Monday, May 18, 2009

Three Holy Heirarchs



Saints Basil the Great Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom: The Three Holy Heirarchs. It is an icon I have had my eye on for sometime, it is pre-Revolutionary Russian, monastic school, the painting is very fine and delicate. My parishioners generously gave me a largish amount of money for my Jubilee which I put towards it, I wanted something tangible and beautiful, to remember such a happy day.

At some stage it is going to need a little restoration, there is a bit of burn from a an icon lamp but should be easily fixed, it is only on the background.

6 comments:

mafeking said...

I have this exact same icon at home, although done in a slightly different style. I'd always wondered why they were shown together. I didn't know they were referred to as the The Three Holy Hierarchs - I can look that up now. Thanks.

old believer said...

Their feast day is January 30th if I recall correctly in the Byzantine Rite.

A very pleasant icon indeed.

Delia said...

What a lovely object to commemorate your Jubilee!

gemoftheocean said...

You know Father, it might even be wise to keep the burn. That reminds you that things like this are meant to be USED. :-D

It is very common (or used to be!) to put an "icon in the corner" with a votive candle before it. Even the poorest izbas (peasant huts) had such things. It was no accident that when the revolution came, it was common to put a picture of Lenin in the corner of "Soviet" classrooms. [to "replace" religion"

[And I think your new icon is wonderful.]

Terry Nelson said...

Very beautiful, I love the monastic icons. I think I would leave the burn as well.

Belated best wishes and prayers of thanksgiving for your Jubilee.

pelerin said...

I tend to agree with gem that the burn reflects the prayers of the people and should be retained.

It's a bit like a church cleaning up a statue which had the evidence of candle flames from centuries of prayer. Only a personal opinion though. Your Icon is indeed very beautiful.

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