Five icons of the church of the Deposition of the Robe, which was originally built in the village Borodava on the bank of the river Sheksna were returned from the Central museum of Old Russian art of Andrey Rublyov to the Kirillo-Belozerski memorial estate in April, 14, 2009. During the construction of the Volga-Baltic water system the village got into the flooding zone. It was decided to transport the church to the territory of the Kirillo-Belozerski museum. D.I.Arsenishvili (the director of the museum of Andrey Rublyov which was being formed then) suggested that the icons would be transferred to Moscow only for investigation and restoration.19 icons were taken away on restoration in 1956. For the next 53 years the Kirillo-Belozerski museum had been undertaking numerous attempts to return these icons.
In 1998, thanks to the active position of the governor of the Vologda region V.E.Pozgalev, the icons of the deisis and local rows and the Holy Doors were returned. Traditionally this part of the iconostases dates to the XVI century, the best icons remained in Moscow and were returned to the museum after the governor had addressed to the Minister of culture A.A.Avdeev in March, 2009.
The Church of the Deposition of the Robe is the most ancient exactly dated wooden church constructed in 1485. The best icons of the iconostases were painted at the same time when the temple was built. Among them there is the temple image «Deposition of the Belt and the Robe of the Virgin in the Vlahernsky temple in Constantinople». The icon was painted in Moscow by the painters working with Dionysius. The belt and the robe are depicted as a relic protecting Constantinople from invasion of enemy. After capture of Constantinople in 1453 the theme of protection by the Virgin was perceived as the theme of protection of Moscow. The Virgin was considered to be the patroness of the orthodox belief. So the church of the Deposition of the Robe and its temple icon were perceived by the contemporaries as the symbol of the Russian North. The «Deposition of the belt and the Robe of the Virgin» was exhibited many times. Not only spectators, but also experts consider it to be the most popular (known) Russian icon.
Besides the deises icons returned in 1998 there were three more icons with the images of St.Bazil the Great and the great martyrs George and Dmitry in the church. In their iconography there are some features making them related to the works of Andrey Rublyov, but the Rostov artist who created them gave them absolutely other spiritual perception. The images impress depth and clearness of the world outlook. Three deises icons of the church of the Deposition of the Robe returned to Kirillov are considered to be the monuments of the Rostov school of icon painting of the second half of the XV century.
The other icon is a double-sided portable image on a long handle. On the right side of this icon the Virgin of Smolensk is depicted, on the back one – St. Nikolas the Wonderworker. The main feature of these icons is that the fist one is related to the Moscow icon painting, and the second one - to the Rostov school. The merging of receptions of various school of icon painting becomes more and more obvious. It led to the birth of the All-Russian style of icon painting in the beginning of the XVI century.
Now there is not only the most ancient exactly dated wooden church in the Kirillo-Belozerski museum but also the icons of its original interior. Soon the restoration of the church begins. It is possible to create the conditions when the church iconostasis will be presented in the native interior. This exposition will not have any analogues in our country.
