Search Results (3)

The collective ritual of building one-day votive churches (obydennye khramy) was practiced in the European north of Russia between the late 14th and 17th centuries. The product of a syncretism between Orthodox Christianity and native folklore, the ritual’s purpose was to deliver the community from epidemic disease. One-day churches were built of freshly cut logs, on virgin ground, in a prominent place, such as a town square or crossroads. According to local belief, votive objects made from natural materials were simultaneously temporary and eternal; this paper interrogates how one-day churches fit this model. Obydennye khramy were ephemeral structurally, processually, and circumstantially. These were simple, rudimentary votive structures, not built to last nor substitute established churches. By condensing into a single day all of the traditional steps of church-building, the ritual prevented the church from growing old before completion, ensuring its purity through its newness. Built under threat of pestilence, obydennye khramy had the function of realigning the progression of time, putting an end to the period of disease, and thereby allowing humans to fleetingly triumph over natural forces. Obydennye khramy were enduring as objects of intercession, as governance instruments, and in their subsequent representations in the written word and urban topography. Votive churches were spatial icons, mediating between humans and the cosmos and returning to nature as they decayed. The ritual itself, led by religious and secular authorities, performatively reinforced social hierarchies. Obydennye khramy were immortalised in chronicle narratives and occasionally replaced with stone churches, some of which survive today. Full article

The study, preservation and restoration of the cultural heritage objects of mankind are not only of great cultural importance but also have a significant economic component because cultural values of past centuries attract tourists from all over the world. The use of modern technical and scientific achievements in the field of non-destructive testing makes it possible to obtain new knowledge about cultural objects regarding their origin and dating, as well as to contribute to their better restoration and preservation. An important component of their use is additional opportunities to identify high quality fakes of original cultural objects that have historical significance. The capabilities of various non-destructive testing (NDT) methods used to examine cultural objects are characterized by their penetration depth, resolution, and sensitivity to material properties. Thus, in many cases, it is necessary to perform multi-sensor non-destructive testing and creating large data sets that require an efficient evaluation. This article considers an example of using microwave (MW) holographic sensors for the examining of an old Orthodox Russian Icon dated of the late 19th century. The paper describes the technology of microwave holography, which has recently been applied to the examination of art works. Unlike the well-studied X-ray method, MW holography makes it possible to examine objects with one-sided access. Its other advantages are the relative cheapness of the equipment and the safety of use due to the low level of radiation. The article describes a MW holograms reconstruction algorithm, as well as a method for improving the quality of obtained MW images. The data collected at MW research of the Icon are compared with the results of X-ray examination and confirmed by subsequent opening and visual examination performed by professional restorers. Full article

The aim of this paper is to present the cult of icons in the Old Believer communities from the perspective of private devotion. For the Old Believers, from the beginning of the movement, in the middle of the 17th century, icons were at the center of their religious life. They were also at the center of religious conflict between Muscovite Patriarch Nikon, who initiated the reforms of the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Old Believers and their proponent, archpriest Avvakum Petrov. Some sources and documents from the 16th and 18th centuries make it possible to analyze the reasons for the popularity of small-sized icons among priested (popovtsy) and priestless (bespopovtsy) Old Believers, not only in their private houses but also in their prayer houses (molennas). The article also shows the role of domestic icons from the middle of the 17th century as a material foundation of the identity of the Old Believers movement. Full article