The Tour of the Vladimir and Suzdal Land

The Bogolyubovo village

The purpose of the trip of 12 sisters of the icon-painting and sewing workshops was to get a new artistic material for the work of these obediences, to familiarize themselves with the Old Russian architecture, iconography, and embroidery. Indeed, the sisters have a very difficult time working, while relying solely on reproductions and photographs and having no immediate contact with the ancient samples. That was not the first trip not once the sisters came to visit the museums and cathedrals of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, but the main gain of that very tour was probably that according to the sisters it helped them to get an integrated idea of the time when owing to the spiritual rise of Russia there were created the inimitable works of art. As opposed to the earlier time when the sisters were able to watch in fragments a wonderful cathedral, a beautiful icon, now they managed to plunge into the epoch in a way.

Inside the Dormition Cathedral

It is not disputable that such plunging couldn't take place without the amazingly profound and picturesque comments of Anna Igorevna Yakovleva who accompanied the sisters during their trip. Anna Igorevna is a high-class restorer, byzantinist, and research officer of the State historical and cultural museum-reserve The Moscow Kremlin. And of course the sisters were absorbing every word of hers.

It was equal to finding for everybody to see the collection of the Vladimir and Suzdal museum-reserve situated in the former Men's Monastery of the Savior and St. Euthimius. The Treasury of the museum contains the richest collection of the ritual implements of the church, icons, metal icon frames with stamping. As for the sisters of the sewing workshop, they got a chance to see here the unique embroidered paten and chalice veils and winding sheets. At that, most of the monastery's exhibits belong to the thirteenth fifteenth centuries.

Discussion at the workshop of A. P. Nekrasov

One can say it was a divine gift that the sisters got acquainted with Alexander Petrovich Nekrasov who devoted the greater part of his life to restoration of the frescos painted by Andrey Rublev. He cleaned the frescos of the Dormition Cathedral in Vladimir as well. Having entered the cathedral the sisters literally didn t want to leave it. Alexander Petrovich showed the sisters around, and afterwards he invited them to his workshop.

One of the frescos by Andrey Rublev

It is difficult to enumerate everything that stuck to the sisters' memory: the village of Bogolyubovo, the Duchess' monastery, the cathedral of St. Dmitry with its magnificent front fretwork and ornaments on portals. Of course, the sisters also visited the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin on the River Nerl where they read the Gospel upstairs in the choir gallery. On their way back they called on the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra where they saw its icon-painting workshop, vestry, and academic museum.

There were a lot of places on their way, but everywhere the sisters were most cordially and hospitably received. And we certainly cherish the hope that the sisters will have a chance to go to the beloved Vladimir and Suzdal land again.

Also look:
— Icons hand-painted by the sisters

Also read:
— The icon-painting obedience