Artistic Heritage of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra  Blessed Cross of Hieromonk Athanasius (1698)   from the Fund collection of the National Preserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” 

(in commemoration of the 970th anniversary of the first Chronicle of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra)

Dear friends!

Today “Artistic Heritage” section would like to present the Blessed Cross of Hieromonk Athanasius (1698). It is an outstanding artwork of the Ukrainian sacred miniature carving of the 17th century, which belongs to the Fund collection of the National Preserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” (KPL-M-10714).

This is an Altar Cross (35.5 × 16.5 cm) made of cypress wood that was highly valued by carvers and, thus, was rather expensive. According to the inscription on the handle of the Cross’s silver frame, it was donated to Kyiv-Pechersk monastery by Hieromonk Athanasius in 1698. To make the images on the Cross the carvers used “pierced work” technique, the most complicated way of miniature carving. This technique was mainly exploited by Athos masters, whose works were used as patterns by the Ukrainian carvers. While observing the Cross of Athanasius, one can see a shiny plate of mica, which is laid between the openwork wooden plates of the artwork. The technique that presupposed the combination of contrasting materials (such as brocade, silk, painted lacquered paper) in wooden carved miniature products, was used by the Ukrainian masters of the 17th-18th centuries. This approach made their works look more decorative.

The iconography of the artwork is simple. Small medallions with the busts of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra saints make the basis of the Cross. Medallions are connected with each other by the grape shoot, make the shape of a cross and differ in size (central medallions being larger) and shape (medallions at the ends of the arms are oval) at the ends of the horizontal beam. The total number of Cross medallions is twenty. One of them, which is on the obverse side of the artwork, has a traditional cross composition, that of “Crucifixion”. At the transection of the beams on the Cross’s reverse side there is the medallion with the images of Sts. Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk. Between them one can see the central part of the Dormition Cathedral (in a way it looked before the fire of 1718). Unfortunately, the image of the Church is damaged - its upper domed part is missing. The iconography of the founders of the famous Pechersk monastery with Dormition Cathedral occurs both in iconographic works and book engraving. The Cross of the Hieromonk Athanasius has a certain connection with the latter. The composition of the Blessed Cross looks similar to the image of Pechersk saints on the title page of Pechersk Patericon illustrated by engraver Elijah (1661). Probably, the engraving served as the iconographic source for an unknown master. The shape of the Cross allowed the master to “quote” the book engraving or carve only one its part. We can only presume that Pechersk saints, depicted on the Cross of Hieromonk Athanasius, repeat the images of the same reverend fathers that one can find on Elijah engraving. And there is only one image of the saint, that of St. Nicholas Svyatosha, which identification can be relatively accurate. He is the only saint, depicted with a scroll in his right hand, and a key in his left hand.

A few words should be said about the donator. There are two more blessed crosses with the name of Hieromonk Athanasius in the Fund collection of the Preserve. One dates back to 1694 and the other – to 1702. Both crosses are also made in the “pierced work” technique. In the inscriptions to these crosses one can find the name of Hieromonk Athanasius (Myslavsky). Given the year closeness of all three donations, we can assume with high degree of probability that the Cross of 1698 was also the gift donated by Athanasius (Myslavsky) to the Holy Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery.

Athanasius (Myslavsky) studied at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (1673–1684). Later he became a teacher and prefect of the Academy. He died in 1714 in the rank of Archimandrite of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

The text was prepared by Olena Serhii, senior research associate

Research Division of the Artistic Heritage of the

National Preserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra”

Captions to the illustrations:

1. Blessed Cross (1698) Kyiv. Donation made by Hieromonk Athanasius (Myslavsky). KPL-M-10714.

2. Engraver Elijah. Title page of Kyiv-Pechersk Patericon. Kyiv, Printing House of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, 1661