The paper is focused on the crowning icon in the central cella, which depicts Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus, sitting on a throne, and St Cyril and St Methodius kneeling before her. The piece is painted by Russian itinerant artist Kl. Lebedev. It is notable for its unusual iconography. This article illustrates this fact by providing an overview of the iconography of the Virgin Mary. Another point of discussion is the traditional Russian iconography, where Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus on a throne, with various saints kneeling at her side, is a widely-used composition. There are several factors which influenced the choice of saints that the Russian artist depicted in the Bulgarian church in Istanbul. Chief among them is the fact that at the time talks of building the church began, St Cyril and St Methodius were among the most revered and commonly depicted saints in Bulgarian iconography. This is a result of their substantial role in the fight for an independent Bulgarian church. At that time, Bulgarians in Istanbul showed their reverence by choosing the two saints as patrons for the local Bulgarian school. The composition seen in the icon at the “Iron Church” is comparable to that of several other paintings discussed in the paper. Two of those are found in Bulgaria – an icon of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus, painted by the monk Gavril Rilets in 1832, and one from the late XIX century, found at the “Holy Trinity” church in Svishtov. The third is from Western Europe and is at the “Sts Cyril and Methodius” church in Prague’s Karlín neighbourhood. The icon’s position at the “Iron Church” is influenced by that of Russian iconostases, whereas its iconography is based on both Eastern and Western sensibilities.
Totka Grigorova (Sofia, Bulgaria)
B a c h e v a r o v, Hr. Spomen za osvetiavaneto na balgarskata cherkova „Sv. Stefan“ v Tsarigrad-Fener na 8-у septemvri 1989 godina. Sofia, 1898.
B a r l i e v a, Sl. Cyrillo-Methodiana & Varia Mediaevalia. Pametnitsi na kirilo-metodievskata traditsia. Sofia, 2019.
B a r l i e v a, Sl. Kirilometodievski motivi v latinskata i gratskata knizhnina. Sofia, 2021.
B o z h k o v, At. Izobrazheniyata na Kiril i Metodiy prez vekovete. Sofia, 1989.
B u s e v a - D a v y d o v a, I., St. V a n e i a n, sviashch. Ikonostas. – V: Pravoslavnaia Entsiklopedia. T. 22. Moskva, 2014, s. 65–71. https://www.pravenc.ru/text/389068.html (dostap 25.02.2021).
B y k o v a, M. A., E. I. C h i z h i k o v a (sost.). Podpisnye ikony XVII – nachala XX v. v sobranii Vladimiri-Suzdal’skogo muzeia-zapovednika. Vladimir, 2009.
C h e s h m e d z h i e v, D. Izobrazheniia sviatykh Kirilla i Mefodiia v iskusstve epokhi Bolgarskogo vozrozhdeniia. – V: V nachale bylo slovo. Moskva–Sankt-Peterburg, 2013, s. 55–63.
E v d o k i m o v, P. Izkustvoto na ikonata – bogoslovie na krasotata. Sofia 2011.
F a r t u s o v, V. D. Rukovodstvo k pisaniiu ikon sviatykh ugodnikov Bozhiikh v poryadke dneĭ goda. Moskva, 2002.
F i l i m o n o v, G. Svodnyĭ ikonopisnyĭ podlinnik XVIII veka. Moskva, 1874.
G e o r g i e v, J. Prinos kam istoriata na balgarskata tsarkva v Tsarigrad. – Arhiv na Ministerstvoto na narodnoto prosveshtenie, 3 (1911), № 1, s. 20–51.
G e r g o v a, Iv. Grafichni modeli vav vazrozhdenskata ikonografia na slavianskite prosvetiteli. – Problemi na izkustvoto, 26 (1993), № 4, s. 3–11.
I v a n n i k o v a, A. P. Osobennosti ikonografii novogo vremeni. Pochitanie sviatykh ravnoapostol’nykh brat’ev Kirilla i Мефодiia v Rosii v XVIII – nachale XX veka. – V: V nachale bylo slovo. Moskva–Sankt-Peterburg, 2013, s. 89–111.
I v a n n i k o v a, A. P., A. P. K i r i c h e n k o, V. V. P e t r a k o v, I. A. S h a l i n a. Katalog ikon izobrazheniem svv. Kirila i Mefodiia. – V: V nachale bylo slovo. Moskva–Sankt-Peterburg, 2013, s. 112–125.
I v a n o v a, Bl. Arhitekturata i ikonostasat na Zhelyaznata tsarkva v Istanbul. – Tsarkoven vestnik, № 2, 2000, s. 8.
I v a n o v a, Bl. Ikonostasat na cherkvata „Sv. Stefan“ v Istanbul. – Arkh & art borsa, 9 (2000), № 8 (412), s. 26.
I v a n o v a, Bl. Ikonopista v ikonostasa na hrama „Sv. Stefan“ v Istanbul. – Arkh & art borsa, 10, 3–10 oktomvri 2001, s. 12–13.
