Perhaps this post will not seem entirely interesting to you - there are few reproductions, their quality leaves much to be desired (however, it seems to me that this is simply impossible to convey in photographs), a lot of text (I warn you right away) - but I really wanted to remind you of the great Master who dedicated all my life to one project. ONE - but which one!!! Moscow photographer and publisher Yuri Holdin - the only one who managed the almost impossible: he not only captured all the frescoes of Dionysius of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary of the Ferapontov Monastery on a camera, but also, thanks to innovative photography methods, managed to convey their color, texture, volume, proportions, which, according to experts, is unique even for the modern level of photography technology. By the way, residents and guests of Moscow can see his works - the Museum of Orthodox Art of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior now has a permanent exhibition of works by photographer Yuri Holdin. In addition, there is a traveling exhibition of works from his project “The Light of Dionysius’ Frescoes for the World.”
So, Yuri Ivanovich Holdin. No. First Dionysius, or rather his frescoes. On September 21, 2012, the famous frescoes of the great Dionysius in the Ferapontov Monastery turned 510 years old. Frescoes in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary at the Ferapontov Monastery are the only monument in Russia of medieval Russian artistic culture of the 11th-15th centuries. with a complete cycle of paintings (I emphasize this, otherwise you will think that it is the only one), preserved in its original form. Only for this reason they have a unique meaning, not to mention the fact that they were written by their master, whom his contemporaries called “wise,” “notorious above all in this matter,” “the first artist of painting” in Rus'. The area of fresco painting is about 700 sq.m. and includes about three hundred compositions by the artist. The frescoes of the Ferapontov Monastery are included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List and are included in the State Code of Especially Valuable Objects of the Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of Russia. I will not write about the brilliant Dionysius and the Ferapont Monastery.
The ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery is a historical and cultural monument of federal significance in the Kirillovsky district of the Vologda region
Frescoes of Dionysius in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Yuri Holdin was born on August 15, 1954. Graduated from the University of Arts in 1979, VGIK. Worked in cinema. Since 1990, he became immersed in Orthodox themes and began taking photographs. During this period, he rented the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery. Publishes an album of his photographs "Moscow Necropolis. Novodevichy Convent". Begins working on the series "Frescoes of Rus'". Since 1995, he has been photographing the frescoes of Dionysius in the Ferapontov Monastery. The result of the work was the educational project “The Light of Dionysius’s Frescoes to the World”, within the framework of which the Dionysius’ frescoes captured by Yuri Holdin were exhibited in 2006 at the State Tretyakov Gallery, New Manege at the exhibition “The Light of Orthodoxy” as part of the Educational Christmas Readings (2007), Russian State Humanitarian University, Novgorod, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, St. Petersburg. One of the master’s most significant works in recent years has been the art album “Through the Veil of Five Centuries: An Intimate Encounter with the Frescoes of Dionysius the Wise.” Yuri Holdin was one of the founders and president of the Frescoes of Rus' Foundation. His professional activities took place in Russia and other countries.
Dionysius and his sons painted the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary at the Ferapontov Monastery in 34 days. Holdin photographed the complex of these frescoes for 10 years! It took so much time not only to cover all the wall paintings. Looking at the master’s works, you remember the literal translation of the word “photography” - “light painting”. Typically, frescoes are photographed at night, under artificial lighting, which results in fairly rigid contours with impenetrable spots of black shadows. The worst thing is what is written on the concave surfaces of the temple. Yuri Holdin’s author’s method allows you to take photographs during the day: “We took as a standard for conveying the color of Dionysius’s frescoes a sunny summer day, when the ocher flares up, lights up festively, and at the same time you can perceive this as a liturgical time, when the candles light up and the ocher is painted so warm golden color, and the blue and blue colors calm down a little. And only then did we start to succeed. But this work does not lie in the field of reproduction or in the field of photographic recording, because this is already an interior staged shooting. Of course, we worked with light, space and image, including the image of Dionysius’ compositions. That is, everything was important to us - the window, the frames, the screed, the floor, the door, and, of course, the frescoes.” This is a unique work, both artistic and scientific at the same time. The exceptionally high quality level of reproduction of the created material is associated with innovative developments in the field of physics of light and in the field of color science. Holdin himself always compared himself to a translator - translating from the language of icon painting into the language of light painting, that is, photography. And here, as in the work of any translator, the main thing is to achieve maximum artistic and semantic accuracy. Not a bit of retouching or, as they would say now, photoshop. Even the cracks are as if they were alive. In addition, the photographer, contrary to the art historical techniques of the 20th century, did not reproduce frescoes, but began to work with space.
