THE FIRST EDITIONS OF VIEWS AND SHRINES OF THE KOZELSK VVEDENSKAYA OPTINA PUSTYN AND THE SKETE OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

This article attempts to consider the sheet publications of Optina Pustyn as a special type of activity of the monastery. The article shows for the first time the history of the appearance of first sheet editions of the Optina Hermitage and Predtechensky Skete. The author indicates reasons for the e...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Oleg R. Khromov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Russian Orthodox Church. Ekaterinburg Theological Seminary of the Ekaterinburg Eparchy 2024-01-01
Series:Вестник Екатеринбургской духовной семинарии
Subjects:
Online Access:https://epds.ru/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/5_N44-2023_Khromov.pdf
_version_ 1797339155239272448
author Oleg R. Khromov
author_facet Oleg R. Khromov
author_sort Oleg R. Khromov
collection DOAJ
description This article attempts to consider the sheet publications of Optina Pustyn as a special type of activity of the monastery. The article shows for the first time the history of the appearance of first sheet editions of the Optina Hermitage and Predtechensky Skete. The author indicates reasons for the emergence in 1826 of publications with the image of the miraculous icon of Our Lady of the Sign from Predtechensky Skete, and also with the image of St. John the Baptist surrounded by the views of Optina Pustyn (with a stamp image “Finding the Head of St. John the Baptist”, on the lower part) and of Predtechensky Skete (with “St. John the Baptist”, at the bottom of the central image). The image (edition) is first described and presented here. This sheet from the collection of the Russian State Library is known today in a single copy. Other early images of the Predtechensky Skete and Optina Pustyn (dated 1831) are considered to have been made and released at the same time due to the proximity and identity of their design. However, based on the analysis of the images and the historical realities that accompanied their release, the author was able to clarify the dates: the sheet with the “View of St. John the Forerunner’s Skete” had to be attributed to the time after 1837. Analysis of the style of the images, as well as the manner of engraving made it possible to attribute them to the Moscow master Alexander Gavrilovich Afanasyev (worked in 1816–1862). The history of publications and the participation in this process of Elizaveta Alexandrovna Kutuzova, who financed them, has been clarified. It is also established that she was a sister of monk Porfiry (Grigorov), a resident of the Skete, who was engaged in publishing. A detailed review of the first sheet editions of Optina Pustyn and Predtechensky Skete is made in the context of a special publishing activity of the monastery releasing views of the Monastery and Skete, and the images of shrines as pilgrimage relics. This kind of publication activities was a typical phenomenon for the monastic culture of the 18th–19th centuries.
first_indexed 2024-03-08T09:41:52Z
format Article
id doaj.art-81a6e2e0ea7e490d9d744b3e2b08f964
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2224-5391
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-08T09:41:52Z
publishDate 2024-01-01
publisher Russian Orthodox Church. Ekaterinburg Theological Seminary of the Ekaterinburg Eparchy
record_format Article
series Вестник Екатеринбургской духовной семинарии
spelling doaj.art-81a6e2e0ea7e490d9d744b3e2b08f9642024-01-30T04:26:27ZengRussian Orthodox Church. Ekaterinburg Theological Seminary of the Ekaterinburg EparchyВестник Екатеринбургской духовной семинарии2224-53912024-01-014412914110.24412/2224-5391-2023-44-129-141THE FIRST EDITIONS OF VIEWS AND SHRINES OF THE KOZELSK VVEDENSKAYA OPTINA PUSTYN AND THE SKETE OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTISTOleg R. Khromov0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7417-1756Moscow Theological AcademyThis article attempts to consider the sheet publications of Optina Pustyn as a special type of activity of the monastery. The article shows for the first time the history of the appearance of first sheet editions of the Optina Hermitage and Predtechensky Skete. The author indicates reasons for the emergence in 1826 of publications with the image of the miraculous icon of Our Lady of the Sign from Predtechensky Skete, and also with the image of St. John the Baptist surrounded by the views of Optina Pustyn (with a stamp image “Finding the Head of St. John the Baptist”, on the lower part) and of Predtechensky Skete (with “St. John the Baptist”, at the bottom of the central image). The image (edition) is first described and presented here. This sheet from the collection of the Russian State Library is known today in a single copy. Other early images of the Predtechensky Skete and Optina Pustyn (dated 1831) are considered to have been made and released at the same time due to the proximity and identity of their design. However, based on the analysis of the images and the historical realities that accompanied their release, the author was able to clarify the dates: the sheet with the “View of St. John the Forerunner’s Skete” had to be attributed to the time after 1837. Analysis of the style of the images, as well as the manner of engraving made it possible to attribute them to the Moscow master Alexander Gavrilovich Afanasyev (worked in 1816–1862). The history of publications and the participation in this process of Elizaveta Alexandrovna Kutuzova, who financed them, has been clarified. It is also established that she was a sister of monk Porfiry (Grigorov), a resident of the Skete, who was engaged in publishing. A detailed review of the first sheet editions of Optina Pustyn and Predtechensky Skete is made in the context of a special publishing activity of the monastery releasing views of the Monastery and Skete, and the images of shrines as pilgrimage relics. This kind of publication activities was a typical phenomenon for the monastic culture of the 18th–19th centuries.https://epds.ru/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/5_N44-2023_Khromov.pdfoptina pustynpredtechensky skete of optina pustynpilgrimage relicsfolk religious picture (lubok)monastic book publishingmonastic engraved publicationspictorial publicationsbibliologyorthodox art of the new age
spellingShingle Oleg R. Khromov
THE FIRST EDITIONS OF VIEWS AND SHRINES OF THE KOZELSK VVEDENSKAYA OPTINA PUSTYN AND THE SKETE OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
Вестник Екатеринбургской духовной семинарии
optina pustyn
predtechensky skete of optina pustyn
pilgrimage relics
folk religious picture (lubok)
monastic book publishing
monastic engraved publications
pictorial publications
bibliology
orthodox art of the new age
title THE FIRST EDITIONS OF VIEWS AND SHRINES OF THE KOZELSK VVEDENSKAYA OPTINA PUSTYN AND THE SKETE OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
title_full THE FIRST EDITIONS OF VIEWS AND SHRINES OF THE KOZELSK VVEDENSKAYA OPTINA PUSTYN AND THE SKETE OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
title_fullStr THE FIRST EDITIONS OF VIEWS AND SHRINES OF THE KOZELSK VVEDENSKAYA OPTINA PUSTYN AND THE SKETE OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
title_full_unstemmed THE FIRST EDITIONS OF VIEWS AND SHRINES OF THE KOZELSK VVEDENSKAYA OPTINA PUSTYN AND THE SKETE OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
title_short THE FIRST EDITIONS OF VIEWS AND SHRINES OF THE KOZELSK VVEDENSKAYA OPTINA PUSTYN AND THE SKETE OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
title_sort first editions of views and shrines of the kozelsk vvedenskaya optina pustyn and the skete of st john the baptist
topic optina pustyn
predtechensky skete of optina pustyn
pilgrimage relics
folk religious picture (lubok)
monastic book publishing
monastic engraved publications
pictorial publications
bibliology
orthodox art of the new age
url https://epds.ru/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/5_N44-2023_Khromov.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT olegrkhromov thefirsteditionsofviewsandshrinesofthekozelskvvedenskayaoptinapustynandthesketeofstjohnthebaptist
AT olegrkhromov firsteditionsofviewsandshrinesofthekozelskvvedenskayaoptinapustynandthesketeofstjohnthebaptist