VIII. Надписи на антиминсах

Like the consecration of the antimension, the anointing of it with St. the world and the position of St. relics make it a holy altar; Thus, the inscriptions on the antimension testify to the bishop’s permission to perform divine services on it. The beginning of the custom of making an inscription on the antimension was ancient. The purpose of the antimension - to be evidence of the bishop's permission to perform divine services - was to introduce and establish the custom of having the inscription Balsamon, a writer of the 12th century, in all likelihood, meant the inscription about the consecration of the antimension by the Bishop when he said that “a non-forbidden (clergyman) performs this (Divine service), it seems, with the secret permission of the Bishop. For this reason, it seems, antimensions were invented. They serve not only for the establishment of St. altar.... but to show that in a house of worship there is sacred service with the permission of the Bishop.” These words of Balsamon seem to say that the secret episcopal permission to perform divine services was indicated in the inscriptions on the antimensions. In order for the inscription to testify to the bishop's permission to perform divine services in the church, it had to indicate, firstly, to which church it was given, otherwise, in whose name the church was consecrated; 2, when, in what year, what day of the month it was consecrated and it is allowed to perform divine services in it; 3rd, by whom, by what Bishop it was consecrated. This content of the inscription on the antimensions is indicated in the Slavic Kormcha 193. There, in the answers of John Bishop of Kitros to Bishop Kovasil of Drach, who lived in the 12th century, it is said: “And on the antimension write sitsa; the altar of the saint, the name of the rivers, who performed sacred acts from the Patriarch, the name of the rivers, whose month, and in which summer.” (Part 2, chapter 58). Although these words are not in the answers of John of Cytra, printed in Leunclavius ​​and in Σύνταγμα τῶν θειῶν καὶ ιερῶν κανόνων; but the subject of the inscription indicated in them contains the same one that actually existed in ancient times. The consecrated antimensions, despite the fact that in foreign lands and dioceses they retain the grace-filled power received in consecration, and therefore are freely sent to where they are needed, and are not limited to one or another border of the country (see above the words of Nicephorus the Confessor, Matthew the Blastar); they are given for the performance of divine services only by local Bishops or, in extreme cases, by the highest spiritual authority. This right belongs to the local Bishops in the same way as the power to give permission to build a church and perform divine services in it. Balsamon says that during the celebration of the altar of the church, antimensions are performed by local Bishops in order to serve at the holy meals of houses of worship, and they serve not only for the construction of the holy altar and the so-called table of the holy meal, that is, for the altar, openings and renewals, but to show that the priestly service takes place in the house of prayer with the permission of the Bishop. (Canones ss. apost. sanct. patr. erist. canon. 1620, p. 392, 393). To give a throne consecrated on a board or linen, says Neil, the Patriarch of Constantinople has the right and power of the Patriarch, the Metropolitan in his diocese and the Bishop (Σύνταγμα τῶν θειῶν καὶ ιερῶν κανόνων, vol. V, p. 141). On this basis, the Archbishop in a foreign diocese belonging to the Bishop can only consecrate a church with the permission of the local Bishop or give there a consecrated antimension for worship. Remarkable in this case is the antimension of the 12th century, located in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra 194. It is written on it that it was consecrated by the Archbishop of Novgorod by order of the Bishop of Rostov. Wherever this antimension was consecrated, whether in the Novgorod diocese, as Fr. Archimandrite Macarius, or in Rostov, as G. Sreznevsky believes, in any case, the authority to consecrate the church, to communicate to it the consecrated antimension belonged to the Archbishop. This is not contradicted by the word “command” found on this antimension; for it is found on the antimension in subsequent times, and on it it could only mean will, desire, but not command 195; since it is attached to such a person who should not have commanded the Bishop to consecrate the antimension, namely to the Archimandrite. So it was written on the antimension: “In the summer of March 7121 (1613), on the 15th day, this church of the Ascension of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ was consecrated, under the blessed Tsar Grand Duke Mikhail Fedorovich of All Russia in the first reign of his summer and under Archbishop Arseny of Tfer and Kashin. By the command and construction of Archimandrite Joseph Orshin monastery" (Journal of the Min.Nar.Prosv. part LIII, Div. VII, p. 35), i.e. - at the will and at the expense of Arch. Joseph. Here the word “command” refers not to the consecration of the antimension, but to the building of the church; it indicates by whose order, whose will the church was built. This was often written on antimensions 196. In the same way, on the antimension of the 12th century, the word “command” either indicated that, by the will, the desire of Bishop Nestor of Rostov, the antimension (altar) was consecrated by Archbishop Niphon of Novgorod, or, better, that this Archbishop consecrated the church built by the will, at the command and at the expense of Bishop Nestor. The imaginary Old Believers, without rejecting the importance and necessity of the bishop's blessing for the creation and consecration of both churches and antimensions, do not want to receive the antimensions now being consecrated by local Bishops. They do not recognize the Orthodox Bishops as true, call them heretics 197 and on this basis, by the way, they look for antimensions consecrated by the Bishops who were before Patriarch Nikon, and allow themselves to steal such antimensions from somewhere. Bishop Pitirim asked these people: “An antimension, consecrated and sent to a certain city to some church for the consecration of that city, is it possible to transfer from that city and from that church to another city and to another church without the command of the bishop, and what rules command this to be done?” The imaginary Old Believers responded to this that such rules have never been seen before; And in Vyatka, such a transfer of the antimension was done without the bishop's blessing - out of necessity, since we do not have bishops. (Description of some works, written by Russian schismatic. Notes of Alex. B. 1862, part 2, p. 179) Thus, the alleged Old Believers justify the theft of the antimension, the transfer of it from some place to the church they built, without the permission of the Bishop, by necessity, by the lack of Bishops. But isn’t their justification similar to what if in some diocese, in the absence of a Bishop in it, or, as the expression was used in ancient times, “during the widowhood of the diocese,” a clergyman who was on staff would take advantage of the letter of the deceased priest, and, having appointed himself in his place to the church, would justify himself by the fact that he owns the bishop’s letter, given to the deceased priest for service in that church, and that there is no Bishop in the Diocese. Such a deed committed by this person cannot be recognized as correct or legal. Likewise, performing a divine service performed on a stolen antimension, without a bishop’s blessing, is illegal and cannot be justified in any way. Bishops, having the power to