What kind of name wears the cross. Old Russian native crosses

Old Russian native Crosses XI-XIII centuries. Despite the abundance of ancient crosses, which is in the hands of archaeologists, and in various collections associated with them historical Science Practically not studied. In the review essay, we will tell you more about the types and types of the ancient Russian crosses of the XI-XIII centuries.

There is no complete versions of the types of domingol castes of the XI-XIII centuries. Moreover, even the clear principles of the classification of the material were not developed. Meanwhile, there are many publications dedicated to this topic. Conditionally, they can be divided into two groups: publications of collections and articles dedicated to archaeological finds. A sample of the pre-revolutionary publication of body crosses, including the objects of the Domonggol Time, can serve as the famous two-volume edition of the Collection of B.I. and VN Hanenko, having seen the light in Kiev. Now, after almost a century, there was a number of catalogs of private collections with sections dedicated to the cristes of the XI-XIII century: you can mention the "Millennium of the Cross" A.K. Stanyukovich, "Catalog of medieval shallow plastics" A.A. A wonderors, the publication of the collection of the Vologda Gatherer Surov, a description of the samples of the Domongol Metal Plastics of the Odessa Museum of Numismatics. With all the difference in the scientific quality of the description, these editions combine one - the rate of selection of the described material and the absence of a classification principle. If the second is associated with the scientific inhematization of the topic, then the first testifies only to the absence of serious, representative meetings that can be provided by their owner for publication. It is also worth mentioning and the work has not default "Catalog of the Old Russian native crosses X-XIII centuries ", in which the author is trying, although not quite successfully, to systematize all the types of Domongolian native crosses known to him and crosses. This work suffers from the obvious incomplete and extreme subjectivity of the author, which has for some reason, crosses and even buttons, and incorporated in their catalog, some fakes. It is hoped that it will be a pleasant exception to be the catalog of the assembly of the crosses of the XI-XIII centuries today. S.N. Kutasova - the same assembly provides authors with ample opportunities for building the typology of the Domongolian native crosses.

Articles dedicated to archaeological finds, and at the same time, non-vaults of such finds, in nature, cannot any complete presentation of the types of crosses. At the same time, it is they who create the ground to properly dating objects and help to avoid articles when the items of the XV century, and sometimes the XVII-XVIII centuries, not always even that are known crosses, are described in the catalogs of private collections as the Domongol Crosses (an example of this - Famous Vologda Edition).

And, nevertheless, despite the problems available, we can at least general features characterize all the abundance of famous on this moment Domongolian crosses, highlighting several large groups of items.

Ancient Russian native crosses with the image of the crucifixion, XI-XIII centuries

The smallest group includes the lifting crosses with images. If an image spectrum is quite extensive on encolpiona and the icons of the XI-XIII centuries - we find the images of Jesus, the Mother of God, the Archangels, Saints, sometimes multifigure scenes are found - then on the tanks we see only the image of the crucifixion, sometimes, with the upcoming. Perhaps the only exception is a group of bilateral crosses depicting saints in medallions. There is also a small group of crosses - overflow from encoupion. At the moment, several dozen different types of housetholic crosses depicting crucifixion have been published. (Fig. 1) except for several basic, these types are represented by a sufficiently small number of well-known instances.

Fig.2 Domongol native crosses with the image of the Crucifixion and Our Lady, the XI-XIII centuries

The rarity of the "plot" lifting crosses in Russia in Domongolsky time is a question that requires clarification. On the territory of Byzantium, from the Black Sea region to the Middle East, crosses with images - most often the crucifixes or the Mother of God Oranges - are not less common than crosses ornamental, in Russia during this period we see a completely different ratio of occurrence. Belt crosses with the image of Our Lady, as far as we know, there are quite rare in Russia. (Fig. 2) At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the popularity of the body icons and encloups with the image of Our Lady and Saints, as well as the fact that among the types of crosses of the end of the XIV century. - early XVII century. Crosses with figure images prevail.

