Icon "Angel of Golden Hair": what it helps with and what they pray for, description, meaning and history of the holy face + text of the appeal

Angel Golden Hair is an icon of the 12th century. This is a unique creation by an unknown icon painter, made in the Byzantine style using a rare technique of writing. There are about twenty such icons known in the world due to their uniqueness. The icon is one of the masterpieces of world art. The authorship of her style can be attributed to the Novgorod masters of fresco painting of the Transfiguration Church on Nederitsa. It was found by historian G.D. Filimonov. in the second half of the 18th century in the Kremlin on the bell tower among objects that were intended for destruction as unnecessary rubbish. The icon most likely came to the Kremlin in the 16th century during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. The Golden Hair icon has reached our times in a dilapidated and already altered rewritten state. It is not known for certain where the Golden Haired Angel icon was located before. It is generally accepted that this image was in the iconostasis of one of the churches in Novgorod. Modern restorers have discovered traces of renovation dating back to the 18th century.

The meaning and content of the icon

If you trace the iconographic image of Seraphim of Sarov, which appears after the 19th century, then the description of the icon is simple and concise. Almost always the monk is depicted with a blessing gesture and a rosary in his other hand.

In fact, these details reflect the general meaning of the elder’s entire life; he always prayed (often went into seclusion, stood on a stone in prayer for 1000 days and performed other feats) and gave people various benefits. In addition, there are icons of Seraphim of Sarov with marks, the meaning of which is clear - the most significant details of his life are depicted there, various exploits are described.

Characteristics of the icon

In the Ancient East, images of winged creatures were often encountered. Images of angels decorated the altars of the largest temples. Figures made from various materials were found on Israeli soil, and information about objects with images of heavenly messengers was found on the pages of the Old Testament.

In Russian icon painting, familiar images appeared at the end of the 16th century. The purpose and meaning of the appearance is a minute-by-minute reminder to a person of the eternity of the soul itself.

Guardian Angels are often depicted with a cross and a sword. The first attribute is intended as a gesture of blessing, and the second protects against invasions of dark energy. The clothing of intercessors is similar in appearance to the vestments of deacons (clergy). Robes for disembodied spirits are regarded as a symbol of eternal service to God. The color of the cloak is green, and the color of the chiton (shirt) is red. Guardian Angels are often depicted in dazzling white robes. The icons depict intercessors both half-length and in full height. In the latter case, they are placed on the cloud. The floating figure humbly asks for a return to the heavenly abodes from which humanity was expelled after the Fall. The intercessors have human appearances; their divine origin is indicated by large wings folded behind their backs.

These bodily elements symbolize divine speed and the ability to move from the material world to the etheric regions. Guardian Angels are characterized by a third eye, which symbolizes clairvoyance and truthful intuition. If God's messenger is depicted with a staff, this speaks of his important spiritual mission on the sinful earth. With the help of a ball with a cross, the cherub contemplates the upcoming danger and seeks to warn his ward about the threat. The iconography differs in hand positions. Sometimes the upper limb is raised in a blessing gesture, at other times the hands are folded in prayer. The gaze is directed directly at the viewer or to the side

His head is bowed, which symbolizes complete humility before the will of the Creator. The gold ribbons in the curls also speak about this. Modern iconography often depicts cherubs with a small child, who represents the soul of the person under their care.

Description of the icon

The center of the icon, of course, is the eyes of Gabriel, the sympathetic and understanding gaze of the archangel. Although the face of Gabriel was painted by the Novgorod school of icon painting, Byzantine traditions are also felt in the image - this is, first of all, the beauty and youth of the archangel, which also makes him similar to Hellenic art.

Copy of a 12th century icon on canvas

It should be noted that the image of the archangel was restored by restorers on the basis of the paint layer that was dated to the 17th century, but it was not possible to establish the first layer due to the poor preservation of the icon.

The Archangel, according to his name, which is translated from Hebrew as “the power of God,” is depicted as dispassionate and serene; he, as a seer, helps people who have fixed their gaze on this icon to rise at least a little above their problems and turn their gaze to God, in that case and peace will come.

Meaning and description of the shrine

The icon, which was part of the main Deesis rite, depicts the Archangel Gabriel. The Deesis could consist of several icons, the main requirement being an odd number. The head of the archangel was usually located to the left of the image of Jesus, humbly bowed before the Savior.

Gabriel, or the bright messenger, explained to people visions that were prophetic in nature, explained the meaning of various events. It was he who brought the joyful news to the Virgin Mary about the birth of the baby Jesus, and announced to the parents of John the Baptist about the birth of their son.

The name of the icon was not chosen by chance. The golden hair of the archangel, made in the assist style from gold leaf, symbolizes the divine principle, the light of eternal life.

The Archangel Gabriel himself is depicted in the Byzantine style, as evidenced by the Greek type of face and soft, perfect modeling. But there are also individual traits: the absence of dry severity and ascetic abstraction. There is sincerity in the icon, expressed in the spiritualized face of the archangel with sadness hidden in his eyes. The eyes show sympathy for the person.

The technique of multilayer swirling with a sankir base helped create an airy and unearthly space in the icon. The lightness of the face was also given by the bleaching revival with a subtle blush on the lips and cheeks. The color scheme is carefully selected and refined.

Color harmony, unity of tone, proportionality of forms and rhythm of rounded lines testify in favor of an exquisitely complicated Byzantine style.

Golden hair done in assist style

There is sympathy for the person in the look

Greek type of face

The story of Saint Seraphim

Seraphim of Sarov is the hieromonk of the Sarov Monastery, who became the heavenly patron. This rank is given to saints who are actually elevated to the rank of angels. Many believers choose these saints for their entire earthly journey. They do not choose what to pray for to the icon of Seraphim of Sarov, but ask for everything, both great and small.

Seraphim was born on July 19, 1759 in Kursk in the family of a wealthy merchant. And from a very early age, a variety of miracles began to happen to him. So, for example, a striking example of such a miracle is that as a child he could not stay on the bell tower of the temple and fell in front of the crowd, however, to the surprise of everyone around him, he was alive and unharmed. After this there were many other miracles, and the saint himself constantly strived for ascetic deeds. Although he could very well have made a career as a merchant and enjoy various benefits and pleasures, from his youth he goes to serve as a monk and rejects simple pleasures in order to achieve the highest good.

The history of the creation of the holy face

To this day, very few monuments from the beginning of the Old Russian icon-painting period have survived to say with certainty which school the “Angel” belongs to. Researchers put forward several of the most likely origin hypotheses. It is most likely that the icon belongs to Novgorod masters, but some consider the creation to be of Suzdal or Kiev origin.

The icon “Angel of Golden Hair” is the best example of ancient Russian icon painting

As for the time of creation, everything is more certain here. The icon dates back to the 12th century, although with the adjustment that in the 17th century part of the picture was rewritten: the background, parts of the head and tunic. The question of the author remains open. Most likely, the creation came from the hand of one of the monks of the Novgorod monastery. But among authoritative scientists the idea was also expressed that the “Angel” could be created by the famous icon painter “Greek Petrovich”, who at the end of the 12th century worked on the painting of the church in Novgorod.

What does it help with?

According to the Gospel, Gabriel is the archangel who brings good news. It is believed that turning to him helps to avoid despondency and restore peace.

The Holy Scripture speaks of the important mission entrusted to Archangel Gabriel:

he was supposed to bring good news to Elizabeth, who was in old age and had no children, about the birth of a son who became known as John the Baptist or the Baptist;
Gabriel brought the second good news to Mary, pointing out her destiny from God and the birth of Jesus Christ.

Icon of the Archangel Gabriel “Golden Vlas”

Taking into account the above, the help of the Archangel Gabriel is resorted to in cases where childbirth is involved. Sincere prayer in front of the icon of the archangel “Golden Hair” will help to heal from infertility, as well as to bear fruit without problems. In addition, they turn to the Archangel Gabriel when they decide to adopt a child, but are in thought - prayer helps to understand more deeply their desire and become established in it, or abandon what they want for a while.

