Old Believer copper casting. "Bronze Horseman". Characteristics of Eugene: the image of a "little man"

In a coat with an open collar,

With bare head

Slowly passing through the city

Uncle Vlas is a gray-haired old man.

On the chest there is a copper icon:

He asks for God's temple, -

All in chains, poor shoes,

Deep scar on cheek...

ON THE. Nekrasov

Copper-cast plastic - crosses, icons and folds - is a major national phenomenon of Russian artistic culture. That very special attitude to copper casting, which existed in Russia for a millennium, has been completely forgotten in the people's memory over the past century.

agree that in our modern world there is no place left for faith in God at all. Today, for most people, it has been replaced by expensive cars and money. Money has become a cult. But just a hundred years ago, every Russian Orthodox Christian he began and ended his day with a fairly simple action - a prayer, offering it to the Lord God, sharing with him all his sorrows and joys, which now seems, to put it mildly, unusual for a modern person.

But not everything is lost, spirituality is beginning to revive in modern society, because without it the revival of Russia as a great state is impossible. In other words, our country, more than ever before, needs to revive and strengthen immutable moral values, to turn to the origins in order to strengthen the spiritual foundation of society, to act creatively.

Where does the path of an Orthodox person begin? That's right - from baptism. From holy baptism to the hour of death, every Christian must wear on his chest the sign of his faith - pectoral cross. It is a symbol of our salvation, a weapon of spiritual struggle, a symbol of confession of faith. This sign is worn not over clothes, but on the body, which is why the cross is called wearable. That is why crosses are the most massive and at the same time the most ancient type of copper-cast products. In the modern world, gold and silver pectoral crosses are most in demand, and in ancient times they were mostly copper, and made from precious metals was a very expensive pleasure. Copper crosses are still in demand, most of all among the Old Believers. What pectoral cross is considered canonical, why is it unacceptable to wear a pectoral cross with the image of the crucified Savior and other icons? You can read here.

Also, icon-case crosses, which were used by our ancestors, are still very popular. They differ from pectoral crosses in larger sizes and do not have an eyelet for a neck cord. The icon-case cross is placed on special shelves (kiots) among the holy icons in the red corner or attached to the jamb of the door of the dwelling. They, due to their small size, can be taken with you on travels, hikes, trips, to arrange temporary altars.

Works made of copper, especially pectoral crosses and icons with relief images, had a protective function, and were revered as shrines, amulets from evil spirits, disasters and diseases. Copper, according to popular belief, had "magical" properties. Separately, I would like to dwell on the topic of dual faith, because after the Baptism of Russia in 988, paganism persisted until the 12th century, and only then it began to gradually fade away. A unique symbol of this time is a medallion-shaped icon - a serpentine, on which a Christian saint was depicted on one side, and a pagan snake-like creature on the other (which is why it is called that). Among the people, the value of the serpentine as a talisman was preserved until the 20th century.

A modern replica of a serpentine with the image of the Mother of God with the Child is very interesting. ( Ancient Russia, XIII-XIV centuries), it can be purchased in the online store. The image of the Mother of God on the front side of the serpentine symbolizes victory over the devil and over all evil, according to popular belief, only the devil could not appear in her image, and she has always been a reliable protector from the devil's power. Thus, the protective significance of these objects was especially emphasized.

“The image is pure, worthy of veneration” ... These words can be defined copper cast icons and crosses created by Old Believer craftsmen in the vast expanses of Russia - in the hermitages of Pomorye and the workshops of Moscow, in the villages of the Moscow region and the Volga region, in hidden forges in the Urals and Siberia - for less than three hundred years from the end of the 17th century. until the beginning of the 20th century.

The new period in the history of copper foundry is inextricably linked with the Old Believer movement in Russia, when in the second half of the 17th century, after a split in the Russian Orthodox Church, opponents of the reform of Patriarch Nikon were forced to flee from the persecution of the authorities, flee from the center to remote outskirts, hide in the forests. In such difficult conditions, it was the Old Believers who preserved and continued the ancient Russian traditions of copper casting. It was difficult to constantly transport large temple icons to a new place. Bulky icons fell, cracked, broke, the paint layer crumbled, it was difficult to hide them during constant searches. Cast icons turned out to be more suitable for the conditions of constant wandering. Therefore, it is precisely in the non-priestly concords, mainly among the Pomeranians, that copper casting flourishes. Like priceless relics, ancient copper-cast images were carefully inserted into icon cases and placed in wooden picturesque or carved folds.

But the Old Believers not only preserved the Old Russian heritage, but also created their own special religious and spiritual culture. Copper-cast images, “as if they had been cleansed by fire” and not by the hands of “created” received wide reverence among the people. The variety of form, iconography, composition and decoration, Old Believer copper-cast crosses, icons and folds is amazing. And hot multi-colored enamels and fire gilding enhance their decorative effect.

Three-leaf folds "Deisus" were in great demand. They were cast in different sizes - from small, travel, to be worn on the chest to a large solemn image for the chapel.

It was during this period that folds of new iconographic types were born. Among them is the three-leaved fold "Deisus with selected saints", or, as it is often called, "Nine". Indeed, nine figures are represented on the fold. In the middle - the Savior on the throne with the upcoming Mother of God and John the Baptist, on the left wing are depicted the Apostle John the Theologian, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and Metropolitan Philip, on the right - the Guardian Angel and the Monks Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky.

Also, I would like to separately note the four-leaf fold with the image of the Twelfth Feasts - the so-called "big holiday sections". This fold, which is a whole marching iconostasis, was extremely popular, and not only among the Old Believers. Everything in this copper-cast monument - both the form and the thoroughness of working out miniature hallmarks, and the ornament of the outer side of the second alignment - testifies to the talent and high skill of the casters of the famous Vygov "copper box".

The pillars of the Russian land were and remain the saints, deeply revered by the people. This is confirmed by numerous copper-cast icons and folds, to which Russian people turned with their sorrows and joys, with the words of prayer throughout the vast territory of Russia ... The veneration of saints is associated with the concept of holiness - central in the history of salvation - and its bearers. At the source are the holy martyrs. Jesus Christ is the greatest martyr. Gregory the Theologian said about the feat of martyrdom: “Glorifying the memory of the holy martyrs, we not only participate in this celebration, we participate in the mystery of martyrdom, which these saints revealed…” .

