Folding and paving stones

Since the first centuries of Christianity, believers, going on a pilgrimage or a long journey, sought to have with them a shrine – a particle of the Golgotha Cross, relics of saints or objects consecrated on them. This is how encolpions appeared (from the Greek "collos" — the bowels, the heart): small arks that were worn on the chest. Initially, they had the shape of medallions with a schematic representation of a cross, but over time they themselves acquired a cross-shaped appearance. In Russia, such crosses began to be called relics, since they kept the particles of relics inside and therefore were endowed with special grace for the believer.

A variety of forms

Along with the crosses, other forms have become widespread. Folding crosses were folding polyptics, where images of the Crucifixion, the Mother of God, evangelists and saints were placed on several doors. There were also folding rings and reliquary rings– which were miniature rings with hidden cavities or folding doors that could be worn on the finger while always carrying a shrine. A special place is occupied by Easter folding eggs: opening eggs, inside which icons of holidays were placed, as well as folding table icons, which represent small home iconostases. All of them became significant phenomena of Russian art culture.

Traditions and customs

Many customs are associated with such objects: the kissing of the cross, the oath on the cross, the inheritance of a shrine or the exchange of it as a sign of fraternity. Joining together, the folding doors created a small iconostasis, which the pilgrim or warrior always had "with him" – on trips, on hikes, during prayer hours. It was not just an ornament, but a visible testimony of faith and heavenly intercession.

Folds and moslems in the works of Vladimir Mikhailov

In the work of the jeweler Vladimir Mikhailov, this ancient tradition finds a new, precious embodiment. Following the canons of Novgorod fine sculpture, the master creates not only crosses, relics and folds, but also folding rings, Easter eggs, and folding table icons. In each work, the filigree elaboration of the faces is juxtaposed with an exquisite ornament. Complex compositions come to life in them: a Crucifixion with the upcoming ones, images of the Mother of God and saints united by a common prayer.

A legacy that can be carried by the heart

These are not just jewelry, but visible evidence of faith, a small iconostasis that can be worn near the heart, taken on the road and passed down from generation to generation as an invaluable family heirloom. Each such work, done manually in the ancient Novgorod technique, becomes a personal shrine – a reminder that heavenly intercession is always near wherever a person is.