Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the return of Andrei Rublev’s Trinity to the Russian Orthodox Church, but art experts disagree.
‘Icon of the Holy Trinity’ is a 15th-century artwork created by Andrei Rublev. The painting, which depicts the Biblical angels around what appears to be the Holy Grail, has been one of the most renowned works of Russian religious iconography. But now, Putin has ordered that the State Tretyakov Gallery, which currently exhibits it, must hand it over to the Russian Orthodox Church.
As soon as the order was announced, the Russian art community expressed concern over whether the painting, which is more than 600 years old, could survive such a transfer. Art historian Alexei Lidov said: “All professional restorers unanimously say that the condition of the Trinity plaque is such that any movement of it, even for a short distance, is fraught with danger and the icon may simply [be destroyed].” Elizaveta Likhacheva (Director, Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts) also said: “It could simply be lost; it could disintegrate into several pieces. It consists of three plates that are not very securely attached to each other.”
However, Dmitry Peskov (spokesperson to Vladimir Putin) disregarded the concerns and said that it was the prerogative of the Ministry of Culture to transfer ownership of cultural heritages. A similar order came last week when Hermitage Museum announced to return of a silver sarcophagus of St. Alexander Nevsky to the church. It has been alleged that the Russian government has been gifting these works to the Russian Orthodox Church in return for their support of the Ukraine invasion.
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This is also not the first time Tretyakov Gallery has come under hot water. Earlier this year, the Russian Ministry of Culture first warned the gallery to only exhibit works that were in line with the ‘values’ of the country; later, it replaced the gallery’s general director.