The most revered and dearly beloved saints, both in Russia and throughout the world, were and remain: St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (to pray for intercession, marriage, health and other help); St. Nikita, beating the demon (helps in teaching, heals, casts out demons, helps to repent of sins and free himself from the temptations of the devil, including drunkenness); St. George the Victorious (he is the patron of the military, farmers, livestock breeders); Saint Paraskeva Friday (they pray to her for the patronage of the family hearth; in marital infertility; for worthy suitors); Hieromartyr Antipas of Pergamon (they pray to him for healing, in particular from dental diseases); Saints Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky (they are the patrons of beekeepers, they also pray for help at sea from storms and drowning, for help on the water for those floating); Saint Sergius of Radonezh (they pray to him for the spiritual health of children and for their success in education); Holy Matrona of Moscow (they pray to her for pregnancy, health, marriage, conception, love, recovery, help); Saint Seraphim of Sarov (they pray to him for physical and spiritual healing).

Separately, I would like to highlight the image of the Mother of God - throughout Russia, in every house, as “an ambulance and a warm intercessor,” people turned to Her and turn to Her. The most revered icons of Our Lady of Kazan, Fedorovskaya, Tikhvinskaya and Burning Bush. “For the insight of blinded eyes,” the Mother of God of Kazan prays. The Mother of God Fedorovskaya is addressed with a prayer "for liberation from the difficult birth of wives." “On the preservation of the health of babies,” the Mother of God of Tikhvin asks.

The Russian people consider Our Lady of the Burning Bush a protector from fire and lightning. In folk life, they sometimes walked around a burning building with this image of the Mother of God to quickly extinguish the fire ... There were many copper-cast icons and folds with revered images of the Mother of God, but the images and icons of the Mother of God of All Who Sorrow are especially loved by the people.

Small copper icons and folds, easy to carry, durable and cheap, quite often served as a talisman - they accompanied the owner during long trips and travels. Often such copper-cast objects were found far beyond the borders of the Russian land.

In the years Soviet power the production of copper-cast plastics ceased, only handicraft and small-circulation products were created. But 70 years later, thanks to the successors of the traditions of Russian copper casting, this art began to revive. Modern masters have tried to recreate all the diversity and former splendor of copper plastic, inventing new versions, as well as duplicating the old ones that were created earlier and were used by our ancestors. Poetry of art and metal got a second life!

Online store website offers you a unique opportunity to join one of the most ancient arts - Russian artistic copper casting. Feel the spirit of history through copper-cast plastic, which was created several hundred years ago by the hands of talented craftsmen, and who knows, maybe in this way you will be able to come to faith in God, as it was before, with a Russian Orthodox person. One of the most interesting features is that everyone who took a copper icon or a cross in their hands experienced some kind of extraordinary inner feeling, perhaps this is due to their enchanting magnificence, severity and at the same time softness, which attract and fascinate. Or maybe this feeling is the very grace of God?

Unfortunately, in our modern society, there are a lot of people who do not believe in God. But do not condemn them, for "Judge not, lest you be judged" (Matt. 7:1-6). Give such a person a small icon or a copper icon, for example, with St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. And advise him to turn to God with a prayer when there will be a difficult moment in his life, because “there are no atheists in the trenches under fire” - every person sooner or later comes to faith, and let this first step be taken with the help of a small copper icon donated You.

Friends and relatives will be very pleased to receive a copper icon as a gift for any significant event. Such original gift will leave a long prayerful memory of you, because each time turning to the copper icon you donated with a prayer, loved ones will remember you with prayer and warmth of the heart. A copper or bronze icon over time can become a real family heirloom - a particle of the eternal, intangible. It can decorate your home iconostasis, or become a wonderful "travel" icon that will accompany you on your travels!

Today our life has become faster and faster. We spend most of our time driving a car. So that trouble or trouble does not happen on the road, more and more people resort to the help of miraculous helpers, that is, icons, amulets, holy guides. Icons in the car are a kind of our protection and protection while driving, they provide miraculous help, make it possible to turn to God on the way, pray and ask for protection. Copper icon due to its low cost, durability and resistance to fading under the influence of sun rays, will be an ideal gift for the motorist.

As an exclusive gift, we are ready to offer you a modern mortise stavrotek - an iconostasis. Modern mortise icons are made to order, from various types of wood - linden, oak, pine, beech, taking into account all your wishes. All carpentry work is done by hand, and we can say with full confidence that the new modern mortise icon will exist in a single copy! This makes it truly unique, and any believer would be pleased to receive such a gift.

We sincerely believe that thanks to our small contribution, spirituality will begin to revive, because without it the revival of the great Russian state is impossible ...

In case of full or partial copying of materials from our site, an active link to the source is required!

Small in size, sometimes quite small, and sometimes the size of a human palm or a little more: antique crosses, folds and icons made of copper are quite often found in private collections, in museum collections, or simply on someone’s shelf, as a legacy from grandmothers. Undoubtedly, the skillful work of these icons attracts attention, the careful drawing of the images draws Old Believer pictures, hide some secrets incomprehensible to us.

Cast icons have been known in Russia since the 11th century; since the advent and spread of Christianity. Naturally, these were originally icons brought from Byzantium. At that time, it was Byzantium that was the cultural center of the Orthodox religion. Later, especially in the 14th-19th centuries, the copper-cast icon began to be mass-produced in Russia. At the same time, the production of copper-cast plastic was very diverse, and the assortment range was quite impressive.

Among other examples of the work of ancient Russian masters, a very original icon, called the serpentine, deserves special attention. This wearable amulet can be seen as a kind of link between Slavic paganism and the Orthodox cult that came to replace it.

By appearance coil and was an icon of a small size, on one side of which the usual Orthodox shrines (a cross or an image of a saint) were depicted, but on reverse side clearly pagan symbolism was traced - the interweaving of snake bodies. It is worth noting that copper serpentine amulets, of course, prevailed, but there are also similar icons made of precious metals.

Cast icons were especially widespread in Russia in the Middle Ages. Their release was established in Tver, Moscow, Novgorod and other lands. Most often, ancient revered icons acted as initial models for casting, but over time, the work of local artists began to appear more and more.

Folder with twenty stamps-plots (popular name "iron"), Russia, late 18th - early 19th centuries

Most often, icons as a product of copper casting were made in a rectangular shape, with somewhat rounded edges. Much rarer in the collections comes across a copper-cast icon of a polygonal or round shape, but, nevertheless, such copies were also made. In addition to icons, in Russia pectoral crosses, kiot and pectoral crosses, and folds were produced in large quantities. Also produced, the so-called reliquaries- crosses consisting of wings that served as a small hiding place for holy relics or other Christian relics.