Our Lady on the throne with the archangels Gabriel and Michael
Saint Nicholas of Myra
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary - northeastern part
First Ecumenical Council
Archangel Gabriel (fresco fragment " Annunciation ") - left; " Oh, All-Singing Mother"
"Annunciation"
"The Dream and Caress of Mary"
"Mary's Bath"
"Adoration of the Magi"
"He rejoices in You... "Virgin Mary with Saints
Marriage in Cana of Galilee
Great Martyr George
Righteous Joseph. Fragment of the fresco " Flight to Egypt"
I became acquainted with the works of Yuri Holdin at an exhibition in Kolomenskoye. To be honest, I didn’t immediately understand, or rather, realized that these were photographs. I leaned towards them to get a better look. A wild thought was spinning in my head: “Were they really taken off the wall and framed?” Looking at the too realistically presented Dionysius, you do not immediately understand that behind the photographic frescoes the enormous work of another master, through whose eyes we can now see the frescoes, is much more real than in the native walls of the cathedral. Those who have been there at least once understand how a half-hour excursion program is not enough to “embrace the immensity.” But you can go a long way and not get to the cathedral - at the opening of the exhibition in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' spoke about his own sad experience. In addition, the compositional accuracy and coloring of the photo frescoes, which create the effect of presence in the cathedral itself, now allows us to see a lot without perspective distortions. As an example, those who visited the Ferapont Monastery did not see such John the Baptist. This image is high, its visibility depends on the light, and the light depends on the time of day, year and weather. Holdin’s works provide an opportunity, unattainable in a museum, to see the frescoes as Dionysius himself saw them.
"The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins" . Section along the central longitudinal nave
Section along the central transverse nave - view to the west. After receiving the good news, Mary went to her mother’s sister Elizabeth, the wife of the priest Zechariah, the future mother of John the Baptist.
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary - external painting of the western portal
Fragment of the northern wall of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary
The work of Yuri Ivanovich Holdin was not an order and was not funded. His only support was his family, his wife, who did not complain (although she had to sacrifice a lot) to allow her husband to finish filming the ancient masterpiece. Holdin made no compromises when it came to the quality of both shooting and printing. He destroyed those prints that looked quite decent to an outsider, but, from his point of view, did not match the color of the frescoes in Ferapontov. The argument that this is a waste of money was not accepted at all. Each of his photographs is unique: from each frame there remains one author’s print. When applied to photography, this is a paradox. But Holdin was engaged not just in photography, but in translation from the language of icon painting to the language of light painting. A masterly and faithful translation. The skill of the photographer cannot be separated from a deep understanding of ancient Russian art. God knows how much time the artist devoted to developing a unique method of photographic reproduction of frescoes. All this will remain a secret to Yuri Holdin. He died while filming morning Moscow - on Sunday, July 29, 2007, at about five in the morning - he fell from the 11th floor of the building where he lived. The cornice on which the Master was standing collapsed...
I understand that there is a lot of text, but don’t be lazy, please read Guzel Agisheva’s article. You will get to know this amazing person and Master better.
There was such an ascetic, Yuri Holdin, who revealed to us the great Russian icon painter Dionysius - the author of the frescoes in the Ferapontov Monastery
The frescoes of Dionysius in the Ferapontov Monastery are 510 years old. Let's be honest: few people will get there. And even if he gets there, he won’t see much. They are allowed in for only 15 minutes, during which time even the most experienced person in icon painting with the keenest eyesight is not able to grasp the genius of Dionysius. But! There was such an ascetic, Yuri Holdin, who revealed Dionysius to us. And this is not an exaggeration. To appreciate his works, you need to come to the exhibition at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. This exhibition continues to be supplemented with new works from the archives of the photographer and, with the blessing of the patriarch, will now be permanent.
In the early 1990s, Holdin was already a well-known personality - he had international awards for associative photography. I could do commercial photography and make money. But “everyone chooses a woman, a religion, a path for themselves.” He went to Solovki in 1992 to talk about the fate of Russia through the fate of the monastery. Filmed a large series about the “Solovetsky Golgotha” and the return of the monastery. Without waiting for understanding, he threw away a huge amount of work, managing to publish only a small album in Italy. Later, on a pilgrimage to the Russian north, I stopped with a friend, the poet Yuri Kublanovsky, at the Ferapontov Monastery. Does this happen by chance? I saw the frescoes of Dionysius in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin and could no longer tear myself away from them. Ferapontov became the meaning of his life. For 12 years, until his tragic death, Yuri Ivanovich Holdin devoted Dionysius to how to show people this famous, but essentially unknown masterpiece to the world without distortion.
At that time, it was considered correct to shoot frescoes at night, under harsh frontal artificial lighting, to convey true color. Holdin destroyed this stereotype. He thought about what kind of light environment Dionysius could have kept in mind when painting the temple? I began to study how natural light affects our perception of space and color in the cathedral. Confirmation of his search came from Italy - along with the exhibition “Giotto in Padua”, which was brought to Russia in 2004. The Italians built a model of the chapel out of wood and covered it inside with photographs of Giotto's frescoes. Flat. Someone laughed at this and called it canned food. And Holdin already knew why this feeling arose. That’s why I set myself a super task: the feeling should be as if you find yourself in the single color space of a cathedral.