Fig.3 Ancient Russian native crosses of Scandinavian types, XI-XIII centuries

Most of the Domongolian Belt Crosses are decorated with ornaments. To the number of non-ornamental, simplests with technical and artistic point Vision can include only small lead crosses dating from the beginning of the XI century. The classification of ornamental crosses is not easy task. Naturally, types of Scandinavian and "Byzantine" ornament are distinguished from the main mass. Based on comparison with the Northern Material, no more than a few dozen "Scandinavian types" can be distinguished, which, however, were quite widespread. (Fig. 3) The situation with the "Byzantine" ornament is more complicated. On many crosses occurring from the Byzantine territory, you can see an ornament consisting of circles depressed into the surface. (Fig.4)

Fig.4 Byzantine native crosses found in the territory Ancient Russia, XI-XIII centuries

There are various explanations of this pattern, the most famous of which are reduced to the fact that we are either sketchy image Five wounds of Christ, which then turned into an element of decor, or this is a coastal symbolism that protects its carrier from the "malicious eye". On Russian crosses, with the exception, one, but quite numerous groups, such an ornament is rare, but at the same time, it almost always decorates the surface of very popular Slavic amulets depicting "lynx", as well as amulets-toporists, and meets The shields of a large group of rings, the influence on the type of which by the Byzantine personal pieces of personal piety seems very dubious. So, "Byzantine", this ornament can be referred to a very conditional, although from the formal side of the parallel between the group of Old Russian and Byzantine crosses seems obvious.

Fig.5 Ancient Russian native crosses with the crying end of the blades, the XI-XIII centuries.

The main mass of ornamental jewelry, hardly more than 90 percent, has original russian origin. But before you describe them, you need to turn your mind to the very form of the crosses. The morphology of the ancient Russian rim crosses is striking with their diversity. Such a variety of forms did not know Byzantium, did not know her as much as we can judge, and medieval Europe. The phenomenon of this manifold requires a historical explanation. But before talking about it, you must at least briefly describe the most characteristic forms "Branches" of the housesongolian crestes. It would be natural to expect the dominance of the rectangular shape of the "branches" as we find in Byzantium. However, this is not the case - the rectangular form is relatively rare compared to other forms of branches. Crosses of "Maltese type", with "branches", expanding to the tip, which were quite popular in Byzantium, only a few types are known in Russia, and then quite rarely encountered. The main mass is the crosses whose branches are completed by the "marvel", that is, a similar flower of lily ending. It would be wrong to argue that such a form of "branches" of the cross is purely Russian specifics. This form meets in Byzantium, but in a very small proportionality to equal cones, and most advantage - in the Balkans. (Fig. 5)

Strictly speaking, it cannot be argued that the "crypoid" type of "branches" dominates the censors of the XI-XIII centuries in its pure form. The "ideal" crypoid type covers, perhaps, not more than a quarter from all types of tanks of this era. However, the fundamental impact of the "marine" form on the morphology of the Domongolian Cross-Kelnika seems to me obvious. In addition to the "ideal" krinovide, we find the following forms of completion of the "branches": three points located in a triangle, a triangle, a circle with three dots from the outside, a bead with three dots or one, finally, simply bead or a circle. At first glance, the rounded completion of the "branch" of the cross can hardly be reduced to the marine, however, if you construct a typological row, a morphological transformation can be visible with the ease, which turns the croside in the environment or in bead.

Thus, detecting the dominance of the cringed cross-type of the Cross, we can assume that the nature of the decor of the cross, which inseparable from its form will be determined by this form. This, apparently, explains the originality of the decor of the ancient Russian crestes.

Fig.6 Ancient Russian native anti-tailed suspension 11-13 centuries.