Crossing icon "George's Miracle about the Serpent", Russia, 17th century

The plots depicted on the icons are very diverse, naturally within the framework of Orthodox themes. It is worth noting that the copper-cast plastic is replete with plots of both the Old Believer content and the new Orthodox Church. Naturally, the most common subjects of cast icons are images of the Mother of God with the Child, the Crucifixion, Christ, various scenes of Prayer, revered Saints, etc. As a rule, a special loop was made in the headings of copper-cast icons, through which a string was passed, and, accordingly, the copper image could be hung around the neck or just somewhere at home. What is typical for icons of a later release (XIX century) is that such an eyelet-hole was only imitated, it was impossible to pass a lace through it, as there was no through hole.

One of the popular varieties of cast icons is folding. In fact, this is a folding icon, most often a triptych. Their popularity is explained quite simply, in the folded state the folds did not take up much space, in most cases they did not exceed the size of an ordinary copper-cast icon, then in the unfolded state they were an almost ready-made marching iconostasis. In ancient times, a person on a campaign could not always visit a church if necessary. And the road, as you know, is full of dangers and surprises, and travel sometimes lasted for weeks or months. An ordinary wooden icon on the road is an extra load, but you can inadvertently damage or split it. But such copper camping folds were very convenient, and more resistant to road hardships and hardships.

But such copper plastic in Russia was not limited to a set of standard icons and crosses for Christians. In this copper variety, there was a place for a special product - crosses and special icons used by clergy. These icons are called panagia, they have had round shape and on their surface an image was necessarily depicted Holy Mother of God(translated from Greek "Panagia" is translated as "All Saints").

Copper casting in Russia did not stand still in terms of design. At the end of the 17th century, more and more copper-cast products began to appear in Russia, connected with the spiritual life of the common people. Many of these things have made a huge contribution to history and are now represented in the largest public collections.

Copper-cast icons after the split of the church

At the end of the 17th century, the history of Russia was replenished with another great event. In 1666-1667 there was a split in the Russian Orthodox Church. This event affected all aspects of the life of Russian society at that time. It did not bypass the copper foundry industry.

This reform was carried out under the leadership of Patriarch Nikon and pursued the goal of bringing all church attributes (books, icons, calendars) to a single form, in accordance with the ancient Byzantine tradition. Orthodox priests understood that over the more than 500-year history of the existence of the Russian Church, a huge number of different interpretations, inconsistencies and distortions have accumulated in church iconography, literature and practice. There were many reasons for the occurrence of such distortions, but the most likely and serious is the fact that books have been copied by hand for centuries. Errors piled up from copyist to copyist like a snowball. There were both accidental typos and intentional changes. The reform progressed with great difficulty, because in addition to followers, it also gained ill-wishers. In fact, the Orthodox people split into two camps, and each camp honored precisely its like-minded people as the true custodian of church traditions. The followers of the old traditions were called the Old Believers, and the church was called the Old Believer.

The XVIII century was marked by another event - the church was officially included in the state system. From that moment on, followers of the Old Believer traditions began to receive widespread restrictions from the current legislation. In particular, an attempt was made to destroy the existing icons and ban the production of new ones depicting “two-faced baptism”. Throughout the country, a hunt was announced for "unskillful" and "wrong" images. In 1723, even worse, a decree was issued that generally forbids the production of metal icons.

Icon "Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker", Russia, XVII century

Naturally, like other laws in Russia, this decree was not implemented in practice, but, nevertheless, the attitude of the people in the 18th-19th centuries to copper-faced images changed. The copper icon began to be perceived as an element of the Old Believer religion.

At the same time, cast Orthodox icons received even greater support from the Old Believers. Copper casting was easy to replicate with at least one die on hand. Each individual icon, in fact, could become a model for making subsequent images. Metal icons were easy to keep and pass on from generation to generation, so they began to be perceived as a symbol of eternity. A symbol of the true old faith.

It is worth noting that the Old Believers really saved many historical monuments, including especially rare unique copper-cast icons. They did not stop the release and production of metal images in the least, and it can even be said more that all remakes were perceived by them as true icons, ancient, the only true ones. Moreover, all the remakes were made in the image of the old ones, in compliance with all the traditions of manufacturing and design. And since the majority of the people are trying to honor the old grandfather traditions, copper metal-plastic has become widespread far beyond the borders of the Old Believer communities.

Serpentine "Chernihiv hryvnia of Vladimir Monomakh"

In the 18th-19th centuries, the metallurgical industry developed rapidly in Russia, which also greatly contributed to the popularization of copper-cast images. First of all, in the Urals - the then major center of metallurgical production. The production of the metal icon has reached a new level and has become widespread.

An important role in the widespread distribution of the copper-cast icon was also played by the fact that the Old Believer environment has always been rich in active, rich and famous people - adherents of the old faith. Among them are such famous families as the Guchkovs, Demidovs, Morozovs, Ryabushinskys, Tretyakovs and many others. Cast images, which were made in the so-called "mednitsa", thanks to the patronage the mighty of the world this has survived to this day and are real masterpieces of artistic and technical thought of that time. Icons of that period, as a rule, are characterized by the presence of the finest work of a master, skillful silvering or gilding, and the use of multi-colored enamel.

Copper images with enamel

Icon "St. Nifont the Chaser of Demons", Russia, 19th century

The metal icon covered with enamel has been known in Russia since the 17th century. The peculiarity of Russian technology is that the enamel on the icon does not create an image, it serves only as a background for it. In fact, enamel is a coloring for a copper-cast relief. Quite often you can find two identical icons made according to the same matrix, but one is covered with enamel, and the other is not.

The 18th century was especially famous in this regard, as they said then, the masters were able to “induce enamel”. The icon made by the craftsmen of the Vygovskaya monastery in Pomorie received particular fame in this direction. The geography of the location and distribution of the copper-cast industry of that time is truly unique: the Vyg River - the Upper Kama - the Urals - Siberia - Moscow - the Baltic states. From Moscow, contacts between copper-cast centers spread to Pripyat, the Volga region, Mstera, and Guslitsy; from Starodub and Vetka to Transbaikalia and Altai. Modern scientists-historians by the type of enamel can quite easily determine where this or that icon was made.

Vygovskaya monastery

The second half of the 19th century presents to our attention new, amazing in design and design, cast products: crosses, folds, icons. These products already look much more professional, have a clear pattern and detailed relief, all the inscriptions are executed more beautifully. Despite the fact that among the people the Old Believer way of life is characterized as ascetic, gloomy, restrained, new copper icons evoke a feeling of joy and exultation.