Advice! Archangel Gabriel also patronizes creative people. Having the Golden Hair icon is therefore recommended for musicians, artists, poets and teachers.

It is believed that a prayerful appeal to the icon will help creative people increase their talent and realize themselves in new areas.

WHAT DO THE GOLDEN HAIRS PRAY FOR IN FRONT OF THE ICON OF THE ANGEL

no comments

The Orthodox icon of the Golden Hair Angel is a beautiful work of art dating back to the 12th century. The icon is the oldest in the collection of the State Russian Museum. The icon was presumably created in Novgorod, and the Archangel Gabriel is depicted on it. The image is painted in the Byzantine style - the Archangel’s pronounced oriental type of face, his huge almond-shaped eyes, high chin - all indicate that the unknown artist was greatly influenced by the Byzantine school of icon painting.

Despite its antiquity, the Christian icon of Golden Hair has been preserved quite well, and today we can admire it in one of the museum’s halls. Researchers believe that this image was in the iconostasis of one of the Novgorod churches, and was one of three icons of the so-called Deesis rank (a group of three icons, in the center of which the image of Christ is always located), but the rest of the icons from this group could not be found. The name was given to the icon because Gabriel’s hair appears to be separated by golden threads, which creates the overall impression of “golden-hairedness.”

Orthodox prayer in front of the icon of the Angel of Golden Hair

Archangel Gabriel is the good messenger; he brings exclusively good news, which is why in liturgical books he is called the minister of miracles. Due to the fact that in the Bible he appeared twice to report the imminent conception of babies - to the holy righteous Elizabeth, the mother of the prophet John the Baptist, and to the Blessed Virgin Mary - in front of the icon of the Angel of Golden Hair, it is customary to pray for healing from infertility, for help in adoption , about the successful course of pregnancy. The book of Tobit says that Gabriel is one of the seven Archangels who bring prayers to God from believers and has the boldness to appear before the Face of God. In addition, the Holy Archangel is considered the patron saint of musicians and teachers, so the Orthodox Golden Hair icon will be a wonderful gift for Orthodox representatives of these professions. In addition, it is quite appropriate to give it to men and young men bearing the name Gabriel.

Where to buy an Orthodox icon of the Angel of Golden Hair?

Orthodox icon Angel Golden Hair is a rarely seen image in icon shops, so those who want to purchase this beautiful icon for themselves or as a gift can be recommended to contact icon painters or an Orthodox online store, where they will offer you various handwritten versions of this ancient image. Needlewomen can embroider it with their own hands by purchasing a set for embroidery with beads or cross stitch at a craft store.

Watch the video who are angels

Prayer to Archangel Gabriel

There are many variations of the test of prayer to the Archangel Gabriel. The most complete and common looks like this:

“Heavenly armies of the Archangel, we always pray to you, unworthy, and with your prayers protect us with the shelter of the krill of your immaterial glory, preserving us, who fall diligently and cry out: deliver us from troubles, like the commander of the Highest Powers.”

“O wonderful Archangel of God Gabriel, most zealous prayer book for our souls, on the day of your triumph we earnestly pray to you, our intercessor: ask with your holy all-powerful prayers always offered before the Throne of God (preserve this holy temple until the end of this world), confirm the faith of Christ, to strengthen and expand, for Orthodox Christians to preserve the patristic Orthodox faith immaculately until the end of their days, to walk unswervingly in all the commandments of the Lord, to always bring true repentance for our sins to God, and to be honored with a peaceful Christian death and a good answer at the Last Judgment of God, so that we may inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, and together with you glorify the Most Honorable and Magnificent Name of the Most Holy Trinity, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen".

Icons are not just paintings for believers. They concentrate spiritual strength and a person’s hope for help from above. Each canvas has its own power and purpose, so studying the history of icons will not only be useful, but also entertaining.

If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter.

Who are Guardian Angels

These heavenly creatures of the Creator are mentioned in the Sacred Texts, where it is said that they have participated in history since the presence of Adam and Eve in Paradise.

We advise you to study Prayers to John of Sochavsky for successful trading

The Guardian Angel is a mediator between humanity and the Almighty Lord. The main task of this holy creature is to protect the individual and convey God’s will to her, therefore in Orthodoxy they strive to baptize a newborn as soon as possible in order to provide him with full protection from dark energies.

Greater faith brings a Christian closer to the Holy Spirit and God, which determines a better life in the body. However, the heavenly messenger does not interfere with the fate that the Lord himself created.

The Guardian Angel communicates through the inner voice and intuitive connection with the person under his charge.
The heavenly creature warns of impending danger and seeks to inspire to perform decent and useful deeds.
The angel has the power to take away the tempting influence of worldly objects.
People who carefully listen to their intercessors are often miraculously saved from disasters or receive mental insights.
It helps you hear your inner voice and develop a tendency towards virtue.
Angelic images eliminate fear of various types.
The Guardian Angel guides you on the true path announced by the Lord and protects you from the attacks of haters.

To find a common language with him, daily and sincere prayer before the image is necessary. Priests strongly recommend communicating with the spirit of light, asking for help and protection. The angel will do his best to help the begging ward out of a difficult scrape.

On a note! Guardian Angel does not always guarantee happiness and tranquility. A Christian who has apostatized from the faith and is prone to aggressive and hateful behavior personally destroys the positive spiritual principle. A person who goes to extremes experiences disasters, failures and serious illnesses.

The angel has never been a person; he does not have a name or family affiliation, but is endowed with special personality qualities. Each Christian is assigned only one such bright spirit. There is a certain hierarchy of disembodied spirits, which are ranked depending on their power.

Guardian Angel Icon

Pressure on the director

On October 5, the director of the Russian Museum, Vladimir Gusev, convened a meeting regarding the situation with the “Golden Hair Angel”. Shalina and another museum employee present at the meeting (who wished to remain anonymous for personal reasons) reported that Gusev had prepared a long letter to the Ministry of Culture. According to museum employees, the letter states that the four million offered by Shmakov for the restoration of the church of the Mikhailovsky Castle is an insufficient amount.

According to employees present at the meeting, Gusev also said that “pressure is being put on him.” “He said someone was calling him, but didn’t say who. Gusev said that if the icon is not moved, he will no longer be the director of the museum,” a museum employee who was present at the meeting told the BBC Russian Service.

Gusev himself, in a conversation with the BBC Russian Service, said that this did not happen. “I didn't say that. Talk to the employees who said this,” he said in response to a request to comment on the phrase about possible dismissal.

On October 10, six employees of the Russian Museum sent a statement to the prosecutor of St. Petersburg Sergei Litvinenko with a request to “ensure the preservation” of the “Golden Hair Angel” and “to stop pressure on the director of the museum from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.” The museum staff also sent a letter to the head of the Union of Museums of Russia, Mikhail Piotrovsky, with a request “to prevent the removal of the work from the main exhibition of the Russian Museum.”

According to the St. Petersburg publication "City 812", on the same day, after filing a complaint with the prosecutor's office, Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky allegedly called the director of the Russian Museum and said that attempts to move the "Golden Hair Angel" would be stopped. Also, the publication writes, the minister asked Gusev to “stop the outrage expressed in the press.”

On Tuesday, October 17, the museum issued a press release stating that there was no pressure from either the Ministry of Culture or the minister, and that no one threatened the museum director with dismissal. The museum management also notes that the church did not make any claims to the icon.

The Ministry of Culture, in response to a request to confirm the fact of Medinsky’s conversation with Gusev, told the BBC Russian Service that they had no information about such a conversation. The department noted that Medinsky regularly communicates with museums, and the content of conversations is not recorded.

Gusev himself said that he reserves the right not to comment on his private conversations.