A special, and very numerous group, make up the so-called cross-like pending. Their semantics is not completely clear - equally, they contain elements in their form as christian Crossand pagan amulet. The complexity in their assignment to Christian subjects is also the fact that the motive of the cross is not alien to paganism. When we see the intertwined crosses of ovals, four circles, connected by a cross-shaped manner, a rhombus with balls at the end or a cringe-like imagination, reminiscent of the shape of the cross, we cannot claim with confidence, whether Christian influence reflected in such a composition, or this is a purely pagan symbolism. Based archaeological finds It can only be argued that these items existed in the same environment as crosses, which gives some reasons to consider them in the context of personal piety, albeit with some reservations. (Fig.6)

The main argument for the separation of cross-person making on the "Christian" and "pagan" group (and the other designation conditionally) can serve or the absence of numerous similar subjects occurring from the Byzantine territory. In the case of "cross-covered" letters, we must recognize them more than items christian cultureThan the pagan, since there are numerous analogues that occur from all of the Byzantine territory, and in Kherson this type, as far as one can judge, was one of the most common types of crosses. At the same time, it is impossible not to notice that on the suspensions of this type, almost all crosses included in the circle have cringed, or close to marvelous completion. Thus, even with respect to this type, having many analogies of the medium of the Byzantine material, we cannot talk about full borrowing of the form from Byzantium.

Old Russian Cross-covered Lunnitsa VII-XIII BB

An interesting example of a pane-Christian synthesis can serve as a Lunnica, including a cross. Knowing many pre-Christian types of Lunnits, you can no doubt to argue that the cross arising from some types of lennic (however, quite rare) - the element is purely Christian, and is a consequence of the "dual relief" - that is organic compound pagan and Christian ideas within the framework of a unified model of the world. It is well known that the "dvooevishe" in Russia within the folk culture remained until the very late time, and the existence of Lunnits with the cross, which should be included both in the arches of the Domongolian Belt Crosses and the pagan amulets - the brightest manifestation. (Fig. 7)

Read more about Lunitsa and others slavic chambers You can read in the article "".

In parallel with me, the semantic typology of crosses, and several typological groups can be distinguished, based on the material and technique of manufacturing crosses. In a serious historian, seeking to objects "first level", no question may not arise - and whether golden crosses exist? Its objects, of course, existed, but, apparently, only in the princely everyday life. Only units of gold crosses occurring from the territory of Russia are known. At the same time, on the territory of Byzantium, such items are not absolute rarity. Little crosses from sheet gold with semi-precious stones are found like on Western antique marketAnd in archaeological reports, however, the oversized golden crosses crosses are rare enough, and in the West, as well as in Russia, they are almost impossible to meet them on the antiquarian market.

Silver censors of the XI-XIII centuries are a fairly small group of items. Their main mass make up small crosses simple forms, with "branches", finishing beads, and quite large crosses with the "Scandinavian" ornament. Silver crosses Unusual forms are single. In archaeological publications, funerary crosses from sheet silver appear, but in practice they are extremely rare.

Old Russian stone trimming crosses, XI - XIII centuries.

A separate group consists of stone-bodied crosses. They are distinguished by simplicity of shape, no thread. Only in some cases they are framed in silver frames. Basically, they are made from slate, less often - from marble. Crosses from marble have the Byzantine origin. Despite the fact that they are not objective rarity - they are often found during the excavations on the Byzantine territory - they really are not so much, which is explained simply: they cannot be found with a metal detector, and are only a random find.

The group of enamel crosses is very numerous. The standard "Kiev" type of enamel cross refers to the most occasion of the types of Domongolian crosses. Variety of subtypes inside total type The simplest enamel cross is large enough. In addition to the basic division into two subtypes in the number of balls, which the "branch" ends, they differ in the films of enamels, as well as the cutting side decor: if most of these crosses are double-sided, then one-sided crosses with smooth can be attributed to the rarerging type. turnover, with a engraved cross on the back side or with the inscription, most often unreadable due to the quality of casting.

Fig.8 Domongolian native crosses with laid enamels, XI - XIII centuries.

In addition to the type of enamel cross with the crinid completions of the "branches", there is a rarely "straight round" type, and type with a rounding at the end of the branches. Numerous group of crosses, or crusades of very unusual forms, which has no analogues, neither among Byzantine, nor the Wednesday of Russian items are adjacent to them. As an analogy, only a cross-shaped ornament can be given to a sufficiently numerous group of major domification buttons, also decorated with enamel. (Fig. 9)

Fig. 9 Old Russian native crosses with mobile, XI-XIII centuries

A separate, a fairly small group is the crosses decorated with a mobile. At the moment, we know no more than a dozen types of crosses with a mobile, one of which is relatively distributed, the rest is quite rare. (Fig. 9)

