First quarter of the 16th century
Wood, tempera
138 x 120

The first icons with vignettes of the Lives of Saints appeared in Russian art during the second half of the 13th century. In the 16th century icons of the Lives of Saints were especially widespread. In the srednik we see depictions of Prince Vladimir wearing the royal throne and his younger sons Boris and Gleb. The srednik is surrounded by 16 vignettes: 1 2 3 4 5 6 9 7 10 8 11 12 13 14 15 16 1. Prince Vladimir gives a sword to Boris and sends him off to war against the nomadic Pechenegs 2. The burial of the great and true to the faith Prince Vladimir, who died while his son was away 3. Svyatopolk summons the Kievans (?) 4. Boris and his servant Georgy of Hungary pray in a tent feeling a foreboding of calamity 5. Georgy of Hungary tries to defend Prince Boris when murderers break into the tent 6. The murder of Prince Boris. Boris’s body is carried away to Kiev 7. Svyatopolk sends his servant to Gleb with news of their father’s illness 8. Prince Gleb travels to Kiev. The horse under him stumbles 9. The murder of Gleb in a boat 10. Gleb’s body is placed between two troughs 11. Carrying the remains of princes Boris and Gleb to Vyshgorod 12. The apparition of princes Boris and Gleb to the monk Martin 13. The battle of Yaroslav with troops of Svyatopolk the Accursed 14. The ailing prince Mstislav of Chernigov is carried to the tomb of princes Boris and Gleb to be cured 15. Miracles caused by the relics of Boris and Gleb 16. Svyatopolk the Accursed dies. The literary basis for the vignettes of the Lives is the “Life and death of...Boris and Gleb, resisters of temptation” dating from the end of the 11th century. At a later time the Life of princes Boris and Gleb was supplemented by new details that were then reflected in the icon by addition of the vignette about the cure of Prince Mstislav (vignette 14).

at 10, Lavrushinsky Lane, Hall 60