“Angel “Golden Hair”” will have a new fate in store

The fact that one of the most valuable icons of the late 12th century, painted, according to various opinions, by Byzantine or Kiev, and possibly Novgorod masters, stored in the State Russian Museum, may leave its permanent exhibition, was told to TANR by a leading researcher in the department of ancient Russian art of the Russian museum, expert on cultural values of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation Irina Shalina. She, in particular, said that businessman Sergei Shmakov had sent more than one letter to the director of the State Russian Museum, Vladimir Gusev, in which he reported that a special icon case had been made for the icon “Golden Haired Angel” to be transferred from the museum halls to the currently closed St. Michael’s Church castle

Mikhailovsky Castle, built for Emperor Paul I, has been part of the Russian Museum since 1991. In order to open the Church of the Archangel Michael for worship, Mr. Shmakov proposes to restore it at the expense of the Group (one of the largest developers of the suburban market in the Moscow region), of which he is the owner and president.

The history of the relationship between Sergei Shmakov and the Russian Museum goes back almost ten years. At the request of the Russian Orthodox Church and with the permission of the Russian Ministry of Culture, at the end of 2009 the museum transferred for temporary display to a church in the village of Knyazhye Ozero near Moscow, the developer of which is the Sapsan Group of Companies, an icon of Our Lady of Toropetsk from the 14th century. The icon did not return to the museum at the agreed time, and two years later, by special order of the Ministry of Culture, it was, according to documents, removed from the funds of the State Russian Museum and transferred for permanent storage to the All-Russian Art Scientific and Restoration Center named after. I.E. Grabar. Physically, the icon remains in a church near Moscow, but legally it is on the balance sheet of the “grabbers”.

According to Irina Shalina, a week ago the Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky came to the State Russian Museum and asked to show him the conditions under which the “Golden Hair Angel” was presented at the exhibition. According to museum employees, the exhibition conditions completely satisfied the minister.

As Irina Shalina said, the icon “Golden Hair Angel” was never a prayer image; it is part of a large composition of the former Deesis rite, in which it played its role - the role of a mediator between those asking and the image of the Savior. To make a prayer image out of it means to assign this icon a role for which it was never intended.

“In his letters, Sergei Shmakov writes that when the icon is exhibited in the church of the Mikhailovsky Castle, pilgrims from all over Russia will go there to worship this image,” says Irina Shalina. - But why? What is it about this image that distinguishes it from other images of archangels, from truly prayed-up Russian icons, except that it is a masterpiece of 12th-century art? This is an artistic monument; in our country there is no other icon of this type, and it must not only be protected in a special way, but also made into public property, which is impossible to achieve in the space of a church.”

As Vladimir Gusev, director of the Russian Museum, said in a short conversation with a TANR correspondent, the fuss around this topic was raised in vain. “There is no subject for conversation,” Gusev said. “Nobody confiscates anything, it’s just a wave of hysteria and inappropriate conversations.” They promise to announce the official position of the museum management on this issue next week.

Levon Nersesyan, a specialist in ancient Russian art, senior researcher at the State Tretyakov Gallery, believes that this situation was provoked by the position of the leadership of the State Russian Museum. “Shmakov has nothing to do with it; anyone could have taken his place. The museum’s management is responsible for everything,” Nersesyan expressed his opinion. “Our gallery responds to such requests almost every day; we constantly explain why we cannot even transfer our exhibits somewhere for temporary storage. And if a few years ago the St. Petersburg Museum would have taken a firm, professional position, today we would not have to talk again about protecting the exhibits of the Russian Museum.”

The Tretyakov Gallery had a similar story in the late 1990s. Then the Church asked to give her the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God for worship. Museum staff insisted that the icon remain in the museum due to its dilapidated condition, but at the same time believers were given the opportunity to pray to the miraculous image. For this purpose, the Church of St. Nicholas, part of the Tretyakov Gallery complex on Lavrushinsky Lane, was equipped with museum climate control and the icon was transferred there in a special icon case. There, on major holidays, Andrei Rublev’s “Trinity” is removed from the permanent exhibition - the Russian Orthodox Church also wanted to receive this icon for worship in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra about ten years ago, which caused serious public opposition.

Let us remind you that currently the issues of moving religious objects from museums, as well as real estate, are regulated by the law “On the return of religious property to religious organizations” adopted in 2010.

By the time of publication of the material, it was not possible to obtain an official comment from Sapsan Group of Companies; According to press secretary Sergei Shmakov, an official statement for the press is not yet ready.

Prayer to Archangel Gabriel: very strong protection

Who is Archangel Gabriel?

Archangel Gabriel is an Angel who was the leader of the fighters against dark forces.
Thanks to his ingenuity and strength, the devil was cast into hell and good triumphed.
Since then, Archangel Gabriel has been asked for protection from demonic tricks, and even from evil people.

What troubles can Archangel Gabriel help with?

This Saint can help in the most difficult situations of life, but most of all, this is what he can protect from:

from damage and the evil eye;
from gossips and their tricks;
from envious people;
from rivals;
from the interference of otherworldly forces and magic in human life.

In the fight against these and similar problems, Archangel Gabriel has no equal.

How to ask him for help?

You must ask for protection from this Saint with faith in him and in the Lord Jesus Christ.
If a person does not believe, but still prays to Archangel Gabriel, then he will consider this disrespect for everything Orthodox and will not provide help.
You can read a traditional Orthodox prayer, or you can ask in your own words.
This is what a prayer might sound like: “Holy Archangel Gabriel, I ask you for help and protection. Protect me from the machinations of demons and the devil. Drive Satan away from me. Don’t let evil and vile people interfere with my destiny and spoil it. Preserve the health of my family and settle peace in our home forever. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit! Amen!"
You must put your whole soul into every word of prayer and spare no effort and time for prayer.
But it should be remembered that protective prayer has nothing to do with a magical ritual. You are not reading a conspiracy, but holy scripture.
Do not wish harm on your offenders if you decide to read a prayer for protection from their evil deeds.

Who else can you ask for protection from?

In addition to Archangel Gabriel, you can ask your Guardian Angel for protection. He is closest to the person and will not refuse help.
In absolutely all problems you can ask Jesus Christ for help.
The Lord awarded Archangel Gabriel with the gift of protecting us from magical interference in our lives and from evil people. Therefore, they go to this Saint with these problems.
Living according to the laws of the church can also protect your home from danger. If a person constantly goes to the Temple to confess and receive communion, reads prayers not only when he needs something, but also in gratitude to God for the day he has lived, then such a person already has powerful protection from evil, and prayer is additional to him not required.
If a person sins, doubts the existence of God, but when something bad happens, he runs to church with prayer, then in this case the Almighty will not always help him.

We advise you to study Prayers to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker for good luck and luck

May the prayer to Archangel Gabriel help all humanity; very strong protection will not hinder any of us.

“Angel of Golden Hair” is not yet given to an Orthodox businessman. Ugh.

I wrote here on October 5 about the “Golden Hair Angel,” one of the main Russian icons of the pre-Mongol period, and the fact that they decided to take it from the main exhibition of the Russian Museum and move it to the church in order to increase the birth rate in Russia.
Let's see what has changed over the past few days.

NTV:
On the evening of October 17, the director of the Russian Museum V. Gusev held a press conference to talk about the situation with the icon.
Vladimir Gusev denied that the Ministry of Culture put pressure on him, and that if he had refused to approve the move, he would have lost his position. True, he joked about this, saying the opposite. The journalists were caught in lies and speculation. And they, somewhat confused by the information from the director’s almost hour-long monologue, demanded laconic and understandable answers. Vladimir Gusev :
“
Moving is possible
.
Moving an exhibit inside the museum, on the museum’s territory, is theoretically and practically possible. We have 400 thousand exhibits. Something is moving somewhere.” The letter that was provided to journalists at the museum did not make things clear either. This is Vladimir Gusev’s response to the Minister of Culture dated September 14 of this year, which reports how representatives of the Ivanovo Cause Foundation were shown the church
in the Mikhailovsky Castle, which benefactors are asking to open for parishioners.
And that this is only possible with a radical redevelopment of the monument. But the museum is ready for cooperation. (...) If journalists understood Vladimir Gusev correctly, then the icon “Golden Haired Angel” will not be moved to the house church of St. Michael’s Castle. At least for now.
However, its relocation is a debatable issue.
Therefore, it is not necessary to assert that the shrine will never leave the exhibition (restoration workshops do not count). too ambiguous and confusing
.

