Russian icons discovered in Egypt Automatic translate

Researchers believe the unique climate of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt has become a leading factor that has helped preserve the precious treasury. Russian icons and artifacts for the liturgy, recently discovered in the monastery of St. Catherine. The discovery of more than a hundred Russian icons and masterpieces of decorative art, which are dated to the sixteenth and nineteenth century on the UNESCO Heritage site, was reported to Russia a month ago. According to Natalia Komashko, head of research at the Museum of Early Russian Art and Culture Andrei Rublev, almost all of these works are not known to scientists.

The Monastery of St. Caterina is known for its library, which houses one of the most extensive collections of ancient manuscripts in the world, as well as its impressive collection of sixteenth-century icons that survived the wave of Byzantine iconoclasticism, in which many objects of worship were lost.

Komashko claims that the climatic conditions of Sinai played an important role in preserving the icons. “In order to keep the icons in good condition for a long time, the temperature and humidity levels must be quite stable… There is no problem with this in the Sinai - there are unique natural conditions for preserving the icons.”

She says that the icons that were exhibited in the Chapel of the Burning Cupola, before they were hidden in the sanctuary several centuries ago, were already slightly restored. “They were cleaned from the previous somewhat darkened coating and opened a second time with a very specific varnish,” said Komashko. She draws attention to the fact that the icons are preserved in the sanctuary in almost excellent condition, compared with those that were in the cells of the monks and were used daily. The latter suffered from the deterioration and fragility of the paints, after which they had to be intensively restored in the nineteenth century.

How did it happen that this ancient monastery became the place of storage of such a large number of Russian treasures? According to scholars who tracked ties between Russia and Sinai, the first Russian pilgrim to reach the monastery was an ordinary monk in the fifteenth century. Following him, a stream of Russian merchants and important persons rushed here; they all came here with presents. The monks of the monastery, in turn, sent embassies to Moscow already from 1519, and this trend continued in the XVII-XVIII centuries. Embassies returned to Sinai, showered with gifts, some of which were presented by the kings.

The recent expedition to the Sinai, led by Komashko, included other researchers from Moscow, including employees of the Tretyakov Gallery, as well as the State Institute of Restoration. Previous expeditions conducted by the Andrei Rublev Museum in 2004 and 2005 have compiled a catalog of the heritage of Russian art in churches and shrines. Komashko suggests that it is possible that other works by Russian masters will be discovered within the walls of the monastery, since the researchers themselves were not allowed to enter the sanctuary, and monks may not distinguish Russian artifacts from other works of art.

The Russian Orthodox Church also took part in a recent expedition. She plans to publish a book on research findings with a rich photo illustration.