A large-scale exhibition about the hoods of Russian metropolitans was presented at the Trinity-Sergius Lavratranslated

On October 7, 2026, a large-scale inter-museum exhibition project “The Image of the Russian Bishop. From “The Tale of the White Cowl” to the restoration of the patriarchate.”

The exhibition is dedicated to the history of the white bishop's hood - one of the significant symbols of the Russian church tradition. The project traces his fate from the medieval “Tale of the White Cowl” to the restoration of the patriarchate in Russia in 1917, the press service of the Novgorod Museum-Reserve, which was one of the organizers of the project, told Foma magazine.

Photo courtesy of the press service of the Novgorod Museum-Reserve

They recalled that the church tradition of bishop's vestments came to Rus' from Byzantium after the Baptism of Rus'. Over time, Russian culture developed its own characteristics of such vestments.

“The origin of the white hood was explained by the legendary “The Tale of the White Cowl” created in Novgorod, which affirmed its special significance. After the church reforms of the 17th century, the ancient tradition was preserved in the two oldest Russian departments, in Novgorod and Rostov,” noted the press service of the museum-reserve.

Photo courtesy of the press service...