The production of such highly artistic products was possible only in large industrial centers and required especially close attention. As mentioned above, one of these centers was the Vygovskaya monastery (Danilov Monastery on the Vyga River, in Pomorie). It was the "copper box" of this enterprise that gained all-Russian fame in the production of metal-plastics. Among the products of the Vygovskaya monastery Special attention attracts their famous four-leaf fold, which the people received such an unpretentious name " iron". The fold owes this name to the similarity of external forms and considerable weight. Its wings are rectangular in shape, the pommel is keeled. The gates are interconnected by tubular loops into which a steel rod is inserted. The extreme side wings are assembled first of all, they lie inside, and only then the fold slams shut like a book. The size of the "iron" is about the size of a large male palm. Inside, there is a whole iconostasis, of twelve small hallmarks. Each brand is a separate image, a multi-figured composition. Most often, the hallmarks depict the Twelfth Feasts and the worship of famous icons.

Copper-cast icons on Vyg were made exceptionally clean, without flaws and errors, with a clean drawing. The finished icon did not require additional embossing to make the image clearer. Inscriptions, faces, small details were cast immediately. Often, the reverse sides of the folds were also decorated with an ornament or pattern. Most often they depicted Golgotha ​​in a frame. Historians believe that it was on Vyg that a unique example of iconography was created in the 17th century - a fold with 20 hallmarks. Unfortunately, the author of this composition is unknown to us, but the fact that he was extremely talented and was a professional of the highest category is beyond doubt. Masters like him successfully worked in the Armory, in the Moscow Printing Yard or the Patriarchal Court. Also, unfortunately, the original original of this fold has not yet been discovered. In addition, icons were made in Pomorie in the style of the oldest Novgorod iconography. The most revered of them are George the Victorious, Nikita Besogon, the Wonderworker Nikola, Paraskeva Pyatnitsy, and others. As a rule, such an icon was not decorated with multi-colored enamel or gilding.

Over time, from the beginning of the 19th century, the copper-cast icon became less and less decorated with colorful enamel. The icon of the late period, the work of Vygov or Pomeranian masters, was more often decorated with enamel of the same color. Preference was given to blue, blue cobalt, much less often - white.

The full palette of enamel began to be used again in full force only at the end of the 19th century. But these were already other masters, other schools, other centers. The copper-cast industry of the North had almost completely died out by that time.

Copper-cast plastic is a remarkable and not fully explored phenomenon of Russian artistic culture, which has a thousand-year history. Determining the significance of copper crosses, icons and folds in the life of the Russian people, F.I. Buslaev, a well-known philologist and art critic of the 19th century, wrote: “These were the most convenient shrines for transferring, durable and cheap; therefore they are still in great use among the common people ... ". These words can rightfully be attributed to any region of Russia, including the Moscow province, where during the XVIII - XX centuries. not only revered copper-cast images, but also engaged in their production.

A defining milestone in the history of copper casting was the decree of Peter I of January 31, 1723 “On the prohibition of having icons of private individuals in parish churches; also pour and sell sacred images of copper and tin in rows. This decree put under control the production, sale and existence of cast copper items that should have been "used for church needs." Thus, already at the beginning of the XVIII century. the policy of the state authorities in relation to copper plastic was determined. It was under these conditions, which put the foundry business in an illegal position, that the masters of the Old Believers of different directions (bespopovtsy and priests) managed not only to preserve ancient Russian traditions, but also to create new samples of crosses, icons and folds.

Thanks to the talent of the Pomor, Moscow, Guslitsky, Zagarsky and Vladimir masters, copper drinking became an accessible art form that became widespread in cities and villages throughout Russia. This material, heterogeneous in terms of material and technological characteristics, is striking in its diversity, ranging from form, iconography, composition and ending with decorative decoration. All these signs are the basis for the classification of a significant layer of preserved copper-cast small plastic.

In the first half of the XIX century. The problem of classifying copper castings was of interest not only to historians and archaeologists, but also to officials of the Ministry of the Interior. So, in one of the documents of the 1840s. it says: “... casting copper crosses and icons, known under the names: Zagorsk, Pomor, Pogost and others, of which the first two varieties are cast in Moscow, and the last in Vladimir province. The use of these icons and crosses, as you know, is widespread throughout Russia, it has been rooted for a long time among the common people, not excluding people of the Orthodox confession, so these icons are found in almost all huts and other dwellings and are hung in villages above the gates of houses , on courts, etc. Moreover, with these icons, the peasants bless their children, who leave for long journeys or enter the recruits, and these images then remain with them for a lifetime ... ". This official document is the first attempt known to us to understand copper casting, to determine its varieties and, most importantly, the distinctive features of each of the above groups. When characterizing the objects, the “best finish” of the so-called Pomeranian crosses and folds and the low quality of the casting of tan and churchyard products are noted, on which “images can be hardly distinguished”.

In the above classification, only 3 categories are named, or varieties of copper casting - Pomor, Zagar, Pogost. For the first time, the mention of Guslitsky casting is found in the materials of the Vladimir local historian I.A. Golysheva: “Copper icons are divided into 4 categories: Zagarsky (Guslitsky), Nikologorsky (Nikologorsky churchyard), ancient or Pomeranian (for schismatics of the Pomor sect) and new. The new ones are intended for the Orthodox, and the old ones are for schismatics, who are poured with drawings special for them.

In general, it becomes clear that the Old Believer copper-cast plastic differed in categories, including in their definition the place of origin and production. Each of these varieties had significant differences regarding not only the quality of casting, but, above all, iconography and, consequently, existence among different groups of the population. So, Pomor casting became widespread among the Old Believers-bespopovtsy (Pomortsy, Fedoseyevtsy, Filippovtsy), who did not recognize the priesthood, and Guslitsky was revered by the Old Believers-priests. In the future, according to the accepted samples (Pomeranian, Guslitsky, etc.), icons, crosses and folds were made in numerous foundry shops throughout Russia.

When classifying Guslitsky and Zagorsky castings, we will have to recall and give all the information known to us that is relevant to the production and characteristics of these categories. Only in this case it is possible to determine what was meant by "Guslitsky and / or tan casting".

