Naydenova, Darya Vadimovna. Relics and Specifics of Worship of St. Christopher in Russia

Zoomorphic iconography of St. Christopher is increasingly becoming the focus of attention of many researchers today. Despite the extensive collection of sources on art history, the problem of the worship and relics of St. Christopher in Russia is barely studied to date. Review of written sources suggests a wide distribution of relics of St. Christopher in Russia starting in the 17^th century. His hallows, encased in precious reliquaries, eventually spread throughout the land. One of the major relics, the head of St. Christopher, resembling the head of a dog, was kept in the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin and, as sources report, was used in the solemn washing of the holy relics. It is possible that zoomorphic iconography of the martyr has developed not only from the hagiographic narratives of St. Christopher that describe him having a ‘dog-like’ head, but also in connection with the fact that his valuable relic was kept in the heart of Moscow — the Kremlin. Moreover, in Russia, the unique image of St. Christopher as a healer was particularly keenly understood in the context of folk culture. Veneration of the martyr was relevant amid the tragic events in the Russian history associated with pestilence, which resulted in great mortality not only among people, but also among animals.

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