Turning to the "technical" side of the description of the material of interest to us, one cannot bypass the silence of two questions that exciting any interested manNamely: the degree of rarity items to which he draws his mind, and the problem of the authenticity of these items. Often, when communicating with a different kind of specialists, it is necessary to hear the claim that one or another Domongolian cross is "unique." Meanwhile, an experienced researcher knows that numerous crosses marked in publications the highest rare sign are often found in dozens of copies. The case here, of course, is not in the incompetence of compilers of such tables of rarity, but in the very nature of the product under consideration. For rare exceptions, all-tanned crosses were made by the injection molded method, which implies the presence of many dozens, and sometimes hundreds of completely identical objects. We know many cases of re-casting, in which the quality of the product, of course, can somewhat deteriorate, but the type itself, and even it small parts persists. As far as you can judge, crosses, at least in the housesongol, did not interfere, so all the specimens that have fallen into the ground are waiting for the Find. In other words, a truly unique cast cross is an almost incredible phenomenon. The practical rarity can be explained simply: unlike Byzantium, where there were large mass casting centers, of which the crosses spread throughout the Empire, in Russia, injection workshops were dispersed throughout the state. The works of these local workshops most of them did not go beyond its initially small region of existence, and if the place of production of any unusual type of crosses has not yet been found, it can be considered as very rare, but hardly the production center will be found, And there are dozens of identical or similar objects. In other words, the rarity of copper crosses are always relative. Silver crosses are objectively rare enough, but often due to their external no effectaryness, small size and lack of an interesting decor, they do not attract serious attention of interested parties. To the above, you can add only that the greatest, although again the relative rarity can represent the crosses of an unusual form, having an unusual ornamental design, and even more so - small varieties.

Old Russian native crosses with a sefoded enamel of the XI-XII centuries

Some kind of brief was not this sketch of the typological description of the crosses of the Domongolian era, he puts a number of questions, fundamental to understanding not only by this narrow topic, but also the history of Christianization of Russia as a whole. It may not affect the fact of the iconographic and typological separation of the ancient Russian crosses from Byzantine samples. Byzantine tradition, forming the Russian type of Cross-Encoupion, actually did not affect the formation of types of crosses. Previously, archaeological excavations were the only source of finding items of metal-plastic, the view was widespread that Encolpiona was worn only by representatives of the elite. Now, thanks to the mass findings of Encolpilations in Selischiki, the misunderstanding of this statement was clear. We are not talking about the separation of types of crosses and Encolpionov - according to the "class principle", but only about the allocation of two fundamentally different types of wearable crosses: some type is fully focused on Byzantine samples, on imported copies from the "cultural metropolis" (these are Encolpion Crosses ), the other type is - that is, small crosses - Turniki - almost fully focused on the local, Slavic culture.

Slavic cultural orientation is, first of all, the orientation of paganism. However, this does not mean the confrontation of paganism and Christianity, rather, on the contrary: the cross as a symbol of belonging to the Christian community, as the subject of personal piety turned out to be endowed with the popular consciousness of amulent semantics. The Cross-Tannik received a completely different meaning than the one he possessed in Byzantium - along with Slavic Lunitsa, skate letters, amulets, spoons, places, hatchers, he turned into a tool for the interaction of a person - his owner - with the forces of the outside world. Apparently, the telly cross had security functions - it was not by chance that the ornamental design of houselombol crosses, not having compliance among the Byzantine material, finds a plurality of parallels in the design of Persdne's flaps that had, undoubtedly, the shepheric meaning.

"Dvelverie" as one of the fundamental facts of Russian culture is still not well understood, due to the scarcity of sources, and here the Old Russian metalplastic can be one of the most interesting and richest sources of new knowledge. The person who appealing at her look comes into contact with the very story in her yet untouched, still unknown guise, in front of him - the subject of research, rich and interesting, and that, as not the desire for unknown is the force that the heart drives and wakes up the passion of a passionate seeker Truth?!

Old Russian native crosses of the XI-XIII centuries

Despite the abundance of ancient crosses, both in the hands of archaeologists and in various collections associated with them, the reservoir of historical science is practically not studied.

