Venerable Alypius, icon painter of Pechersk. Venerable Alipy of Pechersk, icon painter Venerable Alipy of Pechersk

Complete collection and description: St. Alipius of Pechersk prayer for the spiritual life of a believer.

Reverend Father Alipie! Look upon us mercifully and lead those who are devoted to the earth to the heights of heaven. You are a mountain in heaven, we are on earth below, removed from you, not only by place, but by our sins and iniquities, but we run to you and cry: teach us to walk in your way, teach us and guide us. Your entire holy life has been a mirror of every virtue. Do not stop, servant of God, crying to the Lord for us. By your intercession, ask from our All-Merciful God the peace of His Church, under the sign of the militant cross, agreement in faith and unity of wisdom, destruction of vanity and schism, confirmation in good deeds, healing for the sick, consolation for the sad, intercession for the offended, help for the needy. Do not disgrace us, who come to you with faith. All Orthodox Christians, having performed your miracles and beneficent mercies, confess you to be their patron and intercessor. Reveal your ancient mercies, and to whom you helped the Father, do not reject us, their children, who are marching towards you in their footsteps. Standing before your most honorable icon, as I live for you, we fall down and pray: accept our prayers and offer them up on the altar of God’s mercy, so that we may receive your grace and timely help in our needs. Strengthen our cowardice and confirm us in faith, so that we undoubtedly hope to receive all the good things from the mercy of the Master through your prayers. Oh, great servant of God! Help all of us who flow to you with faith through your intercession to the Lord, and guide us all in peace and repentance, end our lives and move with hope into the blessed bosom of Abraham, where you now rest joyfully in your labors and struggles, glorifying God with all the saints , in the Trinity glorified, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Oh, sacred head, reverend father, blessed Abvo Alipius, do not forget your poor to the end, but always remember us in your holy and auspicious prayers to God. Remember your flock, which you yourself shepherded, and do not forget to visit your children. Pray for us, holy father, for your spiritual children, as if you have boldness towards the Heavenly King, do not be silent for us to the Lord, and do not despise us unworthy at the Throne of the Almighty, and do not stop praying for us to Christ God, for grace has been given to you pray for us. We do not imagine that you are dead, even though you have passed away from us in body, but even after death you remain alive. Do not give up on us in spirit, keeping us from the arrows of the enemy and all the charms of the devil and the snares of the devil, our good shepherd. Even though your relics are always visible before our eyes, your holy soul with the angelic hosts, with the disembodied faces, with the heavenly powers, standing at the Almighty Throne, rejoices with dignity. Knowing that you are truly alive even after death, we bow down to you and pray to you: pray for us to Almighty God, for the benefit of our souls, and ask us time for repentance, so that we may pass from earth to heaven without restraint, from the bitter ordeals of the demons of the air princes and may we be delivered from eternal torment, and may we be heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom with all the righteous, who from all eternity have pleased our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, with His Beginning Father and with His Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever and ever. Amen.

Troparion to Venerable Alypius of Pechersk

Depicting the images of the saints on the shields, you hastily painted these blessings, like a skilled artist, the all-validated Alypie, on the tablets of your heart, and for this reason, like an image, beautifully decorated, you were overlaid with priestly grace, like gold, from Christ God and the Savior of our souls.

Desert dweller, and in the flesh an angel, and a wonderworker, you appeared, Our God-bearing Father Alipius, by fasting, vigil, and prayer, you received heavenly gifts, healing the sick and the souls of those who come to you by faith. Glory to Him who gave you strength, glory to Him who crowned you, glory to Him who heals you all.

With your tears you cultivated the barren desert, and you brought forth fruit from the depths with sighs of a hundred labors, and you were a lamp of the universe, shining miracles, Alipius, our Father, pray to Christ God for the salvation of our souls.

God our father, always deal with us according to Your meekness, do not leave Your mercy from us, but through their prayers in the world, guide our belly.

From your youth, having the mark of the Divine within you, you were introduced to the teaching of icon writing; and when a church was written in heaven like the Mother of God, you attended there and saw the illumination of the Holy Spirit, you received miracles from the Unworthy, like your icons working wonders, we honor you and please you, wonderful Alypie.

We bless you, Reverend Father Alipius, and honor your holy memory, teacher of monks and interlocutor of angels.

Icon of St. Alypius of Pechersk, icon painter

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Venerable Alypius of Pechersk prayer

Official website of the Icon Painting Department of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy

“Those who begin to study the technique of icon painting, before getting acquainted with drawing, materials and methods of their use, it is necessary to understand the sacred nature of this art, its highest purpose and the closest connection with the life of the Church. Icon painting is not just art, it is church art.

An icon is a book about faith. Through the language of lines and colors, she tells the dogmatic, moral and liturgical teaching of the Church. And the purer and higher the life of a Christian, the more accessible to his soul is the language of the icon.”

Canon St. Alypiy Pechersky

Troparion, tone 8

The images depicting the saints on the shields, these good deeds hastily, like a skilled artist, the all-validated Alypius, you wrote on the tablets of your heart and for this reason, like an image, beautifully decorated, you were overlaid with priestly grace, like gold, from Christ God and the Savior of our souls.

Canon, tone 8

Irmos: Let us sing a song, people, to our wonderful God, who freed Israel from work, a song of victory, singing and crying out, to You, the One Master.

