Sergiev Posad, Moscow Province, Russia, June 25, 2025
Photo: lavra.ru
The Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra celebrated the new feast of the Translation of the Rublev Trinity Icon back to its rightful home at the monastery for the first time this week, the monastery reports.
The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church established the feast during its session last July, marking the return of the Icon on June 22 last year. The new feast was transferred to June 23 this year in order to not be overshadowed by the Sunday of All Russian Saints.
The Divine Liturgy in the Holy Trinity Cathedral, where the Icon finds its home on the iconostasis, was led by Hieromonk Joseph (Kolof).
“The return of the Holy Trinity Icon by the Venerable Andrei Rublev to the Lavra is an event of exceptional importance for the chronicle of the Russian Church,” said the Lavra abbot, His Grace Bishop Kirill of Dmitrov.
“Believers now have the opportunity to contemplate Rublev’s Trinity in the true sense of the word in the sacred space of the Trinity Cathedral, for which it was created. After all, contemplation of an icon is not an aesthetic act, but first and foremost a prayerful work. It is standing before that reality of the Heavenly world, the image of which is depicted on the icon,” His Grace explained.
***
Photo: lavra.ru
After 104 years, St. Andrei Rublev’s Holy Trinity Icon finally returned to its historical home at the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra for good in June 2024.
The 15th-century icon initially found its home on the iconostasis of the Holy Trinity Cathedral at the Lavra, founded by St. Sergius of Radonezh in the 14th century. However, when the godless authorities came to power in Russia, they removed the icon from the monastery. In 1929, after nine years in a museum in Zagorsk (Sergiev Posad), it was transferred to the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, where it remained until last year, except for a few days in July 2022 when the icon was taken to the Lavra for the 600th anniversary of the uncovering of the relics of St. Sergius.
The Icon was delivered to Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow in time for Pentecost 2023, after which it underwent professional restoration. It was then returned to Christ the Savior in January 2024. And on Saturday evening, June 22, the Icon returned to the Lavra, in time for the feast of Pentecost.
Follow OrthoChristian on Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!
