Russkaja rukopis' "Postni eskih slov Vasilija Velikogo" rube a XIV-XV vekov, RNB, F.p.I.40, i ej miniatjura

The author deals with the miniature from a manuscript containing St. Basil the Great’s “Asketikon”, written at the end of the fourteenth century (St. Petersburg, National Library of Russia, F.n.I.40). The miniature depicts St. Basil in monk’s attire, writing his text. The compact composition, sharp and tense contours, the dark colouring and the saint’s concentration, create a striking image of monastic virtue and dignity. The manuscript, which originates from one of the monasteries in northeastern Russia, confirms the importance of monastic figures in art in the countries of the Byzantine cultural circle, from the end of the fourteenth century.