary and integrated approach, in particular, attraction of liturgical manuscripts, church inventories and images: icons, frescoes, book miniatures, etc. The novelty of the research is caused by the fact that the researcher analyzes a large number of sources of including unpublished ones. The author of the article shows that the emergence of iconography is not synchronous with the introduction of readings from Ezekiel to Russian worship. The author concludes that most of the Western and Eastern Vision images are not similar to the iconography under study and cannot be considered as its source; direct link with the text of Ezekiel is questioned.