Museum of Russian Icons, which opened in Moscow on a potter's street - it's private collection of Mikhail Abramov, a businessman, a builder. In Moscow, there are now several excellent collections of Russian icons, and most of them are available to the public in the form of exhibitions - such as works of ancient Russian art collected by Victor Bondarenko of Elizabeth or Michael. There were exhibitions of private collections in the Tretyakov Gallery and Pushkin Museum of Fine, they showed the icons including the collection of Mikhail Abramov.
But the museum - it is quite another matter. That is why the Museum of Russian Icons, which in theory since 2006 has been available in the premises of a business center Vereiskaya Plaza, this museum was not. Museum - is not just a systematic collection, hung in agreement with some idea on the walls, but also a social institution with certain goals and objectives. Museum should be kept high, "museum" quality exhibitions and shows - and at the same time entertain the students who did not suffer from an excess of high spirituality and an interest in ancient culture. This museum should publish and sell specialized books - and at the same time to get a normal coffee shop. He should be building - namely the absence of the building retains the appearance of today in Moscow a few private museums (not from the area of iconography).
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The owner of the collection, Mikhail Abramov, and museum director Nicholas Zadorozhnyi say that the museum decided to create it once. Therefore, acquiring things, not only one, but also whole collections. It is faster and more deserving - a collection more Russian, Moscow and St. Petersburg, some of them only through the entrance to the Museum of Russian icons and saved. Another bought in Germany - to return the icons on the home goal too good. It does not give up the non-core things - if only to preserve the integrity of assembly. What here has helped - whether money, enthusiasm or divine craft, but a collection assembled in less than 5 years. Of two adjacent houses on a potter's street and residents evicted Research Institute, have combined their indoor atrium - where the surrender room, there was mounting the elevator doors, something rattled and pylilo. And in the halls of the upper floors of ready icons hung on the floor were spread prepared for laying in the window of Byzantine crosses and the Ethiopian book.
The security system at the Museum of Russian Icons turned into an additional attraction. In the halls, you can either take the elevator, through the transparent walls of which can be seen nearby Afon Compound, or pass through a giant Steel door (as in Hollywood movies about bank robberies). Behind the door on the first floor - open storage. Every collector wants to put its entire collection, but the Russian gosmuzee make it almost impossible. Here Mikhail Abramov free to show all that he has - including those works that do not fit into the chronological and thematic sections of the main exhibition.
Major treasures on the second floor - is the ancient Russian icons XIV - beginning of XVI century. Among them, Nicolas "three-quarters of the XIV century from the village Kyalovanga Onega. "St George and the Dragon" of the late XIV century from the Rostov land. The oldest known image of the pious Prince Theodore, David and Constantine, written in the XV century. On the contrary - a collection of Pskov icons of XVI century, it is extremely rare in private hands (in pre-revolutionary gatherings it almost was not, Pskov school opened only in 1920). Next show icons from the former collection of the St. Petersburg collector Viktor Samsonov (who in 1993 tried to open a private museum of his native city) - for example, "Virgin" with the signature of Simon Ushakov. In a small adjacent zalchike recreated studio with vintage instruments, grated mineral paints, Tracings, which will sit a living icon painter and talk about their craft.
Through the hall of the XVII century it will be possible to pass in the Greek hall, which is mounted a genuine carved wooden iconostasis with icons of the late XVII century, immediately there are a number of Cretan icons and examples of church plate. On the third floor - Yaroslavl school end of XVII - beginning of XVIII century, part of the iconostasis in the Baroque style. A separate room is highlighted by a thematic collection - here with an architectural icon and background images of the saints with the monasteries they founded (as mentioned above, Mikhail Abramov construction business).
In one of the rooms - a real, gray with age Old Believer chapel. This cabin, which the museum director Nicholas Zadorozhnyi saw 40 years ago, the outskirts of the forest villages in Vyshny Volochok, managed to find - the locals have no memory of it. Oratory was allowed to export and save the museum, however, when collected nesgnivshie logs, it became three times less. But all true - namolennye "for two centuries walls, benches and shelves on which in accordance with the rules of the Old Believers-bespopovtsev placed small image.
Last year, the Museum of Russian Icons has acquired a collection of the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian art: icons, popular prints with religious content, manuscripts, silver cross, covered with exquisite carvings and shape similar to the fairy-tale clues. This is mainly items XVIII-XIX centuries, but catches and XVII century, this no one in Russia and in the largest state museums. The oldest in this section - Nubian pitcher with a cross. These items will be on display in the room, imitating a cave church. There will be a Byzantine hall - until he prepared for underwear and processional crosses made of metal.
Tatiana Markina
Journal «Weekend» № 1 (3597) on 21.01.2011
museum opening is scheduled for January 25.
It would be very interested to hear (and see) comments and photos visit the museum.