Olga Galaktionova said that the icon was taken away for the time of technical work and that it is under the supervision of restorers from the Tretyakov Gallery and other specialists. According to her, “Trinity” remains in the lavra workshops because it is a short process and the conditions there are being observed.
Galaktionova also said that there is no need to move the icon from the workshops to another place. In response to a clarifying question about restoration, she said that she had not spoken about restoration.
On September 15, the Tretyakov Gallery press service told Interfax that specialists are checking the condition of the icon of the Holy Trinity in the workshops of the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. Earlier, media reports said that the icon had been removed from the iconostasis because of a breakdown of the climate chamber.
On September 13, the Legal Department of the Moscow Patriarchate reported a scheduled inspection of the icon’s preservation and referred to a clause in the agreement between the Tretyakov Gallery and the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. The department noted that the gallery has the right to regularly verify the condition of the museum item, removing it from the specialized climate display case and moving it to a room on the lavra grounds that meets the terms of the agreement.
In 2024, “Trinity” was transferred for free use to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius by decision of Patriarch Kirill and Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova. The agreement signed by the parties provides for the use of the icon for 49 years with subsequent extension, while it remains a federal property object. In the church, the icon was installed in a specially made stationary icon case with automatic temperature and humidity control and armored glass with protection from ultraviolet rays.
Sources
