Protests as medieval icon moved from Moscow gallery to Cathedral
RELIGIOUS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – A 15th century religious icon “The Trinity”, by the Russian medieval painter Andrei Rublev, has been moved from Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, on the orders of President Putin.
The gesture is said to further strengthen ties between the church and state.
Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, stood next to the icon in a service yesterday and said the president made the decision so that the people of Moscow could bow to the shrine.
But the Gallery objected to the handover saying that the icon is too fragile and precious to be moved.