For a whole year I studied the murals, calculated the light in which the color of Dionysius was revealed most harmoniously, so that neither warm nor cold paint would dominate, so that the ocher would light up, and the cabbage roll would flicker, there would be no gaps and inevitable black shadows: And I found the only correct one for solving the task tuning fork: midday on a sunny day - that’s when Dionysius’s plan is fully revealed. Of course, this is the culmination of the Divine Liturgy! But daylight is very changeable, which means it is impossible to correctly convey color in daylight conditions? Holdin found his own narrow way to overcome this problem. It took seven years to solve the most complex technological problems of light and color rendering in order to give the viewer a feeling of otherworldliness of the images, of them floating in the light-air space of the temple. And in the end, as one priest-artist put it, “he showed Dionysius to the world without a single shadow of the earthly world.” His album “Through the Veil of Five Centuries” (2002) became an event of global significance. 300 compositions, or 700 “squares” of painting! Everything was here - volume, color, light, texture. In fact - a facsimile of Dionysius himself! By the way, about the facsimile: Dionysius did not sign his creations; this was not customary among ancient Russian icon painters. But in the Nativity of the Theotokos Cathedral of the Ferapontov Monastery he left a signature in the pier of the northern door of the temple: “And the scribes Deonisius the icon-maker with his children. O Lord Christ, King of all, deliver them, O Lord, from eternal torment.”
Holdin's exhibition works are unique - all experimental specimens with more than half a percent of color were destroyed by him. He was firm in his understanding of his responsibility for Dionysius: “There should be no marriage left after me.” Replicating Kholdin's works is the most difficult task. Believing that “digital” is just an intermediate information product, he used a slide, an object of the same water-based nature as the fresco itself, as the basis for shooting. And, scanning each time to the required size, he achieved a special ringing: to convey each composition without the slightest loss of quality, so that the viewer would have the feeling that he was seeing the fresco itself. And he achieved this - many come up and touch:
There were legends about Holdin's professional demands even during his lifetime. He irritated many people with it. Previously, art historians used words to describe what a potential viewer had to take on faith: an angel’s clothes are such and such a color, a wing is such and such: And here you go, here are the works of Dionysius, without the slightest distortion! If you go to the temple, you won’t see it like that: you don’t know what time of day they will let you in there, and even then for 15 minutes! And the Mont Blancs of candidate and doctoral theses, with their rituals and outright gags, which are usually called scientific interpretation, went to hell! Because one such smart “photographer” came and through 12 years of his earnest, ascetic work, guided by talent, intuition, insight, he turned the whole thing from head to foot.
By showing Dionysius, Holdin gave us unprecedented opportunities for research, and thanks to this breakthrough, the most interesting things have already been discovered. Not some trifles, but perhaps the most important thing in the icon painter’s work: we saw the luminous center of Dionysius’s works. In Soviet times - feel the difference - it was called the empty center! But it turned out that it was not empty at all, but luminous. For the main thing that the icon painter Dionysius sought was to convey the Divine Tabor light! Thus, the Favorian light of Dionysius’s creations was revealed to us five centuries later thanks to Holdin.
I’m watching filming from 2006 - Yuri Kholdin and Savva Yamshchikov are giving a press conference at the Tretyakov Gallery. Holdin is handsome, light, as if drawn with a feather, with an open, clear face. He speaks calmly, simply. And when a year later he fell from the 12th floor while filming, no one believed it was an accident. They talked about the unnatural flight path, and a criminal case was opened. But Katya, his wife and most faithful assistant, does not want to talk about it. She talks about his business with pleasure, laughs, remembering that she once complained to him about the lack of money, for everyday life, for the children: after all, almost all personal funds from the family budget for years went to the progress of the project. And in response, a saying from the New Testament appeared on the wall above her desk: “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” He believed that one must be ready to receive God’s mercy. He was ready.
Guzel Agisheva
Article “The Second Coming of Dionysius.” Newspaper "Trud" from issue 169, November 20, 2012.
Ferapontov Belozersky Nativity of the Virgin Monastery was founded at the turn of the 14th – 15th centuries, during the period of expansion of the political influence of the Moscow Grand Duchy, for about 400 years it was one of the prominent cultural and religious educational centers in the Belozersky region.
The history of the Ferapontov Monastery at some key points comes into contact with important historical events of the era of the formation of the Russian centralized state, and is closely connected with the main historical events that took place in Moscow in the 15th – 17th centuries: the capture and blinding of Grand Duke Vasily II the Dark, the establishment of the power of the first “sovereign of all Rus'” » Ivan III, the birth and reign of the first Russian Tsar Ivan IV, the formation of the Romanov dynasty, the exile of Patriarch Nikon.
Traditionally, the date of foundation of the Ferapont monastery is taken to be 1398. At this time, an associate of the Monk Ferapont settled separately on a hill between two lakes, Borodaevsky and Paskim. A few years later, obeying the insistence of the Belozersk prince Andrei Dmitrievich, he went near Moscow, to Mozhaisk, and founded his second monastery - Luzhetsky.
