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Faces of the Kremlin

May 11 it became known that in the near future appearance of the two towers of the Kremlin to change. The team of restorers, who conducted the study Saviour and Nikolskaya towers, found that they were under layers of plaster preserved gate icons that are hidden from view under the Soviet regime. In the near future, these images are planning to open.

On detection of icons, journalists have learned from the unexpected newsmaker - president of Railways, Vladimir Yakunin, who was concurrently head of the board of trustees of the Fund of St. Andrew, were pursuing the icons. Chapter Rosokhrankultura Alexander Kibovsky explained that the icons are by default considered lost even in the revolution of 1917, when the Kremlin was subjected to bombardment. Therefore, explained an official, now anyone who comes to the tower, he sees the gates of the white rectangles - plastered and shaded Kyoto, which were icons.

As told Kibovsky, the assumption that the icons could survive during the revolutionary events in Moscow, came after both the archives of the Moscow Kremlin Museums were found statements according to which the money allocated for the restoration of murals already in 1920. Restoration picture of the Spassky Tower in his lectures on art and the artist mentioned Igor Grabar. According to him, during the restoration of images, damaged during the shelling in October 1917 with frescos were removed later the colorful layers, under which the fresco was discovered late XV - early XVI century. Director of the Kremlin museums Elena Gagarina suggested that the icons plaster in 1937 to mark the 20 th anniversary of the revolution.

What are the icons were eventually found, not very clear. The idea is that the names of the towers must comply with the images over the gate. Thus, according to media reports, the Spassky Tower is located to the image of the Savior fell at his feet Sergius and Varlaam. As a result of probing the restorers were visible fragments of images of St. Sergius Radonezhsky: halo, spin, part of the head. Alexander Kibovsky said that initially the Spassky Tower contains frescoes of the Savior of Smolensk, which dates back to the fresco in 1514 in honor of the capture of Smolensk Vasily III.

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On the other hand, we know that the story of the Spassky Tower is connected to the icon of the Saviour Nerukotovornogo, brought to Moscow from the town Khlynova (Vyatka, now Kirov) under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. It was believed that this image was saved from Khlynov raging in Russia the Black Plague. Over the gateway through which the icon bring to the Kremlin, was placed her list - actually, while the tower and was renamed from Frolovskaya a Saviour. Saviour - a special type of icons, which represents only the face (roughly speaking, a person) of Christ. Accordingly, to any feet of the Saviour Sergius and Barlaam could not fall down, however, possible that this is just a figure of speech.

From the tower of St. Nicholas all more clear. It depicts Nicola MOZHAYSKY, fresco dates from the late XV - beginning of XVI century. During the fighting in October 1917, the Gate image of Saint Nicholas was riddled with bullets and shrapnel, but the face does not hurt that the believers Muscovites was seen as a miracle. Bishop of Geneva and the Western Michael gave the group dealing with the disclosure of icons, the photo image of the icon of St. Nicholas in St. Nicholas Tower, made after the bombing of the towers of the Kremlin and handed over by Patriarch Tikhon Admiral Kolchak. The image actually shows that one arm of Saint lost, but the overall image Nicholas survived.

It is worth noting that this is not only a wonderful story associated with the image of St. Nicholas on the Kremlin tower. Kibovsky told that during the War of 1812 the French during their retreat from Moscow tower blew up, its top collapsed, but the fault on the icon of the tower stopped, "then what many saw divine providence and an indication of loss of Napoleon's army in Russia." In addition, in late April 1918, before the first official celebration of proletarian May Day, the facade of the Nikolsky Gate was draped with red bunting. However, before the festival winds tore some cloths and opened the icon views.

According to Yakunin, look for the icon on the tower kiots decided in 2007, when it was received the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II. The work, however, started only in April 2009, when all questions have to agree with the SSF. Tender for sensing icon case has won the Interregional Scientific and restoration of art administration RF Ministry of Culture. According Kibovskogo, pits himself made him head Sergei Filatov - an outstanding expert in fresco painting, one of the best specialists in Europe. "

Past studies have confirmed that the icon-painting images are preserved under the plaster. It remains only to open the icon, reported that work should begin immediately after the May holidays, and end - before the onset of the rainy season, ie, by August. Yakunin confirmed that the images are going to look at other towers of the Kremlin - to start with the Saviour and St. Nicholas decided because there is safety icons were more likely.

Cyril tadpoles

http://www.lenta.ru/articles/2010/05/13/kremlin/