Vygovsky Old Believers art

The Old Believers of Vygovsky desert is a part of unknown history of ancient Russia, where the special place should be given to the Vygovsky Old Believers art. Briefly events were as follows. Since 1705 Vygovsky people suffered from seven consecutive years of crop failures. They needed more fertile land, which they later bought. The colonists chopped wood splitters, burned it, cleared, and sowed bread. It was a period of greatest prosperity, when the basic tradition of the spiritual life of the desert was created.

The concept of a common historical, literary, icon painting and book printing developed. It was also a period of numerous economic achievements of Vyg: complete improvement of men’s and women’s monasteries, the general organization of the grain trade, the construction of the wharf on the Pigmatka river, on the shore of Lake Onega, ship building, were built two mills, two hospitals. Thanks to the skillful and subtle political leaders, consolidated members of the Old Believers community, in the first half of the XVIII century Vygovsky desert became the largest in the country economic, religious and cultural center, the northern capital of Russia. (All images can be enlarged)

Triptych. Vygovsky Old Believers art — Triptych ‘Twelve Great Feasts and the worship of images of the Virgin’ (in the half-folded form – second and third sections). Vyg. Mid-18th century

Creative development of ancient traditions, the development of own style in all the arts, and the highest professionalism allow us to say Vygovsky heritage as a unique phenomenon in Russian culture of XVIII – nineteenth centuries. Like most ancient monasteries, Vygovsky desert had become a center of book learning. It had the richest library, instituted schools where children were taught to read and write, bookprinters established a workshop in which works of Old Russian and Old Believer writers were copied.

They created a real literary school, the only one of the Old Believers. Products of this range were designed at a high level of literacy of users, they are characterized by a particular style, dating back to the Old Russian style of “weaving words”, the variety of rhetorical devices, complex and sometimes ancient language. In Vygovsky literary school existed almost all the genres that were in ancient Russia: hagiography, historical narratives, stories, visions, different types of words, sermons, letters, polemical writings, syllabic poetry.

Vygovsky Old Believers art — Triptych ‘Feast of the Mother of God and the worship of images’, 18th Century (half-folded)

Artistic heritage of the desert is vast and extremely diverse. There is practically no industry of art, which would not have received development among Vygovsky Old Believers. They created paintings (icons, splints, miniatures, oil painting), objects of small plastics (carved wood and cast metal icons and crosses, church and household items) and applied arts (pictorial and ornamental embroidery, painting and carving on furniture and utensils made of wood, wicker birch bark). Vygovsky Old Believers developed their own school, the stylistic unity which is obvious: the same motifs and techniques can be found in the decoration of manuscripts and wall plates, and in the icons, paintings and copper murals.

Tricuspid triptych 'Small Deisus'. Vyg. Mid-18th century — Tricuspid triptych ‘Small Deisus’. Vyg. Mid-18th century

Tricuspid triptych ‘The Adoration of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. Sunday. Christmas’. Vyg. The first half of the 18th century (back side)

Tricuspid triptych ‘The Adoration of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. Sunday. Christmas’. Vyg. The first half of the 18th century

Triptych 'Deisus the forthcoming'. 18th Century — Triptych ‘Deisus the forthcoming’. 18th Century

Miniature 'The Holy Prince Vladimir' and Pomeranian semi-uncial of gold Mesyatselov with Easters. Lex. 1820 — Miniature ‘The Holy Prince Vladimir’ and Pomeranian semi-uncial of gold Mesyatselov with Easters. Lex. 1820

Miniature 'The Militant Church' from the 'Creation' of Simeon of Thessalonica. Vyg. 1820 — Miniature ‘The Militant Church’ from the ‘Creation’ of Simeon of Thessalonica. Vyg. 1820

Vygovsky Binders. Left the years 1810-1820, at the bottom right - 1774 — Vygovsky Binders. Left the years 1810-1820, at the bottom right – 1774

12 copper icons ('Christ Good feast of Silence') embedded in the board. 19th Century — 12 copper icons (‘Christ Good feast of Silence’) embedded in the board. 19th Century

Carved icon ‘Cross of Calvary’. Vyg. 19th Century

Copper enamel icons 'Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary', Our Lady of worship of images, chosen saints (embedded in the board). 19th Century — Copper enamel icons ‘Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary’, Our Lady of worship of images, chosen saints (embedded in the board). 19th Century

Enamel Icon ‘St. George’. Pomorie. 19th Century

Enamel Icon ‘St. Paraskeva Friday’. Pomorie. 19th Century

Enamel Triptych 'St. Nicholas with the forthcoming', 'Our Lady of the Afflicted', 'Saints Kirik and snail and chosen saints'. Pomorie. 19th Century — Enamel Triptych ‘St. Nicholas with the forthcoming’, ‘Our Lady of the Afflicted’, ‘Saints Kirik and snail and chosen saints’. Pomorie. 19th Century

Family Tree of Andrei and Semen Denisov. 19th Century

Family Tree of Andrei and Semen Denisov. 19th Century. Large - panorama of settlement — Family Tree of Andrei and Semen Denisov. 19th Century. Large – panorama of settlement

Four-door Triptych, 'Twelve Great Feasts and the worship of images of Our Lady'. Vyg. 1717 (back side) — Four-door Triptych, ‘Twelve Great Feasts and the worship of images of Our Lady’. Vyg. 1717 (back side)

Four-door Triptych, 'Twelve Great Feasts and the worship of images of Our Lady'. Vyg. 1717 — Four-door Triptych, ‘Twelve Great Feasts and the worship of images of Our Lady’. Vyg. 1717

Frontispiece and splash-frame ornament of Pomeranian Feast of singing. Early 19th century

Icon of Andrey Denisov. Pomeranian letter. 19th Century

Icon of Christ the Good silence. Pomeranian letter. 19th Century

Icon of the Holy Avvakum. Early 18th century

Icon of the Last Judgment. Pomeranian letter. 19th Century

Icon of the Mother of God of Tenderness Yaroslavl. Pomeranian letter. 18th Century

Icon ‘Resurrection’ embedded in the board with the upcoming holy Mary and St. Demetrius. 18th Century

Infill 'Double Eagle'. 1740s — Infill ‘Double Eagle’. 1740s

Kiotny enamel cross 'Crucifix with'. Vyg. 19th Century — Kiotny enamel cross ‘Crucifix with’. Vyg. 19th Century

Locker-cabinet. Vyg. The second half of the 18th century. Vygovsky Old Believers art

Maximus the Greek icon. Pomeranian letter. Late 18th – early 19th centuries. Vygovsky Old Believers art

In 1837, the government team (by order of Nicholas I) sealed (closed) the chapel, 1848 – expropriated estates, and later evicted inhabitants. In 1855, the monastery ceased to exist.