Ferapontov Monastery becomes widely known thanks to the activities of the disciple of Cyril of Belozersky, Venerable Martinian, confessor of Vasily II, who was in 1447 - 1455. abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery.
In the second half of the 15th - early 16th centuries, the Ferapontov Monastery became a significant spiritual, cultural and ideological center of Belozerye, one of the famous Trans-Volga monasteries, whose elders had a serious influence on the politics of Moscow.
Along with the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, it becomes a traditional place of worship and contributions of many representatives of the Russian feudal nobility (Andrei and Mikhail Mozhaisky, Vasily III, Ivan IV and others). From its walls at the turn of the 15th – 16th centuries. Prominent hierarchs of the Russian Church emerged who actively participated in the internal life of the country - Archbishop of Rostov and Yaroslavl Joasaph (Obolensky), Bishop of Perm and Vologda Philotheus, Bishop of Suzdal Ferapont.
At the same time, major church figures who fought for the priority of church power in the state (Metropolitan Spiridon-Sava, Patriarch Nikon) were exiled here. Book writers Martinian, Spiridon, Philotheus, Paisius, Matthew, Efrosyn, and icon painter Dionysius worked here.
The entire 16th century was the heyday of the monastery. This is evidenced by the surviving deposits and letters of grant from the secular and spiritual authorities, primarily Ivan IV. Vasily III and Elena Glinskaya, Ivan IV come to the monastery on pilgrimage. The deposit book of the monastery, begun in 1534, names among the contributors “princes Staritsky, Kubensky, Lykov, Belsky, Shuisky, Vorotynsky... Godunov, Sheremetev” and others. The rulers of Siberia, Rostov, Vologda, Belozersk, and Novgorod are also mentioned here.
With the discovery of the relics of St. Martinian and his subsequent canonization, attention to the monastery increases, contributing to the growth of deposits and income.
To the richest patrimony of Belozerye - the Ferapontov Monastery at the beginning of the 17th century. belonged to several villages, about 60 villages, 100 wastelands, more than 300 peasants.
In 1490, with the construction of the first stone church of Belozerye, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, by Rostov craftsmen, the formation of the stone ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery of the 15th - 17th centuries began.
In the 16th century In the monastery, monumental buildings with a refectory and service buildings were built - a stone drying room, a guest chamber, a cook's chamber. Having recovered from the Lithuanian devastation, in the middle of the 17th century. the monastery is being built.
In 1798, the Ferapontov Monastery was abolished by decree of the Synod.
In the 19th century, during the parish period, the narrowed monastic territory was enclosed.
In 1904, the monastery was reopened as a convent and closed again in 1924.
Currently, the monuments of the Ferapontov Monastery house the Museum of Frescoes of Dionysius, which has the status of a historical, architectural and art museum-reserve. The museum, which arose at the beginning of the 20th century, protected the monuments with the help of only one guard throughout the 1930s-1960s. Since 1975, the formation of a modern museum began, which has turned into a research and educational center, disseminating knowledge about the unique monuments of the Ferapontov Monastery ensemble through various forms of museum work. At the end of 2000, the ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery with paintings by Dionysius was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery
The complex of monuments of the Ferapontov Monastery with paintings by Dionysius is a rare example of the preservation and stylistic unity of the Russian northern monastic ensemble of the 15th – 17th centuries, revealing the typical features of the architecture of the time of the formation of the Russian centralized state. The ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery is a vivid example of harmonious unity with the natural surrounding landscape, practically unchanged since the 17th century, emphasizing the special spiritual structure of northern monasticism, while at the same time revealing the peculiarities of the economic structure of the northern peasantry.
The monastery buildings are perhaps the only ones in the Russian North that have retained all the characteristic features of their decor and interiors.
Photo: Nativity Cathedral of Ferapontov Monastery
Photo and description
The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, built in 1490, is the first stone building of the Ferapontov Monastery, which represents a first-class example of the original Rostov architecture, preserving the signs of early Moscow stone buildings.
The temple is of a cubic type - four-pillar, cross-domed, three-apse. Its volume, installed on a high basement, is crowned with three tiers of kokoshniks and a small elegant drum. At the top, the facades are decorated with ornamental belts made of balusters and ceramic slabs. The drum of the central dome, as well as the kokoshniks and semicircles of the asp of the altar, are generously processed. Their design presents all types of decor - tiled belts, balusters, figured niches. The cathedral also had a southern aisle, above which a small dome rose. A small belfry was added on the north side.
The interior of the cathedral is divided by four square pillars into three naves with raised arches under the drum. The painting contains 300 compositions and occupies the entire surface of the walls, pillars, vaults, doors and window soffits. Outside, the cathedral is painted in the center of the wall located on the west, as well as in the lower part of the south above the burial place of St. Martinian.
