Moscow, December 18, 2024
Photo: patriarchia.ru
More than 100 icons that were taken from Russia during the years of godless Soviet rule were returned to the Russian Orthodox Church yesterday.
The formal ceremony of handing over the icons was held in the Patriarchal residence at Moscow’s Novodevicy Convent with the participation of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, reports Patriarchia.ru.
Russian entrepreneur and patron Sergey Shmakov, founder and president of Sapsan Group, handed over the icons. This is the third such ceremony in seven years. Despite increasingly difficult economic conditions, Shmakov continues to purchase historical and spiritual valuables at foreign auctions to bring them home.
The Patriarch examined the icons and heartily thanked the donor for charitable initiatives that contribute to preserving and multiplying Russia’s spiritual, historical, and cultural heritage.
Photo: patriarchia.ru
“Thank you very much. This is a very large and valuable contribution. We build new churches, and often there are no ancient icons in them,” said Pat. Kirill, noting that the icons will be transferred to new churches.
The returned icons include:
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A 19th-century Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
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An 18th-century estate art piece depicting the Mother of God, created as a reproduction of a Raphael painting
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A late 19th- to early 20th-century set of Christ and the Theotokos wedding icons
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A 19th-century icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
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A 19th-20th century icon of the Last Supper’s central scene, specifically showing the Savior blessing the Bread and Wine
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A rare 18th-century icon showing St. Theodosius of Totma in his coffin
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Several miniature enamel icons and many other ancient icons
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