A penetrating gaze of wise eyes, a traditional peasant beard, lips ready to smile - this is how we see the Russian icon painter Grigory Zhuravlev in his rare portrait. Nearby is brother Athanasius, whom Gregory only reaches up to the waist: the fact is that the boy was born with knee-deep legs and elbow-deep arms …
The future icon painter was born in 1860. in the Samara province, the village of Utyovka, in a family of peasants. Thanks to his grandfather, Grisha began attending a rural school, where he learned to read. When his grandfather died, the boy had to study at home - with the help of the Zemsky teacher Troitsky. Having understood how a pencil works, Grisha began to learn to write and draw, gripping it with his teeth …
At the age of 15, Grigory and his brother Afanasy went to Samara with the dream of learning to be an icon painter. The local artist Travkin, to whom the armless young man asked to teach him the techniques of painting, was so amazed that he settled an extraordinary student at his place and taught him the basics of icon painting. Having mastered them, Grigory acquired brushes, paints, a table with the necessary devices and returned to his native village, where he began to develop his own skill and hone his skills.
The young icon painter was helped by his grandmother: she prepared paints, cleaned brushes, seated Gregory in a special way. Afanasy made wooden blanks for icons. For five years of hard and continuous work, the talented self-taught person has reached such a level that he decided to give several of his icons to high-ranking officials of Samara …
The Tsarevich accepted the icon of Zhuravlev
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The Samara authorities liked these icons so much that Zhuravlev began to receive good orders. In addition, the provincial zemstvo assembly awarded Grigory an annual 60-ruble pension - in view of the plight of the family and for personal work on self-improvement in painting.
So the legless and armless icon painter became the breadwinner of the family, since a lot of money was paid for his work. For example, Zhuravlev could receive 50 rubles for the image (for comparison, the salary of zemstvo doctors and teachers at that time was 10-15 rubles).
Grigory Nikolayevich also met with the governor of Samara A. D. Sverbeev himself and corresponded with him. In 1884. Zhuravlev asked his patron to convey to Tsarevich Nicholas, the future Russian emperor, the image of Nicholas the Wonderworker painted especially for him. Having graciously accepted the icon, the Tsarevich from his own money bestowed a one-time allowance of 100 rubles to the peasant Zhuravlev.
Amazing icons by Grigory Zhuravlev
Samara ethnographer and writer Alexander Malinovsky has been collecting materials about the life and work of Zhuravlev for several decades. In 2013. the fifth edition of his documentary story "Joyful Meeting" about the amazing Utyov icon painter was published. The book contains chapters about the new found icons of Zhuravlev.
It is not yet known how many images were painted by the armless icon painter. Currently, Alexander Stanislavovich, who has been collecting information about Zhuravlev since the 60s of the last century, found out the whereabouts of 100 of his works. In particular, the icon of St. Nicholas mentioned by us, once donated to Nikolai Romanov, is kept today in the Hermitage. The inscription on the back reads: "From the archives of the Tsarevich."
In general, the geography of the distribution of Zhuravlev's icons is very wide. For example, one of his works was discovered in 1963. in Serbia, which was then part of Yugoslavia.
But the icon painter has one very unusual picture, which Alexander Malinovsky gave the name "Utyov Madonna". In a small format, it depicts a peasant woman in a white kerchief on her head, holding a baby in her arms. The woman has a typically Trans-Volga, simple face with large dark eyes and a barely visible smile on her lips … There is no touch of churchliness, but the picture is perceived as an icon.
Alexandra Podusova, a resident of Utyovka, was the last known owner of this unique painting. The woman said that she loved the icon-painting very much and treated it as a family heirloom. Unfortunately, she did not save the "Utyevskaya Madonna", and it is not known where this canvas is kept now.
The greatest spiritual feat of the icon painter
In Utyovka there is the Holy Trinity Church, built in 1892. For seven years, it was erected by the "diligence of the parishioners." This temple was painted according to the sketches of Grigory Zhuravlev. Old-timers said that the icon painter was lifted under the dome in a special cradle with leather straps, and he, lying in it, painted frescoes. At the same time, Grigory Nikolaevich squeezed the brush in his teeth so hard that his cheekbones were cramping. To unclench them, warm wet towels were applied to the face …
Grigory Zhuravlev died on February 15, 1916. from transient consumption. With the blessing of the Samara bishop, the icon painter was buried in the fence of the church he painted.
In 1934. The Holy Trinity Church was closed, having arranged a granary there. In 1989. he was returned to the church. Now in this temple there are nine icons by Zhuravlev's brush. As the rector Anatoly Kopach says, they are mainly brought by the descendants of those who kept holy images all their lives and thus saved them after the destruction of the temple.
Father Anatoly says about Grigory Zhuravlev himself: this amazing person gives people hope. Doomed, it would seem, to complete helplessness and inaction, he accomplished a spiritual feat and with his whole life showed that one can create even when it seems inconceivable …
