The head of the Restoration Center’s Scientific and Methodological Studies and Exhibition Activities Department, Elena Grabar Prokhanova, outlined the storage and preservation conditions prepared for the Andrei Rublev Trinity icon, now under expert care in the restoration facility. Izvestia quotes her remarks about how the icon will be safeguarded during its stay.
In practical terms, the restoration team has designated a dedicated room of approximately forty square meters to house the Trinity during the conservation process. The space is equipped to maintain a stable climate and humidity, ensuring minimal fluctuation that could affect the delicate surface and pigments. A climate control system is in operation within this room, and, as a precaution, additional security cameras have been installed. The area is also fitted with gas fire suppression equipment to address any emergency scenario without compromising the artifact.
Prokhanova added that the icon will be removed from its capsule for the duration of the restoration work. The capsule itself is maintained at a controlled temperature, with the room set to roughly eighteen degrees Celsius, and the humidity stabilized at about fifty percent. All restorative and conservation procedures will be conducted inside this specialized chamber to ensure consistent environmental conditions and meticulous handling.
Currently, the Trinity is on display at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and is scheduled to remain there through July eighteenth, offering visitors a rare glimpse while conservation arrangements proceed behind the scenes. The work on the icon is led by seasoned conservators who employ advanced, noninvasive techniques to preserve the artwork’s original materials and historical integrity.
Andrei Rublev’s Trinity is recognized as a seminal medieval icon, created in the early fifteenth century. In twenty twenty-nine, the piece was transferred to the State Tretyakov Gallery, where it remained a central masterpiece for many years. On May fifteenth, two thousand twenty-three, the icon was formally delivered by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Russian Orthodox Church, a gesture that underscored the ongoing stewardship and reverence surrounding the relic. Experts have repeatedly expressed concern about the icon’s long-term fate, highlighting the need for specialized storage conditions to safeguard its delicate state.
Earlier communications noted that the Grabar Restoration Center is prepared to welcome the Trinity and to proceed with the conservation program. The careful coordination of climate, security, and handling protocols reflects a broader commitment to preserving cultural heritage that is both fragile and historically significant, ensuring that future generations can study and admire this iconic work within a controlled, respectful environment.