In the city of Vladimir, on the famous Bolshaya Moskovskaya Street,
there is a memorial monument dedicated to Andrei Rublev. The
monument is located right in front of the entrance to the large city
park named after A.S. Pushkin. The monument was cast in bronze and
is the latest work of a talented sculptor from Moscow, Komov.
The grand opening of the monument took place in August 1995,
which coincided with the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of
the founding of the city of Vladimir. The largest number of frescoes
by the talented artist Andrei Rublev, whose years of life fall on
the Middle Ages, are kept in the Assumption Church. To date, the
artist’s frescoes have also been preserved, mostly on the theme of
the Last Judgment, which were completed in 1408. The period of a
large-scale national upsurge determined new directions in the work
of the great master. Rublev was able to find an expression of his
worldview that was significantly different from the Byzantine one.
He almost completely abandoned the asceticism and severity inherent
in Byzantium, which helped to interpret his view of the Last
Judgment as righteous. The distinct images of angels, apostles and
righteous people are overflowing with lyricism, softness and poetry,
and their faces are especially similar to those of ordinary Russian
people. The images depicted in the frescoes are distinguished by
some novelty, as well as painting techniques that are so
characteristic of Andrei Rublev. All these motifs were "peeped" from
Russian nature, which is characterized by a soft curvature and
smoothness of the contours and lines of the picture, as well as a
direct clarity of composition and a clear understanding of the
properties of architecture.
According to local traditions and
guidelines by the Local Council, belonging to the Orthodox Russian
Church, the artist Andrei Rublev was canonized in 1988 and
canonized.
The brilliant artist Andrei Rublev was born around
1340-1350, and died in the autumn of October 17, 1428 in the city of
Moscow - the burial took place at the cemetery of the
Spaso-Andronikov Monastery. Throughout his life and after it, Andrei
Rublev was not only the most famous, but also the most revered
master of the school of icon painting in Moscow, as well as
monumental and book painting of the 15th century.
As for
biographical evidence about the talented icon painter, they are
quite scarce, which is why we have little information about him. It
is believed that he was born in the Moscow principality, although
other data tell about the city of Novgorod. The artist's upbringing
took place in a family of honorary icon painters. In the
Trinity-Sergius Monastery, Rublev took monastic vows, which happened
under Nikon of Radonezh. According to another theory, the tonsure
took place in the Spaso-Andronicus Monastery during the lifetime of
the Monk Abbot Andronicus in 1373.
It is believed that the
name Andrei refers to the monastic, but the secular name has not
been determined - most likely, it also begins with the letter "A",
which was typical for the Orthodox traditions of that time. Today
you can see the icon, which has survived to our time in good
condition. It had a signature - "Andrey Ivanov, son of Rublev." This
icon belongs to the late time of its writing, which refers it to
indirect evidence that Andrei Rublev's father's name was Ivan.
The versatile work of the medieval artist was built on the basis
of the artistic traditions inherent in the Moscow principality.
Andrei Rublev throughout his life was well acquainted with South
Slavic and Byzantine art.
Already in 1408, Andrei Rublev had
already achieved the necessary experience in icon painting, because
at that time he worked with Daniil Cherny, with whom they painted
the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir together.
In the spring
of 1428, Andrei Rublev completed the last work, after which he died
in the autumn. As mentioned, the burial was carried out in the
Spaso-Andronikov Monastery, although other sources refute this fact,
without indicating the exact place where the outstanding Russian
icon painter could be buried.