Antimins of the Church of Saint Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, from the Collection of the «Church and Archeological Cabinet» of the Moscow Theological Academy

Abstract

The article is devoted to the scholarly attribution of an antimension from the collection of the Museum of Christian Art «Church and Archeological Cabinet» at the Moscow Theological Academy. Within the context of Patriarch Nikon’s church reforms, the author examines the history and introduction of printed (engraved) antimensia into the liturgical practice of the Russian Orthodox Church. The study reconstructs the preparation process of the first edition at the Moscow Print Yard and identifies specific iconographic and palaeographic features that allow for the differentiation of various editions produced during Patriarch Nikon’s tenure. Based on these identified criteria, the specific monument from the Museum’s collection is identified. The paper also addresses the authorship of the graphic original and the engraving, specifically analyzing the work of the znamenshchik (icon‑painter) Yan and the engraver Gregory. By correlating the data with historical records of the first churches dedicated to St. Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow, the author establishes that the antimension in question belonged to the side chapel of the Assumption Cathedral of the Valday Iversky Monastery of the Mother of God, consecrated in 1657.