The Veneration of Byzantine Empresses in Late Medieval Moscow Russia According to Iconography and Works of Church Decoration

Key Points

The veneration of byzantine empresses impacted church decoration in late medieval Moscow, emphasizing cultural reverence.
Archival records and pictorial artefacts showcase the iconography of empresses like Theodora and Theophano, revealing their historical significance.
Relics of female rulers were placed in royal treasuries, connecting them to the broader interest in byzantine shrines and saintly emperors.
The development of empresses' iconography also appeared in calendars and Byzantine chronographs, illustrating their enduring influence.

Abstract

The article is devoted to the veneration of Byzantine empresses in Moscow Rus’ of the 16th to the 17th centuries. The key sources are the archival records of the relics of these empresses being brought to Russia and the pictorial artefacts conveying their iconography. The interest in the relics and icons of female rulers such as the saintly empresses Theodora, Theophano and others should be viewed in the context of the general interest of the Moscow civil and church rulers in Byzantine shrines, especially the relics of saintly emperors. While the fragments of the relics of saintly empresses like Theodora or Theophano, after being brought to Moscow, were placed in the royal or patriarchal treasury, their iconography developed in illustrating Byzantine chronographs, as well as in calendar icons.

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