The image of the supreme apostles in the museum collection

12 July (29 June according to Art. Art.) the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the supreme apostles Peter and Paul. The establishment of the celebration in honor of the holy apostles has deep roots and dates back to early Christian times. Apostles (from Greek απόστολος - messenger, herald) these are the closest disciples of Jesus Christ. But a special place among them is occupied by Peter and Paul, who did the most in preaching the Gospel to the world, spread and established Christian faith, for which they are called supreme by the Church. The day of their memory is preceded by a special preparatory period - the Peter and Paul fast.

Among the church antiquities in the collection of the Chernihiv Historical Museum named after. VV. Tarnovsky, we find the iconography of the apostles. So in the center on the bottom board of a silver salary horse. XVII - beginning. XVIII pp. 100-1. Gospel 1690 Dr.. (inv. No. Al-187) from the printing house of the Stavropygian Dormition brotherhood (Lviv) carved full-length figures of the apostles Peter and Paul. The key is in Peter's hands, in Paul's hands is a sword - the traditional iconographic attributes of these saints. The keys are reminiscent of Christ's words to Peter: "I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven...". In popular understanding, this symbol is often simplistically interpreted as the keys to paradise, which the apostle Peter allegedly "owns" alone. The key symbolizes the spiritual authority of the Church to forgive sins through the sacrament of penance. The icon of the apostles reminds, that it is the repentance of a person and the forgiveness of sins that is the key to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Apostle Paul holds a book in his hands, since he is the author 14 message, which were included in the canon of the New Testament books. He also holds a sword. Firstly, it is a reminder of his martyrdom by being cut down by the sword. As a Roman citizen, he was not executed because of the long and painful crucifixion. Also, this iconographic element has a spiritual meaning and is interpreted as a spiritual sword, which is the Word of God.

Scenes of the sufferings of other apostles are depicted around the perimeter. The gospel was embedded in 1902 year to the church in honor of the Supreme Apostles by priest Yevhenii Olkhov after he was transferred from this church to serve in the Church of the Ascension. Березна[1].

The Gospel is on the other side (inv. № Al-179) 1688 Dr.. works of the Gdańsk master Peter Rode II, we find images of the apostles with their iconographic attributes on the clasps of the holy book. In contrast to the previous salary, the book is held by the apostle Peter. He is also the author of epistles, which were included in the canon of sacred books of the New Testament. The Gospel was donated by Chernigov burgher Vlasius with his wife Yustyna and sons Mykolaiv and Joseph to the Mykolaiv Church in Chernigov, about which the gift inscription has been preserved in the book[2].

We also find wonderful images of the apostles on highly artistic examples of liturgical sewing. The figures of the apostles Peter and Paul are part of complex happeted compositions on felons and epitrachyls of horses. XVII - beginning. XVIII ст. Among the crowd of apostles, Peter and Paul are depicted closest to Jesus Christ after the Mother of God and John the Baptist. On some vestments, instead of a sword, the apostle Paul holds a long open scroll, that symbolizes him 14 message.

In the collection of sermons of Chernihiv Archbishop Lazar Baranovych "Trumpets for days are intended..." 1674 Dr.. edition (inv. №. Al-966) (printing house of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra) his speech on the day of the memory of the supreme apostles is preceded by a wonderful engraving. The apostles stand on the background of the city, two trees grow on the sides, on the branches of which hang two lighted lamps. Between the apostles are two tall burning lamps. Above the heads of the apostles is part of a verse from the book of the Apocalypse: "They are two olives and two candlesticks, who stand before the God of the earth". Words, preceding this verse in Revelation ("And I will command my two witnesses, and they will prophesy...") allow you to try to understand the accent, which the author of the engraving wanted to make. The apostles on this stamp are presented as witnesses, who testify to the world about the Gospel truths with their own lives.

Burning candles and lamps have a wide range of symbolism. They can express the ardent and zealous faith of the apostles, their love for God, the light of Christian preaching.

Special attention is drawn to the engraving from the Greek liturgical book Pentecostarion (trio), which is kept in the museum. It is dated 1801 Dr.. Published in the printing house of the Greek merchant and book publisher Nikolai Gliki in Venice. This printing house is quite famous. At the end of the 17th to the middle of the 18th century. the printing house became a kind of cultural center for the Greek diaspora in Italy.

The engraving depicts Christ crucified on Calvary in the center. Next to the cross are the Mother of God and the apostle John the Theologian. Around 12 medallions in which scenes of suffering of the apostles are depicted. Among them are the supreme apostles. Paul was cut with a sword and Peter was crucified upside down at his own request, since he considered himself unworthy to accept the same death as Jesus Christ.

Veneration of the holy apostles is expressed in the consecration of numerous churches in their honor, writing their icons, composing liturgical hymns and prayers to them. It is appropriate to note, that in Chernihiv at the beginning of the 20th century. there were at least three churches in honor of the apostles Peter and Paul: in the Holy Dormition Yeletsky Monastery, in the prison castle and on the territory of the city cemetery. Evidence of the love and reverent memory of believers about the feat of the apostles is a considerable number of museum artifacts on which we find their iconography.

Старший науковий співробітник музею,
Candidate of Theology Miroslav May-Boroda

[1] Anna Arendar. Silver salaries of the Gospels of the XVII-XIX centuries from the collection of the Chernihiv Historical Museum named after V.V.. Tarnovsky. К.: Kyiv Dome Society, 2021. С. 98-99

[2] Only there.S. 63-64