consecrate churches and antimensions in their diocese and authorize divine services, were appointed in Russia first by the Metropolitan, then by the Patriarchs, and finally by the Holy Synod. And on the antimensions, when indicating which local Bishop consecrated the church or antimension, an indication was added that the Bishop performed the consecration with the blessing of the highest church authority. When there was such power in the person of the Metropolitan, it was required that the name of the Metropolitan be on the antimension. In the letter of grant (1449–1460) of Metropolitan Jonah for the viceroyship of the Kyiv Metropolis it is said: “The Viceroy of Kiev, with the blessing of our mercy and by order, must manage all church and spiritual affairs with great strength; and the Church of God of Christ with the saints to consecrate the newly erected antimensions, and confirm the old ones in the name of our dimension, to the glory of God and in the devotion of the Great King and Grand Duke Casimir Korolevich and the noble and pious princes and princesses, and lords and all the great Orthodoxy, according to the argument of all divine and sacred rules both church correctness and our income.” (Act. History Vol. 1, No. 48, p. 97). The name of the Metropolitan was written on the antimensions along with the name of the local Bishop. It happened that the Metropolitan, having himself consecrated the antimensions, sent them to the Bishop for distribution. Remarkable in this case is the message of Cyprian (1392–1395), Metropolitan of Kyiv to the Pskov clergy, with the transmission of St. antimensions, regulations of Divine services, etc. 198. In it, the Metropolitan condemned the Bishop of Novgorod for ordering the antimensions consecrated by the Metropolitan to be cut into four. Probably, the Bishop, wanting to send out antimensions consecrated by the Metropolitan himself to a larger number of churches, had a shortage of them for many churches, and therefore ordered them to be cut. During the patriarchate, the Bishops received permission from the Patriarchs to give antimensions, which was indicated in the table charters. In the charter to Metropolitan Isaiah of Nizhny Novgorod from Patriarch Adrian, given on July 23, 1699, it is said: Divine and sacred churches and antimensions should be consecrated in their patricia, charging St. myrrh from our measure.... In some Bishop of the diocese, by some chance I found myself, or otherwise in no way, no matter what sacred things are small for him, or sweeping actions are great, teach below and to a single word, if not the beloved advice and command of that Bishop. (Ancient Ross. Vpvl., ed. Novikov, Ed. 2, part XVIII, p. 134). Dioceses were reduced, increased, and generally changed by order of the Patriarch; therefore, according to his will, the power of the Bishop to build churches and to issue antimensions ceased in the area that was taken by the Patriarch from under his control, and was acquired in the one that was annexed to his diocese 199. On this basis, it was indicated on the antimensions that they were consecrated with the blessing of the Patriarch. In many antimensions of this time that have come down to us, we see the name of the Patriarch together with the name of the local Bishop 200. However, there are antimensions from the times of the patriarchate without the name of the Patriarch 201. It happened that when the Patriarch himself, without the local Bishop, gave the church an antimension consecrated by him; he indicated the reason why we received the antimens from him. So Patriarch Ermogen in 1610 February 29th day, due to the non-existence of the Metropolitan in the Rostov diocese, issued an antimension to this diocese in Vychegotsky district in Linsk parish to the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. And he wrote in the letter: and they gave him (Usolsky Deacon, who carried the letter and antimension) this blessed letter and antimension to the Rostov Metropolitan, because at that time there was no Metropolitan in Rostov (Act. relating to legal life, Nikolai Kalachev, vol. 1, p. 66). On many antimensions, starting with the above-mentioned antimension of the 12th century, it was written under which prince or king the antimension was consecrated. This inscription indicated not only the time of consecration of the antimension, but also the dependence of the Bishop who consecrated the antimension on the supreme authority, with whose permission he received episcopal power. Sometimes, in the charters of the princes, when calculating the duties of the Bishop, it was indicated that the consecration of the antimensions was 202. In the inscription of the antimensions it was also written which priest consecrated the church and placed in it the consecrated antimension received from the Bishop. Such inscriptions are found on some antimensions located in the sacristy of the Vyatka Trinity Cathedral 203. Sometimes the inscription indicated in whose presence the consecration of the church took place: with the boyars 204; with the flock 205 with the cellar, treasurer 206, etc. Sometimes it was said who built the church. Finally, it was written that the antimins was anointed with myrrh 207. But not all of these items were always written on the antimins. Sometimes the inscriptions were very short. On others, for example, it was not even indicated in whose name the altar was consecrated, by whom the consecration took place, or by which Bishop 208 . Here is the short inscription on the antimension of 1343: “In the summer of 6851, an antimension was sacred in memory of Saint Borisogleb (Arch. description of the ancients in Novgorod Arch. Macarius, vol. 1, p. 162). It is not shown here for which church this antimension was appointed, under which prince, which bishop it was consecrated. The expression: “in memory of Saint Borisogleb” means that the consecration of the antimension took place on the day when the memory and celebration of Boris and Gleb takes place. The inscription on the written antimensions was not always placed in the same way; in ancient times it was written on all four sides of the antimins. This can be seen on the ancient antimension of the 12th century and on subsequent ones even until the 17th century. The Requirements indicated how to write the inscription. In the Consumer Book of Novgorod Metropolitan Isidore, written around 1600, stored in the Novgorod Sofia Library, it is said in the rite of consecration of the church that the antimension is a plate with four corners and the relics of holy fathers or holy martyrs are not sewn into it; and the saint consecrates them, rejoicing the Metropolitan with the entire cathedral. And it is written on it for all four countries, and in the middle of it is a cross (Izv. Imperial Acad. Science vol. VI p. 89). This is set out with some abbreviation in the Consumer Guide, published under Patriarch Joseph, in 1651. It says: “The antimension is a board with four corners, and the relics of the holy martyrs are sewn into it, and the saint sanctifies them, and this inscription is written on it. And among this inscription a cross is imagined.” The inscription is as follows: “Consecrate the altar of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, or the Most Pure One, or whose saint, the name of the rivers, sacred was this church in the summer, the name of the rivers, and the same indictment will happen, so will the month, and the day, and that saint, the name of the rivers, on which day we consecrate, under the Blessed Tsar, the name of the rivers, all Russia and under Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, or under the Archbishop of the city, the name of the rivers." – Although in this instruction of the Consumer there are no words: “and it is written on it in all four