The qualitative difference between these groups of casting is evidenced by the data given in the catalog of the Old Believer icon, icon-case and book trade of M.P. Vostryakov’s heirs. It is known that at the beginning of the 20th century N.M. Vostryakov had trading places in Moscow in the Ilyinsky Row and at the Nizhny Novgorod Fair. Among the wide range of Old Believer products are not only books and church utensils, but also copper-cast products. So, for example, icons and crosses of the "best Pomeranian work" are given with an indication of the iconography and price per piece. Other categories of copper-cast products were sold by weight at a price per pound: "tan casting from 18 to 22 rubles." and "Antsifor casting from 30 to 38 rubles." We believe that a significant difference in price also indicated a difference in the quality of copper icons, crosses and folds, which obviously came from different workshops. Information about the Zagar foundries is contained in published materials on the history of handicrafts in the Moscow province. Among the villages of the Novinskaya volost of the Bogorodsk district, which were "fed" by the copper industry, the following are mentioned: the village of Averkievo - 7 workshops, the village of Alferovo - 17 workshops, the village of Danilovo - 22 workshops, the village of Dergaevo - 15 workshops, the village of Krupino - 12 workshops, the village of Novaya - 8 workshops, the village of Perkhurovo - 14 workshops, the village of Pestovo - 13 workshops, the village of Shibanovo - 9 workshops, etc. (a total of 139 copper establishments are indicated).

It should be noted that among these workshops, only a few were engaged in casting images and folds. So, in the village of Novoe (which is attributed to Guslitsy by another author), only 3 owners are indicated - A.D. Afanasiev, I.M. Mikhailov, I.T. Tarasov, who had from 6 to 11 workers, including adult family members. The cost of annually manufactured products was 5-10 thousand rubles.

The given data could change in connection with the demand for products. For example, in the village of Kostino (Zaponorskaya volost), isolated cases of icon painters' transition to "casting copper images and folds" were noted.

When analyzing the activities of these institutions with a traditionally established production, which included a forge and a "printing", such a feature of the tan variety as a rare use of enamels to decorate the surface of copper-cast objects is noted.

The low quality of tan products is evidenced by the information provided by the Krasnoselsky foundry master A.P. Serov (1899-1974): “Pectoral crosses and icons were cast in Zagarye. The production of these products there was not famous - there was no purity in the casting and they said this: bad as tanned ones. (For these products, their front side was not processed with a file. Icons and crucifixion crosses were so often faked to look like old castings).”

But obviously this characteristic cannot be attributed to the work of all tanned masters. So, at the well-known All-Russian Art and Industrial Exhibition of 1882, held in Moscow, among 12 exhibitors on copper products, who presented bells, candlesticks, ashtrays and other items, a peasant from the village of Novoe Bogorodsky district of the Moscow province Tarasov Ivan Ivanovich was awarded an award "for copper image of very clean work and fairly cheap prices.” Later, in 1902, craftsman Fyodor Frolov from the same village exhibited his copper crosses at the All-Russian Handicraft and Industrial Exhibition in St. Petersburg. Given brief information allow us to talk about the small possibilities of this handicraft institution: “Production worth up to 400 rubles / year. 3 men work, 1 of them is hired. Material from Moscow in the amount of up to 220 rubles / year. Sales to various locations. Production is manual. Works since 1890.

So, what kind of casting was called tan? Crosses, icons and folds can be tentatively assigned to this category of copper-cast plastic, which are distinguished primarily by the absence of filing on the front and back sides, significant weight and rare use of enamels.

As an example of a tan product of the second half of the 19th century. a small four-part icon “Martyrs Kirik and Ulita. Savior Not Made by Hands. Our Lady of Vladimir. Our Lady of the Sign”, crowned with an ogpavia “The Savior Not Made by Hands” (Fig. 1). Similar icons depicting the martyrs Kirik and Ulita were widely used among the people.

The proximity of the repertoire of Zagarsk and Guslitsky copper-cast plastics and its widespread existence made it difficult to clearly distinguish each group. So, at the beginning of the XX century. V.G. Druzhinin, a well-known researcher of Pomeranian literature and plastic arts, classified all drinking produced in the Moscow province as “guslitsky or tanned”. He wrote: “In Moscow, apparently, the casting of priestly masters prevailed; in the eastern part of the Moscow province and the border part of the Vladimir province adjacent to it, there is a place called Guslitsy. Cast icons still work there in a handicraft way; images on them of a very poor design; roughly trimmed, for the most part without enamel, and differ sharply from Pomeranian ones, although they are lightweight.

From this generalized characteristic, one should pay attention to such an important feature as "lightness". We believe that in this case we are talking about casting Guslitsky production. It is to this category that the so-called "Antsifor casting" can be attributed, which was sold in Moscow more expensive than tan. In addition, it is known that already in the XVIII century. icon painters worked in the village of Antsiforovo.

An analysis of all the information provided about the Old Believer copper plastic of the 18th - 20th centuries, which existed in the Moscow province, makes it possible to determine the repertoire of Guslitsky casting. The main place in its composition was occupied by crosses, which differed not only in a certain iconographic program, but also in compositional diversity. Guslitsky craftsmen cast pectoral male and female crosses, eight-pointed altar crosses with a relief image of the Crucifixion of Christ and the title “I NCI” (Fig. 2) and icon-case crosses of various sizes, complemented by plates with groups of forthcoming ones, as well as icon-stamps with twelfth holidays and crowned , images of cherubs.

Icons and folds with images of the Savior and the Mother of God, Saints Nicholas the Wonderworker, Blasius, Athanasius, George, Florus and Laurus, Paraskeva Pyatnitsa - this is not a complete range of compositions created by masters near Moscow. Following ancient Russian traditions, the three-leaved folds of Guslitsky casting have a special shape, repeating in miniature the Royal Doors of the temple iconostasis. The fold with the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Mozhaisk) is a vivid example of the work of the Guslitsky master (Fig. 3). In the centerpiece, which has a keeled completion in the form of a kokoshnik, the saint is represented with a sword and a temple (hail) in his hands. In the upper part of the wings there is a divided composition “The Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos”, in the hallmarks - “The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem”, “The Presentation of the Lord”; "The Resurrection of Christ" ("The Descent into Hell") and "The Ascension of the Lord". Such Guslitsky "creators", decorated not only with a vegetative climbing shoot and a frame with a geometric ornament, but also decorated with white and blue enamel, are the most common type of copper-cast products. Light, with "extra", i.e. processed surface of the turnover, relatively inexpensive Guslitsky icons and folds enjoyed special reverence throughout the 18th - 20th centuries.

These simple copper-cast images, distinguished by their original form and decorative decoration, allow us to speak about the existence of an independent artistic direction - Guslitsky casting.

V.Ya. Zotova
Candidate of Historical Sciences,
Senior Researcher at the Central Museum
ancient Russian culture and art. Andrey Rublev,
Custodian of the copper casting fund (Moscow)

The day after tomorrow, January 12, 2014 in the Sunday lecture hall "Old Believer Iconography" there will be a lesson on copper casting Guslits. This lesson will complete a small thematic block dedicated to this center. It was Guslitsy that was an outstanding center of copper foundry production among the Old Believers-priests.

