Ancient Art of XIV-XVII Centuries

Collection of Old Russian painting of the Russian Museum - one of the largest and most significant in our country. It includes about six thousand icons. The permanent exhibition housed in the first four halls of Mikhailovsky Palace, represents a part of this collection - the most valuable works of XII - XVII centuries started in the major art centers of Old Russia: Novgorod, Pskov, Vladimir, Suzdal, Moscow and Yaroslavl.

In the first hall of the department exhibited the most ancient icons. Pride of the meeting - the icon of the XII century «Archangel Gabriel» («Angel Golden Hair»), a unique monument of Kievan Rus. Built in the XIII century icon of «Our Lady of Tenderness» (Belozerskaya), belongs to the earliest surviving image of the Virgin. Here is the famous icon of «Boris and Gleb». Fulfilled Moscow master in the middle of the XIV century, it is a rare image of the first all-Russian saints come down to our time.

The second hall section is the product of two large centers of iconography - Novgorod and Pskov. Among them is a monument to the classic painting of the XIV century - the Novgorod icon of «St. George and the Dragon». In the third room of the exhibition - the icons of the Moscow school of painting XIV-XV centuries. The central place is occupied by four icons of the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir - «The Apostle Peter», «Paul», «Candlemas» and «Baptism of Christ», which were performed in the studio of the painter's largest late XIV - early XV century Andrei Rublev. Here - a group of icons of the Virgin Nativity Cathedral of the Ferapontov Monastery, written by famous masters of iconography Dionysos and his disciples. Rounding out the exhibition section works XVI-XVII centuries - painters working Yaroslavl, Tver and the Stroganov School. In the same room is a memorial painting of the second half of the XVII century - the icon «The Trinity». Its creator was a famous artist of the Moscow Armory Simon Ushakov.