countries”; but in the drawing of the antimension, located in the same Joseph's Required Book, the inscription is on all four sides of the cross. On ancient antimensions, the inscription surrounded the design of the cross on all sides in such a way that to read it it was necessary to turn the design, or if the antimension was sewn to the throne, go around the throne to read the inscription, from all sides; - whereas in Joseph’s Book of Requirements the inscription can be read with the whole inscription before your eyes at once. The beginning of the arrangement of the inscription on the antimensions not around the cross, but simply, as is usually the case in writing, was also early. We see this on the antimensions of the 16th century, stored in the sacristy of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra (drawings by B.V.). On the printed antimensions of Kyiv, the inscription was at the bottom of them. Oia was printed except for a few words. Here it is: “The divine and sacred altar of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ is sanctified by the grace of the all-holy and life-giving Spirit, and is handmade and blessed (by such and such). Under the power of the great King (such and such), in the year of the existence of the world...., and from the Nativity of Christ..... month... day, perform sacred acts and perform the divine liturgy on it in the church (such and such). On antimensions printed in Moscow, the inscription was first divided into several parts. Initially, it consisted of 4 parts and surrounded on all sides the image of the cross or the entombment of the Savior. This was an imitation of the inscription found on the written antimensions, in which it was written near the image of the cross. The inscription placed in this way on 4 sides can be seen in the drawings of antimensions Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5. Of these drawings, the first three have the same inscription, namely, on the top of the antimension it was printed: “Consecrate the altar of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ in the church” (such and such). On the sides, on one side: “Years from the creation of the world (such and such), indict” (such and such), on the other: “And from the incarnation of God’s Word.... months.... days.” At the bottom of the antimension: “Under the blessed Sovereign Tsar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich, etc., under His Holiness (so-and-so) Patriarch of Moscow, this antimension was consecrated by the Right Reverend” (so-and-so). The side inscriptions on the antimensions of the 4th differed in words not printed, but written, in places prepared for that (pass partout). The inscription on the antimensions with drawing No. 5, although also on 4 sides, is somewhat different from the previous one, namely, on the top of the antimensions it is printed: “The divine and sacred altar was completed through the most divine sacred rite, sanctified by the divine grace of the all-holy and life-giving Spirit.” The continuation of this inscription is located on its sides. On one side it says: “has the power to perform sacred acts in the church” (by such and such), on the other: “by such and such a Right Reverend.” At the bottom of the antimension is printed: “This happened under the power of the most pious Sovereign Tsar and Grand Duke ....., under the great lord, His Holiness (such and such) Archbishop of Moscow and All Russia of all northern countries, Patriarch. Summer of the universe (such and such). From the Nativity of Christ (such and such), indict...., month...., on the day..... Starting from drawing No. 6, we see the inscription only on two sides of the antimension – at the top and bottom of it, and on the sides there are images of the instruments of the Lord’s suffering. The upper inscription is somewhat different from the inscription of previous antimensions. It remained almost unchanged in printed antimensions until later times. Here is the inscription: “This antimension, this sacred meal for the offering of bloodless sacrifices in the Divine Liturgy, has been sanctified by the grace of the most holy and life-giving Spirit, for this reason it has the power to officiate in the church” (so-and-so). On antimensions printed in later times, in 1860-70, the inscription at the top is stated as follows: “By the grace of the Most Holy and Life-giving Spirit, sanctify this antimension, which is a sacred meal, for the sake of offering on it the Divine sacrifices of the body and blood of the Lord in the holy liturgy.” An indication of which church the antimension was given to is in the inscription at the bottom of the antimension, which says: “taught for sacred rites in the church.” 209 Despite all the apparent differences in the upper inscription on the printed antimensions, in essence it states the same thing, only in more or less detail. It contains the same thing that was on the written antimensions. The main idea that we find on the written and first printed antimensions was the following: the Altar of the Lord God and our Savior was consecrated into such and such a church. The same thing, only common in relation to each of these words, is found in the inscriptions that follow. So, instead of the words: “altar of the Lord God and our Savior,” it is written “divine and sacred altar” or: “this antimension, this is a sacred meal,” or “this antimension, which is a sacred meal.” All these words indicate the same subject. For a more precise definition of the words: “altar”, “altar”, “sacred meal”, “antimension”, an indication of the purpose of the altar, altar, meal has been added (starting from figure No. 6), namely: “for the offering of bloodless sacrifices in the divine liturgy”, or: “for the sake of offering on it (the antimension) the divine sacrifices of the body and blood of the Lord in the holy liturgy”. The word “sanctified” is added with words that explain by whom the antimension was sanctified: “accomplished through the most divine sacred rite”; or: “sanctified by the divine grace of the all-holy and life-giving Spirit”; or: “sanctify yourself by the grace of the most holy and life-giving Spirit”; or: “Be sanctified by the grace of the most holy and life-giving Spirit.” The expression “in the church” (such and such) is added by indicating the right, authority, permission to perform divine services in a well-known church, namely: “has the power to officiate at it in the church” (such and such); or: “for this reason he has the power to officiate in the church” (such and such); or: “taught for sacred rites in the church” (such and such). The inscription located at the bottom of the printed antimensions contained an indication that the antimins was consecrated under the Tsar; Emperor (such-and-such), with the blessing of the Patriarch (such-and-such) or the Holy Synod, having performed a sacred rite by the Right Reverend (such-and-such) 210, in such-and-such a city, such-and-such a year, month, day. The indication of the Tsar, the Emperor on the previous printed antimensions was indicated as on the written antimensions, thus: under the blessed Sovereign Tsar,” etc., or: “this happened under the power of the most pious Sovereign Tsar,” etc. On the antimensions printed under Emperor Peter the Great at the time of his reign, during which he was in the title was called the Father of the Fatherland (see below), the words “under the power” were replaced by the word: “command”. In the inscription we read: “by the command of our most pious Sovereign Peter the Great, Father of the Fatherland, Emperor and Autocrat of the All-Russian and with the blessing of the Holy Governing All-Russian Synod, he was officiated by the Right Reverend” (so-and-so). Then, the word “by command”, instead of the words “under power”, was constantly used