A Shrine for Holy Relics

The work of creating a shrine for the relics that were discovered in Merkushino village of hieromartyr Konstantin Bogoyavlensky canonized as a neo-martyr and a confessor of Russia was carried for about two years.

The main difficulty in the work of making the shrine was the practical loss of the art of shrine-making through the years of godlessness in our country. Thus, the specialists who undertook the project of the shrine for hieromartyr Konstantin faced serious difficulties. For their work they had to see both the concrete models and the literature on this question. The specialists (the jeweller and the engraver) visited the state historical reserve "Moscow Cremlin" in order to study the arrangement and all of the constructive joints of the shrines of St. Photius and St. Cyprian that are located in the Dormition Cathedral of Moscow Cremlin. There they also received valuable consultations from the specialists.

The sisters of our monastery were directly involved in the development and making of the shrine: they made its preliminary draft, they painted an icon for the lid, they were embroidering the shround for the inside of the casket; they were helping in the choice of ornaments and providing the specialists with the rare literature from the library fund of icon-painting workshop.

For the decoration of the shrine special malachite plates are used on which silver ornaments are layered. It can be remarked that, on the whole, in the preparation of the shrine, the harmonical combination of geometrical and plant Byzantine ornaments of XIV-XV centuries were taken as models.

The icon on the inside lid of the shrine is painted by the sisters of the monastery in canonical, Byzantine style. The peculiarity of the work on the icon was the fact that no portrait of Fr. Konstantin was preserved. But while working in the monastery archives, it became known that he looked very much like his brother whose photograph was found. The sisters also took the guidance from his relics that were preserved almost imperishable. The work on the image was long; several versions of the sketches were made. Hieromartyr Konstantin was painted with a blessing hand, since it was namely this posture that his relics were found in, and the fingers in hierarchal blessing immediately drew one's attention.

On the outer side of the lid is the image of Fr. Konstantin made of silver The model for it was done from the sketches of the sisters, and then this form was taken to create a silver icon.

Inside the shrine is the coffin in which the holy relics rest. It is taken out only for the cross processions with holy relics. The casket is made of mahogany. Handmade on it are birds of paradise and various plant ornaments. The legs - in the image of lion's paws, are made of silver. Inside is a gold-embroidered velvet shroud. The upper and lower border of the casket has silver ligature for which the texts to the hieromartyr Konstantin were chosen.

The shrine made by the Ural masters makes an amazing impression. One feels both might and elegance present in it, as well as the fact that this shrine is made not solely with great taste but - which is much more important - with love and awe.

The bishop is venerating the holy relics