The murals of the Nativity Cathedral are the only painting by the greatest Russian craftsman Dionysius the Wise that has survived to this day in its original form and complete composition. The painting of the cathedral, together with Dionysius, was carried out by his sons; they spent thirty-four days on it. The area of painting on the walls of the cathedral is 600 sq.m. The soft colors of the painting, the harmony of colors and numerous subjects are pleasing to the eye. Also, the ancient icons from the temple were painted by Dionysius. The painting was done from top to bottom, in rows, as can be judged by the overlaps of the plaster layers. The compositions of each tier are mainly united by a common theme.
“Akathist to the Mother of God” - a picturesque interpretation of the hymn of praise, which consists of 25 songs, occupies a special place among the paintings of the monastery. Dionysius reflects all the chants. The artist placed the Akathist scenes in the third tier of paintings along the entire perimeter of the temple. Dionysius created one of the most impeccable personifications of the Akathist in painting.
The proportions and sizes of Dionysius’s compositions are organically combined with the interior of the cathedral and the surfaces of the walls. The lightness and grace of the design, slightly elongated silhouettes that emphasize the weightlessness of the figures, as well as the exquisite colors that spread unearthly light and the richness of tonal shades determine the uniqueness of Dionysius’ painting. According to legend, to prepare paints, he, in part, used multi-colored minerals, which were found in the form of placers in the areas of the Ferapontov Monastery.
After the German fascists destroyed many Novgorod churches of the 12th–15th centuries, the paintings of Dionysius remain one of the few surviving ancient Russian fresco ensembles. Among the monuments of Ancient Rus', these frescoes are distinguished by the absolute preservation of the author’s painting, which has not been updated. The fresco of the cathedral, as found out during scientific research, has a fairly solid soil with fairly well-preserved paint layers.
Since 1981, research work has been carried out in the Nativity Cathedral using specialized methods that were first developed specifically for the paintings of Dionysius; temperature and humidity conditions, the condition of the gesso and layers of paint are monitored. Conservation of frescoes, for preventive purposes, and an established temperature and humidity regime made it possible to lay a scientific basis for the preservation of the painting of Dionysius the Wise as a national treasure - a monument of not only Russian but also European culture.
Ferapontov Monastery, lost in the forests near White Lake, was founded in 1398 by the monk of the Moscow Simonov Monastery Ferapont. Known around the world as Fedor, he was born in Volokolamsk into a family of nobles, the Poskochins. From his youth, dreaming of a monastic life, he secretly left home and took monastic vows at the Simonov Monastery.
The abbot often gave him various assignments. One day he sent Ferapont to the distant Belozersk side. The harsh and brooding Russian North captivated the young monk. The thirst for desert solitude in the silence of the northern forests seized him. Returning to the Simonov Monastery, he shared his thoughts with the Monk Kirill, the future Kirill of Belozersky. “Is there a place on White Lake where a monk can be silent?” - asked Kirill. “There are many of them,” answered Ferapont. The die was cast: Cyril and Ferapont decided to go into the desert.
Having chosen a place on the shore of Lake Siverskoye, they erected a cross here and dug dugouts for themselves. After living with Cyril for some time, Ferapont went in search of solitude and settled on the shores of Lake Borodavskoye, in a “spacious and smooth” place. Soon other monks began to come here, wanting to share his desert life. In 1409, Ferapont built a wooden church in the name of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. This is how the Ferapontov Monastery arose.
The lands of Belozerye were part of the inheritance of Prince Andrei Dmitrievich Mozhaisky. Having heard about the new monastery, he sent here a gift of utensils for the temple and granted land to the monastery. Soon the princely governor, having arrived from Beloozero to Mozhaisk, told the prince about the exploits of the Monk Ferapont. Having long wanted to build a monastery near Mozhaisk, Prince Andrey invited Ferapont to his place. Leaving the monastery, Ferapont went to Mozhaisk, where he founded the Luzhetsky Monastery and where he died at the age of 90 on May 27, 1426.
Ferapont's successor was Abbot Martinian, a prominent church figure of the 15th century. Thanks to his labors, the monastery began to grow, becoming a major center of education. Martinian was especially fond of bookmaking and copied books himself. Under him, the beginning of an extensive monastery library was laid. The famous church writer Pachomius Logofet, who visited Ferapontovo in 1461, wrote that the monastery “is very beautiful, the brethren who work have a lot of property.” Throughout the 15th century, the monastery was a major spiritual center. A whole galaxy of famous educators and scribes emerged from its walls.
The solitude and remoteness of the monastery made it a residence for exiles of high clergy. The first of them was Archbishop of Rostov Joasaph (Obolensky). In 1488, after a quarrel with Ivan III, he was exiled to Ferapontovo. Joasaph lived in the monastery for about twenty-five years, spending his last years in complete silence. He died in 1513 and was buried next to the Monk Martinian, whom he considered his mentor.
Some time after Archbishop Joasaph appeared in Ferapontovo, there was a severe fire in the monastery, during which a holy fool named Galaktion saved the entire treasury of the archbishop. With these miraculously surviving funds, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was built in 1490. It became the second stone building in Belozero after the Cathedral of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery.
The Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary of the Ferapont Monastery is a strict single-domed building, traditional for Russian northern monasteries, in which the traditions of the Novgorod-Pskov school of stone architecture of the 15th century are felt. The cathedral is very sparsely decorated. A massive bell-shaped dome with a small dome at the end rises above the temple on a wide drum. The cathedral is surrounded by a covered stone gallery, which is adjoined on the western side by a square, single-tier bell tower, covered with a low tent.
Twelve years after the construction of the cathedral, in 1502, the famous painter Dionysius and his sons came to Ferapontovo to paint the cathedral. “In the summer of the 7010s (1502) of the month of August at 6 on the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ, the signing of the church began quickly, and was completed on the 2nd summer of the month on September 9... And the scribes were Dionysius the iconographer with his children. O Lord Christ, King of all, deliver them, O Lord, from eternal torment,” reads the ancient inscription on the northern wall of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin.
The cathedral church of the Ferapontov Monastery with frescoes of Dionysius has long been included in the treasury of domestic and world art. Numerous scientific studies and photo albums published all over the world are devoted to the frescoes of Dionysius; information about them can be found in any publication telling about ancient Russian painting.
“In the art of Dionysius,” wrote M.V. Alpatov, “there is a lot of spirituality, moral nobility, subtlety of feelings, and this connects him with the best traditions of Rublev.” Dionysius, like Andrei Rublev, sought to create icons that seemed to radiate light. But at the same time, “he has that element of solemnity and pomp that was unknown and alien to Rublev and his contemporaries.” The latter is not surprising - Dionysius worked a lot in the Moscow Kremlin and adopted the spirit of representativeness and splendor that established itself in Moscow when the Grand Duke began to be called “the sovereign of all Rus'.”
The date of birth of Dionysius is considered to be 1440. The successor of Andrei Rublev’s work, a brilliant painter, whom his contemporaries called “the beginning of the artist,” “glorious above all,” worked a lot in Moscow and monasteries near Moscow. In 1467-1476 he painted frescoes and icons in the Pafnutievo Borovsky Monastery, in 1481 he painted the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, then he worked in the Moscow Spaso-Chigasov Monastery and in the Kremlin Resurrection Monastery, after 1485 he painted icons for the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady of Joseph of Volokolamsk monastery, in 1500 - in the Pavlo-Obnorsky monastery. In 1502, Dionysius, together with his sons Theodosius, Vladimir and Andrei, created one of the most perfect ensembles of Russian medieval art - the frescoes of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the Ferapontov Monastery. By a happy coincidence, these frescoes are the main work of Dionysius that has survived to this day.
Unlike Andrei Rublev, Dionysius was not a monk. There is practically no ascetic beginning in his art. Based on the master’s works, one can judge that Dionysius was an educated man, knowledgeable in Russian history, who knew chronicles and hagiographic literature. The influence of Byzantium is also felt in his art. The paintings of Dionysius are distinguished by light, spiritual drawings, richness of colors, and skillful composition of the painting. “There is nothing sharp, impetuous, talkative, irrepressible in the art of Dionysius,” note art critics G. Bocharov and V. Vygolov. - His painting is deeply contemplative, suggestive, contemplative, as if responding to one of the provisions of the “Message to the Icon Painter,” a work of the second half of the 15th century, attributed to the pen of the famous figure of the Russian church Joseph Volotsky. It is necessary to worship icons, it says, because “we contemplate the spiritual for the sake of the iconic imagination... our mind and thought soar to Divine desire and love.” In Ferapontov’s paintings this inner enlightenment and love for man sounds.”
The paintings cover the entire interior of the temple from floor to ceiling. Festiveness and elegance - this is the main mood that determines the impression that the cathedral’s paintings make on the viewer. So, in the scene of the wedding feast, the clothes of the feasters, according to P.P. Muratov, “light, festive, decorated with gold and silver brocade and stones, glowing with pink fire, greenery and azure. These are truly “wedding” clothes, and all the art of Dionysius on the walls of the Ferapontov Monastery seems to us to be clothed in such wedding “feast” clothes.” In the frescoes of Dionysius, grace and measure, harmony and nobility, harmony and light reign.
The Cathedral of the Ferapontov Monastery was painted, as recent research has proven, in just 34 days, and not in two years, as previously thought. The main theme of the frescoes is the unity of the visible and invisible world, the world of people and the world of “incorporeal heavenly forces.” They are kept in the spirit of the ancient rule: harmony, unity and nothing superfluous.
The frescoes of the Ferapontov Monastery amaze with the richness of colors and nobility of tones - soft pink, golden yellow, lilac, greenish, lilac-brown and reddish-brown. Despite some muted color, they create the impression of tenderness and transparency of the colors. For many years it was believed that colored pebbles and clays of different colors and shades, which can be found on the shores of Borodavskoye and Paskoye lakes and in the beds of streams flowing into them, were used as dyes for frescoes. These pebbles were crushed, ground and mixed with egg whites.