In the first half of the 19th century, the classification of copper castings was of interest not only to historians and archaeologists, but also to officials of the Ministry of the Interior. So, in one of the documents of the 1840s it says: “... excellent copper crosses and icons, known under the names: zagarsky, pomorsky, pogost and others, of which the first two varieties are cast in Moscow, and the last in the Vladimir province.

The use of these icons and crosses, as you know, is widespread throughout Russia, it has been rooted for a long time among the common people, not excluding people of the Orthodox confession, so these icons are found in almost all huts and other dwellings and are hung in villages above the gates of houses , on courts, etc. Moreover, with these icons, the peasants bless their children, who go on long journeys or enter the recruits, and these images then remain with them for a lifetime ... ".

As noted by a well-known expert in the field of Old Believer copper-cast plastic E.Ya. Zotov, this official document is the first attempt known to researchers to classify copper casting. In addition, the document contains important information about the existence of castings. But the document contains only 3 grades of copper casting: Pomeranian, Zagarsky and Pogost ... And Guslitsky? ....

The mention of Guslitsky casting is first found in the works of the Vladimir local historian I.A. Golysheva: “Copper icons are divided into 4 categories: Zagarsky (Guslitsky), Nikologorsky (Nikologorsky churchyard), ancient or Pomeranian (for schismatics of the Pomor sect), and new” .

Pomorskoe, Pogostskoe, Zagarskoe, Guslitskoye… All these types of casting differed not only in the place of production, but also in the environment of existence (Pomorskoe casting was common among the bezpopovtsy, Guslitskoe among the priests), and artistic features, and even the method of sale. Icons and crosses of the “best Pomeranian work” were sold individually, while other categories of copper-cast products were sold by weight at a price per pood.

In the Guslitsky villages, a very large number of images, folds, and crosses were cast. Some of them were sent for sale to Moscow, others - to other Old Believer centers. From the Pomeranian casting, the works of the Guslitsky masters differ in typology, plasticity and technological features.

As E.Ya. Zotov, the main place in the “repertoire” of Guslitsky casting was occupied by crosses, which differed not only in a certain iconographic program, but also in compositional diversity. For example, in Guslitsy a special type of 8-pointed cross was cast, which became widespread throughout Russia: Crucifixion with instruments of passion, with large relief letters of the Pilatl title “I.N.Ts.I.”, with the image of the Lord of Hosts in the clouds and descending from Him the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove.

From above, Guslitsky crosses and icons were decorated with carved cherubs and seraphim. The most expressive products of this center are large 8-pointed crosses with the image of the Crucifixion with the upcoming, the hallmarks of the holidays and the peculiar tops of their figurines of seraphim and cherubs.

The course will be conducted by the candidate historical sciences, senior researcher of the Museum, curator of the copper casting fund Elena Yakovlevna Zotova. At the end of the lesson, a small practical part is expected, during which everyone will be able to “live” get acquainted with the works of the gusli casters.

The lecture will take place in the concert and lecture hall of the Museum (4th floor of the exposition).
Class starts at 12.30.

Ticket price for this activity:
adults - 150 rubles.
students, schoolchildren, pensioners - 100 rubles.
students of the Moscow Old Believer Theological School - free of charge (you must present a certificate at the box office).
We remind you that tickets to the lecture hall can be bought ONLY AT THE MUSEUM CASH OFFICE.

We continue a series of publications on the history and culture of the Old Believers, which constituted a rich and meaningful layer of Russian spiritual life. The Old Believers retained many artistic values ​​and aesthetic principles, without which the picture of Russian church and everyday culture would be incomplete.

Whatever historians write about the gradual, stretching for almost three centuries, communion Eastern Slavs to the Christian Church, it is obvious that the baptism of Russia under Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir spread to most of the population Kievan Rus. The new faith demanded not only an internal reorganization of a person, but also assumed an external expression, which in the era of the initial spread of Christianity also became a sign of personal confessional feat.

Russia adopted Christianity from Byzantium along with a developed, fully developed church art, in which any decorative detail was subject to a strictly meaningful symbolic system. The pectoral cross became the first symbol of faith for yesterday's pagan in Russia. Archaeological excavations show that metal and stone pectoral crosses, the so-called "korsunchiki", were brought to Russia in droves. However, already a few decades after 988, the own production of crosses, and along with them, wearable icons, acquired such a scope in Russia that the import of similar products from Byzantium became meaningless. The fantasy of Russian foundry masters was boundless; preserving the traditional Greek form of an equal-ended cross, the pre-Mongolian Russian vests had dozens of different forms.

The tradition of making copper-cast jewelry has developed in Russia in the pre-Christian era. It is interesting to see how ancient decorations with solar symbols timidly and gradually include images of the cross. The notorious Russian dual faith is expressed by round pendants, which were originally symbols of the Slavic Yarila, with cross-shaped slits, and then became simply four-pointed or twelve-pointed crosses enclosed in a circle. The ancient Slavic moons underwent the same metamorphosis, in which the Christian cross gradually established itself between the ends of the pagan month.

A sign of the pagan past, which migrated to the new post-Mongol era, were serpentines - ancient Slavic amulets cast on the back of the folds until the 16th century.

Casting, established in Russian church art in the pre-Mongol era, is experiencing a rebirth at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. At this time, the manufacture of cast icons, folds, and various crosses became the property of the Old Believers almost exclusively. The exception was the production of pectoral crosses, which continued to be cast in workshops that offered their products. Orthodox Church.

The distribution of cast icons in the Old Believers, and to the greatest extent in non-priestly consent, with the almost complete indifference of the Orthodox Church to it, is explained, first of all, by the historical conditions for the existence of the Old Believers.

For two and a half centuries, the Old Believers were severely persecuted by the state authorities, not being able to openly build their churches and monasteries. At the same time, priests and bespopovtsy were not in the same position. The Old Believers, accepting the priesthood, who dreamed of finding a bishop and restoring the hierarchy, tried in every opportunity to legalize themselves, to regulate their relations with the authorities, because they needed a condescending attitude towards the priests who came to them from the dominant Church.

The Old Believers-bespriests were sure that the spiritual accession of the Antichrist had already taken place, therefore the true Church can only be persecuted. This conviction found its extreme expression in the ideology of the consent of wanderers, or runners. It was difficult to constantly transport large temple icons to a new place. Bulky icons fell, cracked, broke, the paint layer crumbled, it was difficult to hide them during constant searches. Cast icons turned out to be more suitable for the conditions of constant wandering. Therefore, it is precisely in the non-priestly concords, mainly among the Pomeranians, that copper casting flourishes.

