page_title: Katholikon of the Antoniev Monastery
section_title: Decorations
hierarchical_section_title: Katholikon of the Antoniev Monastery / Decorations
caption_attribution_description: Русский: Фрески жертвенника собора Антониева монастыря в Великом Новгороде.
context_page_description: The Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos is a katholikon completed in 1122 in the Monastery of St. Antony, Veliky Novgorod. Dedicated to the Nativity of the Theotokos, it is one of the few buildings surviving in Russia from the early 12th century.
context_section_description: In 1125 the church was decorated with frescoes. In the 17th century the frescoes were renovated for the first time. In 1837 the most part of the ancient frescoes was removed from the walls due to decrepitude, a year after the church was decorated with new frescoes. New decorations are executed in a style typical for Russian culture of the 19th century and differ greatly from canons of the orthodox iconography.
  Small fragments of the original paintings dated by 1125 were revealed in the altar part in 1989 for the first time. The systematic analysis was started in 1919 and was continued through the 1990s. Now almost all the survived fragments of the frescoes are cleaned and renovated. This makes it possible to make conclusions about the stylistic features as well as about the originality of the chosen iconographic themes.
  Hereinafter, the ancient decorations are considered.
  Fragments of the ancient paintings at all the apses as well as narrow stripes of the fragments at the lateral walls of the altar are kept. The frescoes on the eastern columns are well preserved. as they were hidden behind the tall iconostasis.
  The scheme of painting follows the patterns of Byzantine art, but has some original features at the same time. No doubt, that the subjects of painting were offered by the monastery's founder.
  The numerous saints are illustrated on the 2 bottom levels of the central apse  - this is the Novgorodian tradition. Between the saints, in the bottom of the central arc of the altar, Moses and Aaron are pictured: the trajectory of a person who goes to the altar lies between these figures. These figures are believed to take part in a church service on a par with bishops. It also emphasizes the idea of the Old Testament tabernacle to be a prototype for the church in the New Testament. This pattern in decorating was quite rare in Byzantium, but diffused quite broadly in ancient Russia. One more feature is numerous reverends painted full-length on all the sides of altar columns: the quantity of pictures is surprisingly good. Also unusual was the fact of painting the saint monks in the eastern part of the church itself (traditionally these paintings are further from the altar part).
  The frescoes on the northern apse (a prothesis) were dedicated to the seed of the woman, i.e. the tale about the birth and the childhood of the Virgin. The best-preserved composition there is the one called "Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple" and the bathing scene of Our Lady. The last is chosen to be shown separately (that is, to be emphasized). Bringing this scene in the middle of the apse is intended to signify the preparation of the Holy Sacrament for the liturgy. The Virgin herself is treated here as the gift to the Father by her parents.
  On the opposite apse (a sacristy), John the Baptist’s lifeline is shown. The story is finished with the scenes of his martyrdom and the three findings of his head. Some part of the scene showing Herod's feast is preserved, and the figure of seated Herodias while presented the severed head of the Prophet. Below, one of the 3 findings of the head is shown - the picture of a digging boy's head is preserved. The saint deacons are painted on the entrance arc of the apse.
  Small fragments on the southern and northern walls allows one to get some idea about how the mainspace was decorated. The decorations are likely to continue the tradition and to show gospel themes. Emphasizing the scene of Christmas on the northern wall along with the scene of Dormition of the Mother of God on the northern wall is a traditional approach for ancient Russian churches. Thus, the material birth and raising here is opposed to the birth after death. Even the small retained fragment imply that Dormition was represented in some special, extended variant: it shows the apostles who are moving from clouds towards the Our Lady's deathbed.
  The decorations at western sides of the eastern columns (i.e. the frescoes which were turned towards the congregation in the mainspace) are the best preserved in all the church. The Annunciation is shown
caption: The frescoes in the prothesis (1125)
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