on antimensions until the sixties of this century. This can be seen from the description of the antimensions located in the sacristy of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Among them, as an exception, are two antimensions, on which “under the power” was still printed; namely - on one, consecrated - during the reign of Emperor Paul I by Metropolitan Hierophey of Kyiv 211, on the other, consecrated during the reign of Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich Gabriel by Archbishop of Kherson 212. Currently, on newly printed antimensions, instead of the word “by command,” the words “under the power” are printed. The name of the Tsar, the Emperor in the inscriptions of the antimensions was printed, not written; therefore, the printed inscription, during the reign of the new Sovereign, had to be changed for antimensions intended for consecration. It was cut out on a special board, which was inserted into the board of the antimins design 213. But this change did not apply to the consecrated antimensions located on the thrones in churches. For the inscription on them served as evidence that the Bishop had given a blessing to perform services in the church in a certain year, during the reign of such and such a Sovereign. There is only one known case when, due to a change in the royal title on the antimension, the very antimension in the churches was changed. This was at a time when it was ordered to change the Imperial title in church and civil books printed during the reigns of the Duke of Courland and Princess Anna of Brunswick of Luneburg, and to replace the previous sheets with new ones, on which the title of Her Majesty would be written. (Full collection of decree T. XI, No. 8648. The decree was also published by Sopikov. Russian bibliography St. Petersburg. 1814, part 2, p. 273 et seq.). The Holy Synod in May 24, 1745, decided to select from all churches where there were consecrated antimensions (and in bishops' houses also unconsecrated), printed, both on satin and on canvas, in the Moscow printing house in 1741, during the reign of the Duke of Courland and Princess Anne of Brunswick-Lüneburg and bearing the signature title of Prince John. Having taken the relics out of them, leave them in the bishop’s cathedral church, and then use them again in other antimensions, as needed. And send these very antimensions to St. Synod - the selected antimensions are replaced by others with the title of Her Imperial Majesty. (Case of the architect of the Holy Synod, 1745, No. 138). After the indication of the Tsar or Emperor, during whose reign the antimension was consecrated, on all printed antimensions, as on many written ones, it was indicated to the highest spiritual authority, with whose blessing the Bishop consecrated the antimension, namely the Russian Patriarch (see above p. 237) or the Holy Synod. The importance of such an instruction is evident, firstly, from the fact that when the Thebaid Metropolitan in 1729 asked the Holy Synod for permission to make three antimension boards in Russia in the name of the Patriarchs of Alexandria, Jerusalem and Antioch 214; Then the Holy Synod, having allowed him to do this, wrote in a decree to him that only with those boards, antimensions should not be printed anywhere in the Russian Empire. (Case of the architect of the Holy Synod, December 5th, 1729, No. 125). In the 2nd, in Orthodox churches, in which there were antimensions consecrated by the Uniate Bishops, with an inscription about the blessing not of the Holy Synod, but of the Pope, they were replaced with new ones, consecrated by the Archbishop of Lithuania and Vilna Joseph, with an indication that they were consecrated with the blessing of the Holy Synod 215. Thirdly, the Holy Synod has the power to directly make orders for the consecration of antimensions in any diocese, in cases of death or illness of the local Bishop, etc. under. Thus, the Holy Synod in 1760, after the death of the local Bishop - Sylvester, Metropolitan of Suzdal, allowed the Bishop of a foreign diocese, Anthony Archbishop of Vladimir, to consecrate the antimensions for those churches for the construction of which permission was received from the surviving local Bishop 216. And due to the illness of the Bishop, Serapion Bishop of Vologda, the Holy Synod allowed the Vologda Consistory to build, instead of the old ones, new churches and give antimensions for the consecration of churches, but only those antimensions that were consecrated by the local Bishop, and refused the Vologda Consistory’s request that, due to the illness of the local Bishop, the antimensions be consecrated by the Bishop of another diocese 217. On the antimensions there have been and are now the handwritten signatures of the Bishops who consecrated the antimensions or gave them to churches for the performance of Divine services. The written antimensions, it seems, did not have such a signature. At least, there are no known antimensions on which the Bishop himself signed his name 218. On printed antimensions, starting with the most ancient ones, there are such signatures. They were more often present at the antimensions of Western Russia than at the antimensions of Eastern Russia, and were more varied in their presentation. About the former, this can be concluded from the collection of antimensions stored in the sacristy of the Minsk House Bishop's Church, about the latter - from the collection of antimensions located in the sacristy of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. In the sacristy of the Minsk House Bishop's Church, out of 670 antimensions 219, the majority have the Bishop's own signature 220. On the oldest of them, as well as on the one located in the sacristy of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra (see Fig. No. 1), after the signature of the name of the Bishop and the name of the diocese governed by him, the words are added: “by the hand of authority.” We see this in the signature of the 17th century Kyiv Metropolitans - Isaiah 221, Peter Mogila 222 - Bishop Joseph of Vitebsk 223 and others, and in the signature of the 18th century - Kiev Metropolitan Timothy 224 and others. The words “with an authoritative hand” were sometimes written by the Bishop without indicating his name in the signature 225. On other antimensions, the word “many sinners” was attached to the name of the Bishop. We find such a signature on the 17th century Kyiv Metropolitan Joseph 226. In the same century, the Bishop’s signature included the words: “Humble by God’s grace 227, etc. The word “humble” was used without the words: “By God’s grace” 228. It happened that the words “by God’s grace”, “humble” were used in connection with the words: “by an imperious hand” 229. Sometimes on one antimension there were signatures of two Bishops - one who consecrated the antimension, and the other who gave it to the church to perform Divine services on it 230. On the antimensions located in the sacristy of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, numbering about 800, printed mainly in the Moscow printing house, we see less often than on the previous ones the Bishop’s own signature. We find it for the first time on the antimins of 1693 231. Then at the antimension of 1753 232. Then, the Bishops personally signed antimensions more constantly in the second half of the last century and in the current one. The signature was more monotonous in the form of presentation; it was to the name of the Bishop and the indication of his diocese that the words “humble”, “humble by God’s grace” were added. In those dioceses, for example St. Petersburg, in which, in addition to the Metropolitan or the local Bishop, there was his vicar, the antimensions consecrated for this diocese by the vicar were signed by the Metropolitan. However, due to the illness of the Metropolitan, for example the late His Grace Seraphim, the antimensions were signed by the vicar. (See later in the appendix). In the Instruction to the dean, supplemented and redone, according to the definition of the Holy Synod, in 1857 (Extracted from the report on the department of spiritual affairs for 1857, p. 48), when instructing the dean to supervise the antimins in the churches under his jurisdiction, so that it is not dilapidated, not full of holes, not flooded, not faded, it is the responsibility of the dean to observe, so that the antimension be signed by the Bishop consecrating it (Chapter I) 233. See the Helmsman's Book, the publication of which began under Patriarch Joseph and ended under Patriarch Nikon in 7162 (1653). Also in the 2nd edition, printed in everything identical to the first, in 1787, in Moscow. Here is the inscription on the antimension: “The altar of the holy martyr George was consecrated by Nifont, Archbishop of Novgorod, by order of the Bishop of Rostov Nester, under the pious prince George, son of Monomakh. The month of September on the 1st day in the summer is 6657 (i.e. 1149).” Archimandrite (now Bishop) Macarius believes that this inscription expresses the idea that Prince of Suzdal Georgy Vladimirovich Dolgoruky, through his lord (Rostov) Nestor, ordered Archbishop Nifont to consecrate the chapel in the church built by his brother Mstislav, 56 years before this. This chapel, if it really was at the St. Nicholas Cathedral, could have been built in honor of his angel by Mstislav (George) himself, or it was built again, in 1149, by the power-hungry Yuri (George) Dolgorukov (Archaeological description of the ancient church in Novgorod, Archim. Makaria. 1860. Moscow, part 1, page 254). G. Sreznevsky does not agree with this opinion. He explains the inscription as follows: “To say that the antimension was consecrated for the Novgorod church can be assumed, based on the fact that the altar was consecrated by the Bishop of Novgorod and that it was found in Novgorod. But are these arguments enough to accept the assumption as a positive datum? Having accepted it as a reality, we must also assume in general that the Bishop of Novgorod consecrated the altars in Novgorod by the “command” of the Rostov Bishop, and therefore recognized his dependence. However, it is not clear from anything that such a dependence ever really existed. The rulers of Novgorod were somewhat dependent on the Metropolitans of All Rus', and then on no other rulers. They consecrated the churches in their diocese not at the command of anyone, but on their own. If the Bishop of Novgorod could not be obliged to consecrate altars in Novgorod by order of the Bishop of Rostov or another prince, then this altar of St. George was consecrated by Nifont not in Novgorod, but somewhere else, outside the diocese of Novgorod, where he, although remaining a ruler, was not an autocratic ruler, where Nestor was an autocratic ruler. This was Nestor in the Rostov diocese. The evidence of the chronicle confirms this assumption. Niphon actually consecrated churches in Suzdal, and precisely at the time when the altar of St. George was consecrated. The Novgorod Chronicle states: “Go to Nifont Suzdal, dividing the world, to Georgievi (to Yuri Vladimirovich) and the church of St. Mother of God with great sacredness." The chronicler identified one important solemn consecration. From his testimony we can conclude that, in addition to the solemn consecration, there could have been others - which, by the way, could have been the consecration of a church in the name of St. George, whether a brownie, a prince, or another similar one (Christian antiquities and archeology. Magazine published by Prokhorov. 1862. book 4). The word command, according to the research of Mr. Solovyov, did not have a real definite meaning in our ancient language - to order. To command is something changed - to will, I will, and before only meant to reveal one’s will, one’s desire, one’s consent; I command you - it only meant: I want you to do this; so we read: From then on, the ambassador sent his ambassador (Prince Roman) to Rurik, to his father-in-law, bowing to him and praying, and laying all the blame on himself; and went to the Metropolitan to Mikifor, ordering him to pray for himself and bow down for all his guilt.” (Ipat. p. 146). It is clear that here Roman Mstislavich Volynsky could not order the Metropolitan to be an intercessor for him with Prince Rurik. Another example: “Svyatoslav Olgovich began to pray to his matchmaker Dyurgevi, telling him to accept his son Vsevolodovich into the love.” (Ipatiev. let. p. 77). (Read in the Imp. General History, and Ancient Ross., No. 6, M. 1847, p. 17. Article by S. Solovyov: A look at the state of the clergy in ancient Rus' until the half of the 18th century). For example: “In the summer of seven thousand and seventy-six (1568) November, on the 2nd day in memory of the saints, the martyr Akindinus and others like him were consecrated this altar of the Ascension of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ by the holy Bishop Barsanuphius of Tefera under the blessed Tsar and Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich of All Russia, the Autocrat, built by Archimandrite Gennady.” (See similar above, pp. 89 and 134). In a schismatic essay entitled: “Admonition to all Christians,” the author confesses that, indeed, without the blessing of the Bishop of the Apostleship and the saints, the rules of Jerome prohibit anyone from performing sacred acts without permission, and namely: the rule of the apostle. 14, 15, 31; 1 All personal right 16; Antiochus. personal right 5; Karf. personal right 43 “But what then?” the writer continues. “Do the priests who come to us from the church demand permission from their Bishops for this? We do all this for the sake of saving wines, without the blessing of the bishop, adhering to the rule of the 15th Council of Constantinople. Which blessing the Bishop, without the will of his superiors, according to the 34th rule of the saints, the Apostle cannot give.” (Description of some works written by Russian schismatics. Notes of Alex. B. 1862, part 2, p. 324). The imaginary Old Believers, pointing to the 15th rule of the local Council of Constantinople, obviously explain in their favor the second half of this rule, which says that those who separate from communion with the primate, for the sake of some heresy, are condemned by the holy councils or fathers... Even if such people protect themselves from communication with the said Bishop, before conciliar consideration, they are not only not subject to the penance prescribed by the rules, but are worthy of the honor due to the Orthodox. For they condemned not the Bishops, but false bishops and false teachers, and did not stop the unity of the church by schism, but tried to protect the church from schisms and divisions.” By citing this rule, the writer wants to say that Orthodox Bishops have fallen into heresy, and that anyone who performs divine services without their blessing is worthy of honor. But the question of who fell into heresy, whether Orthodox Bishops or imaginary Old Believers, has been resolved to the utmost clarity in the works of Orthodox writers who have written from the beginning of the schism in Russia to the present day, and this is especially clearly stated by the Right Reverend Metropolitan Gregory in the book: “The True Ancient and True Orthodox Church of Christ.” The message says: “Blessing of Cyprian, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus', in Pskov, to my children, to the priest of the assembly of Troetsk and Sophia and to all the priests of Pskov. You know that priest Khariton came here to us from you and his comrades for installation: and we installed them and released them; and what we heard, which you do not have a right church rule, then we copied and gave them the Charter of the liturgical services of Chrysostom and the Great Basil, as well as the very service of Chrysostom... And if I was in Novgorod in Veliky, then I consecrated the antimensions, and I ordered the Bishop to send those to you too antimins. Now I hear that I myself was with you then, and gave you from those antimensions, and ordered you to cut each antimension into four: otherwise I did it wrongly, to my own destruction: and now the ide sent with your brother, with the priest with Khariton and his comrades, 60 antimensions; and in the Troetsk choir, take over those antimensions, and keep them according to the old duty; But consecrate the churches, but do not cut them: so lay them as they were cut and decorated and consecrated. (Act. History vol. I, No. 8, p. 17). See the letter of the Moscow Patriarch Joachim to Archbishop Joseph of Kolomna, May 27, 1675. (History of social education in the Tula province. I. Sakharov. Moscow, 1832, p. 115). For example: “Summer 7100 (1592, the Church of the Transfiguration of Our Lord was consecrated, on the 6th day of August, under the Tsar and Grand Duke Fyodor Ivanovich, of All Russia and under the Patriarch of Moscow Job and under Archbishop Mitrofan of Ryazan and Murom." “The beginning of the indictment is to say to the new summer, summer 7123 (1615), October, on the 16th day, this church was consecrated, the Nativity of the Lord God and our Savior. Xs, under the Blessed Tsar and Grand Duke Mikhail Fedorovich of All Russia, Autocrat under the consecrated Archbishop Theodorite of Ryazan and Murom, in memory of the holy martyr Loggin, also on the cross of the Lord.” (Notes of the Imperial Arch. General., vol. VIII, 1856, from the article: Collection of inscriptions from monuments of Ryazan antiquity, p. 309). In the rite of consecration of the church, located in the Greek Breviary of Gohar, it is said: “Before consecration, the antimensions are cut off, sewn together, and washed; after this (consecration) nothing like this is done to them, but it is only inscribed: the altar of Saint N, consecrated by Metropolitan N, month N. year N. If it is consecrated in the city (Constantinople), then it is added: during the time of N, the most holy Orthodox Patriarch. (Εύχολογ. Goari ed. 1647 ap., p. 844). Thus, Lyubart Gedeminovich, who reigned in Volyn until 1383, in a deed of gift to the Lutsk Cathedral Church and Bishop Kirill, in 1372, wrote, among other things, that all the villages (counted) given to the Church of God should be owned by our lord of the pilgrim Clement, the ruler of Lutsk and Ostrog, and all his successors forever and inviolably; for us and for our descendants, as well as for the public good with our synclite, pray to the Lord God, firstly, as our shepherd and father, and in our presence and at the meetings of our princes and boyars, to rule and rule over all churches and clergy, the housing of the poor, hospitals, hospice houses, to reward the good, to punish the bad, as our lord and master himself has authority from Christ The Savior, archimandrites to bless, abbots to instruct, priests and deacons to dedicate, those who make temptation to tame and change, churches to consecrate, antimises to bless, heretics and the rebellious to curse. (Historical sketch of Volyn. A. Krushinsky. Proceedings of the Volyn Provincial Statistical Committee. Zhitomir. 867, Issue 1, p. 69). So: 7120 (1612) the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord God and our Savior was consecrated. Xs. the great Moscow kingdom under the boyars and under Bishop Theodoret in memory of St. Apostle Filipia, November on the 14th day (Izvest. Imp. Arch. General., 1864, vol. U, issue 3, p. 152). For example, on the 1580 antimension of the church of the Novgorod St. Nicholas Cathedral, the inscription is as follows: “Consecrate the altar of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ in the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, under the power of the faithful and Christ-loving Tsar and Sovereign Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich of All Rus', and under his children and princes, and under the flock Archbishop Alexander, Great Novagrad and Pskov, the church was consecrated this summer on July 7088, 12th day (Arch. description of the ancient church in Nov., Arch. Macarius, part I, p. 258. See about the flock and on the antimensions found in the St. Nicholas Church in the city of Kalyagin. Tversk. Gubernia Ved. 1850, March 18, No. 11). Consecrate the altar in the name of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, in the Church of the Most Pure Mother of God, of Her honorable and glorious Assumption, under the Blessed Tsar and Grand Duke Mikhail Feodorovich of All Russia and under Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow and All Russia and under the cellarer Abraham Palitsyn and under the treasurer Joseph Papin, in the summer of 7127 (1619)March 21st day, in memory of St. Martyr James the Confessor, indictment in the 1st. (Russian Antiquity, year 3. M., 1852, pp. 182, 183). Thus, in the village of Rostov, on the Veli River, an antimension was found with an inscription from 1395, which depicts a cross, a spear and the word peace. (Known. Imp. Archaeol. General. 1864, vol. V,) vol. 3, p. 152). For example, it was only written: “In the summer of 6948, an altar was consecrated by the Archbishop, the name of the rivers, in the month of May in memory of the holy martyr Patrekeus. (Archaeological description of the ancient church in Novgorod, Archim. Macarius, vol. I, p. 258). On some antimensions with picture No. 13, the word: “life-giving” is omitted, and it only says: “sanctify yourself by the grace of the Most Holy Spirit”; and on others there is the word: “life-giving.” And in addition, the word “Priest” is added, namely: “for this reason the Priest has the power to perform sacred acts on him in the church.” In picture 15, instead of the words: “for this reason, to have the power perform sacred acts on it in the church,” it is said: “for this reason the power to perform sacred acts on it in the church is taught.” The exception was the antimensions with pattern No. 5, in which the indication of consecration by the Right Reverend (so-and-so) was on the side of the antimensions. Under the power of the most pious Autocratic Great Sovereign of our Emperor Pavel Petrovich of all Russia, with the blessing of the Holy Governing Synod, the Member of the same Holy Synod, the Most Reverend Hierotheos, Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia and Archimandrite of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, served as a priest. Year of the universe 7035, from the Nativity of Christ 1797, indictment 15, February on the 6th day. Signature at the bottom of the picture: “Humble Hierophey, Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia.” Under the power of the most pious Autocratic Great Sovereign of our Emperor Nicholas Pavlovich of all Russia: with the blessing of the Holy Governing Synod, officiated by His Grace Gabriel, Archbishop of Kherson and Tauride. The year of the universe is 7352, from the Nativity of Christ 1844, indict 2nd, month of March on the 2nd day. And it was issued this same year, 1844, on the 6th day of September. Signature below, on the front side: “Humble Gabriel, Archbishop of Kherson and Tauride.” The protocol of the Holy Governing Synod on May 29, 1741 says: “By decree of His Imperial Majesty, the Holy Governing Synod ordered: in the Moscow printing house, when antimensions are printed, they should be printed with the image of His Imperial Majesty’s title and other things in the proper manner, and for this purpose, make a special board, and send a decree to that printing house (Deed architect of the Holy Synod, May 29, 1741, No. 143). Also in the Journal of the Holy Synod of May 1802, on the 14th day of May, under No. 21, it is written: “so that for cutting on the synodal printing house available at the local synod, for printing antimensions, the copper plaque of His Highest Imperial Majesty’s name and other words belonging to that, pay, according to the explanation to the Holy Synod made from the synodal secretary Zhurikhin, the required master for doing this money 15 rubles. from the printing amount available in the Holy Synod, with a note for expenses and with a receipt; what to submit to the order of the Privy Councilor, the Synodal Chief Prosecutor and the Cavalier (Case of the Architect of the Holy Synod, March 12, 1800, No. 172). In 1729, the following report from Metropolitan Arseniy of Thebaid was received at St. Sipod: “Now I have the intention to use my own money to print antimensions to make three copper boards in the names of the most holy Patriarchs of Alexandria, Jerusalem and Antioch, but I do not dare to repair this without the decree of His Imperial Majesty and without the blessing of Your Holiness. I ask that by decree of Her Imperial Majesty and the blessing of Your Holiness, it be ordered to cut out these boards.” Then, he indicated to the Holy Synod the reason for his request, what he asks to do in Moscow because His Eminence, according to his promise, intends to send those boards as a gift to his Holiness the Patriarch, and because in those countries there are no such artists to carve on those boards with good craftsmanship, and having printed those antimensions, those who demand from clergy have been given since ancient times and henceforth they will be given without duties. (Case of the architect of the Holy Synod, 1729 Dec. 5th, No. 125). Joseph Archbishop of Lithuania in 1840, February 23rd, reported to the Holy Synod, “that on the antimensions located in the churches of the Lithuanian diocese, the former Uniate Bishops who dedicated them were signed almost without exception by the assistants of the Pope, in the following words: “By the grace of God and the holy Roman Apostolic See, by the grace of such and such a Bishop.” Moreover, these antimensions, for the most part, are so unseemly both in the images and in the material itself that sometimes they can rather be considered a worthless linen rag than an accessory to a sacred rite. Finding it necessary to remove from the reunited churches the indicated signs of their former dependence on the Popes of Rome, and on the other hand, to observe the proper decency in relation to the antimensions: I make it my duty to humbly ask the Holy. The Governing Synod on instructions to whom should release at my disposal for the Lithuanian diocese six hundred antimensions such as those used by other Orthodox churches, and on silk fabric; so that the necessary money is used to cover the following expenses on this subject, at the expense of five thousand rubles in banknotes intended for the annual leave to supply sacred utensils to the churches of the Lithuanian diocese. Of this money, I did not demand the slightest amount last year or this year, bearing in mind the upcoming costs of antimensions for the entire diocese. For the new antimensions, His Eminence, member of the Holy Synod of Kiev, Metropolitan Philaret, to whom I refer now, expressed his readiness to supply me with the necessary holy relics.” Then, on July 9th of the same 1840, he reported to St. Synod that “600 antimensions assigned for the Lithuanian diocese have already been delivered from the Moscow Synodal Printing House to the Lithuanian Consistory; that for this they are expected to receive the holy relics released by the Eminence Metropolitan of Kyiv; and that upon receipt of these, they will begin to dedicate and distribute the said antimensions to the churches.” In September 24, 1870, the Right Reverend Joseph reported to the Holy Synod that “two hundred and forty antimensions dedicated for the former union, which, due to excess, it was possible to demand from the churches I governed last year, I have already committed to burning in St. Petersburg in April of this year; and that the same will be done with the rest of the former Uniate antimensions, as soon as they are finally delivered to the churches.” (Case of the Arch. Holy Synod, for the Belarusian and Lithuanian dioceses, No. 2710, February 16, 1840). St. To the Ruling Synod from the Suzdal Spiritual Consistory there was, on September 21, 1760, the following report: “Submitted to the said Suzdal Spiritual Consistory, Suzdal Diocese, Suzdal District, Opole Tithe, the village of Ivanovsky-Shuisky, the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Christ, priest Stefan Vasiliev, and the village of Dubrovki, Nicholas Church, the priest Dimitri Semenov, declaring with denunciations that in these villages, according to data from the late Right Reverend Sylvester, Metropolitan of Suzdal, blessed grams, wooden churches of the same name have been built again, which are decorated with holy images and church splendor, and the holy scriptures are filled with books, and everything appropriate for consecration is available in readiness; they asked that for the consecration of these newly built and prepared for consecration churches, consecrated antimensions be issued from the Suzdal Cathedral Church: and with a certificate from these cathedral churches, the keymasters announced that in this cathedral church there are no consecrated antimensions for the issuance of churches for consecration, and there are about a hundred unconsecrated ones in the sacristy; and yet in these villages there are no other consecrated churches, for which reason the people in the parishes of those churches are deprived of hearing the Divine Liturgies, and even the priest does not need to correct the church sacraments; For this reason, the Suzdal spiritual consistory of forces with the report of St. Having most humbly presented to the Governing Synod, he asks that the above-mentioned unconsecrated antimensions be deigned to be consecrated for the consecration of the churches prescribed with the other newly built and completely prepared for the consecration of churches prepared in the Suzdal diocese to His Grace Anthony, Archbishop of Vladimir and Yaroslavl, or to whomever, at the discretion of the Holy Governing Synod It will be deigned: and for the consecration of these two churches: from the Holy Governing Synod to give a blessing.” - The Holy Synod ordered: the designated unconsecrated antimensions available in this Suzdal diocese should be sent for proper consecration in the vicinity of the mentioned Anthony, Archbishop of Vladimir, and decrees should be sent to His Eminence and to the Suzdal spiritual consistory. (Case of the Arch. of the Holy Synod, October 17, 1760, No. 105). The Holy Governing Synod from Vologda, His Eminence Serapion, Bishop of Vologda and Belozersk, spiritual consistory, October 10, 1761, had the following message: “On the 15th day of August 1760, in the decree of Her Imperial Majesty, sent from the Holy Governing Synod to Vologda consistory, it is depicted that on the construction in the Vologda diocese, instead of the old dilapidated ones in their former places, new churches, and on the release of consecrated antimensions during these times, the Holy Governing Synod blesses this consistory with permission to repair, for the gravely affected by the diocesan Bishop, the Most Reverend Serapion the Bishop, illness; and according to this St. With the blessing of the Governing Synod, there are antimins available at the Vologda Cathedral, which were consecrated by His Eminence during the time of His Eminence's health, and the newly built churches of the Vologda diocese were released from the Vologda consistory for the dedication of those new churches, and now, after this release, they were issued for the dedication of newly built, instead of the previous dilapidated and burnt out, churches there was not a single antimension consecrated at the Vologda Cathedral; and since, for the consecration of such new churches, there are demands for the release of consecrated antimensions, clergy and clergy with parish people, for the sake of the Holy Governing Synod, the Vologda Consistory humbly asks for this gracious resolution; for the Vologda consistory on the printing and consecration of antimensions, of which up to twenty are required, was submitted to the office of the Holy Governing Synod without a decree from the Holy. The Governing Synod is dangerous, and the diocesan Bishop, His Eminence Serapion, Bishop of Vologda and Belozersk, is still in the same illness.” The Holy Synod ordered, according to this Vologda Consistory, a proper consideration and determination to be made to the future of the Vologda diocese by the diocesan Bishop, and so that when this is done, then this denunciation is sent to His Eminence by decree. (Case of the architect of the Holy Synod, 1761, October 25, No. 89). Were the inscriptions on the antimensions made by the Bishops themselves? There is a possibility of this, but we have no evidence. Some of them were consecrated by Uniate Bishops. When describing the antimensions stored in the sacristy of the Minsk Bishops' Church (Case of the Archives of the Holy Synod, 1842, No. 693), it did not indicate what was depicted on them. Antimension on canvas, consecrated by Isaiah Kopinsky, Archbishop of Smolensk and the Patriarchal Exarch of the Whole North, August 6, 1631; in the church in every place of his dominion, without relics. Signature: “Isaiah Metropolitan of Kiev with a powerful hand” (No. 2). Antimension on canvas, consecrated by His Grace Peter Mogila, Orthodox Metropolitan Exarch of Kyiv, Galicia and All Russia, Holy Apostolic Archimandrite of Constantinople; printed in Slavic letters in 1600, but exactly which year, month and date is not written down, which church is not indicated, without relics. Signature: “Peter Mogila Archbishop, Metropolitan of Kiev, with a powerful hand” (No. 4). Antimension on canvas, consecrated by the God-loving Father Joseph Gorbatsky, Orthodox Bishop of Vitebsk, Mstislav, Orsha and Mogilev, August 6, 1652, in the Church of St. Nicholas, but in which exact place it is impossible to deduct, without relics. Signature: “Who was the Bishop with powerful hand” (No. 10). Antimension on canvas, consecrated by the Orthodox Archbishop, Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia Timothy, November 2, 1749, in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the village of Velikaya Bochlevka, the site of the Kiev-Voznesensk nunnery, motionless, without relics. Signature: “The highly named Timothy Metropolitan with a powerful hand” (No. 278). Antimension on canvas, consecrated by the Orthodox Archbishop, Metropolitan of Kyiv, Galicia and All Russia Varlaam, March 24, 1692, in which church is not indicated, without relics. Signature: “with a hairy hand (No. 40). Antimension on canvas, consecrated by the Orthodox Bogolyubov, Bishop of Mstislav, Orsha and Mogilev, Archimandrite of Slutsk, Exarch Apostolic Front of the Metropolis of Kyiv of Constantinople, General Viceroy, humble Seraphion of Polkhov, February 2, 1699, in the city of the Holy Trinity and the city Premzil, without relics. Signature: “with a hairy hand” (No. 55). Antimension on canvas, consecrated by the Orthodox Archbishop, Metropolitan of Kyiv, Galicia and All Russia, Exarch of the Holy Front of Constantinople Joseph Nelyubovich Tukalsky, June 9, 1669, to which church is not indicated, with relics. Signature: “Most sinful Joseph Archbishop Metropolitan” (No. 21). Antimension on canvas, consecrated by the Orthodox Archbishop, Metropolitan of Kyiv, Galicia and All Russia, Exarch of the Most Holy Front of Constantinople Joseph Nelyubovich Tukalsky, printed in Slavic letters 1600, but which year cannot be deduced by the pallor of the ink, March 20th, to which church - not indicated, without relics. Signature: “Much sinner Joseph Archbishop, Metropolitan of Kiev” (No. 23). Antimension on canvas, consecrated by His Eminence Simeon, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh, under His Holiness Adrian, Patriarch of Moscow, printed in Slavic letters for the year 1600, but exactly which month and date is not written down, in which church it is not indicated, without relics. Signature: “By the grace of God, the humble Sylvester, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh, this antimension must be celebrated in every place of his dominion and signed with his own hand, the fate of 1705 of the month of June, the 25th day” (No. 25). Antimension on canvas, consecrated by the Orthodox Archbishop of Kyiv and Galicia Raphael, April 6, 1732, in the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Prusakh, with relics. Signature: “Humble Raphael, Archbishop of Kiev” (No. 139). Antimension on canvas, consecrated by the Orthodox Bishop of Pereyaslav and Boryspil Arseny Berl, 1735, in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in the Matreninsky Monastery, without relics. Signature: “By the grace of God, humble Nicodemus, Bishop of Pereyaslavl and Borispol, by the hand of authority” No. 165). Antimension on canvas, consecrated by His Grace Veniamin, Bishop of Kolomna and Kashirsky, February 4th, 1738, in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, without relics. Signature: “Humble Joseph Volchansky, Bishop of Belarus, with a powerful hand” (No. 171). Antimension on canvas, consecrated by the Orthodox Bishop of Chernigov and Novgorod Seversky Ambrose Dubnevich, 1746, month and date not indicated, in the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, in the town of Loeve, without relics. Signature: “Humble Jerome, Orthodox Bishop of Belarus, Mstislav, Orsha and Mogilev, with a powerful hand” (No. 264). Antimension on canvas, consecrated by the Orthodox Archbishop, Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia Timothy, November 6, 1750, in the Church of the Holy Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul in the town of Turov, protopopia of Turov, motionless, with relics. Signature: “The above-named Timothy Metropolitan with his powerful hand.” After the signature it is written: “Humble Gabriel by the grace of God, Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia. January 23rd, 1778" (No. 281). Antimension on canvas, consecrated by His Grace Job, Bishop of Pereyaslovsky and Borispol, June 21, 1774, to the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God, Polish region, Pereyaslovka diocese, St. Nicholas Orthodox Theological Monastery to the refectory church, issued December 15, 1780, without relics. Signature: “Humble Job, Bishop of Pereyaslovsky and Boryspil”; and above the image it is written: “Humble Hilarion, Orthodox Bishop of Pereyaslovsky and Boryspil” (No. 457). See below in the description of antimenses. In the “Instructions to the Dean,” published before 1857, there was no mention of the bishop’s signature on the antimensions, but only said that the dean should observe that the antimensions were not dilapidated, not full of holes, and not faded, and if one were to be found somewhere, present it (Chapter 3). The Instructions have been printed in this way from the very first edition of it, from the time it was compiled by Moscow Metropolitan Plato. It is in his Complete Works, ed. 1780, under the title: “Instructions to dean priests and archpriests, first embossed in the Moscow printing house printed in 1775. You might be interested in: