In the seventies, persistent joint works of a large group of smugglers and the KGB to identify the contraband was not in vain: Russian icon has become famous throughout the world. They took dozens of accidents while the black students. They exported these icons on the trains, and brought back with lurex scarves, which lacked Russian women, and watch "Orient" and "Seiko", about which so dreamed of Soviet men. People are caught, sometimes jailed for eight or ten years. Hundreds and thousands of icons were shipped abroad. It was written by the mass of accusatory articles in Pravda and Izvestia. But as a result of this illegal activity so speculators-ikonschikov icon of Russian and spread throughout the world.
I personally think that the movement of cultural property in any direction is nothing wrong with that. If in the West, Russian icons are not appreciated, if they do not sell auction "Sotheby's, Christie's and others, the icon would remain a thing in itself ... It is as if, for example, Egyptian or Greek heritage could only within the boundaries of Greece or Egypt - and would not we have any artifacts in the Pushkin Museum and the Hermitage. But now, when it came time and Russia to the displacement of cultural values began to be not so nervous, you can bring the icons back. Not even take any taxes, but earlier for import have to pay eighteen percent fee. And so the icon to request a home and arrived. Not that safe and sound - but it is unknown where they would better preserved.
Quality of western restoration undoubtedly less than that. Russian school of restoration of tempera painting the most advanced in the world, this is our know-how. We have a serious school is on the restoration of icons. But I must say more about something else: style, which originated in the West in the late fifties to the Russian icon, unfortunately, meant that the icon should be either zolotofonnoy or belofonnoy. Because foreigners focuses mainly on the Trinity Rublev, in which, as we know, the background was not preserved, and it is us on a marble-white gesso ivory. Here in the West, and felt that this is how Russian icon should look like. For the sake of local antique dealers are often pulled out backgrounds are brought from Russia icons. For example, a holiday series, which is now on exhibition, a large and very beautiful, but the background on it completely tore specifically to the tastes of foreign collectors. This, of course, a big minus. Icons suffered greatly as a result of such a strange fashion. Fortunately, over time this began to understand, including the West, and has long been an icon so that nobody spoils.
By the way, I told you never told me why so many icons were exported in the seventies. Not all were taken illegally, some legally. For then, as you know, Brezhnev and Nixon agreed that the Jews can go to their historic homeland in Israel. But nothing could be exported: no apartments, no Russian money, or Western money (for a general article: more than fifty dollars - the term), no jewelry, not even the samovar. And then suddenly allowed to export icons. First, five pieces per family member. And the Jews were forced to buy these icons to any value to remove. I then, in the seventy-second year, the first time began to address this issue, because some of my friends who went into exile, asked them to get these icons. I was then twenty years. I remember that the commission was in Andronikovskom monastery, where these icons checked. If they were not ancient, they quietly pack off forever. And there were a good thing, XVIII-XIX centuries. In this exhibition, about half the things of this age. But so many of them were in Russia that the country they are not valued. Stoneley they are very cheap: the icon, which is now worth about five thousand dollars, then worth no more than two hundred Soviet rubles, that is, at that time about seventy dollars. A sell such an icon in the West could be in about three hundred dollars.
Late icons so far from Russia are trafficked - the late XIX - early XX century. They are in great demand, for example, in Poland. Germans also love them, bought for themselves. And the Italians, for example, in all the expensive shops - jewelry, fashion and so on - is certainly worth some kind of beautiful Russian icon in silver, my dear. They believe that this is a very decorated shop window. The icon is still different people are different, including the purely utilitarian.
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http://www.snob.ru/chronicle/entry/2831
13.06.2009, 19:43
Alexander Lipnitskii
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