Komsomolskaya Pravda
reports from exactly the same press conference with a different intonation: ... the Ivanovo Delo Foundation. Its representatives contacted the Ministry of Culture many times with a proposal to allow the icon to be moved during church holidays from the permanent exhibition to the house church of St. Michael's Castle. In return, the foundation pledged to restore the small temple.

The dispute dragged on, and the director of the Russian Museum put an end to it.

“The “Golden Hair Angel” icon is not moving anywhere,” said Vladimir Gusev. – Although the appeals of the Ivanova Dela Foundation with unconfirmed references to support from the leadership of the Ministry of Culture and the Russian Orthodox Church have been repeated for several years.

At the same time, the museum expresses its readiness to cooperate with the Foundation in the matter of restoration. But moving a valuable object is not allowed.

– There was and is no pressure from the Ministry of Culture and the Minister of Culture personally on the management of the museum. There was also no pressure from the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church and the museum did not receive any requests regarding services in connection with the “Angel of Golden Hair,” the director of the museum dispelled the rumors.

According to him, the icon of the second half of the 12th century requires a special method of storage and security. But there is no such thing in the house church of the Mikhailovsky Castle. There is one more nuance: hundreds of thousands of visitors can see it at the exhibition. And no more than 40 people can be in the church at the same time.

photo: KP
nsp.ru is still throwing out information (no one has sat through this press in its entirety? What kind of mosaic needs to be assembled?): ...neither Minult nor the Russian Orthodox Church demanded that the museum transfer it to the church of St. Michael’s Castle.
And all publications with contrary statements are slander and provocation,
said Vladimir Gusev.
(...) Gusev confirmed that negotiations with the Ivanovo Cause Foundation on the restoration of the house church in the Mikhailovsky Castle have indeed been going on for several years. The fund promises to invest 4.5 million rubles. But the museum’s management considers the conditions put forward by the Foundation unacceptable. We are talking about moving an ancient icon to this church. (...) According to Vladimir Gusev, the museum always responded negatively to the Foundation’s requests for another icon and did not experience any pressure “from above”. And contrary statements are a forgery. It is curious that the employees reported the pressure on the museum director from representatives of the Ministry of Culture not only to the press, but also filed a statement with the prosecutor’s office. Following this, Vladimir Gusev wrote his appeal to the Ministry of Culture and the prosecutor’s office with a personal explanation of the situation. It is not yet clear how this bad story will end. The director of the Russian Museum theoretically allows for the movement of exhibits inside the museum, but is categorically against moving the “Golden Haired Angel” icon to the unrestored church of St. Michael’s Castle. True, as the conflict progressed, hope arose that the Ministry of Culture would provide money to complete the restoration of the house church in St. Michael’s Castle. We need more than 100 million rubles. So the 4.5 million that the Foundation promised is nothing.
*** Nevertheless, despite the words about “slander and provocation”, this is how neat journalists from the BBC show us, indeed, on the eve of the start of the frenzy it was like this:

“Novaya Gazeta” (better read in full) Today Vladimir Gusev is ready to admit: “Yes, there is my fault here, I was mistaken, I believed the promises of those who should not have been trusted.”
Although, back on September 14 of this year, in a letter addressed to Minister Medinsky, he expressed support for Mr. Shmakov’s new initiatives: “The question of opening the Church of the Archangel Michael in the Mikhailovsky Castle for worshipers and displaying icons from the collections of the Russian Museum in it was raised by the Ivanovo Delo charitable foundation to the Ministry of Culture and the Russian Museum several times. The museum’s position on this issue has always been positive and was most recently outlined in detail in August 2021 in a letter addressed to Deputy Minister S. G. Obryvalin.” *** And here is
a very interesting text by Mikhail Zolotonosov, from which you can learn about some of the undercurrents of this story.
...when the Orthodox businessman Sergei Shmakov and the Ministry of Culture showed interest in the “Angel of Golden Hair” - exhibit No. 1, when the minister himself urgently arrived at the museum to inspect the icon, and then his deputies visited, it became clear that Shmakov and the minister had resolved the issue, and Now the ministry is putting pressure on the weak-willed director of the State Russian Museum, Vladimir Gusev. The director of a Russian museum today must be a rock, a bunker, and be able to hold the line. And Vladimir Gusev, on October 5, at a meeting of department heads, only complained about the threat of dismissal: either he or the icon...
He said that he wants to remain director... The tail is wagging the dog, the dog is barking loudly at the museum, and Gusev is ready to obey, because of violations of the laws and the State Russian Museum Charter fears less than pressure from the minister. The task arose to make all this obscene behind-the-scenes fuss public. This was the only hope. The beginning was made on October 3, when a large interview appeared with the leading researcher of the Department of Ancient Russian Art of the State Russian Museum, Irina Shalina, which she gave to Radio Liberty. We, journalists, were just doing our job quickly, and the main character of this story is Irina Shalina.

photo: taday.ru
She spoke about the value of the icon, and about the fact that Shmakov had already deceived the museum once by confiscating an icon from the 14th century, and about the absurdity of the idea of exhibiting the icon in the Mikhailovsky Castle (this is Shmakov’s current idea - to move the icon to the house church of the Mikhailovsky Castle , where it will be available to Orthodox pilgrims).
That is, she did what, according to the Charter of the State Russian Museum, the director was obliged to do: she began to defend cultural value from the encroachments of invaders. But director Gusev turned out to be incapable of masculine behavior, and instead of the director in a crisis situation, Shalina had to act clearly and with lightning speed. Not according to the charter, but according to conscience and civic duty. The words are pretentious and loud, but that’s how it happened. Meanwhile, it became obvious that the pressure on the museum continues, the director is taking a wait-and-see attitude, it became known that Sergei Shmakov ordered the “Angel” to be moved to the Mikhailovsky Castle for a prayer service on November 21, and they are already dutifully preparing for this,
but how will he wiggle the ministry and the museum further - the devil knows... At the museum, collective letters were signed to the minister and Mikhail Piotrovsky, but all this did not give reasons for optimism.
And then, at Shalina’s request, I prepared a statement addressed to the prosecutor of St. Petersburg.
On October 9, 2021, it was signed by Shalina, all five curators of the Department of Ancient Russian Art, and myself.
The museum employees no longer had time to fear for their fate; they thought only about the fate of the “Angel”. A classic revolutionary situation has been created when the lower classes do not want to, but the upper classes cannot. “Golden Hair” is the “face” of the Russian Museum, which is printed on the covers of guidebooks.

Photo: BBC On October 10, the application was submitted to the duty prosecutor of the St. Petersburg Prosecutor's Office and became an official document.
And at the same moment, at 13 o'clock.
30 min., the statement to the prosecutor’s office appeared on the website of the magazine “City 812”. This is where, as Gleb Zheglov put it, it came to his whole rotten liver. The accusations addressed to the city prosecutor are sobering (in the statement we asked to stop the pressure on the director of the State Russian Museum from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, to demand from the director of the State Russian Museum Gusev to strictly comply with the legislation of the Russian Federation and to ensure the preservation of the icon “Angel of the Golden Hair”, to ensure the return of the icon of Our Lady Hodegetria (Virgin of Toropetskaya) to State Russian Museum funds). And three hours later, at 16 o'clock. 30 minutes, Minister Medinsky, who was informed about the statement, called Gusev at the hospital, Gusev called his deputy Evgenia Petrova, and she called the Department of Old Russian Art. She reported that the minister had given up, given the all clear, that “Angel,” as the minister said, no one would touch or move even for one hour. (here you can see this wonderful thing in enormous magnification and, by the way, see that its condition is not ideal, and listen to a good audio lecture)