Cross-korsunchik; XIII century Material: metal silver, serpentine; Technique: Grains, Stone Carving, Skan, Embossing (Basma)

In the review essay, we will tell you more about the types and types of the ancient Russian crosses of the XI-XIII centuries. There is no complete versions of the types of domingol castes of the XI-XIII centuries. Moreover, even the clear principles of the classification of the material were not developed. Meanwhile, there are many publications dedicated to this topic.

Conditionally, they can be divided into two groups: publications of collections and articles dedicated to archaeological finds. A sample of the pre-revolutionary publication of body crosses, including the objects of the Domonggol Time, can serve as the famous two-volume edition of the Collection of B.I. and VN Hanenko, having seen the light in Kiev. Now, after almost a century, there was a number of catalogs of private collections with sections dedicated to the cristes of the XI-XIII century: you can mention the "Millennium of the Cross" A.K. Stanyukovich, "Catalog of medieval shallow plastics" A.A. A wonderors, the publication of the collection of the Vologda Gatherer Surov, a description of the samples of the Domongol Metal Plastics of the Odessa Museum of Numismatics. With all the difference in the scientific quality of the description, these editions combine one - the rate of selection of the described material and the absence of a classification principle. If the second is associated with the scientific inhematization of the topic, then the first testifies only to the absence of serious, representative meetings that can be provided by their owner for publication. It is also worth mentioning the work of the "catalog of the ancient Russian native crosses of the X-XIII centuries", in which the author is trying, although not quite successfully, to systematize all the types of Domongolian native crosses and crosses. This work suffers from the obvious incomplete and extreme subjectivity of the author, which has for some reason, crosses and even buttons, and incorporated in their catalog, some fakes. It is hoped that it will be a pleasant exception to be the catalog of the assembly of the crosses of the XI-XIII centuries today. S.N. Kutasova - the same assembly provides authors with ample opportunities for building the typology of the Domongolian native crosses.

Articles dedicated to archaeological finds, and at the same time, non-vaults of such finds, in nature, cannot any complete presentation of the types of crosses. At the same time, it is they who create the ground to properly dating objects and help to avoid articles when the items of the XV century, and sometimes the XVII-XVIII centuries, not always even that are known crosses, are described in the catalogs of private collections as the Domongol Crosses (an example of this - Famous Vologda Edition).

And, nevertheless, despite the available problems, we can at least in general terms characterize all the abundance of the houses known at the moment, highlighting several large groups of items.

Fig.2 Old Russian native crosses with the image of the crucifixion, XI-XIII centuries

The smallest group includes the lifting crosses with images. If an image spectrum is quite extensive on encolpiona and the icons of the XI-XIII centuries - we find the images of Jesus, the Mother of God, the Archangels, Saints, sometimes multifigure scenes are found - then on the tanks we see only the image of the crucifixion, sometimes, with the upcoming. Perhaps the only exception is a group of bilateral crosses depicting saints in medallions. There is also a small group of crosses - overflow from encoupion. At the moment, several dozen different types of housetholic crosses depicting crucifixion have been published. (Fig. 2) except for several basic, these types are represented by a sufficiently small number of well-known instances.

Fig.3 Domongol native crosses with the image of the Crucifixion and Our Lady, the XI-XIII centuries

The rarity of the "plot" lifting crosses in Russia in Domongolsky time is a question that requires clarification. On the territory of Byzantium, from the Black Sea region to the Middle East, crosses with images - most often the crucifixes or the Mother of God Oranges - are not less common than crosses ornamental, in Russia during this period we see a completely different ratio of occurrence. Belt crosses with the image of Our Lady, as far as we know, there are quite rare in Russia. (Fig. 3) At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the popularity of the body icons and encoupiones with the image of the Lady and Saints, as well as the fact that among the types of crosses of the end of the XIV century. - early XVII century. Crosses with figure images prevail.

