Archpriest Leonid Kalinin was removed from office and banned from priestly service due to the fact that he prevented the transfer of the “Holy Trinity” icon of Andrei Rublev to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, informed Saturday the site of the Patriarchate.
“By the decree of His Holiness Patriarch Cyril of Moscow and All Russia of May 26, 2023, Archpriest Leonid Kalinin, in connection with the obstruction of bringing the icon of the Holy Trinity of Saint Andrei Rublev to the cathedral Cathedral Church of Christ the Savior in Moscow for the worship of prayer on the feast of Holy Pentecost Church of Hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome, Moscow and it is forbidden to serve,” reads the text of the decree.
It also states that Kalinin was relieved of the posts of chairman of the Expert Council on Church Art, Architecture and Restoration and diocesan custodian of antiquities of the Moscow diocese, as well as the obedience of a member of the Patriarchal Council for Culture.
Commenting on his dismissal, Kalinin said TASS: “I don’t comment on the decisions of my management.
If such a decision was made, then it was considered. Therefore, I calmly accept and ask for the prayers of everyone who loves me and knows me.
I always try to do my best, maybe I’m wrong. Looks like he made a mistake.”
Earlier in a conversation with RBC, Leonid Kalinin said that he has a number of questions regarding the preparation for transportation and placement of the icon in Trinity Cathedral. He noted that there is no special protective frame (kiot) for the icon, and air conditioners installed in the temple may also interfere with the preservation of the icon. In addition, in his opinion, for the “Trinity” it is necessary to create a “special protective capsule, which can contain inert gas.” In this case, “there will be no risk of damage, fungus, temperature and humidity changes.”
Leonid Kalinin was born in Moscow into a family of artists. In 1986-94 studied at the Moscow State Academic Art Institute named after VI Surikov.
In 1995 he started working as a consultant for a group of architects and developers of the project of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior under construction in Moscow. In 1996, he became a member of the International Union of Artists. Since 1996 he has been a member of the Art Critic Commission of the Diocesan Council of Moscow. Since 1997 – Member of the Commission for artistic decoration, since 1998 – Head of the Coordinating Group of Specialists for the reconstruction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Since 2010 – Member of the Patriarchal Council for Culture.
On January 1, 2015 he was appointed Diocesan Curator of Antiquities of the Moscow City Diocese. On April 16, 2016, he was appointed chair of the new Expert Council on Church Art, Architecture, and Restoration.
On the transfer of “Trinity”, attributed to the brush of Andrei Rublev, it became known on May 15. The decision to return the icon to the church was taken personally by Vladimir Putin. Later, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Trinity would be sent to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in its current state, and specialists would decide on the issue of restoration.
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