The Moscow Kremlin Museum presented the exhibition “Holy Abode” (dedicated to the 600th anniversary of the Solovetsky Monastery)

A large-scale exhibition titled “Holy Abode” is open in the museum gallery of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow until January 15. It is dedicated to the history of one of the most famous shrines of our country — the Solovetsky Monastery — and timed to the 600th anniversary of its foundation, which will be celebrated in 2029. The Government of the Russian Federation, in close cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church, is preparing 175 events to mark this date. The first of them is a remarkable exhibition featuring works from the collection of the Moscow Kremlin Museum.

At its center are icons, including the images of the monastery’s founders — Saints Zosima and Sabbatius of the 16th century — one of the earliest examples of the joint depiction of saints, which was venerated as a monastic relic and kept by their relics. A unique masterpiece — the icon “Transfiguration” from the main monastic church, the Transfiguration Cathedral — was created by skilled 16th-century masters and is distinguished by its complex iconographic program and highest artistic quality.

“Unique icons and works of decorative and applied art of the 16th and 17th centuries,” noted Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, “are of great significance for the faithful. Looking into these wondrous images, one realizes that they truly embody a great power. If people of the twenty-first century are amazed by their beauty, appreciate their aesthetics, and inevitably marvel at the talent of our distant ancestors — this truly shows the power of God in all of it. Therefore, I would advise many who may look at icons only as art objects to think that these are not merely works of art; through them, God Himself speaks to us — if we are willing, of course, because this connection must be mutual,” said the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill after viewing the exhibition.

The collection of the Moscow Kremlin Museums holds an exceptional array of ecclesiastical art pieces originating from the Solovetsky Monastery. “The Solovetsky Monastery is one of the most important — perhaps the most important after the Trinity Sergius Lavra — monasteries in the Russian state. It enjoyed immense reverence and was one of the foremost outposts of Russian culture in the North,” said Elena Gagarina, Director General of the Moscow Kremlin Museum. “It is the main monastery of the Russian North — a place where magnificent artworks were created and preserved, as well as revered donations made not only by noblepeople but also by monarchs, patriarchs, members of princely and boyar families, Solovetsky abbots and archimandrites, prominent officials, and outstanding figures of Russian history,” stressed Elena Gagarina. Among such contributions are those of Elder Alexander Bulatnikov of the Trinity Sergius Monastery, who took monastic vows within the Solovetsky cloister. Visitors to the exhibition will see the icon “Theotokos of Vladimir” donated by him, a chasuble with richly decorated shoulders, and a handwritten Gospel. Of particular interest are the priestly vestments, works of ecclesiastical embroidery, and exquisite samples of jewelry art — creations of master craftsmen from artistic centers across Russia and Europe. An ivory mug with portraits of emperors from Peter to Catherine II was donated to the monastery by Kholmogory master Osip Dudin in the 18th century, along with a rich library. Another notable exhibit is the shaving set of Count Pyotr Tolstoy, who was accused of plotting against Emperor Peter II and exiled to Solovki. He donated all his property — silver — for the commemoration of his soul and his son’s. Thus, this shaving set came to be used in the Transfiguration Cathedral during services as the vessel for hand washing.

“May God grant that museum treasures, regardless of where they are kept, continue to preserve this great spiritual significance in addition to their aesthetic and scholarly value — the very purpose for which they were created,” emphasized Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, concluding his visit to the “Holy Abode” exhibition marking the 600th anniversary of the Solovetsky Monastery’s foundation.