This legend even caused a wave of pilgrimage to Ferapontovo by artists from Moscow and other cities. They looked for similar pebbles and clays and prepared paints from them according to ancient recipes. But very recent studies conducted by specialists from the Research Institute of Restoration have proven that the beautiful story of how Dionysius searched for colorful pebbles along the shores of lakes and ground them to prepare paints is nothing more than a fairy tale. Most of the paints in the Nativity Cathedral are not of local origin, they were prepared using complex technology from European masters, and such paint could be bought either from overseas merchants or from Russian craftsmen who knew the secret of its preparation.
“The long-standing persistent desire to consider the paintings of Dionysius to be created from local materials is quite understandable,” writes art critic O. Lelekova. - The image of a medieval artist that emerges becomes consonant with the “epic-song” idea of Russian art, where icon painting, and especially wall painting, are elevated to a completely special form of art, unlike anything else in the world. However, this image is unreliable, and there is no need to regret it. The artistic genius of Dionysius is undeniable even without poetic generalizations, which his European contemporaries did not need: Leonardo da Vinci, Giacomo Bellini, Holbein the Elder, Lucas Cranach...”
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When you arrive in Kirillov, Vologda region, do not miss the chance to see the unique frescoes of Dionysius, which are almost completely preserved in the Feropontov Monastery. I prefer to visit famous monasteries with a guide, so the day before we agreed with a local private guide, who agreed to show several interesting sights, and, of course, the monastery.
In the morning we met with the guide Lydia in the center of Kirillov and went in our car to travel around Kirillov. The drive from the city to the monastery took no more than half an hour, during which they listened to the history of the monastery and got acquainted with the museum’s exhibits in absentia from a book, because outside guides are not allowed to conduct excursions on the territory of the Ferapontov Monastery. Of course, we could take a guide on the spot, but then we wouldn’t have a full-fledged program.
Around the monastery you can admire Russian nature; I can imagine what a stunning picture it is here in the summer.
It is worth saying that visiting the Feropontov Monastery is not a cheap pleasure. Taking into account that we did not take a tour from the monastery guides, we paid about 800 rubles per person for entrance to the museum, watching a film and the right to look at the frescoes. We were the only visitors; at the checkout our guide tried to very transparently hint that we shouldn’t be charged the full amount, but rules are rules. I was amazed by the fact that we had to check with the caretakers how long we could look at the frescoes. Usually they allow no more than 10 minutes (and this costs a lot of money), but we were lucky - they didn’t impose a time limit.
Frescoes of Dionysius
At the end of the 15th century, a stone Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was erected on the territory of the monastery, which, by the way, was seven years earlier than in the neighboring Belozersky Monastery, which was much richer.
The cathedral was painted by Dionysius, a famous master icon painter in Rus'. For example, his hand touched the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The master's style is easily recognizable thanks to its bright colors, elongated, light figures, and smooth lines. Dionysius is one of the most famous temple artists in Rus', along with Theophanes the Greek and Andrei Rublev. Thanks to the work of the master and the wonderful preservation of art, the monastery is included in the World Heritage List under the protection of UNESCO.
The paintings occupy an area of more than 700 square meters. meters, and this is almost the entire internal surface of the cathedral. Only certain parts of the paintings that were damaged during the reconstruction of the iconostasis were not preserved. In general, the frescoes made the Ferapontov Monastery famous throughout the world, since it is the only one where the original frescoes of the early 16th century have been fully preserved.
Before entering you will be given a plan diagram of the frescoes, with the help of which the painting can be “read” even by a less prepared person.
You can read about paints and painting technology before entering.
In addition to painting the temple in the Feropontov Monastery, you can watch an introductory film about the frescoes and visit the museum, which houses a number of interesting exhibits.
Ferapontov Monastery Museum
First we went to the museum, which is a large hall.
For example, here you can see a reconstruction of a monk’s cell according to the rules of Kirill Belozersky, which does not even have a bed.
In the cell, no one was allowed to have anything other than the most necessary things; they were not allowed to call anything their own, but everything was shared. Even a piece of bread was not allowed to be kept in the cell, and there were also no drinks. If a monk wanted to eat or drink, he went to the refectory, where, with blessing, he could quench his hunger and thirst.
In the far corner is a sample of a fraternal refectory.
In the refectory, each novice sat in his place according to the rank of seniority with meekness and silence, and no one could be heard, only the reader. They were given three meals each, except for fasting days, on which the monks either refused to eat at all or subsisted on bread and water.
Behind the glass windows you can find a copy of the Cathedral Code of 1649.
Here you can see the icon of Patriarch Nikon, who was in these parts during the period of exile.
This is supposedly a piece of tile from Nikon’s cell.
Of course, the exhibition shows the ceremonial attire of the priests.
And here is the Abbess’s workplace.
About the foundation of the monastery
Ferapontov Monastery was founded in 1398. The monastery was named after the founder Ferapont, who before staying here was a novice in the Simonov Moscow Monastery, and then even became one of the founders of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. To find greater solitude, Ferapont went further and settled on a small hill near Lake Borodavskoye.
