By ΠΠ»Π΅ΠΊΡΠ΅ΠΉ Π‘ΠΌΠΈΡΠ½ΠΎΠ² ΡΠΎΠ½ Π Π°ΡΡ
ΠΠ΅ΠΉΡΡΠ²ΠΈΠ΅ ΡΠΎΠΌΠ°Π½Π° ΡΠ°Π·Π²ΠΎΡΠ°ΡΠΈΠ²Π°Π΅ΡΡΡ Π² Π½Π°ΡΠ°Π»Π΅ 1970βΡ Π³ΠΎΠ΄ΠΎΠ² Π² ΠΏΡΠΎΠ²ΠΈΠ½ΡΠΈΠ°Π»ΡΠ½ΠΎΠΌ Π³ΠΎΡΠΎΠ΄Π΅ Π½Π΅Π΄Π°Π»Π΅ΠΊΠΎ ΠΎΡ ΠΠΎΡΠΊΠ²Ρ. ΠΠΎΠ»ΠΎΠ΄Π°Ρ ΠΊΠ°Π½Π΄ΠΈΠ΄Π°Ρ ΠΈΡΠΊΡΡΡΡΠ²ΠΎΠ²Π΅Π΄Π΅Π½ΠΈΡ ΠΠ½Π½Π°, ΡΠΎΠ»ΡΠΊΠΎ ΡΡΠΎ Π·Π°ΡΠΈΡΠΈΠ²ΡΠ°Ρ Π΄ΠΈΡΡΠ΅ΡΡΠ°ΡΠΈΡ ΠΎ ΠΆΠΈΠ²ΠΎΠΏΠΈΡΡΠ΅ ΠΠΈΠΎΠ½ΠΈΡΠΈΠΈ, ΡΠ·Π½Π°ΡΡ ΠΎ ΠΏΡΠΎΠΏΠ°ΠΆΠ΅ ΡΠ΅ΡΡΠ½Π°Π΄ΡΠ°ΡΠΎΠ³ΠΎ Π²Π΅ΠΊΠ° ΠΈΠΊΠΎΠ½Ρ ΠΈΠ· Π±Π»ΠΈΠ·Π»Π΅ΠΆΠ°ΡΠ΅Π³ΠΎ ΠΌΠΎΠ½Π°ΡΡΡΡΡ ΠΈ Π±ΡΠΎΡΠ°Π΅ΡΡΡ Π² ΡΠ°ΡΡΠ»Π΅Π΄ΠΎΠ²Π°Π½ΠΈΠ΅, Π½Π΅ ΠΏΠΎΠ΄ΠΎΠ·ΡΠ΅Π²Π°Ρ, ΡΡΠΎ ΡΠ»Π΅Π΄Ρ Π²Π΅Π΄ΡΡ ΠΊ ΠΊΡΠΎΠ²Π°Π²ΡΠΌ ΡΠ°ΠΉΠ½Π°ΠΌ. ΠΠΎΠ²Π΅ΡΡΠ²ΠΎΠ²Π°Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΠΏΠ΅ΡΠ΅ΠΏΠ»Π΅ΡΠ°Π΅ΡΡΡ Ρ Π»ΠΈΡΠ½ΡΠΌ ΠΎΠΏΡΡΠΎΠΌ Π°Π²ΡΠΎΡΠ° ΠΠ»Π΅ΠΊΡΠ΅Ρ Π‘ΠΌΠΈΡΠ½ΠΎΠ²Π° ΡΠΎΠ½ Π Π°ΡΡ Π°, ΠΊΠΎΡΠΎΡΡΠΉ ΡΡΠΈΠ΄ΡΠ°ΡΡ Π»Π΅Ρ ΠΆΠΈΠ» Π² ΡΡΠ΅Π½Π°Ρ ΡΠ΅ΡΠΊΠ²Π΅ΠΉ, ΡΠ΅ΡΡΠ°Π²ΡΠΈΡΡΡ ΡΡΠ΅ΡΠΊΠΈ ΠΈ Π½Π°Π±Π»ΡΠ΄Π°Ρ Π·Π° ΡΠΎΠ²Π΅ΡΡΠΊΠΈΠΌ ΠΎΠ±ΡΠ΅ΡΡΠ²ΠΎΠΌ. ΠΠ°ΠΏΠΈΡΠ°Π½Π½ΡΠΉ Π² 1976 Π³ΠΎΠ΄Ρ, Π½ΠΎ ΠΈΠ·Π΄Π°Π½Π½ΡΠΉ ΡΠΎΠ»ΡΠΊΠΎ ΡΠ΅ΠΉΡΠ°Ρ, ΡΠΎΠΌΠ°Π½ ΠΏΡΠ°Π²Π΄ΠΈΠ²ΠΎ ΠΈ Π±Π΅Π·ΠΆΠ°Π»ΠΎΡΡΠ½ΠΎ ΡΠ°ΡΠΊΡΡΠ²Π°Π΅Ρ ΠΆΠΈΠ·Π½Ρ Π² Π‘Π‘Π‘Π , Π³Π΄Π΅ ΡΡΠ°Π»ΠΊΠΈΠ²Π°ΡΡΡΡ ΠΏΠΎΡΠΎΠΌΠΊΠΈ Π΄Π²ΠΎΡΡΠ½, Π±Π΅Π³Π»ΡΠ΅ ΠΌΠΎΠ½Π°Ρ ΠΈ, ΠΏΡΠ΅Π΄ΠΏΡΠΈΠΈΠΌΡΠΈΠ²ΡΠ΅ ΡΡΡΠΈΡΡΡ, Π΄Π΅ΠΊΠ»Π°ΡΡΠΈΡΠΎΠ²Π°Π½Π½ΡΠ΅ ΠΈ ΡΠΎΡΡΡΠ΄Π½ΠΈΠΊΠΈ ΠΠΠ. ΠΠ½ΠΈΠ³Π° Π·Π°Π΄Π°ΡΡ Π²ΠΎΠΏΡΠΎΡΡ ΠΎ Π²Π΅ΡΠ΅, Π²Π»Π°ΡΡΠΈ ΠΈ Π²ΡΠΆΠΈΠ²Π°Π½ΠΈΠΈ, ΠΎΡΡΠ°ΡΡΠΈΠ΅ΡΡ Π°ΠΊΡΡΠ°Π»ΡΠ½ΡΠΌΠΈ Π½Π° ΠΏΡΠΎΡΡΠΆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠΈ ΠΏΡΡΠΈ ΡΡΠΎΠ»Π΅ΡΠΈΠΉ.
Set in the early 1970s Soviet Union, the novel follows art historian Anna, who has just defended her dissertation on the icon painter Dionysius, as she discovers that a 16thβcentury icon has vanished from a nearby monastery. Her investigation leads her through a tangled web of bloodβstained clues, involving descendants of the nobility, fugitive monks, enterprising tourists, declassed citizens and omnipresent KGB agents. The story reflects the author Alexei Smirnov fon Raukβs own thirtyβyear isolation in churches and hermitages, during which he restored frescoes and observed Soviet life. Written in 1976 but unpublished until now, the book presents a stark, truthful portrait of Russian society that remains relevant across five centuries. It is a compelling historical thriller that examines enduring questions of faith, power, and survival.