Fig.4 Ancient Russian native crosses of Scandinavian types, XI-XIII centuries

Most of the Domongolian Belt Crosses are decorated with ornaments. Only small lead crosses dated from the beginning of the XI century can be attributed to the number of non-ornamental, protozoa from a technical and artistic point of view. The classification of ornamental crosses is not easy task. Naturally, types of Scandinavian and "Byzantine" ornament are distinguished from the main mass. Based on comparison with the Northern Material, no more than a few dozen "Scandinavian types" can be distinguished, which, however, were quite widespread. (Fig. 4) The situation with the "Byzantine" ornament is more complicated. On many crosses occurring from the Byzantine territory, you can see an ornament consisting of circles depressed into the surface. (Fig. 5)

Fig.5 Byzantine native crosses found in ancient Russia, XI-XIII centuries

There are various explanations of this pattern, the most well-known of which are reduced to the fact that we are either a schematic representation of five wounds of Christ, which was then turned into a decor element, or this is a coasting symbolism that protects its carrier from the "malicious eye". On Russian crosses, with the exception, one, but quite numerous groups, such an ornament is rare, but at the same time, it almost always decorates the surface of very popular Slavic amulets depicting "lynx", as well as amulets-toporists, and meets The shields of a large group of rings, the influence on the type of which by the Byzantine personal pieces of personal piety seems very dubious. So, "Byzantine", this ornament can be referred to a very conditional, although from the formal side of the parallel between the group of Old Russian and Byzantine crosses seems obvious.

Fig. 6 Ancient Russian native crosses with the cringe end of the blades, the XI-XIII centuries.

The main mass of ornamental decorations, hardly more than 90 percent, has an original Russian origin. But before you describe them, you need to turn your mind to the very form of the crosses. The morphology of the ancient Russian rim crosses is striking with their diversity. Such a variety of forms did not know Byzantium, did not know her as much as we can judge, and medieval Europe. The phenomenon of this manifold requires a historical explanation. But before talking about it, it is necessary to at least briefly describe the most characteristic forms of the "branches" of the Domongolian Belt Crosses. It would be natural to expect the dominance of the rectangular shape of the "branches" as we find in Byzantium. However, this is not the case - the rectangular form is relatively rare compared to other forms of branches. Crosses of "Maltese type", with "branches", expanding to the tip, which were quite popular in Byzantium, only a few types are known in Russia, and then quite rarely encountered. The main mass is the crosses whose branches are completed by the "marvel", that is, a similar flower of lily ending. It would be wrong to argue that such a form of "branches" of the cross is purely Russian specifics. This form meets in Byzantium, but in a very small proportionate attitude to the equilicular crosses, and most advantage - in the Balkans. (Fig.6)

Strictly speaking, it cannot be argued that the "crypoid" type of "branches" dominates the censors of the XI-XIII centuries in its pure form. The "ideal" crypoid type covers, perhaps, not more than a quarter from all types of tanks of this era. However, the fundamental impact of the "marine" form on the morphology of the Domongolian Cross-Kelnika seems to me obvious. In addition to the "ideal" krinovide, we find the following forms of completion of the "branches": three points located in a triangle, a triangle, a circle with three dots from the outside, a bead with three dots or one, finally, simply bead or a circle. At first glance, the rounded completion of the "branch" of the cross can hardly be reduced to the marine, however, if you construct a typological row, a morphological transformation can be visible with the ease, which turns the croside in the environment or in bead.

Thus, detecting the dominance of the cringed cross-type of the Cross, we can assume that the nature of the decor of the cross, which inseparable from its form will be determined by this form. This, apparently, explains the originality of the decor of the ancient Russian crestes.

Fig. 7 Ancient Russian native anti-insulated suspension 11-13 centuries.

