Russia’s Tretyakov Gallery will transfer the Vladimir and Donskaya icons of the Mother of God to the Russian Orthodox Church, the Russian business daily Kommersant reported, citing a source close to the gallery.
The transfer is set to take place on April 3, the outlet said. The icons will initially be kept at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. The information has not been officially confirmed.
Art historian Sofya Bagdasarova first reported the planned transfer on March 7, writing that the Vladimir Icon would go to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Donskaya Icon to the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow. The Russian business daily RBC reported the same on March 10, citing its own sources, and said the matter was already considered settled.
Both icons have been held at the Tretyakov Gallery since 1930. The Vladimir Icon dates to the 12th century; the Donskaya Icon to the late 14th or early 15th century. The Donskaya is part of the gallery’s permanent collection, while the Vladimir is housed in the Church-Museum of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi.
In 2023, the Tretyakov Gallery transferred Andrei Rublev’s Trinity icon to the Russian Orthodox Church. Art historians criticized the decision, arguing that the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, where the icon is now displayed, cannot provide adequate conservation conditions.
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