The beginning and flourishing of the Old Believer production of copper-cast crosses, icons and folds is traditionally associated with the Vygovsky monasteries and sketes. Already in the 70s of the 17th century, settlements appeared on the Vyg River, founded by the fleeing monks of the Solovetsky Monastery, which, not agreeing to serve according to the books sent by Patriarch Nikon, was besieged by the tsarist troops for eight years from 1668 to 1676. After the defeat of the Solovetsky rebels, numerous inhabitants of the monastery went to the banks of the Vyg River, where the founders of the monastery, St. Savvaty and Herman, began their feat. In October 1694, two settlements founded by Daniil Vikulin and Andrey Denisov were merged into the Vygovskoe dormitory - a monastery that was the ideological center of the Old Believers of the non-priest persuasion for the next one and a half centuries.

The Vygovsky monastery, divided by a wall into two halves, was originally inhabited by men and women. In 1706, 20 versts from the men's Epiphany monastery, the women's Holy Cross Exaltation was built, standing on the Leksa River. The first abbess was Andrei Denisov's sister Solomonia. Numerous sketes were organized near these two monasteries, in which families were allowed to live.

It is in these sketes that the revival of the ancient Russian tradition of making cast icons takes place. At the same time, Vygoretsk craftsmen achieve unprecedented technical and aesthetic perfection of their products. Icons of Vygov casting are distinguished by their extraordinary elegance, the subtlety of casting, which conveys the smallest details, down to curls of hair and eye pupils. Intricate ornaments were filled with multicolored vitreous enamels, a significant part of the items were subjected to fiery gilding. The favorite product of the Vygov coppersmiths were small double-leaf and three-leaf folds, in which not only the front, but also the whimsically ornamented reverse side was covered with multi-colored enamels. On Vyga, “Crucifixes with the upcoming ones” that later spread throughout Russia, resembling the letter F in shape, were invented. The first “large wings” were cast here - four-leaf folds depicting the twelfth holidays.

Later, crosses and icons began to be cast according to Vygov samples in Guslitsy (a village in the Vladimir province) and in Zagarye (several villages in the Bogorodsk district of the Moscow province, engaged in the production of copper-cast crosses and icons).

The cheapest and simplest were the products of tan workshops. Castings were almost never covered with enamels, had a careless finish, and were distinguished by fuzzy, blurry images.

Guslitsky products were of higher quality. A favorite element of the Guslitsky artists were "six-wings" - small images of cherubs, which were cast on the middle of small three-leaved folds and in abundance at the top of a wide variety of crosses. The Guslitsky craftsmen expanded the Vygov form of the “Crucifixion with the Coming Ones” with numerous hallmarks depicting holidays and “six-wings”, the number of which reached nineteen at the top of large crosses.

At the end of the 18th century, Moscow workshops for the production of cast icons appeared. They are grouped around the Preobrazhensky cemetery, which since 1771 has become the center of the Fedoseevsky consent. Their heyday falls on the second half of XIX centuries. Moscow products date back to the Vygov samples, differing from them in their heaviness and excessive decorativeness. On Moscow crosses, icons and folds, the monograms of foundry masters appear: MAP, SIB, MRSH, RH, RS. The last three, which are more common than others, belong to the master Rodion Semenovich Khrustalev, who had every reason to be proud of the quality of his products.

In the second half of the 19th century, the number of Old Believer coppersmiths increased significantly. They appear in the village of Krasnoye in the Kostroma province, in the village of Staraya Tushka in the Vyatka province, in the Urals and in other regions of Russia.

The set of plots of Old Believer copper casting differs significantly from the corresponding spectrum of Old Russian cast products. In the Old Believer tinsels, the lunnitsa, characteristic of the transitional period from paganism to Christianity, with crosses attached to them, were not cast. Round cruciform pendants were not produced, in which the sign of the cross was inscribed in the ancient solar symbol. Coils, common in the pre-Mongolian and early post-Mongolian eras, were not made.

At the same time, the subject matter of the plot is enriched with many renditions known from the usual icon painting. Most of the iconographic scenes are somehow reproduced in copper casting. At the same time, the most common in Old Believer copper castings are the image of the Mother of God and images of saints. The Lord Jesus Christ, although he is the Head of the Church, is represented in iconography by a much smaller number of iconographic types (with many versions of each type) than the Mother of God and the saints. This is probably due to the fact that it is much easier for a sinful person to turn with a prayer request to a person - the Mother of God or a saint, than to God, even if it is the Incarnate God Jesus Christ.

The most common iconographic type in casting is Deesis. Russian word"Deesis" is a corruption of the Greek word "Deisis", which means "supplication". Deisus - the image of Jesus Christ, seated on the throne, to the right of which is the Mother of God, to the left - John the Baptist. In the Old Believer copper casting, the Deesis is most often the centerpiece of three-leaved folds, called “nines”. Each side flap of such a fold bears the image of selected saints. Most often, this is Metropolitan Philip, the Apostle John the Theologian, St. Nicholas - on the left wing; Guardian Angel, Saints Zosima and Savvaty - on the right. This selection of saints is not accidental. Zosima, Savvaty and Philip are saints whose deeds were accomplished in the Solovetsky Monastery, very revered by the Old Believers, where the first such folds were cast. The presence of the Guardian Angel and Nicholas the Wonderworker - the patron saint of travelers - shows that the "nines" were "travel" icons. They were taken on the road, worn as wearable icons. The Calvary cross on the back of one of the wings made it possible to do without a separately worn pectoral cross.

Folds have been preserved, the middle of which was an ark divided into four parts, of a rather large depth, tightly closed with a plate with the image of Deesis. Such a fold could be used to store holy relics or to transfer the Holy Gifts, precious for the Old Believers-bespriests, consecrated by the pre-Nikonian priests.

The second, less common version of the “nine” has wings with a different set of saints: the Great Martyr George the Victorious, the Hieromartyrs Antipas and Blasius are depicted on the left; on the right - the Monk John the Old Cave and the martyrs Cosmas and Damian.

There is also a Deesis in the form of three-leaved folds of a different type, the middle of which is a half-length image of the Lord Jesus Christ, the wings are half-length images of the Virgin (a version similar to Bogolyubskaya with a scroll in her hands) and John the Baptist. The image of John the Baptist is varied. Most often, he is depicted as a winged angel of the desert with a bowl in his hands, in which is the image of the infant Christ; this is a symbolic image of the Baptism of the Lord. The location of the Divine Infant can be different, both from left to right, and vice versa. In some folds, the right wing represented John without wings, with his arms raised up in a refined gesture.