Chorus:

Send a song, grant, O Christ, help from above to Thy servant, so that we may bring praise from warm love in the memory of Thy saint to Thee, the Only Master.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

Grace multiplied, faith flourished, and the regiment of saints multiplied on the mountain of Pechers, with whom they were an accomplice in life, even though they were reverend, they came to serve the One Christ and the Master.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

From your youth, you devoted yourself to your parents, reverend, in the teaching of the icon scripture, and diligently diligently, you wrote chastity and purity in your heart, as from both you were a servant to your Master.

Glory: Your wondrous obedience to the miracle of the spectator of the show, Father, you saw the image of the Lady, depicted without hands, and from this vision, inflamed with greater love for the thought of God, you prepared your heart, like a tablet, for writing the memory of Christ the Master.

And now: The Tablet, which has the indescribably written Image of the Hypostasis of the Father by the Holy Spirit, transform my wickedness, O Mother of the Virgin, into the beauty of good deeds, so that from now on I will prepare to serve Christ, my God and Master.

Irmos: There is nothing holy, like the Lord, and nothing is righteous, like our God, to Him all creation sings: There is nothing righteous, more than You, Lord.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

There is no one like You in God, Christ, by the action of Your Most Holy Spirit You depicted the icon of Your Mother not made by hands, and there was a great miracle, of which Thy reverend self-seed, Lord.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

Even as your miracles worked, You also flew away from the lips of an icon not made by hands in the form of a dove, Who, having seen Him flying inside the church, Thy venerable Christ, despised all and loved nothing in this world, more than Thee, O Lord.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

Having seen the image of the glory of God, reverend Abiye, you changed the worldly image, having become a monk, kindly painting the image of virtue, which you can imagine for us with your warm prayers.

Glory: From your icon art, father, you became accustomed to imagining spiritual things, so having whitened the scroll of your heart with tearful streams, you wrote a thought in memory of God.

And now: Rejoice, O witch, O virgin of God, the Father’s Word was written on Him with the finger of God; write on the wick of my heart the memory of the Last Judgment and keep me from the evil ones in the coming torment, I pray.

Lord have mercy ( three times).

Sedalen, voice 4th

God's glory as a viewer and artist of icons is wise, who with us will not praise you with songs, Reverend, you have seen from a part of the sensual Holy Spirit, - now, standing before the Most High Throne, not with a mirror, but face to face with the ever-present glory of God, which we too May we, Father Alypie, partake of your prayers.

Glory, even now: to the Representative Holy Trinity, appear to us soon, on this very day, gathered in Thy most honorable temple, and grant the glory of Thy saints to see those who glorify Thee, O Virgin, with Thy prayers.

Irmos: From the shadowed mountain, the Word, the prophet, the only Mother of God, desiring to be incarnate as God-like, and with fear glorifying Your power.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

From the mountain you called after You the mother-in-law of Your venerable one, Christ, who rejected worldly rumors, with all his soul attached himself to You and in his mind ever depicted Your power.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

Like a bright star, you have shone, Father, on the mountain of the Pechers, for virtues are from you, like the rays, streaked, blessed, and today they illuminate those who magnify you, and we glorify your grace.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

Not for the sake of bribes, but driven by zeal, you were diligent in your work and for this reason you mercilessly distributed it to the churches of God for splendor, as if everyone, looking at your icons, turns their hearts into the love of God.

Glory: Thou art a good worker, O blessed one, of the vineyard of Christ, as it is characteristic of thee to say with the apostle: “Thou hast not eaten up the bread, for my hands have served me in other ways, and therefore thou hast received from God a dinar, and with the good servants the everlasting glory of the Lord.”

And now: From the pure treasure of Your womb, Dinar, who revealed to the world, You have redeemed everyone from their original debt, Mother of God, I resort to You, redeem me from mental lenders, so that I may ever glorify Your goodness.

Irmos: We cry out to You in the morning: Lord, save us, for You are our God, and You know no other.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

Raise those who wake up to you from despondency with your praises, father, and lift up our minds from dark deeds to the light of God’s understanding with your prayers, for we know an hastener to help you soon.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

Father, in honor of the One God, you withdrew your hand from work in the tripartite division: icon demand, monastic work and almsgiving to the poor, and thereby you acquired the best, ever-desired paradise.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

You always spent the day with manual labor, and the night with vigil, prayer and worship, blessed one, and thus, laying your hand on your forehead, you were guided into the Kingdom of God. There, remember us too by your intercession to God.

Glory: The sun has risen and the sight of your work, holy, for you have dissolved humility, non-covetousness, purity, patience, fasting with love for everyone, and by this ascent you have ascended to the height of the thought of God and you have been honored with the heavenly gift.

And now: Mental morning, who brought into the world the great Sun, illuminate our minds and hearts and show us sons to the Light, we pray, Blessed Virgin, for You are our enlightenment and hope.

Irmos: Give me a robe of light; dress in light, like a robe, O most merciful Christ our God.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

Decorating the robe of the angelic image with balls of monastic labors, you ascended to a high degree of priesthood with the advice of your mentor and, standing there, like a luminary, you enlightened many with the light of your deeds.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

The robe of Baptism, which has stained me with sin with feces, grant tenderness, O holy one, through your prayers, so that in it I may appear sparkling and pure in the face of God: for I stand before you, singing your praise with mortal lips.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

Receive the garment of the priesthood, in the likeness of the Great Bishop, the Son of God, who entered, Father, into the inner veil, to offer a sacrifice to Him who was sacrificed for the sin of the whole world, with your prayers now, like a sacrifice, and for us, the Holy One, propitiate the Creator.

Glory: Dressed in the garments of the priesthood, you have been honored with great gifts, as you healed those clothed with leprosy with your prayers, and heal us, those who are mentally ill, with these, we pray, most blessed one.