A special, and very numerous group, make up the so-called cross-like pending. Their semantics are not completely clear - equally, they contain elements in their form, both the Christian cross and a pagan amulet. The complexity in their assignment to Christian subjects is also the fact that the motive of the cross is not alien to paganism. When we see the intertwined crosses of ovals, four circles, connected by a cross-shaped manner, a rhombus with balls at the end or a cringe-like imagination, reminiscent of the shape of the cross, we cannot claim with confidence, whether Christian influence reflected in such a composition, or this is a purely pagan symbolism. Based on the archaeological finds, it is only possible to argue that these items were extended in the same environment as crosses, which gives some reason to consider them in the context of personal pieces, albeit with some reservations. (Fig. 7)

The main argument for the separation of cross-person making on the "Christian" and "pagan" group (and the other designation conditionally) can serve or the absence of numerous similar subjects occurring from the Byzantine territory. In the case of "cross-covered" letters, we must recognize them more than the subjects of Christian culture than the pagan, as there are numerous analogues that occur from all of the Byzantine territory, and in Kherson this type, as far as can be judged, was one of the most common types of crosses -Plists. At the same time, it is impossible not to notice that on the suspensions of this type, almost all crosses included in the circle have cringed, or close to marvelous completion. Thus, even with respect to this type, having many analogies of the medium of the Byzantine material, we cannot talk about full borrowing of the form from Byzantium.

Fig.8 Old Russian Cross-Width Lunnitsa VII-XIII BB

An interesting example of a pane-Christian synthesis can serve as a Lunnica, including a cross. Knowing many pre-Christian types of moonnitz, you can no doubt that the cross arising in some types of lennic (however, quite rare) - the element is purely Christian, and is a consequence of the "dual man" - that is, the organic connection of the pagan and Christian ideas within the unified model World. It is well known that the "dvooevishe" in Russia within the folk culture remained until the very late time, and the existence of Lunnits with the cross, which should be included both in the arches of the Domongolian Belt Crosses and the pagan amulets - the brightest manifestation. (Fig. 8)

Learn more about Lunitsa and other Slavic chambers can be found in the article "Ancient Russian pending and amulets of the XI - XIII centuries."

In parallel with me, the semantic typology of crosses, and several typological groups can be distinguished, based on the material and technique of manufacturing crosses. In a serious historian, seeking to objects "first level", no question may not arise - and whether golden crosses exist? Its objects, of course, existed, but, apparently, only in the princely everyday life. Only units of gold crosses occurring from the territory of Russia are known. At the same time, on the territory of Byzantium, such items are not absolute rarity. Clean crosses from sheet gold with semi-precious stones are found both on the Western antique market and in archaeological reports, however, the oversized golden crosses crosses are quite rare, and in the West, as well as in Russia, they are almost impossible to meet them on the antiquary market.

Silver censors of the XI-XIII centuries are a fairly small group of items. Their main mass make up small crosses of simple forms, with "branches", ending beads, and quite large crosses with the "Scandinavian" ornament. Silver crosses of unusual forms are single. In archaeological publications, funerary crosses from sheet silver appear, but in practice they are extremely rare.

Fig. 9 Old Russian stone trimming crosses, XI - XIII centuries.

A separate group consists of stone-bodied crosses. They are distinguished by simplicity of shape, no thread. Only in some cases they are framed in silver frames. Basically, they are made from slate, less often - from marble. Crosses from marble have the Byzantine origin. Despite the fact that they are not objective rarity - they are often found during the excavations on the Byzantine territory - they really are not so much, which is explained simply: they cannot be found with a metal detector, and are only a random find.

The group of enamel crosses is very numerous. The standard "Kiev" type of enamel cross refers to the most occasion of the types of Domongolian crosses. A variety of subtypes inside the general type of the simplest enamel cross is large enough. In addition to the most basic separation into two subtypes by the number of balls, which the "branch" ends, they differ in the films of enamels, as well as the cutting side decor: if most of these crosses are double-sided, one-sided crosses with a smooth turnover can be attributed to the rarerging type , with a engraved cross on the back side or with the inscription, most often unreadable due to the quality of casting.

Fig.10 Domongolian native crosses with laid enamels, XI - XIII centuries.