Sometimes the centerpiece of such a Deesis was cast separately. In this case, he turned into an image Lord Almighty. Special images of the Lord Almighty are also known, both half-length and in the form of the Savior on the throne. As a rule, they are of an older age.

Very common in the Old Believers are folds with a middle Deesis, below which are placed half-length images of four saints: St. Zosima, St. Nicholas, St. Leontius, St. Savvaty. Sometimes other saints were also depicted. The top of such a fold could be the Image of Christ Not Made by Hands or decorated with a simple geometric ornament. .

One of the most ancient images of Christ the Savior, which also existed in copper casting, is the so-called Spas Smolensky. This iconographic type is a full-length image of Christ, adorned with a massive tsata, at whose feet St. Sergius of Radonezh and Varlaam of Khutyn fall down. On the sides of the Savior in the upper part of the icon are images of angels holding instruments of passion in their hands. The Savior of Smolensk is found in the form of individual icons, often decorated with multi-colored enamels, and as a centerpiece of various folds.

Another iconographic type of Christ the Savior, depicted surrounded by saints, presented in copper casting, is the Deesis, in which the figures of the archangels Michael and Gabriel, the apostles Peter and Paul are added to the images of the Mother of God and John the Baptist, as well as the crouching Zosimas and Savvatius. IN "Weeks" of a larger format, the figures of the Apostle John the Theologian and St. John Chrysostom are added, as well as the kneeling Nicholas the Wonderworker and St. Sergius Radonezh.

Image miraculous The Savior is most often found in casting in the form of the pommel of individual icons and folds. This tradition originates in the most ancient examples of casting, and the iconography of the image changes very noticeably from the exquisite renditions of the 17th century, which also depicted the board with its bizarre folds, to simple, almost schematic images of the 18th and 19th centuries. The Image Not Made by Hands is also found at the top of cast crosses of various sizes. It is this type of cross, which, in addition to the Image Not Made by Hands in the pommel, is distinguished by the absence of the image of the Holy Spirit “in the form of a dove” and the “Pilate title” - the letters INCI - was considered by the Old Believers of the Pomeranian consent to be the only correct cross.

The Image Not Made by Hands is also found in the form of individual small-sized images. He is known mainly in two versions; moreover, the one in which the Image Not Made by Hands is surrounded by an inscription is more ancient and rare.

Rare ancient cast icons are images of the Descent from the Cross, which depict the naked torso of the dead Christ with arms folded crosswise on his chest, resting on the edge of the coffin. On the sides of the cross are visible figures of the upcoming Virgin and John the Theologian, made almost to their full height; in the upper part of the icon are shoulder images of Angels in round medallions. It is possible that small icons of the Descent from the Cross were cast even before the schism. However, knowing the propensity of the zealots of the old faith to rare plots, it is more likely to assume that they were still cast in Old Believer tinsels. This iconographic type by the 19th century will turn into an image "Don't cry for me Mati", which is appropriate to attribute to the icons of the Mother of God.

Russian icon painters, starting from the 16th century, dared to depict the Second Hypostasis of the Trinity and before its Incarnation. Although the legitimacy of such allegorical images as Sophia the Wisdom of God in her Novgorod version was disputed by several church councils of the 16th and 17th centuries, they continued to be reproduced until late XIX centuries. They found their reflection in copper casting.

The classical iconography of Sophia the Wisdom of God, as well as the symbolism of this image, is extremely complex. However, the central part of the image, which is a kind of “Deesis”, in which, instead of Christ, a winged effeminate figure with angel wings and a star-shaped halo sits on the throne, is represented in ancient casting by rare castings made long before the schism.

The Old Believer copper casting reproduces an abbreviated version of Sophia, known in iconography since the 17th century under the name "Saved Good Silence". Silence is a symbol of inexpressibility, non-manifestation, non-embodiment. Sophia's silence is a symbol of the non-incarnation of the Eternal Logos, and Sophia Herself is the Logos before the Incarnation. Thus, the icon "Saved Good Silence" is an image of Jesus Christ before His Incarnation.

The image of "Good Silence" is a half-length image of Sophia in his Novgorod version. This is a winged Angel with the face of a young maiden with a star-shaped halo inscribed in a circle, dressed in a royal dalmatic, with arms crossed on his chest. In casting, this image appears only towards the end of the 18th century. It exists either in the form of a small cast, where only the Angel is depicted, or in the form of a larger icon, where the Angel turns into a centerpiece, inscribed in a frame with 18 round medallions, in which there are half-length figures of various saints. These icons, as a rule, were painted with enamels of various shades.

The theological content of this very elegant icon is inferior to the more modest, but no less mysterious image of the Angel of the Great Council. That is what the well-known collectors of the 19th century, the Khanenko brothers, call this image of an Angel on the cross. Another well-known researcher of ancient Russian art, Peretz, calls this casting "The Only Begotten Son", directly linking it with the "renounced" icons of the 16th century. The Angel himself with a mirror and measure in his hands resembles the well-known image of the Archangel Michael. However, the presence of the cross behind the Angel's back helps to see a deeper theological content in this image.

The Apostle Peter in the First Catholic Epistle, which is part of the New Testament, calls Jesus Christ the Lamb, destined even before the creation of the world for slaughter (1 Pet. 1, 19-20). The same symbolic image is found in the Apocalypse (Rev. 13:8). At the same time, the prophet Isaiah calls the still unincarnated Christ the Angel of the Great Council (Isaiah 9:6). Thus, this small archaic image of an Angel expresses the deepest theological idea of ​​the absolute value of a person's personal freedom, the infinite love of God, who is ready to sacrifice Himself for the sake of saving the only being who is the bearer of His Image.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Old Believers' interest in theologically ambiguous subjects is clearly increasing. Evidence of this is the icon “Only Begotten Son” cast at that time, which seems to be a fairly accurate, albeit “abridged” copy of the icon of the 16th century. Castings of "The Only Begotten Son" are known in single copies; in collections of copper castings are very rare. Most likely, it was a one-time order from one of the Old Believer collectors of the 19th century, or the icon was cast especially for a few connoisseurs and lovers of ancient casting. (Figure 12. Only-begotten Son. XIX century).

The Lord Jesus Christ is also depicted on numerous copper-cast crucifixes, which were loved not only by the zealots of the old faith, but also by all pious Orthodox people in Russia. With all the variety of these Old Believer crosses, the image of the crucified Savior on them remains unchanged. As for the festive plots, here the variations in the very image of Christ are quite interesting. This topic requires a special discussion and will be presented in one of the following articles on Old Believer art.