Rublev’s icon “Trinity” was taken from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior for restoration

Andrei Rublev’s icon “Trinity”, which has been on display in the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior since June 3, was moved to the All-Russian Art Scientific and Restoration Center named after Grabar on Wednesday. There it will undergo conservation and restoration. Earlier, art historians spoke against the exposition of the “Trinity” in the church, explaining that due to the dilapidation of the masterpiece, storage outside museum conditions could lead to irreversible damage.

In the center of Grabar, restorers will have to prepare the icon for its final transfer to a permanent place of storage in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra near Moscow. On July 12, the Ministry of Culture of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church signed an agreement on the transfer of “Trinity” to the free use of the Russian Orthodox Church for 49 years with the possibility of extension. At the same time, the icon remains a subject of the Museum Fund of Russia under the operational management of the Tretyakov Gallery. Responsibility for its storage is shared between both parties.

The restorers will also assess the possible damage caused to the icon by transportation and exposure in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. There it was exhibited not in a hermetic capsule with climate control, but in an ordinary glass display case. Specialists noted that the temperature indicators in the temple were within the norm, and the humidity was 10-15% lower than required, which could lead to the drying of the paint layer.

• Negotiations on the transfer of one of the most famous Old Russian icons from the Tretyakov Gallery to the Russian Orthodox Church intensified in May. It was reported that the corresponding order was given by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, but the text of the order was not published anywhere.
• Art historians and restorers, including those working in the Tretyakov Gallery and taking part in the storage and restoration of the “Trinity”, spoke out strongly against such a step. According to them, the icon is in a dilapidated condition, and transportation and storage at the wrong temperature and humidity can lead to its irreparable destruction. However, on June 3, the “Trinity” was transported to the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
• In May, the participants of the meeting of the restoration commission in the Tretyakov Gallery stated that the transfer of the icon was impossible due to its unstable condition. After that, Patriarch Kirill removed from his post and banned the chairman of the ROC art council, archpriest Leonid Kalinin, who participated in the meeting and signed the protocol with the decision.