In addition to the type of enamel cross with the crinid completions of the "branches", there is a rarely "straight round" type, and type with a rounding at the end of the branches. Numerous group of crosses, or crusades of very unusual forms, which has no analogues, neither among Byzantine, nor the Wednesday of Russian items are adjacent to them. As an analogy, only a cross-shaped ornament can be given to a sufficiently numerous group of major domification buttons, also decorated with enamel. (Fig.10)

Fig.11 Old Russian native crosses with mobile, XI-XIII centuries

A separate, a fairly small group is the crosses decorated with a mobile. At the moment, we know no more than a dozen types of crosses with a mobile, one of which is relatively distributed, the rest is quite rare. (Fig.11)

Turning to the "technical" side of the description of the material of interest to us, one cannot bypass the two questions that exciting anyone interested person, namely: the degree of rarity items to which he draws his mind, and the problem of the authenticity of these items. Often, when communicating with a different kind of specialists, it is necessary to hear the claim that one or another Domongolian cross is "unique." Meanwhile, an experienced researcher knows that numerous crosses marked in publications the highest rare sign are often found in dozens of copies. The case here, of course, is not in the incompetence of compilers of such tables of rarity, but in the very nature of the product under consideration. For rare exceptions, all-tanned crosses were made by the injection molded method, which implies the presence of many dozens, and sometimes hundreds of completely identical objects. We know many cases of re-casting, in which the quality of the product, of course, can somewhat deteriorate, but the type itself, and even its small parts is saved. As far as you can judge, crosses, at least in the housesongol, did not interfere, so all the specimens that have fallen into the ground are waiting for the Find. In other words, a truly unique cast cross is an almost incredible phenomenon. The practical rarity can be explained simply: unlike Byzantium, where there were large mass casting centers, of which the crosses spread throughout the Empire, in Russia, injection workshops were dispersed throughout the state. The works of these local workshops most of them did not go beyond its initially small region of existence, and if the place of production of any unusual type of crosses has not yet been found, it can be considered as very rare, but hardly the production center will be found, And there are dozens of identical or similar objects. In other words, the rarity of copper crosses are always relative. Silver crosses are objectively rare enough, but often due to their external no effectaryness, small size and lack of an interesting decor, they do not attract serious attention of interested parties. To the above, you can add only that the greatest, although again the relative rarity can represent the crosses of an unusual form, having an unusual ornamental design, and even more so - small varieties.

Fig.12 Ancient Russian native crosses with partition enamel XI-XII centuries

Some kind of brief was not this sketch of the typological description of the crosses of the Domongolian era, he puts a number of questions, fundamental to understanding not only by this narrow topic, but also the history of Christianization of Russia as a whole. It may not affect the fact of the iconographic and typological separation of the ancient Russian crosses from Byzantine samples. Byzantine tradition, forming the Russian type of Cross-Encoupion, actually did not affect the formation of types of crosses. Previously, archaeological excavations were the only source of finding items of metal-plastic, the view was widespread that Encolpiona was worn only by representatives of the elite. Now, thanks to the mass findings of Encolpilations in Selischiki, the misunderstanding of this statement was clear. We are not talking about the separation of types of crosses and Encolpionov - according to the "class principle", but only about the allocation of two fundamentally different types of wearable crosses: some type is fully focused on Byzantine samples, on imported copies from the "cultural metropolis" (these are Encolpion Crosses ), the other type is - that is, small crosses - Turniki - almost fully focused on the local, Slavic culture.

Slavic cultural orientation is, first of all, the orientation of paganism. However, this does not mean the confrontation of paganism and Christianity, rather, on the contrary: the cross as a symbol of belonging to the Christian community, as the subject of personal piety turned out to be endowed with the popular consciousness of amulent semantics. The Cross-Tannik received a completely different meaning than the one he possessed in Byzantium - along with Slavic Lunitsa, skate letters, amulets, spoons, places, hatchers, he turned into a tool for the interaction of a person - his owner - with the forces of the outside world. Apparently, the telly cross had security functions - it was not by chance that the ornamental design of houselombol crosses, not having compliance among the Byzantine material, finds a plurality of parallels in the design of Persdne's flaps that had, undoubtedly, the shepheric meaning.

"Dvelverie" as one of the fundamental facts of Russian culture is still not well understood, due to the scarcity of sources, and here the Old Russian metalplastic can be one of the most interesting and richest sources of new knowledge. The person who appealing at her look comes into contact with the very story in her yet untouched, still unknown guise, in front of him - the subject of research, rich and interesting, and that, as not the desire for unknown is the force that the heart drives and wakes up the passion of a passionate seeker Truth?!