*** Why Gusev behaved so scared and, apparently, agreed to give up the exhibit, can be imagined from quotes from a similar discussion, when the previous director of the Tretyakov Gallery quite calmly planned to give away “Trinity” by Andrei Rublev. ...And if we want them to come here, take the icon out of the display case as it is, and take it away, you can lie down on the threshold, the riot police will put you down, understand? The one that will guard her exit. Then you will remember all this. *** Yesterday's Kommersant: The suspicion that the signatories of the application to the prosecutor's office rejoiced early was confirmed. First Deputy Minister of Culture Vladimir Aristarkhov yesterday [i.e. October 17] confirmed to Kommersant that the Ministry of Culture “is discussing the possibility of moving the “Angel of Golden Hair” and other ancient Russian icons from the exhibition or storerooms of the Russian Museum to the premises of the former church of St. Michael’s Castle after its repair and restoration with the participation of the Ivanovo Delo Foundation.” " The church has not been used for many years and should be open to visitors, as well as services held several times a year; it is most logical to place icons there, the deputy minister explained. The museum, according to him, should work out proposals for filling the future interiors of the church by expanding or moving the ancient Russian exhibition, subject to such a possibility from the point of view of the safety of the exhibits. In any case, the decision will be agreed with the museum staff, the official assured. But so far the ministry has not received a clear position from the State Russian Museum on this issue. (The article also contains a lot of “good” words about Gusev and the situation as a whole)

More on the topic: “He only wanted the original” - about the Orthodox businessman S. Shmakov, material from Kommersant

My telegram channel about art

Museum workers ask to protect the Angel of Golden Hair from an Orthodox businessman

The history of Mr. Shmakov’s relationship with the Russian Museum first appeared in the media in 2009, when he received one of the oldest monuments from the collection of the Russian Museum - the Toropets Icon of the Mother of God. I asked - not forever, but it turned out that the masterpiece remained in the church in the cottage village of Knyazhye Ozero near Moscow; in 2011, the icon was excluded from the inventory of the Russian Museum.

Now the entrepreneur has appealed to the management of the museum so that the Angel of Golden Hair, after the church in the Mikhailovsky Castle of the Russian Museum is repaired, would move there. And Shmakov is ready to help with the restoration of the church. That is, formally, the icon will not leave the museum, but will move from the main exhibition, where all visitors can see it - Orthodox believers, believers of other Christian denominations, non-Christian believers, atheists, agnostics, or anyone else, to a small church in which, according to according to the Orthodox businessman’s plan, it can be seen by pilgrims who are probably embarrassed to just go to the museum.

Museum workers found this approach to the question, to put it mildly, strange. The question arises - why? Moving a masterpiece of the level of the Angel Golden Hair is associated with risks - it must be transported from the Mikhailovsky Palace to the Mikhailovsky Castle. Shmakov proposes to transport the icon to the church four times a year - for the worship of believers, and even offers special equipment for this. But the Angel of Golden Hair is, as experts from the Russian Museum explain, not a prayer image, but only an integral part of the rank of icons, which has managed to survive to this day.

— The icon of the Archangel Gabriel (received only in the Russian Museum the name Angel of Golden Hair) in ancient times served as part of the main Deesis rite that adorned the high altar barrier, that is, it was at a considerable height (about 4.5 m), and was never a prayer image, so a more separate icon for worship. Being only a fragment of an expanded Deesis order, consisting of at least 7-9 icons, the icon should have been considered only as part of the prayerful intercession of the saints before the Almighty, whose image was in the center of the composition and therefore was the only frontal image. The 3/4 face of the Archangel Gabriel, facing Christ, was perceived in the context of the entire ensemble and from a fairly long distance, say experts in icon painting.

The Church of the Mikhailovsky Castle was founded along with the castle in 1797 and consecrated in 1800. It was not intended for hundreds of believers, but was created as a small temple for the imperial family, purely private. The interior of the Church of the Archangel Michael, created in the 19th century, is in no way suitable for an icon of pre-Mongol writing from the second half of the 12th century: the church has preserved unique elements of decoration: a huge semi-circular image of the patron saint, painted by the Polish artist Franciszek Smuglewicz on the eastern wall of the temple, and the iconostasis - a masterpiece Russian stone-cutting art, decorated with jasper, lapis lazuli and multi-colored marble, miraculously preserved to this day, the church is also decorated with powerful granite columns with gilded bases and capitals, which originally supported the choir. Is there really a place there for the Golden-haired Angel, laconic, with huge eyes, with golden hair - each has a thin thread of golden leaf running through it, making the hair shine with heavenly divine light?

- This icon has nothing to do with the premises of the castle church - neither historical nor plot. And why does citizen Shmakov, who has nothing to do with the Russian Museum, decide on the issues of moving an exhibit from one museum exhibition to another? — comments Irina Shalina, leading researcher at the Department of Old Russian Art of the Russian Museum, official expert on cultural values of the Ministry of Culture, candidate of art history, author of numerous studies and publications on works of Russian icon painting.

The story of Angel Golden Hair began to gain scandalous momentum. Director of the State Russian Museum Vladimir Gusev, at a meeting of department heads on October 5, 2021, said that he would write a letter to the Ivanovo Delo charity foundation, which was created in 2008 by an entrepreneur and his wife, and among the areas of the foundation’s activities is the construction and restoration of churches. In the letter, the Russian Museum allegedly intends to refuse assistance in the restoration of the church in Mikhailovsky Castle.

The museum workers did not calm down and still decided to send letters to the Union of Museums of Russia and the Ministry of Culture so that the Golden Hair Angel would be officially left alone.

What happens to the Golden Hair icon?

UPD: the icon will be taken away from the Russian Museum, because it will INCREASE THE BIRTH RATE in Russia.
See updates. One Orthodox businessman wants to remove it from the permanent exhibition of the Russian Museum, place it in the church - the branch of the museum for which he gave money to repair, and then drag this fragile 12th-century masterpiece several times a year from one building to another.
Or maybe throughout the country. Source: a very chaotic and illogical article on Svoboda, I’ll retell it in my own words.
There is an Orthodox businessman, Sergei Shmakov, who has very good connections. In 2009, he already received a 14th century icon of the Toropets Mother of God from the Russian Museum. And in a beautiful Cossack way: “let it be yours, but let it lie with me.” The icon remained listed as a museum exhibit, but is now located in a new church in an elite village where the businessman lives. According to icon painting experts, the conditions of its storage there can lead to a deterioration in the condition of the ancient board. Experts are no longer allowed to look at it. That is, my uncle’s modus operandi is bad; he allegedly ruined one masterpiece. Now about “Golden Hair,” which is perhaps one of the top five most recognizable Russian icons in general. Businessman Shmakov continues to be friends with the Russian Museum and gives him money for the restoration of the church in its branch - Mikhailovsky Castle. Mikhailovsky Castle is the same “Maltese” castle in which Paul I was killed. As a branch of the museum, it is very good, but entirely “Romanov”, everything here is dedicated to the Romanovs, since this is an imperial palace. The theme of the castle is Maltese and almost Catholic (because Paul I was very fond of this business). On excursions they say that the color of the castle was chosen in honor of the gloves of the emperor’s favorite, and how he was strangled with an officer’s scarf and hit in the temple with a snuffbox. How should this icon fit into the theme of the branch (it is not even “Michael”, but “Gabriel”, and that is completely unreliable, and in principle the angel is considered nameless). However, Shmakov, since he is investing money in the restoration of the church, probably believes that it is the owner’s business to furnish it. Interiors of the church in the castle. As you can see, everything completely “pro-Western” does not fit with the “Byzantine” icon. In the interiors of the palace there is a little Masonic symbolism, quite Catholic Maltese.

By the way, this is the preserved (and conceived during the initial construction of the castle) Church of the Archangel Michael. But there was also a second one in the castle - the Church of Peter and Paul. It was made on the site of the room in which the emperor was killed. This second church has not survived to this day; partly in its place is now a corridor. Moreover, the place of the altar, built on the site of the murdered man’s bed, also ended up in the corridor. Perhaps we don’t know the background of this transference at all? Maybe this has something to do with the same regality that has now become so actual? And does anyone also honor the “innocently murdered” Paul? And in this way wants to bless him with an icon?

