A Holy gate stolen

Date: 14.12.2005 Source: news agency "Russian Antique"

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Holy gate. Unknown artist. XVII century. Tempera. Height √ 2m, width √ 50√60 cm [zoom (55k)]

The Federal Culture and Mass Media Supervision Agency requests help in searching of a rare monument of XVII century Russian icon-painting. According to the Belomor (the White Sea) branch of the Supervision Agency, a unique XVII century Holy gate was stolen from the Assumption church in the town of Belozersk (the Vologda region) on September 25, 2004. Criminals broke into the church at the Karl Marx Street, 43 through a grilled window.

The Holy gate consists of two wooden leafs with icons depicting four Evangelists and the Annunciation. The leaf▓s size: height 2 m, width 50√60 cm. The author of the Holy gate is unknown. Here is the detailed description of the gate. The right leaf (icons from top downward): the Holy Virgin sitting on a throne and holding a scroll; evangelist Mathew with a scroll in his hand, above him there is an angel with a book; evangelist Mark with a scroll, above him √ an eagle with a book.

The left leaf (icons from top downward): Archangel Gabriel crowned with a nimbus; St. John and a youth named Prohor, holding a scroll and a pen; there is a table with a scroll between them. Above St. John there is a winged lion crowned with a nimbus and holding a book. Sitting St. Lucas with a book √ above him there is an eagle crowned with a nimbus and holding a book. The Holy gate is decorated with a red, yellow and green ornament. There is a mark ╚V01╩ made by a special chemical agent in the upper right corner of every icon.

According to the Head of the Belozersk police department lieutenant colonel S. Bogdanov, the Holy relic is a national property. Experts of the State History and Research Restoration Institute estimate the Holy gate at $150,000. You may share any information about the important item sending an e-mail at: , or you may call +7 (8182) 20 5173, +7 (8182) 21 4300.