A fog of uncertainty has thickened around “Trinity” and other masterpieces by Rublev

“Everything is calm in Baghdad” – approximately this catchphrase from the famous film reassures us in the last days of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ministry of Culture regarding the state of Rublev’s “Trinity”. But here, as in the song: “Again the dust is standing like a pillar – everyone is looking for Princess Budur.” There is no documentary evidence that everything is in order with the fragile icon.

Where are the x-rays, macro photography and other data that could support the officials’ words? When restorers sounded the alarm about the state of the monument, these were not empty words: each statement could be verified by studying the results of the survey.

Is it possible to believe the reassurances and why are they silent about Rublev’s other masterpieces, the fate of which raises concerns, MK looked into it.

“The Restoration Council under the Russian Ministry of Culture reviewed measures to preserve the Trinity,” the cultural department said. All activities boil down to daily monitoring of the condition of the 15th-century monument, which, according to the Ministry of Culture, “is located in a room with a constant, optimally selected climate,” and the conditions for storing the icon “have been created transparent.”

The council, which cannot be called expanded at all (although this is exactly what was announced earlier), included about ten people, including the director of the Tretyakov Gallery Elena Pronicheva, the chief curator of the State Tretyakov Gallery Lidia Gladkova, the director of the Grabar Restoration Center Dmitry Sergeev, the first deputy minister of culture Sergei Obryvalin and the head Legal Department of the Patriarchate Abbess Ksenia (Chernega).

By the way, she made a separate statement about the “Trinity” even before the council, saying that the icon “does not require restoration” and that it is in “good condition.” On the eve of the Trinity Council, Patriarch Kirill visited Grabar at the Restoration Center; Chernega accompanied him. That is, the two parties who, according to the agreement signed in July, are responsible for the monument, claim that everything is in order. Let’s hope so.

True, the lack of extended comments and survey data is confusing. Therefore, the expression “transparent conditions” still sounds vague. Especially against the backdrop of the alarming information that was heard earlier.

In September, an unnamed source claimed that recent research had revealed more than 80 new changes to the icon. If we summarize the reports published over the past year and a half, it turns out that the icon has accumulated more than 150 new “sores.” It is no coincidence that in the summer at the Institute of Art History, experts discussed the condition of the Trinity and its future fate for several hours, backing up their concerns with data. Moreover, dozens of leading experts from all over the country participated in that meeting. And they were more convincing than the soothing, but rather abstract phrases that officials say now.

However, after this advice there should be another – and more than one. At least this is what the Grabar Restoration Center promises in its statement on November 3. Perhaps, as a result of these meetings, we will receive a more detailed report on the state of Trinity.

What is really reassuring is that it seems that the Ministry of Culture and the Russian Orthodox Church have agreed that the “Trinity” will stay on “rest” for about a year, and it will be moved to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra only when the proper conditions are created there. And this is a capsule with climate control and, possibly, a special room with special conditions, as recommended by art historians and restorers.

Meanwhile, few people talk about the fate of Rublev’s other masterpieces, the situation with which is no less vague. For example, about the frescoes in the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, created by the great icon painter together with Daniil Cherny in 1408.

The restoration did not help save the paintings, which are under the protection of UNESCO, but, on the contrary, aggravated the situation, argued Alexander Skvortsov, a restorer of the highest category, back in 2016.

Restoration work on the cathedral ended in 2018, but even then it was clear that much had been done wrong. Therefore, last year preparations began for a new restoration project and another scientific examination of both the 12th-century building itself and the frescoes took place.

In October of this year, the project documentation was placed on the table of the Ministry of Culture. It must now be reviewed and approved by the department’s expert council. When he can do this, and most importantly, when a budget can be allocated for these necessary works, is unclear. Fog again.

The problem of preserving frescoes is even more acute than icons, because they cannot be placed in a climatic display case. In order not to lose “The Last Judgment” by Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny, it is necessary to turn the entire Assumption Cathedral into such a TVR (temperature and humidity) capsule. This is possible if you install automatic climate control sensors that will respond to changes in temperature and humidity in the ancient walls, depending on how many people are in the cathedral, burning candles and other factors that affect the atmosphere.

Let’s hope that this option is proposed in the restoration project of the Assumption Cathedral. However, there are again no details of how they are going to restore one of the most ancient churches in Russia after a recent unsuccessful restoration.