Works of Moscow Art Workshops During the Reign of Tsar Fyodor Alexeyevich: Defining the Issue

Abstract

The paper presents the results of various studies of the works of Moscow Art workshops produced during the short reign of Tsar Fyodor Alexeyevich (1676–1682). It analyzes the creation, the iconography and the artistic features of a number of works of art from the collections of St. Petersburg and Moscow museums. Special attention is given to the iconographical programme and the inscription on the icon “The Crucifixion with apostles and saints” from the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. The icon’s first and only researcher T. Ananyeva used the text of the inscription and the colour of the icon to interpret its worldly meaning as a work created for tsar Fyodor Alexeyevich to celebrate the end of the war and the establishment of peace. According to T. Ananyeva, the probable author of the inscription was Joann Maximovich, who sought Moscow’s support in the period of struggle between Transdnieper and Turkey. However, a more recent study proved the version mistaken. It has been established that the text is not original, but is borrowed from the divine service of the feast of the Holy Cross Day (September 14). This, in turn, has called for reconsidering the iconographical programme of the icon. Support is given to the hypothesis that the icon is connected with the project of creating the “New Jerusalem” in the Moscow Kremlin under tsar Feodor Alexeevich. The paper presents the opinion that the icon was painted by a group of Moscow art workshop masters led by Mikhail Milyutin, chief painter of the Armoury Chamber. Two liturgical sets and a few altar Gospels from the domestic churches at the Grand Terem Palace in the Moscow Kremlin are also used in the current research. The features of technique are studied and differences in their design are established.