In the collection of the Chernihiv Historical Museum named after VV. Tarnowski's Gospel is preserved on the throne (Інв. № Al-215) issue in 1771 year in the printing house of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
In Greek, the word "gospel" means "good news.", "Good news"[1], as it tells of man's salvation by Christ. The format of the book "Gospel" may differ depending on its use. It can be used for everyday home reading or for worship.
In the liturgical Gospel, the text is divided into separate passages for reading for each day, and at the end of the book are special liturgical instructions. In turn, the liturgical gospel may be needed in small sizes (that is, used for accomplishment treb) or a larger altarpiece. Such gospels are kept on the throne at the altar, as one of the main shrines in the temple.
Reading the Holy Scriptures, especially the Gospel, has always been an important and integral part of worship.
At a time when it was not customary to place the gospel on the throne, it was kept in a separate room for sacred utensils - skevophilakia[2]. Sacred vessels were kept here, vestments of clergy and liturgical books. Such auxiliary worship rooms were usually located south and north of the central apse.. Ancient sources speak differently about their location. In some of them they are described as completely separate from the altar and even the temple premises, in others they are mentioned as such, attached to the temple. They were also called deacons (because they were used by deacons) or pastophoria (the name from the Greek room where bread was brought for the Eucharist). Over time, it was from these two pastophors and the central temple apse that the three-apse structure of the church was formed.. When it was time to read the Gospel after the service, the deacons came here after him and took him here after reading.
Practice putting the gospel on the throne, rather than bringing it from the deacon spread gradually. From the works of St. John Chrysostom, Patriarch of Constantinople is visible, that in his time the Gospel was already lying on the holy throne. He clearly testifies to this in one of his sermons delivered against a reckless oath. The sermon was delivered by him in Antioch 388 year, which testifies to the antiquity of the practice of leaving the holy book on the throne.
As a rule, the Gospels are decorated with beautifully decorated salaries with the image in the center of Christ and the four evangelists in the corners.. This is due not only to the aesthetic aspect, and most importantly, that the gospel is the object of church worship. Of course, not every parish could afford to buy the Gospel at a high price, and not every church was offered it by generous patrons., however, inexpensive frames by their appearance show the reverent attitude of believers to the Holy Scriptures.. In addition to being used for reading, the Gospel symbolizes the living presence of Christ in the community. At certain moments of worship, the faithful are attached to it as well as to the icons and the cross.
Many salaries of the Gospels in the collection of the Chernihiv Historical Museum are examples of high jewelry. These include the frame of the late XVII - early XVIII centuries. enshrined in the Gospels 1771 year from the printing house of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Most likely, the salary older than the book itself was taken from an old worn-out book. According to its artistic features, it can be attributed to the works of Ukrainian goldsmiths[3].
The boards of the frame are covered with silver embossed plates with gilding. The middle depicts the Ascension of the Lord, and on the triangular corners are four evangelists. The Last Supper is carved between the upper corners, between the lower - "Lamentation of Christ".
On the bottom board is an oval middle figure with the figure of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with raised up blessing hands. Scenes from the life of St. Nicholas are carved along the perimeter of the board and at the root. Artistic beetle legs are nailed to the corners of the board (two are lost), complementing the decor of the Gospel. On the oval clasp is the figure of St. John (the second clasp is lost).
The frame is very similar in structure to the Gospel salary (Інв. № Al-1513) from the Trinity Church. Sosnicя[1]. This similarity of salaries gives grounds to consider them the work of one workshop. In the suburbs of Sosnytsia Vyunishchi c 1657 year, a temple was built in honor of the Ascension of the Lord (to this day has not survived) and perhaps the Gospel in this setting once belonged to this church. In the "Historical and statistical description of the Chernigov diocese" Archbishop Filaret (Gumilevsky) among the liturgical books of the church are mentioned the Gospel "printed by the diligence of the Vilnius fraternity 1644 » without a description of his frame and Minya 1741 year.
Gospel printing 1771 year made in two colors. The book is decorated with screensavers, initials and endings, engravings by the famous woodcutter Averky Kozachkovsky and woodcuts, who signed their engravings in this way - G, Dimitri L.
The size of the book is 33x23x7.5 cm. The Gospel was previously kept in the Chernihiv Museum of Cults. Today it is presented in the second hall at the exhibition "Chernihiv at the turn of the century".
Researcher of the museum,
Candidate of Theology Miroslav May-Boroda
[1] There only. С. 93-97
[1] From the Greek εὖ - good, good and --γγελία - news.
[2] From the Greek σκεῦος - a vessel; φυλάκεω - to store.
[3] 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. - K.: Kyiv Dome Society, 2021. - WITH. 103-107
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