UPD: St. Petersburg residents testify in the comments About Paul I, during training sessions in the Cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress in front of his grave, museum staff told us that at the beginning of the twentieth century there was a process for the canonization of the emperor, they collected cases of miracles in front of his grave, and the list was decent.
But then the war began, then the revolution, and there was no time for canonization. And the employees claimed that in front of the grave of Emperor Paul, prayers for relief from headaches and toothaches, as well as for lost small things, were especially good. *** Excerpts from an interview with a museum employee who began to panic (leading researcher of the department of ancient Russian art of the Russian Museum, official expert on cultural values of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation Irina Shalina): - ...And if the Toropetskaya Mother of God, although she was never miraculous, still There are some legends about her, she is revered, then the “Golden Hair Angel” is not a prayerful image at all, it is one of the intercessors before the Almighty, who prays for the forgiveness of our sins. And it is impossible to imagine that they pray in front of this icon, that they bow to it, kiss it, it is impossible, only a person who does not have even the rudiments of an understanding of the foundations of Orthodox culture can think of it. In front of this icon, we talk about the origins of ancient Russian painting, about the beginning of Orthodoxy in Rus'. Sergei Shmakov, who initiated the temporary transfer of the icon of the Toropetsk Mother of God

And suddenly Mr. Shmakov has the idea to move this icon from the museum, where thousands of people see it every day, to the Mikhailovsky Castle.
For this purpose, for some reason he wants to make the local church operational and open, although there cannot even be a parish there: there are no residential buildings there - the Field of Mars, the Summer Garden, Fontanka, Mikhailovsky Garden. The Mikhailovsky Palace is the premises of the Russian Museum, and the church in it was imperial, for the elite, imbued with the spirit of the Order of Malta, which is understandable if we remember the history of Paul the First. And why should this icon be moved to a place where it will only be worshiped on certain major holidays? This is an idea from a private person who offers to restore the church for his own money, although this is a museum object, and this cannot be done so easily. And the iconostasis there is a dilapidated museum storage, but you can’t touch it, let alone open the Royal Doors during services. This is the point - to move the icon 200 meters - to where supposedly pilgrims will come from all over the country. (...) (here you can see this wonderful thing in a huge magnification and, by the way, see that its condition is not ideal, and listen to a good audio lecture)
This is a very active and uncompromising invasion of state, national property. And this is done by a man who has already taken one of the most valuable icons from the Russian Museum and did not keep not only his word, but also the word of the patriarch, who also promised to return it to us. How can you trust this person again? The restoration of the church is a good thing, and it would even be possible to open it to a very intimate number of people, but what does “Angel of Golden Hair” have to do with it?

(...) On the other hand, where does such ambition come from that it is necessary to pray for such valuable icons? Athonite monks pray in their cells for paper icons, and nothing, this does not detract from their holiness. But in the case of the “Golden Hair Angel,” we don’t even know what kind of angel this is - after all, there may be several of them in the Deesis rank. This is a nameless angel, hence its mythologized name. It seems that from the spread it could be the Archangel Gabriel, but maybe he is part of a complex of three angels, we don’t know, his name is lost along with the background. You can’t present your speculations and interpretations as scientific fact. This is an icon, but it has never been a prayer image,

it is not even called an image in the descriptions. - In general, is all this pride and ignorance?

– Yes, and also the idea that I, a rich and well-connected person, have the right to decide the fate of any object of national heritage owned by a state fund and to use it. – And the Ministry of Culture is on his side again?

- In any case, last week Medinsky came to us, and then a certain employee of the ministry. Medinsky came to see how the icon was hanging - you see, he was informed that it was hanging in inappropriate conditions, somewhere above the radiator - for some reason he was not listening to the custodian, but to someone else's messages. We have it hanging beautifully, in an expensive cassette, under bulletproof glass. Medinsky saw children sitting on the floor in front of the icon, the guide telling them what the icon was. The icon, by the way, is small, it will get lost in the iconostasis, and it will be completely inconvenient to approach it and look at it. (virtual tour)

Then he went to the Mikhailovsky Castle, and a few days later his deputy arrived - on the issue of the reconstruction of the Mikhailovsky Castle, which he allegedly plans to do with his own money.
And they say: we have not yet decided whether to take the icon to church every month or 4 times a year, on certain holidays.
They decide this among themselves. And we must think about how to organize the entrance to the church during a mass pilgrimage, where there will be parking for buses. Why don’t pilgrims listen to the guide’s stories about this icon in the Russian Museum, where it hangs vertically, as an icon of the Deesis order should hang. About an icon that did not leave our museum under any conditions, except for the blockade, when everything was taken out, and the only exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the “Golden Haired Angel” was one of the representatives of Russian culture - among several icons, including Rublev. She was chosen as the most famous of Russian icons.

*** Irina Shalina is very afraid that at any moment the Russian Museum may receive an order from the Ministry of Culture to move the “Golden Hair Angel”, and the director of the museum, Vladimir Gusev, will obediently sign it, just as he signed the order to remove the icon of the Toropetskaya Mother of God. (...) *** – Are there any ways to protect the “Golden Hair Angel”?

Another speaker: - The whole horror here is that they are not going to exclude it from the museum fund, take it away from the Russian Museum, it will be listed there. And a handout is made - the restoration of the Church of the Mikhailovsky Castle. But if the restoration is carried out at an accelerated pace, then we will get another Konstantinovsky Palace, it will not be a restoration, but simply a European-quality renovation. They will simply ruin everything there along the way, because from such a “restoration” there will then be nothing genuine and authentic left. Pay attention to the condition of the wood.

Radio Liberty managed to get through to the director of the Russian Museum, Vladimir Gusevai, to ask him about the “Golden Hair Angel.”
He replied that he did not see the subject of the conversation, since the icon remained in the museum. He did not want to go into details, but it is in them, as we know, that the devil hides. Because the Mikhailovsky Palace is part of the Russian Museum, and the icon transferred there remains, as it were, in the museum - only it will be much more difficult to see it. *** UPD: 1) icons of such world significance cannot be permanently moved from the main exhibition (spacious halls with high traffic and a huge flow of visitors) to a small narrow church with unknown visiting hours due to services and other such things. This is theft of cultural heritage from all of us. 2) icons of such an old age (they have been retired for a long time, do not force them to “work” in the church!) cannot be carried back there. They are carried from one room to another in the building, barely breathing, and even through fresh air to another room, and several times a year - this simply kills the tree. He is almost eight hundred years old, the same age as Moscow, just imagine. Why you can’t carry it and what happens to the icons in this case can be read in a similar discussion when they were going to give out Rublev’s “Trinity”. UPD2: Fontanka has released a summary of what is known... Fontanka asked the head of the ancient Russian art department of the Russian Museum, Irina Solovyova, to restore the chronology of events. According to her, in September the museum received an appeal from the Ministry of Culture, in which the department, with reference to a request from the charity organization “Ivanovo Case” (according to the SPARK system, Sergei Shmakov is its co-owner, the president is Svetlana Shmakova) was interested in the possibility of temporarily displaying the icon in the premises Church of the Mikhailovsky Castle. About two weeks ago, Minister Vladimir Medinsky came to the museum, interested in the icon, and last week there was a “visiting session of a representative of the ministry to inspect the church of St. Michael’s Castle.” (...) ...Research employee of the department of ancient Russian art Irina Shalina, who was the first to talk about the situation around the national heritage, shared with Fontanka the details of that meeting: “Shmakov was not there, his person was there, but he very persistently made it clear that the issue had been resolved for them . Moreover, they reported that they themselves would be involved in the restoration of the church (a museum object!) and they have the sum of four million rubles for this...” Witnesses of that meeting had the impression that business and the ministry were already agreeing, without the participation of the museum, with what regularity transport the icon across the road (Mikhailovsky Palace and Mikhailovsky Castle are separated, according to Yandex maps, by 232 meters): on major holidays four times a year, or every month... Both Irina Solovyova and Irina Shalina told Fontanka that Shmakov’s company has already written announced her plans to start making a “cassette” for storing the icon. And this confirms fears that the scenario will repeat itself. Not to mention the fact that the presence of the icon in this cassette itself does not do any good: the exhibit must “breathe”. By the way, this also applies to the icon of Our Lady of Toropets, which is still in the Moscow region in such a capsule. The Russian Museum is not aware of the current state of the icon: as soon as the item was removed from the collections, the museum’s monitoring was blocked. (...) ...Levon Nersesyan notes that the current situation has nothing to do with the issue of relations between museums and the church, nor with problems in legislation: “This is the initiative of a specific person who once already managed to “build everyone” in this place, after which he realized that everything will continue to “build” if he pushes correctly. And this is the second time we have seen a completely inadequate response from the museum management to this initiative. Because when a person comes to you from the street and says, “Give me your best icon, because I’ve figured out what I’m going to do with it,” there can only be one answer: “Boy, did you even understand where have you come? You have a lot of money? Very good! Let you go and buy yourself the most expensive toy and play with it. And you won’t interfere with adults doing their difficult and important work.” You need to say this calmly, perhaps with a slight smile, but most importantly, with a full sense of self-esteem, stemming from an awareness of your own responsibility. But the management of the Russian Museum demonstrated neither dignity nor responsibility last time, and I am very afraid that they will not demonstrate it this time either.” (...) Toropetsk icon from the Russian Museum, which a businessman settled in a cottage church next to his house

