Featured 1912 wood Icon with Jesus... perhaps Russian

I just purchased this Icon with Jesus. I think it is the "Christ the teacher" icon. It is approximately 12 x 10 in. On the back it has 1912 and some writing. I do not know what the writing says on the back or the front. I would appreciate any information. Unfortunately it has some damage, but I really like the look of the piece. I thought about cleaning it, but I have decided to leave it alone (since I don't know how to do it correctly). Thanks!

 

This may be helpful.

https://russianicons.wordpress.com/tag/icon-interpretation/page/16/

Debora

 

Could be Belarusian, Kazakh, Khakas, Komi, Carpathian Rusyn or Ukrainian as it has the dotted i
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dotted_I_(Cyrillic)
Based on internet info, in Russia this was only used before 1818

 

Based on the date, obviously a Russian Empire and any slavonic part of it.
On the back it is written "В (К) Подхаповъ" - V (or K as not clear) Podhapov, most probably the name of the master.
The icon is called "Господь Вседержатель", which is The Lord Almighty if translate literally, but I don't know what is correct English version for this.
On the bible that Jesus holds is written in church slavonic "Придите ко мне вси труждающиеся и обремененные" - Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden (literal translation). It's a line from Matthew's Holy Gospel 11:28-30.

 

Thank you this is very helpful!!!

 

Does the Slavonic point to Russian origin? I only heard of it being used in the Russian Orthodox church, although when this was made there were some people still who could read it. "The Lord Almighty" is a name used for G-d in multiple languages, btw; you did better than most us here could with the Russian.

 

In complex: the name of the master is Russian, or Ukrainian, or Belorussian (any other Russian speaking part of the Empire with a major part of Slavonic population for that period), the way it is written - with a letter "ъ" in the end of his surname is typical for the Russian writing grammar rules of that period. It might be that the icon was made in a different part of the world, but in my subjective opinion, it was made by someone from Russian Empire (if the date on the back is accurate).
Stylistically, the way it is painted, it reminds me of Mstera Icon-painting school (Мстёра иконопись/ Мстёрская иконопись) - it is one of the oldest and most famous region where icon painters were trained.
You don't necessarily need to know and read church slavonic, but all inscriptions on the Russian Orthodox icons will be made using it, even today. Modern written church language was adopted and isn't that complicated nowadays, but verbally it remains very similar to the old one.
Russian is my native language, so I'm cheating

 

The western Catholic church stopped using Latin in the 1960s, although there's a better chance of someone being able to understand a Latin inscription. Interesting that Slavonic still hangs on; the tradition may be why there are still people who can read it.

 

I'm not sure, but I think in seminaries, or theological faculties they're still learning church slavonic, at least basics, to be able to read the fundamental pieces. Also prayers during the service are read in church slavonic, so it kind of still alive language inside the religious institutes.

 

Interesting. They still teach Latin here, as the basis of many languages still in use.

 

I'm sure they do.
I studied theology in the Netherlands, and we had to learn Latin, Koinè Greek, and the basics of Aramaic and Hebrew so we could read scriptures and documents.
Quite a few Roman Catholic theologians around the globe still communicate with each other in Latin when they don't know English. I couldn't, my Latin is extremely rusty, as are the other "theologian" languages.

Btw, Koinè Greek is also the basis of Church Slavonic. It was the lingua franca or trade language in the Eastern Mediterranean at the time, and the language the gospels were first written in.

 

That's very interesting I think any level of the Latin knowledge is a great advantage, especially if you're interested in history and mythology

 

I understand a bit of Koine Greek myself - picked it up in church. IIRC it was in use as a trade language as far out as India at one point.

 

This is a primitive rural icon, "krasnushka", many of these were made, one of the cheapest and most common icons.