Proceedings of the 5th GLASSAC GLASS IN ARCHITECTURE International Conference

Stained glass iconostasis: fragile ‘Munich Glass’ in Ukraine Oksana Kondratyeva a a The Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass, London, UK

Field of interest: art, glass in architecture

Abstract Stained glass iconostasis is a unique Arts and Crafts ecclesiastic feature, which was executed by the Königlich Bayerische Hofglasmalerei F.X. Zettler for the domestic St Nicholas in Kharkiv, Ukraine, in 1905. Although having lost some fragments, it has been the only survived stained glass iconostasis of the fn de siècle, incorporating ‘Munich glass’ and Orthodox iconography. After investigation of the iconostasis in situ in October 2016, the research discovers new evidences, which leads to the reconstruction of the original scheme of stained glass and to the iconography’s attribution.

Keywords: Stained glass iconostasis, Iconography, the Königlich Bayerische Hofglasmalerei F.X. Zettler, the Church of St ’s Head, Kharkiv, Ukraine.

with the iconographic system that marks the border between the heavenly and earthly in the Orthodox Church. Although traditionally made of wood, iconostasis’s system had been transforming and shaping new forms at the fin de siècle. They could be made of marble, porcelain or crystal glass, in tune with the local Arts and Crafts movements. Iconostasis made out of stained glass became, however, an exceptional ecclesiastic feature in decoration of the Orthodox Church (Fig. 1). In 1898, the K.B. Bayerische Hofglasmalerei F.X. Zettler executed the first stained glass iconostasis for the military St Julian of Tarsus Church (1895–1899) in Tsarskoe Selo, St Petersburg, Russian Empire (Fischer 1910: p. 82). The Russian painter Nikolay Koshelev (1840–1918), alma mater of the Imperial Academy of Arts in Sankt Petersburg (Kondakov 1915: p. 100), wrote the iconographical scheme for the iconostasis (Baranovskiy 1993: p. 12), while Fig. 2: Stained Glass Iconostasis (fragment). K.B. Bayerische Hofglasmalerei F.X. Zettler, 1905. The Church of St John the the cartoons for the overall architectural design were Baptist’s Head, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Photograph 2016 developed by the architect Vladimir Kuritzin (Fischer 1910: p. 82) and ‘Architecturzeichner’ Josef Baumann (Fischer 1910: p. 82, 106). Although the iconostasis was completely lost with outbreak of the revolution of 1917, its cartoon (Stadtarchiv München) and authorship’s attribution of 1918–1919 in Kharkiv with the church dissolution, the as in the iconographical style of glass paintings of Virgin Mary, iconostasis survived in the local museum and only in 1943 it Pantocrator and seraphim. This leads to the hypothesis that some Fig. 1: Virgin Mary (fragment). Stained Glass Iconostasis. became a valuable source for the research of the survived found a new home in the Church of St John the Baptist’s Head, iconographical sketches of the frst iconostasis were applied to K.B. Bayerische Hofglasmalerei F.X. Zettler, 1905. The iconostasis in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Church of St John the Baptist’s Head, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Kharkiv. The stained glass iconostasis was enlarged by two lights the Kharkiv’s one. Nikolay Koshelev was not personally involved According to the signature on the stained glass, the Königlich Photograph 2016 to ft the size of the church and reconstructed as followed: St in the painted glass production though the K.B. Hofglasmalerei Bayerische Hofglasmalerei F.X. Zettler executed this iconostasis Naum and St Alexander – St Nicholas – – F.X. Zettler most possibly used his ’ drawing for the stained in 1905 (Fig. 2). It was commissioned by Alexander Yuzefovich, Virgin Mary – Holy Door (Annunciation and Evangelists) – Christ glass iconostasis in Kharkiv. He was an artist who worked in Introduction the owner of the newspaper Yuzhnyi Kray, for his domestic St Pantocrator – Archangel – St John the Baptist (new various genres: portraiture, landscape and iconography; and At the turn of the 19th and the 20th centuries, the Königlich Nicholas Church, 13 Sumska Street, Kharkiv (Grymalyuk, 2009; light) – St Athanasius and St Miletus (new light). The emerging was particularly strong with the church interior design while Bayerische Hofglasmalerei F.X. Zettler was fourishing, having Shulika, 2010). The original architectural interior sketch of the evidence, however, points to the complex situation, which executed numerous ecclesiastical sketches for decorations. The executed 12,532 stained glass windows in forty years 1870–1910 St Nicholas Church gives the compositional impression of the requires the reconstruction of the lost original ‘Munich glass’ iconography of the other authentic iconostasis’s lights illustrates (Fischer 1910: p. 105–106). Over 8,000 stained glass windows overall alter (Paramonov 2007: p. 61) where iconostasis was fragments, e.g. St Luke and St Mark on the Holy Door, and the more conservative and characteristic for F.X. Zettler glass were commissioned by the clients from the former Russian and originally placed. Following the traditional iconographic system, iconography’s attribution of the new icons. The comparative painting style, whilst stained glass of the new lights, which are th Prussian Empires in total value of about fve million (Fischer the iconostasis initially consisted of the six lights and the Holy visual analysis of the stained glass iconostasis in Kharkiv with dated by the second part of the 20 century sharply contrasts 1910: p. 105). Among them, there were two stained glass Door in the centre: St Naum and St Alexander – Archangel Gabriel the archival cartoon and the photograph of the stained glass in glass quality, colour pallet and painting style comparing with iconostases. Iconostasis, generally, is the symbolic alter wall – Virgin Mary – Holy Door (Evangelists) – iconostasis of Tsarskoe Selo, Sankt Petersburg, indicates the the original one. – Archangel Michael – St Nicholas. After the turbulent years similarities in the ornamental patterns of the stained glass as well

