New Documents to the Biography of the Russian Restorer Andrei Filippovich Mitrokhin. 1765-1845
Authors:   Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation. M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation, Okroshidze Liya G. , Yurenkov Artyom K. ,   Secretariat of the Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation - Head of the Office of the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation
Published: October 2024

The publication introduces documents that significantly clarify the circumstances of the biography, death and burial of the first Russian restorer Andrei Filippovich Mitrokhin (1765-1845). The circumstances of A. F. Mitrokhin's life, with the exception of his professional activities, have not been practically investigated until recently, and the lack of documentary data contributed to the oblivion of the restorer's personality for many decades. The present publication makes it possible to fill this gap by introducing archival documents into the scientific turnover. A. F. Mitrokhin was born in the town of Toropets, Pskov Province. In his early years he became a pupil of local artist Gavrila Lokhov. He served in the ranks of the Sophia Regiment, and then was assigned to the Office of the stable command. This was followed by a transfer to the position of a court footman in the “painting team” (a group of artists who were universal specialists in finishing, painting, restoration and other works). In 1801 A. F. Mitrokhin joined the Hermitage as a restorer. A. F. Mitrokhin played a crucial role in the development of Russian restoration in the early 19th century, developing new methods of mechanical restoration of easel paintings. Under A. F. Mitrokhin's leadership, a restoration school was organized in the Hermitage, where young students and graduates of the Academy of Arts were taught the basics of restoration of paintings. Subsequently, many of Mitrokhin's pupils became worthy restorers, continuing his work in the Hermitage. At the end of his life, A. F. Mitrokhin wrote a treatise on restoration, which he gave to the Hermitage with the hope of further application of his knowledge and experience. In the middle of the twentieth century the treatise was recognized as lost. In the course of research into the life and work of the restorer, archival documents have been uncovered that make it possible to substantially complete the circumstances of his death, as well as to clarify his financial and social situation in the last months of his life. The documents also show an example of Emperor Nicholas I's care for elderly employees of the court department: the restorer was kept his apartment and salary. The exact indication of the age at which A. F. Mitrokhin died allows us to accurately confirm his date of birth: 1765. The circumstances of the burial established by the documents allow us to assert that there is practically no chance of finding A. F. Mitrokhin's grave at present. The introduction into the scientific turnover of the revealed collection of documents not only allows to clarify the biography of the first Russian restorer A. F. Mitrokhin, but can also serve as a basis for further research.