...Ordinary employees at the Russian Museum say they are determined to give a decisive rebuff.
It's up to the leadership. When Fontanka called, Vladimir Gusev replied that “there is no subject for conversation yet.” What he meant may become clear today. According to Fontanka, on the morning of October 5, director Vladimir Gusev is holding a meeting on this matter with the participation of the heads of departments of the museum. Fontanka was unable to contact Sergei Shmakov - the Ivanovo Delo charity foundation reported that he was away. However, the head of the foundation, Zoya Nikolaeva, confirmed that the foundation sent a letter to the Russian Museum with a request to move the icon “Angel of the Golden Hair” to the house church of St. Michael’s Castle, where the foundation undertakes to carry out restoration and repair work. The foundation explains the choice of the icon... by the need to raise the birth rate.
“You know that Archangel Gabriel brings good news,” the charity foundation enlightened Fontanka. – He brought the good news to the parents of John the Baptist - Saint Elizabeth and then the Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, that they would have children. Moreover, Elizabeth was already at an advanced age, they had no children, and Archangel Gabriel announced the good news that she would have a child. And the same to the Virgin Mary. And they turn to him in case of infertility, during difficult births. In our country now, you know, IVF, surrogacy, abortion are very common... We are against abortion. And this is largely due to the fact that there is good news, and many long-awaited children are born in many families.” Zoya Nikolaeva also confirmed her intentions to transfer the icon to the church of the Mikhailovsky Castle more than once - on major holidays. At the same time, the foundation denies plans to take it to other churches - outside the Russian Museum.

Alina Tsiopa, Fontanka.ru
UPD: continuation of the story, data as of October 19, 2021

What you need to know about the icon

One well-known story in St. Petersburg that happened not so long ago is connected with the icon of the Archangel Gabriel “Golden Hair”.

One day, a famous businessman and his wife, who runs a charitable foundation, came to the Russian Museum, where the icon is kept sealed in a special capsule to ensure its safety. Those who came asked the museum's management to move the icon to St. Michael's Church and give it to them for this purpose. The director of the museum was forced to seek protection from the public and asked for the protection of the relic and its storage in the Russian Museum, where many people can see the ancient icon.

Thanks to widespread publicity, it was possible to defend the location of the Golden Hair icon. The history of other valuable items previously taken by benefactors, but not returned, also worked well here.

How does the “Golden Haired Angel” icon help?

Archangel Gabriel is the angel of good, good, saving news. Helps you find joy and peace.

According to legend, Archangel Gabriel appeared with such news to the mother of John the Baptist - holy righteous Elizabeth about the imminent conception of a son, although the saint was barren and at the time of conception was already in advanced years, and to the Virgin Mary - about her Divine destiny and the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, a sincere, fervent prayer from the bottom of my heart in front of the icon of the Angel of Golden Hair helps:

in the healing of infertility;
successful pregnancy and childbirth;
if you want to adopt a child.

Angel Golden Hair is an icon that patronizes people in creative and mentoring professions.
It will be a wonderful gift and assistant for musicians, poets, teachers, anyone who loves to create a warm, trusting atmosphere, to give joy and happiness to people. Representatives of these professions will be inspired by the Golden Hair Angel icon to create and implement new creative ideas. Today the icon is kept in the Russian Museum in a special capsule and is available to visitors. The recent history of the image is overshadowed by a scandal when representatives of a certain charitable foundation that had previously collaborated with the Russian Museum became interested in the “Angel Golden Hair” icon. A well-known businessman and his wife, who is the head of a charitable foundation, approached the museum’s management with a desire to take a unique icon for supposedly transferring it to St. Michael’s Church. The museum management had to resort to publicizing the current situation through the media. It was decided to refuse the fund’s representatives to release the shrine, which is about 800 years old, due to dishonest fulfillment of their obligations and failure to return previously issued valuable exhibits.

Icon

The icon “Angel of Golden Hair” is the best example of ancient Russian icon painting

The question of the author remains open. Most likely, the creation came from the hand of one of the monks of the Novgorod monastery.

But among authoritative scientists the idea was also expressed that the “Angel” could be created by the famous icon painter “Greek Petrovich”, who at the end of the 12th century worked on the painting of the church in Novgorod.

Meaning and description of the shrine

The name of the icon was not chosen by chance. The golden hair of the archangel, made in the assist style from gold leaf, symbolizes the divine principle, the light of eternal life.

We advise you to study Prayers that help everyone and always

Color harmony, unity of tone, proportionality of forms and rhythm of rounded lines testify in favor of an exquisitely complicated Byzantine style.

Golden hair is made in the style of “assist” The look shows sympathy for the personGreek type of face

How does the “Golden Haired Angel” icon help?

The Archangel always brought good news. Therefore, turning to him helps to restore peace and overcome despondency. In addition, Gabriel brought news of the birth. That is why people who want but cannot have children often resort to prayer in front of the icon: they pray for healing from infertility, for a successful pregnancy and childbirth.

They also turn to the archangel in cases of doubt, when they want to adopt a child, but do not dare.

It is also believed that prayer to the archangel helps creative people who ask for the development of talent and self-realization. These can be not only artists, musicians and poets, but also teachers and researchers.

Prayer to Archangel Gabriel

There are many variations of the test of prayer to the Archangel Gabriel. The most complete and common looks like this:

“Heavenly armies of the Archangel, we always pray to you, unworthy, and with your prayers protect us with the shelter of the wing of your immaterial glory, preserving us, falling diligently and crying: deliver us from troubles, as the official of the Highest powers.” “O most zealous Archangel of God Gabriel prayer book for our souls, on the day of your triumph we earnestly pray to you, our intercessor: ask with your holy all-powerful prayers before the Throne of God, always offered up, (preserve this holy temple until the end of this world), to confirm, strengthen and expand the faith of Christ, for Orthodox Christians the patristic Orthodox preserve faith immaculately until the end of your days, walk unswervingly in all the commandments of the Lord, always bring true repentance for our sins to God, and be honored with a peaceful Christian death and a good answer at the Last Judgment of God, so that we may inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, and together with you glorify the Most Honest and Magnificent the name of the Most Holy Trinity, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen".

, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter.

The meaning of the icon “Golden Haired Angel”

This is the only image of the Archangel Gabriel, whose face is depicted large-scale on the entire surface of the icon. The Archangel is traditionally represented on icons either in full height or waist-deep with the attributes of angelic service. Archangel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary the good news about her destiny and the birth of her son of God Jesus Christ - the savior of the whole world.