And now: Wound us with the arrow of sinfulness, O Most Pure Virgin, and the demonic regiments will flee, stricken with cold, for You are the demon’s incurable scab.

Lord have mercy ( three times). Glory, and now:

Kontakion, voice 2

From your youth, having the mark of the Divine within you, you were introduced to the teaching of icon writing; and when a church was written in heaven like the Mother of God, you attended there and saw the illumination of the Holy Spirit, you received miracles from the Unworthy, like your icons working miracles, we honor and please you, wonderful Alypie.

Irmos: The Jewish youths in the cave boldly quenched the flame and turned the fire into dew, crying: Blessed are you, O Lord God, forever.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

Childishly playing with doubt in faith, the righteous execution of God was comprehended, for the leprosy of his face was covered, which you, father, healed and departed, singing: blessed is God our father.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

To the one who confessed the sin of unbelief, you first applied, O blessed one, a plaster of repentance, and, having healed your soul, you healed your face with the anointing of your hands, and that one sang about you: blessed be God our father.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

Even before the sense of smell, having been weakened by sin, on the advice of the devil, despairing of hope for salvation. Behold, by your holy teaching, having turned to God, you were quickly healed, and having gotten rid of both scabs, you cried out: Blessed be God our father.

Glory: To yours, O reverend one, marveling at the many miracles, we cry out in agreement: Rejoice, new Elisha, who healed the unbeliever of leprosy, like Naaman, and about you the song of youth was sung: blessed is God our father.

And now: Who will correct the ugliness of my soul, if not You, Mother of God, transform that face into beauty with the balls of Your goodness? And, welcome to the splendor, I will sing: Rejoice, O Former of a picturesque human image.

Irmos: Glorified on the mountain of saints and in the bush with the fire of the Ever-Virgin Moses, sing and extol the mystery of the Lord who was revealed to all ages.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

Reveal to you, Father, the Creator of all on the mountain of Pechers, a tree that blooms well for healing, for you have given the fruits of your prayers to all who come to you with abundant healing, and those who depart are healthy, exalting the Lord forever.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

The kindness of your heart, reverend, do not deprive you of your great gifts, for you were never upset at those who insulted you, you repaid evil for evil, and thus Christ glorified you here and there forever.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

The love of money, darkened by darkness, will expose you before men, but God has brought forth your righteousness as light and your kindness as noon, but those who dug a pit for you fell into your nakedness, and everyone remembers their cold forever.

Glory: The One God, acting in the Trinity with seven gifts, Thou hast commanded to be depicted in the seven icons, not made by hands, and Thou hast revealed to the venerable One, who has the seven Paraclete of Thy gifts, grant this to us, O All-Bounteous King, that we may extol Thee unto the ages.

And now: Having received from all your gifts the woven robe, the golden garments, you appeared to the Life-Giving Trinity. Become then, lifting up Thy most pure hand, and pray for us, the naked ones, for goodness, for Thou art most immaculate, covering our sins.

Irmos: You, the Unartificed Mother of the Most High God, You, who gave birth to the word of truly God more than the mind, who is higher than the most pure Powers, we magnify with silent praise.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

You, father, who glorify, God glorify, for your writings and icons were never overcome by fire, but you remain unharmed from the fire, even as you see miracle workers, we praise you incessantly in glorifying Christ.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

People flocked from everywhere to see the glorious miracle, as if all others were devoured by a fiery flame, but your writings did not harm the icons. We too, hearing God working miracles in you, magnify them with praise.

Reverend Father Alipie, pray to God for us.

You kept kindness and saw righteousness, spending your life in every holy thing, and God glorified you from everywhere and took you away from every adversity; sow and deliver us with your prayers, holy one, and let us magnify you with songs.

Glory: The city of Rostov rejoices, keep the icon, written by the mania of God, and as if with a valuable treasure it is redeemed from all passions, even with a kiss, it remembers how God has acted in you, blessed one. Today we honor this miracle, we marvel and magnify it with praise.

And now: Pillar of strength for those who have Thee, Thy servants, Virgin Mother of God, from the face of our enemies we persecute, we resort to Thee and, falling down, we pray: preserve us in these troubles, for You are a strong pillar for us from the face of the enemy and an insurmountable wall.

The writing is on the wall

Depicting the images of the saints on the shields, / these good deeds hastily, / as a skilled artist, the all-validated Alipius, / wrote on the tablets of your heart / and for this reason, like an image, more splendidly decorated, / the priesthood was overlaid with grace, like gold, / from Christ God and Savior of our souls.

From your youth you had the mark of the Divine within you,/ you were taught the writing of icons;/ and when a church like the Mother of God was painted in heaven,/ you attended there/ and you saw the radiance of the Holy Spirit,/ you received miracles from the unworthy,/ like your icons I work wonders, / with this we honor and please you, wonderful Alipiya.

Old-Cherdak

Alypius of Pechersk, Iconographer, St.

Prayers to St. Alypius of Pechersk, icon painter

The Monk Alypius painted icons for free. If he found out that the icons in some church were dilapidated, he took them to himself and corrected them free of charge. If it happened that he was paid for his work, the monk spent one part on purchasing materials for icon painting, distributed the second to the poor, and kept only the third for himself. He always did this, giving himself no rest either day or night; for at night he remained in vigil, performing prayers and prostrations; when the day came, he took up handicraft with all humility, non-covetousness, purity, patience, fasting, love, and contemplation of God. The Monk Alypius was never idle and abandoned icon painting only for the sake of Divine service. When the abbot noticed such great virtues and icon-painting art in the monk, so that he was worthy, wearing the angelic image of the monastic order, to be an imitator of the Son of God Jesus Christ - a Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, he elevated him to the degree of priesthood. Then the monk was placed as a lamp on the candlestick (Matthew 5:15) or, better to say, as a role model in a high place, shining with the extreme beauty of monastic and priestly virtues; and the saint was not a simple example, for he worked miracles.