Here Fepapont built a small wooden cell for himself and lived in solitude through his labors and prayers. But one day robbers came to him and demanded that he give them the treasure or leave this place (surprisingly, how similar this is to ordinary racketeering). True, the Monk Ferapont was not afraid of them and shamed them, so much so that the robbers left and no longer disturbed the elder.
People began to come to Ferapont and ask permission to settle nearby. This is how a small settlement arose, about ten people. But the Monk Ferapont refused to become hegumen and the newly created monastery was headed by another man, whose name history has not preserved. But Ferapont assigned himself the most menial jobs, since he called himself a “great sinner.” He carried water, chopped wood, and cleaned stoves. By the way, this is exactly how Sergius of Radonezh lived, who was the mentor of the Monk Ferapont.
Ten years later, a church was erected here, which was consecrated in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It seemed that everything was turning out the way Elder Ferapont wanted: he lived in silence and repentance, prayed, worked, but soon he had to leave the monastery. The Mozhaisk prince wanted to found a similar monastery nearby and asked the Monk Ferapont to help him with this. The reverend elder did not want to start all over again, but humility is a virtue that Christians should have, so Ferapont humbled himself. But at that time he was already seventy years old. It is worth noting that the reverend elder stayed in the Luzhetsky Mozhaisk Monastery for another twenty years; there is a Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary here, as in Feropontovo, where the elder is buried. Despite the fact that Ferpont spent the last twenty years in another place, he is remembered and revered as the Belozersky elder. Around the monastery dear to his heart on Lake Borodavskoye a village was formed, which to this day is called Ferapontovo, part of Lake Ferapontovsky, and the monastery that grew up on the site of the first cells was named Ferapontovo.
It is interesting that the Ferapontovsky Monastery always remained in the shadows, as if in the background, but at the same time the monastery had a very great spiritual influence. Tsars, princes, famous people visited here and everyone found peace and answers to troubling questions here.
After the Monk Ferapont left the monastery, Prince Mozhaisky sent the promised help here, but there was no confessor who could properly manage the funds received. Years passed, abbots changed, but the Ferapontov Monastery remained the same as during the life of its founder. But then the Monk Martinian, a disciple of Kirill Belozersky, abbot of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, came to the monastery. The Monk Martinian came to this holy place as a simple pilgrim, but his brothers persuaded him to stay here and become the abbot of the Ferapontov Monastery.
In the 15th century, bloody events took place, which, although they took place in Moscow five hundred kilometers away, were reflected in the Ferapontov Monastery. In Moscow there was a struggle for the grand-ducal throne and the then Prince Vasily II was overthrown by Dmitry Shemyaka. They took an oath on the cross from him that he would not oppose the new prince, and he was singled out. Vasily, who was nicknamed the Dark One because he was blind, came to bow and pray at the Ferapontov Monastery. Here the Monk Martinian freed Vasily from this oath and even blessed him to speak out against the invader, who illegally sat on the grand-ducal throne. The support of the church in those days was of great importance, so many supporters joined Vasily the Dark, which sealed Shemyaka’s fate; he had to flee urgently.
Grand Duke Vasily summoned the Monk Martinian to the capital and asked him to take the abbess at the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. And despite the fact that Martinian did not want to leave Ferapontovo, he, like his predecessor Ferapont, had to take the position of abbot in another monastery.
After some time, the Monk Martinian returned to his dear monastery in Ferapontovo and began to arrange the arrangement. And for the next twenty years, he arranged everything here so diligently that everyone was amazed. Here he rested in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin.
At the beginning of the sixteenth century, the Church of the Annunciation with a refectory was erected, which was built in honor of the birth of Tsarevich John, who went down in history as Ivan the Terrible. Around the same time, the Treasury Chamber was built - a unique civil building on the territory of the monastery. There were rooms for books, barns, and a hiding place for the monastery treasury.
In the Ferapontov Monastery you can see a lot of interesting and unique things, but before you enter the walls of the holy monastery, you will pass through the Holy Gate. It is worth noting that the stone walls, arches, gate churches of Ferapont and Epiphany, and even the windows, have not changed since the day of construction. The floors in the churches are covered with small tiles, the vaults are supported by oak beams that have already darkened with time, and black altars.
The fate of the Ferapontov Monastery is similar to many other monasteries that survived Soviet times; it was closed. But, fortunately, it did not suffer the fate of being a state farm; the Ferapontov Monastery was transferred to a museum and today it is under the protection of UNESCO. But prayers are still heard here - the Nikon Church is given over to the brethren for worship.
When you arrive in Kirillov, you will understand the connection between several holy places located around: Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery , Nillo-Sora desert , Feropontov Monastery and the Goritsky convent, to which we headed further (read about it).
Address: Vologda region, Kirillovsky district, Ferapontovo village, st. Kargopolskaya, 8.
Museum opening hours: