One icon, two images

The Andrei Sheptytsky National Museum is displaying the Holy Virgin icon dated 1696 from the Univ monastery.  As museum director Ihor Kozhan told The Day, the icon was brought to Lviv in 1950 after the closure of the Holy Dormition Lavra in the village of Univ, Peremyshliany raion, Lviv oblast. What is more, the icon, painted-over in the 19th century, was kept at the National Museum’s repository for almost 60 years and first came to a restoration workshop as recently as 10 years ago.

 Iryna Melnyk, tempera painting restorer at the National Museum’s restoration section, and Andrii Pochekva, a teacher at the Ivan Trush College, worked to restore the image of the Holy Virgin Hodegetria. According to Melnyk, the main goal was to “uncover the original painting layer from under the 19th-century painted-over area.”

The restorer says a specialized examination made it possible to clearly distinguish two layers of painting – the authentic one (1696) and the later one (mid-to-late 19th century). Later, an X-ray inspection of the Hodegetria confirmed the presence of the original painting under the painted-over layer as well as of additional restoration.

After stratifying the icon, Melnyk restored both images. The upper layer was transferred onto a new base, and the losses of painting and the background were recouped. So the restorers managed to make the icon’s copy that is close to the original and handed it over to the Univ Lavra, where it is now open for worshipping.

 The image of the Holy Virgin Hodegetria, now to be permanently displayed at the National Museum, was presented with participation of art critics and clergymen, including those who arrived from the Univ Holy Dormition Lavra to attend the opening of the exhibit.