One of the rich citizens of the city of Kyiv suffered from leprosy. He sought help from many doctors, wizards and pagans, but not only did he not receive relief from his illness, but fell into an even worse state. Then one of the patient’s friends advised him to go to the Pechersk Monastery to ask for prayer from the holy fathers; he agreed, but with displeasure. When the sick man was brought to the monastery, the abbot ordered that he be given water from the well of St. Theodosius (May 3/16 and August 14/27), and also ordered that his face be washed with the same water. And immediately so much pus appeared on the sick man’s body, as a punishment for his lack of faith, that everyone shunned him, not being able to bear the foul smell emanating from the sick man’s body. Then, weeping and indignation, this leper returned to his house and did not leave the house for many days because of the stench emanating from him, and every day he expected his death. However, having come to his senses, this husband decided to confess all his sins; Therefore, he went again to the Pechersk monastery to the Monk Alypius and confessed his sins to him. The monk said to him: “You have done well, child, that you have come to confess your sins to God before my unworthiness, as the prophet testifies to himself, crying out to the Lord: Reh: Let us confess my iniquity to the Lord, and you have forsaken the wickedness of my heart ( Psalm 31:5). Then the Monk Alypius taught him for a long time with soul-saving speeches, then, taking iconographic paints, he decorated his face, anointing the purulent places; After this, the saint led the sick man to church, communed him with the Divine Mysteries and ordered him to wash himself with the same water with which priests usually washed themselves after receiving the Holy Mysteries. Soon the purulent scabs disappeared from the patient and he became healthy as before.

Many icons painted by the Monk Alypius became famous as miraculous. There are some known cases when the Angels of God helped him in the holy work of painting icons. One Kiev resident, having built a church, instructed two Pechersk monks to order icons for it. The monks hid the money and did not say anything to the Monk Alypius. After waiting a long time for the order to be completed, the Kiev resident turned to the abbot with a complaint against the monk, and only then it turned out that he had not even heard about the order. When the boards given by the customer were brought, it turned out that beautiful faces were already painted on them. Everyone was horrified and with trepidation fell prostrate to the ground and worshiped those images not made by hands - the Lord, His Most Pure Mother and His saints.

It happened one day, by God’s permission, that the entire Podil region in Kyiv burned down. The church in which those icons were kept also burned down. After the fire, however, the icons were found safe and sound. Prince Vladimir Monomakh (1113-1125), having learned about this, himself came to watch such a miracle and, seeing the icons remaining intact, hearing about them that in one night they were painted by the wave of God, delivering the Monk Alypius, glorified God, who had performed such a miracle for the sake of Venerable Alypius. The prince, taking one of those icons - the icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, sent it to the city of Rostov, to a stone church that he built himself. But this church building also collapsed, but the icon remained unharmed. Then she was brought into the wooden church, but that too soon burned down. The icon, which later received the name Vladimir-Rostov (celebration of August 15/28), again remained untouched, without even the slightest trace of the influence of fire. All this confirmed the virtuous life of the Monk Alypius, for whose sake those icons were depicted miraculously.

After this, that pious man went to the abbot and told him about the miracle that happened to the icon. Together they went to the Monk Alypius and found him already departing from this world. Despite this, the abbot asked him: “Father! By whom and how was the icon painted for this man?” Alypius told them everything he had seen and said: “An Angel wrote that icon, and he is standing here, intending to take my soul.” Having said this, the blessed one gave up his spirit into the hands of the Lord on the 17th day of the month of August in the year 1114. The brethren, having covered the body with shrouds, carried it to the church and, having performed the usual funeral chanting, laid the body of the saint in the cave of the Monk Anthony. On the right hand of the Monk Alypius, the first three fingers are folded completely equally, and the last two are bent to the palm - in such a prayerful overshadowing of himself with the sign of the cross the saint died. So this holy, miraculous icon painter decorated heaven and earth. Heaven - because he ascended there with a virtuous soul, and earth - with his most pure body.

One of the icons of the Monk Alypius - the Most Holy Theotokos with the Infant Savior and with the upcoming Saints Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk - is now kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery (called Svenskaya, celebrated on May 3/16 and August 17/30). The memory of the Monk Alypius is celebrated on August 17/30 and September 28/October 11 in the Cathedral of the Holy Reverend Fathers, who rest in the Near Caves.

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Alypiy Pechersky(+ ca.), icon painter, hieromonk, venerable

One of the first and best Russian icon painters, tonsured by St. Nikon, from a young age he labored in the Kiev Pechersk Monastery. He studied icon painting from Greek masters, who had been decorating the Pechersk Church in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary for years. The Monk Alypius painted icons for free. If he found out that the images in some temple were dilapidated, he took them to himself and corrected them free of charge. If it happened that he was paid for his work, the monk spent one part on purchasing materials for icon painting, distributed the second to the poor, and kept only the third for himself.

The Monk Alypius was never idle and abandoned icon painting only for the sake of Divine service. He was ordained as a hieromonk and was known for his gift of miracles during his lifetime: for example, he healed a Kievite who suffered from leprosy and rotting of the body, anointing the wounds of the patient with paints prepared for painting icons.

Many icons painted by the Monk Alypius became famous as miraculous. There are some known cases when the angels of God helped him in the holy work of writing images. This was the case with the wonderfully painted images for the Kyiv church on Podol, of which the most famous is the Vladimir-Rostov Icon of the Mother of God (see more details). Another time, an angel painted an icon in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, when the Monk Alypius lay in his dying illness. The same angel accepted the soul of the saint, who died on August 17 no later than a year later.

Saint Alypius was buried in the Near Caves. On the right hand of the monk, the first three fingers are folded completely equally, and the last two are bent to the palm - in such a prayerful overshadowing of himself with the sign of the cross, he died. One of the icons he painted - the Most Holy Theotokos with the Infant Savior and with the forthcoming Saints Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk, called Svenskaya, is now kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery.

Prayers

Troparion, tone 8

Depicting the eyes of the saints on the tablets, / these good deeds are hastily, / as a skilled artist, the all-validate Alipie, / wrote you on the tablets of your heart / and for this reason, like an image, for the good You are adorned with the priesthood with grace, like gold, from Christ. God and Savior of our souls.

Kontakion, tone 2 From youth, having the mark of the Divine within you, / you were given the teaching of icon writing: / and at times the heavens were written like the Mother of God, / you attended there / and saw it This is the radiance of the Holy Spirit, / from God you received miracles, / like your icons miracle worker,//thereby we honor and please you, wonderful Alipie.

Used materials

"Reverend Alypius of Pechersk", life in the calendar on the official website of the Publishing House of the Moscow Patriarchate:
Menaion-August, part 2, ed. Moscow Patriarchate, p. 199, 203:

http://files2.regentjob.ru/minea/aug2/aug2199.html (troparion)
http://files2.regentjob.ru/minea/aug2/aug2203.html (kontakion)

Monk Alypius is called “a modern Raphael” by those who saw the faces of saints he painted. Now the Valaam icon-painting workshop, revived after a long break, where he works, has formed its own style. Experts consider it canonical.

25.08.2017 Through the labors of the brethren of the monastery 3 905

The Valaam hieromonk Alypius (+1901) is called “a modern Raphael” by those who saw the faces of saints he painted. Now the Valaam icon-painting workshop, revived after a long break, where another monk Alypius, our contemporary, is already working, has formed its own style. Experts consider it canonical. It was adopted back in ancient Byzantium: with some conventions, sketchiness, without unnecessary details. The small room where the images are born is located on the second floor of the Vladimir Skete. RIA Novosti correspondent Yulia Chicherina managed to meet with the icon painter and find out the intricacies of his craft.
- Father Alypiy, tell us about your work, how many people work in this workshop?

Only four people. But the main thing is not the number of people and the size of the room, but the fact that on Valaam they began to revive icon painting, which ceased to exist in difficult times for our country. It's gratifying that it is now being revived.

In our work we use the technologies that were used back in the 12th century. We write mainly with tempera - a natural paint. We do everything ourselves: we grind it and grind it with egg yolk. Its main feature is that it does not fade. This has been proven for centuries, which cannot be said about modern paints. Of course, writing with real tempera is difficult - you just need to get the hang of it for at least four years. Tempera is a transparent paint, and in order for it to look bright, you need to go through at least five layers, and sometimes more, when picking up the color. Boards for the icon - linden and pine.

Each icon has its own character, its own history and its own inner light, which the master tries to convey through his vision of a particular image.

- How far did you go before you got to Valaam?

- I’ve only been in Valaam for a year. When I was 22 years old and already had an artistic education behind me, I decided to go into monastic life. And for more than 30 years I have been working for the benefit of monasteries. I lived in Pskov for more than 19 years - first the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery became my monastery, then I worked in the Mirozhsky Monastery. But I didn’t start doing icon painting right away.

Those who enter a monastery do not always do something “close” to them. This is what happened with Alypius: after coming to the monastery, he was asked what he liked to do most, to which he spoke about painting. Having heard the worker’s enthusiastic story about painting, he was sent to work in... a cowshed, to learn a new craft. It turned out that “everything that is around you must be loved,” and only then will a person be able to open a new world and discover his capabilities.

- What qualities should a person have in order to paint the faces of saints? What is the most difficult thing in this matter?

The most important thing is prayer, which accompanies a person in any activity, and especially in such an activity as painting icons. One of the main difficulties is that you convey the image not from nature, but from your heart. He looks the way your soul imagines him. You transfer onto the board all the love and all the beauty gleaned from prayer. That's why we always pray before we start work.

- What was the most difficult icon-painting work in your life?

- This is the icon of the Mother of God “Vsetsaritsa”. It is now in the altar of the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral, in the Annunciation chapel. It took seven years to create it. It is quite large: about more than two meters high, two meters wide. Of course, such work was difficult.

One of the easiest jobs is considered to be working on a “window” - an icon that is in a frame. I will not be mistaken if I say that it is difficult to paint the “sky” - the vaults of the temple. Not every master undertakes such work: it is quite painstaking, does not tolerate mistakes and is physically difficult. For example, now I am working on the “window” - I am painting the face of Xenia of St. Petersburg. This icon will be located in one of the churches in Pskov.

- Are the beauties of Valaam reflected in your works?

Painting is mystical. Everything that is around the artist during work causes a direct echo in his work. And the nature of the holy island is necessarily present in the images and mood that is conveyed to the faces of the saints. By the way, I really like Japanese graphics: spots, silhouettes and lines - all these details are very close to icon painting.

- Each of your work has its own character. Are there repetitions?

An icon cannot be repeated; it is not a stamp. Here in front of you are two images of Xenia of St. Petersburg (points to her works. - Author's note), look closely: the face is the same, but yet they are different. Many factors play a role here: color, mood, emotional impulse, emotions or, conversely, joy in the heart, the sun - an abyss of feelings. And there were cases that before painting the holy face, he appeared to me in a dream. When he woke up, he hurried to the studio to capture and convey this image.

- Is it possible to divide your life into before and after you became a monk?

In the 1990s, I graduated from the Simferopol Art School and decided to enter a monastery. Then I was often in “thoughtlessness”, that is, without thoughts - not moving forward, comprehending and learning something new... It was as if life stopped, and I froze along with it.

There are disadvantages to this, but there are also advantages. Sometimes this state helps me: you stand “within yourself,” without any thoughts, write a paper, and someone guides your hand. This is a blissful state. You switch off, and then you see the result and admire every stroke.

I ended up in a monastery. I can say that my development as an icon painter was helped by the prayer of the elders - Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov and the resident of the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery, Archimandrite John (Krestyankin). When I met them, I asked them for prayers to help.

- What, in your opinion, is the main purpose of the icon?

In icon painting, the most important thing is the foundation: purity of heart. The icon acts as an assistant in achieving the main goal - love, kindness and warmth. An icon is the art of art; it is more than creativity. While we work, we pray unceasingly.

The monastic task is to convey the inner purity of the heart. A person must see it within himself - there is an abyss there in which you will find answers to all questions. To the extent that a person purifies his heart, the icon becomes miraculous.

RIA Novosti material

Alipius icon painter of Pechersk, venerable

The Monk Alypius, one of the first and best Russian icon painters, labored in the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery from a young age. He studied icon painting from Greek masters, who since 1083 decorated the Pechersk church in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saint Alypius was an eyewitness to a wonderful miracle: when the icon painters decorated the altar with paintings, the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was depicted in it by itself. At the same time, the icon became illuminated and shone brighter than the sun; then from the mouth of the Most Holy Theotokos a dove flew out, which, after flying for a long time around the church, flew into the mouth of the Savior depicted on the icon located at the top of the church. When the aforementioned icon painters finished their work of decorating the holy church with icons, Alypius was also decorated by the Venerable Abbot Nikon (March 23/April 5) with a miraculous image of the holy angelic monastic order.

One of the rich citizens of the city of Kyiv suffered from leprosy. He sought help from many doctors, wizards and pagans, but not only did he not receive relief from his illness, but fell into an even worse state. Then one of the patient’s friends advised him to go to the Pechersk Monastery to ask for prayer from the holy fathers; he agreed, but with displeasure. When the sick man was brought to the monastery, the abbot ordered that he be given water from the well of St. Theodosius (May 3/16 and August 14/27), and also ordered that his face be washed with the same water. And immediately so much pus appeared on the sick man’s body, as a punishment for his lack of faith, that everyone shunned him, not being able to bear the foul smell emanating from the sick man’s body. Then, weeping and indignation, this leper returned to his house and did not leave the house for many days because of the stench emanating from him, and every day he expected his death. However, having come to his senses, this husband decided to confess all his sins; Therefore, he went again to the Pechersk monastery to the Monk Alypius and confessed his sins to him. The monk said to him: “You did well, child, that you came to confess your sins to God before my unworthiness, as the prophet testifies of himself, crying out to the Lord: Reh: Let me confess my iniquity to the Lord, and You have forsaken the wickedness of my heart(Ps. 31:5).” Then the Monk Alypius taught him for a long time with soul-saving speeches, then, taking iconographic paints, he decorated his face, anointing the purulent places; After this, the saint led the sick man to church, communed him with the Divine Mysteries and ordered him to wash himself with the same water with which priests usually washed themselves after receiving the Holy Mysteries. Soon the purulent scabs disappeared from the patient and he became healthy as before.

It happened one day, by God’s permission, that the entire Podil region in Kyiv burned down. The church in which those icons were kept also burned down. After the fire, however, the icons were found safe and sound. Prince Vladimir Monomakh (1113–1125), having learned about this, himself came to watch such a miracle and, seeing the icons remaining intact, hearing about them that in one night they were painted by the wave of God, delivering the Monk Alypius, glorified God, who had performed such a miracle for the sake of Venerable Alypius. The prince, taking one of those icons - the icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, sent it to the city of Rostov, to a stone church that he built himself. But this church building also collapsed, but the icon remained unharmed. Then she was brought into the wooden church, but that too soon burned down. The icon, which later received the name Vladimir-Rostov (celebration of August 15/28), again remained untouched, without even the slightest trace of the influence of fire. All this confirmed the virtuous life of the Monk Alypius, for whose sake those icons were depicted miraculously.

At the death of the Monk Alypius, in order to see how wonderfully this man passed from temporary life to eternal life, another glorious miracle took place. One pious man gave the Monk Alipius to paint the local icon of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, begging him to prepare the icon for the Feast of the Dormition. A few days passed when the Monk Alypius fell ill and, approaching his death, could not fulfill his instructions, and the icon remained unpainted. The man was sad and indignant at the saint, but Alypius said to him: “Child, do not be sad when you come to me; but cast your sorrow upon the Lord, and He will do as He wishes—the icon will stand in its place on His feast day.” The husband believed the words of the monk and went to his house, rejoicing. And coming again, already on the eve of the feast of the Most Holy Theotokos, seeing the icon unpainted, and the Monk Alipius even more ill, he began to annoy him, saying: “Why didn’t you tell me about your weakness, and I would have instructed someone else to paint the icon so that the feast could be bright and honest, and now you have put me to shame.” The monk answered him meekly: “Son, did I really do this out of laziness? Remember that it is possible for God to write an icon of His Mother in one word, for I am already departing from this world, as the Lord showed me, but I will not leave you sorrowful.” The husband left in great sadness. Immediately after his departure, a certain bright young man came to the Monk Alypius, who began to paint the icon. St. Alypius, thinking that the customer who was angry with him had sent another scribe, doubted his ability to paint icons. But the speed and beauty of the work showed an Angel in the writer, for, either putting gold on the icon, or rubbing various colors on stone and using them for writing, the writer wrote a wondrous icon in three hours. And then he said to the monk: “Father, what is still missing here, and what have I sinned in?” The monk answered: “You did well, God helped you, you wrote so beautifully. He fulfilled this by Himself.” When evening came, that scribe and the icon became invisible. The customer of the icon was sad all night that the icon would not be in time for the holiday. In the morning he got up and went to church to cry there about his sin, as a result of which the temple was not worthy of having an icon for the Feast of the Dormition. But as soon as he opened the doors of the temple, he saw the icon standing in its place. Immediately he fell to the ground in fear, thinking it was a ghost. Having come to his senses and rising a little from the ground, he looked attentively at the icon and realized that it was his icon. As a result of this, he came into great fear and horror and remembered the words of the Monk Alypius, who told him that the icon would be ready for its feast. He went and woke up all his household. His family hurried joyfully to the temple with candles and censers; Seeing here an icon shining like the sun, everyone fell to the ground, bowed to the icon and kissed it with a joyful soul.

From the book Russian Saints. June August author author unknown

Anthony of Pechersk, Venerable “Let us praise the glorious men and our fathers in being,” says the wise son of Sirach, “the Lord created in them much glory by His greatness from the ages; they left a name for themselves and it is possible to tell their praise; their bodies were buried in peace, and their names

From the book Russian Saints. March-May author author unknown

Gregory, icon painter of Pechersk, Venerable Saint Gregory, icon painter of Pechersk, was a fellow faster of Saint Alypius of Pechersk (August 17/30). The “Tale of the Holy Icon Painters” says that he painted many miraculous icons located in the Russian land. IN

From the book Russian Saints author (Kartsova), nun Taisiya

Isaiah of the Pechersk, Venerable Saint Isaiah, among other Kiev-Pechersk saints, labored in the 11th - early 12th centuries. The main feat of the life of the Monk Isaiah, with which he pleased the Lord, was silence and tireless work, for which he is called the “venerable elder”

From the book of Prayer Books in Russian by the author

St. Gregory, icon painter, wonderworker of Pechersk, Companion of St. Alypius (XI-XII centuries). His memory is celebrated on August 8, September 28. together with the Council of St. Fathers of the Kiev Pechersk, resting in the Near Caves, and on the 2nd Sunday of Great Lent together with the Council of All Saints. fathers

From the book HISTORICAL DICTIONARY ABOUT THE SAINTS GLORIFIED IN THE RUSSIAN CHURCH author Team of authors

Venerable Sylvester of Pechersk (XII century) His memory is celebrated on January 2, September 28. together with the Council of St. Fathers of the Kiev-Pechersk, resting in the Near Caves, and on the 2nd Sunday of Great Lent, together with the Council of St. Fathers of the Kiev-Pechersk St. Sylvester was the successor, after St.

From the author's book

Venerable Macarius of Pechersk (XII century) His memory is celebrated on January 19, September 28. together with the Councils of St. Fathers of the Kiev Pechersk, resting in the Near Caves, and on the 2nd Sunday of Great Lent together with the Council of All Saints. fathers

From the author's book

Venerable Savva of Pechersk His memory is celebrated on April 24. on the day of the namesake with St. Martyr Savva Stratilates, September 28 together with the Council of St. Otiev of the Kiev-Pechersk, resting in the Near Caves, and on the 2nd Sunday of Great Lent, together with the Council of All Saints. fathers

From the author's book

Venerable Anastasius of Pechersk (XII century) His memory is celebrated on January 22, September 28. together with the Councils of St. Fathers of the Kiev Pechersk, resting in the Near Caves, and on the 2nd Sunday of Great Lent together with the Council of All Saints. Fathers of the Kiev-Pechersk St. Anastasy, deacon of Pechersk

From the author's book

Venerable Alipius icon painter, Pechersk (+ 1114) His memory is celebrated on August 17. on the day of death, September 28. together with the Council of St. Fathers of the Kiev Pechersk, resting in the Near Caves, and on the 2nd Sunday of Great Lent together with the Council of All Saints. Fathers of Kiev-PecherskAfter 10 years

From the author's book

Reverend Andrei Rublev, icon painter (XV century) His memory is celebrated on July 4, the day of his namesake with St. Andrew, Archbishop of Crete (+ 712) and July 6, together with the Council of Radonezh Saints. Year of birth of St. Andrei Rublev is not known, and his origin is not known,

From the author's book

Alipius of Pechersk, icon painter (+1114) Alipius (Ali?mpius) of Pechersk (? - 1114) - venerable saint, Kiev mosaicist, icon painter and jeweler of the late 11th century, student of Greek masters. The first ancient Russian painter named by name. Memory is accomplished (according to Julian

From the author's book

ALIPIUS, venerable, icon painter of Pechersk, tonsured a monk. Abbot Nikon, and was soon ordained a priest; reposed around 1114. His memory is celebrated in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra on August 17. His relics rest in the caves of St. Antonia. Alypius is the oldest of all

From the author's book

ANTONY, Venerable Pechersk founder of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra and the founder of Russian monks, originally from the city of Lyubech (a town in the present Chernigov province); At baptism he received the name Antipas. From a young age, Antipas felt a desire for a solitary life and, according to

From the author's book

GRIGORY, Venerable Pechersk, icon painter The circumstances of his life are not described in the Patericon; his relics rest openly in the Antoniev caves. The memory of Gregory is celebrated in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra on August 8 (90) Pat. Pech. Description Kyiv.

From the author's book

PROKHOR, Venerable Pechersky, originally from Smolensk, tonsured at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra by Abbot John; nicknamed the Swan-eater, for he ate quinoa and made bread from it; reposed on February 10, 1103, but, according to Sylvester Kosov, he lived for about 1113. The Church commits

From the author's book

SAVVA, Saint of Pechersk, his relics rest openly in the Antoniev caves; It is unknown when he died. The life of Savva is not described in the Patericon; his memory is celebrated in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra on April 24 (277) Pat. Pech. Description Kyiv.

ALYMPIY(XI century) - the oldest Russian icon painter. The name is mentioned in the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon, in the chapter “About St. Spyridon the Mallow and Alimpia the Iconographer.” (Kievo-Pechersk Patericon 1980). It says here that Alimpiy was sent by his parents to study icon painting under Prince Vsevolod Yaroslavich (1078–1098) and under Abbot Nikon (1078–1088). He studied with Greek icon painters from Constantinople, who painted the Pechersk Church (built in 1073–1078). When they finished painting the church, Alimpiy took monastic vows. This was back under Nikon. According to the patericon, Alimpius “was well accustomed to the cunning of icons, and was cunning in painting icons.” He painted icons for the abbot and all the brethren for free, and restored dilapidated icons. He divided what he earned into three parts: he spent one on icons, gave the other to the poor, and took the third for his own needs. He was ordained a priest.

The Patericon tells about the miracles of Alimpius: he once healed a man with icon paints; an angel helped him paint the icon of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary; several icons were painted by the intervention of divine power. During the fire, when the entire Podol burned down, the icons of Alimpia remained intact. One of them was later moved by Vladimir Monomakh to Rostov, to the church he built. The author claims to have seen this icon; under him, that church collapsed, the icon was preserved and was transferred to a wooden church, it burned down, but there were no signs of fire left on the icon.

Based on the story of the patericon, Rostov legend considered the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir located in the Assumption Cathedral of Rostov to be the icon of Alimpius. This icon, which has survived to our time, turned out to be a work of the 17th century. (Melnik 1993). The assumption that this icon is a list of the Alimpia icon also cannot be accepted (Sazonov 1995). D.V. Ainalov, and after him some other researchers, considered the icon of Alimpia to be the icon of “Our Lady of the Great Panagia”, originating from Yaroslavl. Currently, most experts consider it to be a work of the 1st third of the 13th century. (Tretyakov Gallery. Catalog 1995). Some other icons were also attributed to Alimpius without any reason.

Some later sources report the exact date of death of Alimpius - August 17, 1114. It is fictitious (Sazonov 1995). It is possible that the fire mentioned in the patericon may be connected with the fire reported in the chronicles under 1114. However, it is not clear from the text whether Alimpius was alive at that time. The relics of Alimpiy are located in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, in a cave.

Bibliography:

Kiev-Pechersk Patericon // PLDR. XII century M., 1980:313–626, 692–704; Karamzin 2: note. 158; 3:130; Sakharov 1849:12–14; Rovinsky 1856:128; Historical Dictionary of Saints 1862:16–17; Sobko 1893:123–126; Uspensky A. I. Essays on the history of Russian art. T. 1: Russian painting up to the 15th century inclusive. M., 1910:3–8; Melnik A. G. On the attribution of two icons from the collection of the Rostov Museum // History and culture of the Rostov land. 1992. Rostov, 1993:212–214; State Tretyakov Gallery: Collection catalogue. T. 1: Old Russian art of the 10th – early 15th centuries. M., 1995. Cat. 15; Sazonov S. V. Alimpiy of Pechersk and the icon “Our Lady of Vladimir” from the Rostov Assumption Cathedral // Messages of the Rostov Museum. VIII. Yaroslavl, 1995:63–75.

Explanation of abbreviations in the bibliographic list:

PLDR = Monuments of Literature of Ancient Rus'
Karamzin = Karamzin N. M. History of Russian Goverment. T. 1–12. M., 1988. Reprint of the 1842–1844 edition.
Sakharov 1849 = Sakharov I. Research on Russian icon painting. Book 2. M., 1849.
Rovinsky 1856 = Rovinsky D. A. History of Russian schools of icon painting until the end of the 17th century // Notes of the Imperial Archaeological Society. T. 8. St. Petersburg, 1856.
Sobko 1893 = Sobko N. P. Dictionary of Russian artists, architects, draftsmen, engravers, lithographers, medalists, mosaicists, icon painters, foundries, minters, scanners, etc. From ancient times to the present day (XI–XIX centuries) / Comp. based on chronicles, archival documents, autobiographical notes and printed materials by N.P. Sobko (from 1867 to 1892 inclusive). T. 1. Issue. 1. St. Petersburg, 1893.