I v a n o v a, Bl. Ikonite v ikonostasa na tsarkvata „Sv. Stefan“ v Istanbul. – Arhitektura, 50 (2003), № 3–4, s. 74–77.
I v a n o v a, Bl. Balgarskite starini v Tsarigrad. – Elektronno spisanie LiterNet, 14.05.2008, № 5 (102). https://liternet.bg/publish22/b_ivanova/bylgarskite.htm (dostap 14.02.2021).
I v a n o v a, Bl. Kogato Iztokat sreshtne Zapada: Stilovi osobenosti na tsarkovnia kompleks „Sv. Stefan“ v Tsarigrad. – V: Balkanite – mnogolikite izmerenia na evropeyskata kultura. Sofia, 2010, s. 293–308.
I v a n o v a, Bl. Bulgarskiyat arhitekturen kompleks na Zlatnia rog. Sofia, 2020.
K o n d a k o v, N. P. Sovremennoe polozhenie russkoĭ narodnoĭ ikonopisi. Sankt-Peterburg, 1901.
K o n d a k o v, N. P. Ikonografiia Bogomateri. Sviazi grecheskoĭ i russkoĭ ikonopisi s ital’ianskoiu zhivopis’iu rannego Vozrozhdeniia. Sankt-Peterburg, 1910.
K o n d a k o v, N. P. Ikonografiia Bogomateri. T. 1. Sankt-Peterburg, 1914.
K o n d a k o v, N. P. Ikonografiia Bogomateri. T. 2. Sankt-Peterburg, 1915.
K r a s i l i n, M. Russkaia ikona XVIII – nachala XX vekov. – V: Istoriia ikonopisi. Pod red. T. Moĭseevoĭ. Tver, 2014, s. 209–230.
Lebedev, Klavdiĭ Vasilievich (1852–1916). https://rah.ru/the_academy_today/the_members_of_the_academie/member.php?... (dostap 25.02.2021).
M a k s i m P l o v d i v s k i. Balgarskata tsarkva v Tsarigrad. – Tsarkoven vestnik, № 40, 9 noemvri 1929, s. 474–476.
M i l c h e v, At. Kiril i Metodiy v drevnoruskata knizhnina i izkustvo. – Arheologia, 5 (1963), № 2, s. 16–19.
M l a d e n o v a, M. Akademik Nikola Nachov – pamet za buditelya, po sluchay 150 godini ot rozhdenieto mu. – Biblioteka, 16 (2009), № 5–6, s. 72–83.
P a s k a l e v a, K. Kiril i Metodiy v izobrazitelnoto izkustvo. – V: Kirilo-Metodievska entsiklopedya. T. 2. Sofia, 1995, s. 265–278.
S a p u n o v, N. Dnevnik po sagrazhdaneto na parvata balgarska v Tsarigrad cherkva „Sv. Stefan“. 1847–1849. – Periodichesko spisanie na Bulgarskoto knizhovno druzhestvo, 11 (1884), s. 59–113.
S a p u n o v, N. Dnevnik po sagrazhdaneto na parvata balgarska tsarkva v Tsarigrad „Sv. Stefan“. 1847–1849. V. Tarnovo, 1999.
S h a l i n a, I. A. Traditsii pochitaniia na Rusi Kirilla Mefodiia i isobennosti ikh ikonografii. – V: V nachale bylo slovo. Moskva–Sankt-Peterburg, 2013, s. 65–85.
S h a l i n a, I. A., A. P. I v a n n i k o v a. Kirill. Na Rusi. – V: Pravoslavnaia Entsiklopediia. T. 34. Moskva, 2018, p. 186–225. http://www.pravenc.ru/text/1840253.html#part_9 (dostap 16.02.2021).
S t o y n o v, Iv. Balgarskata svetinia na Zlatnia rog i neynoto minalo. Sofia, 1923.
T e m e l s k i, Hr. Balgarskata svetinya na Zlatnia rog. V. Tarnovo, 1998.
T e m e l s k i, Hr. Balgarskata svetinya na Zlatnia rog. 2. prerab. i dop. izd. Sofia,2005.
T r u f e s h e v, N. Sintezat na arhitekturata s monumentalnite izkustva v Bulgaria 1878–1918 g. – V: Iz istoriyata na balgarskoto izobrazitelno izkustvo. Sbornik ot studii. T. 2. Sofia, 1984, s. 146–215.
T u n d z h e r, S. Balgarskata cherkva „Sveti Stefan“. – Arhitektura, 50 (2003), № 3–4, s.70–73.
U s p e n s k i, L. Bogoslovie na ikonata. Sofia, 2001.
V a s i l i e v, As. Balgarski vazrozhdenski maystori. Sofia, 1965.
V a s i l i e v, As. Obrazi na Kiril i Metodiy v Bulgaria. Sofia, 1970.
V a s i l i e v, As. Balgarski svettsi v izobrazitelnoto izkustvo. Sofia, 1987.