The big eyes of the Archangel Gabriel on the icon of the Angel Golden Hair attract the eye like a magnet, and keep a quiet sadness. Thick hair is beautifully arranged on the angel's shoulders. Each angel hair is lined with gold leaf thread and made using a special technique. The meaning of golden threads symbolizes Divine power, the light of eternal life and the unearthly angelic origin of Archangel Gabriel. His face is spiritual and perfect. In the image of the Archangel one can feel compassion for fallen man, humility and peace.

What do we know about Archangel Gabriel from Holy Scripture?

Interesting fact

The name Gabriel means "Power of God" (Hebrew).

Much is said about him in the Holy Scriptures.

Archangel Gabriel in the Old Testament

Even before the Nativity of Christ, which Gabriel preached about, the archangel appears many times in Scripture.

Gabriel explained to the prophet Daniel his visions. The Archangel several times revealed to the prophet the secrets of the future, not only about the then distant events of the first and second comings of the Savior, but also about the fate of the Jewish people, their liberation from Babylonian captivity.
He appeared to the prophet Moses in the desert and helped create the Book of Genesis, putting into it knowledge about the creation of the world and the first people, life before and after the flood. This is a very important moment for all humanity, because the Book gave us the concept of both the Fall and existence in Paradise.

Archangel Gabriel in the New Testament

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the Archangel Gabriel in the New Testament.

The prayer of righteous Anna, bitterly crying about her barrenness, was heard by the Creator. Archangel Gabriel brought the woman the news that she would soon give birth to a Daughter, “about whom all the tribes of the earth will be blessed. She will give salvation to the world, and She will receive the name of Mary.” At this time, her righteous husband offered up his requests to God, while in solitude in the desert. Gabriel also appeared to Joachim with a joyful message about the imminent birth of the future Mother of God. It should be noted here that from the very moment of conception, Gabriel became the guardian of the Virgin Mary. After Her birth, when She was brought into the temple as a very small child, he brought Mary food every day. Gabriel rejoiced with the news of the imminent appearance of the firstborn and righteous Zechariah. The parents of John the Baptist were already at an advanced age and did not dare to hope that the Lord would one day send them a long-awaited baby. But Gabriel appeared: The priest did not accept these words as truth

For lack of trust, the archangel made Zechariah mute until the birth of the Forerunner of the Lord John.

The most important news of Gabriel is about the birth of Jesus Christ from the Virgin Mary. The Holy Patriarch of Constantinople Proclus says the following about this task: The Most Pure Virgin was in the Holy of Holies of the temple when an Angel flew to Her

His speech that She is blessed among wives confused the Virgin. Then Gabriel explained to Her the highest Mystery. Joseph the Betrothed, who was to become Her husband, having learned that Mary was pregnant, wanted to let Her go, but then he dreamed of Gabriel, who said: “Do not be afraid to accept Mary your wife, for what is born in Her is from the Holy Spirit; and she will give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:18-21). And Joseph abandoned his plan.

When Christ was born, Gabriel appeared to the shepherds guarding their flock not far from the cave in which the miraculous event took place. He informed the men about the birth of the Messiah. Also, soon he again appeared to the Holy Family in order to warn them about the upcoming mass murder of infants, which was started by the wicked King Herod. In the Garden of Gethsemane, before the inevitable torment, Christ prayed to the Heavenly Father, and the Archangel Gabriel was sent to Him in order to support Him before the coming suffering. “An angel appeared to him from heaven, strengthening him” (Luke 22:43). Gabriel brought indescribable joy that Christ had risen from the dead to the myrrh-bearing women.

Myrrh-Bearing Women at the Holy SepulcherNovgorod, ca. 1475 80 × 59 cm State Tretyakov Gallery

So, the Archangel became the evangelist of the main milestones of Christ’s earthly life - from Conception to Resurrection. In addition, Gabriel informed the Mother of God about Her imminent Dormition.

Angel Golden Hair -

Description of the icon.

To learn to see an icon, you need to understand what kind of phenomenon in art it is - an icon... Is it just a board with a certain image or “Speculation in Colors”, a window into the depths of Heaven?..

As a rule, icon painters are people who have completely dedicated their lives to God. They directly touched the world, which is hidden from carnal perception. They communicated with this world through fasting, abstinence and prayer. But how to depict the invisible, how to make visible that which belongs only to the sphere of the Spirit? It is necessary to remove the flesh, refine, elongate the image, scatter the gold of the assist, showing that the saint depicted on the icon (as well as what surrounds him) no longer belongs to the created world, but to the Divine...

Also the faces... They are painted from dark to light, the image is gradually brightened, and at the end the icon painter puts spaces - revivals, and the face acquires light, not from external sources, but transforming the perishable, Favorsky. The word “angel” itself is translated as a messenger, one who brings a message from God to man. David the psalmist, speaking about angels, shows “... their lightness and ardor, ardor and insight, the speed with which they desire God and serve Him, their desire for things above and freedom from any material idea.”

Saint Basil the Great says: “Angels do not undergo changes, they remain in the same state in which they were created at the beginning.” Any description of angels is conditional; they belong to a completely different level of existence. Iconography describes angels as beautiful winged creatures. But wings are not exactly a part of the body; wings depict the speed of the angels fulfilling the will of God.

And in this form, angels usually appear to people. In a way that is familiar to a person, so that he can perceive the phenomenon. By the way, this is perfectly described in Clive Lewis’s book “The Cosmic Trilogy”, in its second part, where two great Angels (or rather Archangels) appear before mortal man in such a way that he can endure it.

Angels serve man, and their service is varied. There is a guardian angel. There are angels protecting entire nations. St. John of Damascus says that angels “guard parts of the earth, rule over peoples and places, as appointed by the Creator.” Sometimes God sends an angel to a person with news of future events.

And so, our icon, our window to the world of Heaven, opens. And we see an angelic face. The face of the finest, most delicate beauty... More precisely, it is the face of the Archangel. This is an image of the Archangel Gabriel (the one who, as the Gospel tells, was sent to the Virgin Mary with the news that the Savior of the world would be born from Her). Most often we see his image on the icons of the Annunciation, but here it is a shoulder-length image (i.e., shoulder-length).

What is the most important thing in an icon? The beauty of the image according to the Creator's plan. The beauty of ourselves, our souls, not wounded by sin, but with it, corruption and death. The beauty is not of fallen nature, but as it was intended. An icon is God's mirror, reflecting not what is, but what should be. There is deep peace and silence in the bottomless eyes of the Archangel. But we see that sadness covers His face like a shadow. After all, people are still in bustle and confusion. What is still fallen and perishable holds us in its power. Therefore, the Archangel, in his unceasing prayer, looks at us with sadness and love.

Gold in the icon is not color, but light. Uncreated light, the light of Divine energies. In icon painting technique this is called an assist - thin lines of gold leaf. The hair of the Archangel is all permeated with this Divine radiance. A headband with a red stone and fluttering “rumors” are woven into the strands - the ends of this headband. Angels' hearing is a symbol of hearing the word of God.

History of the image.

Researchers attribute the icon to the 12th century, to the Novgorod school. It was probably written by a monk of one of the Novgorod monasteries and was there in the Deisis rank (a row of icons). The word Deisis is Greek and means prayer. The Deisis is located in the central row (of the five classical rows in the Russian iconostasis). In the center is the Savior. Standing before him in prayer for peace are the Mother of God and John the Baptist. And then there are the figures of the Archangels - Michael and Gabriel, the saints.

Archangel Gabriel from the “Golden Hair Angel” icon was written for the Deisis rank. His head is inclined towards Christ.

The icon was painted in the 12th century, i.e. in the pre-Mongol period of Russian history. Very few such unique monuments have survived. It was found in the 18th century by historian G.D. Filimonov in the Kremlin, in the bell tower among objects that were intended for destruction. It most likely came here in the 16th century, under Ivan the Terrible, who took a lot of shrines from Novgorod to Moscow. Nowadays, the icon is kept in the Russian Museum of St. Petersburg.

Author of the text: Olga Zharlova.