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Conclusions References New development: Although iconostasis has been an archetypal meaningful Baranovskiy, А. (1993). Tcerkov Sv. Yuliana leyb-gvardii Kirasirskogo structure of icons, stained glass iconostasis was a revolution Ego Velichestva polka. Sankt-Petersburg: Aleksandrovskiy Park, 1–63. mouth blown UV protective window glass in Arts and Crafts. It is the iconographical representation of the divine world, which is not only facing the person, but also Fischer, J. (1910). Vierzig Jahre Glasmalkunst. Festschrift der Kgl. Hans Reiner Meindla shines through natural light. The stained glass iconostasis of the Bayerischen Hofglasmalerei F.X. Zettler. München: Rommifons Verlag Georg Müller, 1–120. St John the Baptist’s Head Church in Kharkiv, Ukraine, is the only a authentic stained glass iconostasis of the fn de siècle though it Grymalyuk, R. (2009). Vitrazhnyi iconostas Svyato-Ivano- Owner and President Glashütte Lamberts, Germany is preserved in its tri-stylistic compilation of glass paintings and Usiknovenskogo hramu u Kharkovi. Visnyk HDADM. 11, 23–34. requires restoration. Further research on ‘Munich glass’ might lead to the reconstruction of the lost original fragments as well Kondakov, N. (1915). Spisok russkih hudozhnikov k yubilejnomu Field of interest: Glass in architecture spravochniku Imperatorskoj Akademii hudozhestv. Sankt-Petersburg: as to the reestablishment of the stylistic and compositional Tovarischestvo R. Golike i A. Wilborg, 1–454. unity. Shulika, V. (2010). Vitrazhnyi iconostas maysterni Franza Xaviera Zettlera u Kharkovi. Ukrayinske mystetstvoznavstvo: materialy, The challenge the manufacturer observes the highest quality. Each sheet doslidzhennya, recenzii. 10, 119–123. undergoes an on-site quality control before shipment. In Over the last years, the demand for UV protective glass for addition, samples from each batch are checked for transmission valuable art objects and historical furnishings has increased. Die Königlich Bayerische Hofglasmalerei F.X. Zettler. (1898). Cartoon by an independent laboratory. Typical testing equipment is for Stained Glass Iconostasis. [negative photographic image] UV rays damage organic material (textiles, wood, paper) but Lambda 12. Test reports can be made available to customers. Stadtarchiv München, BB Chronik 1898205 (Nr.: G 1898/38/2). also modern adhesives which are based on organic materials. Tests are cross checked by peer review. Munich. Until now the only solutions available were based on organic Paramonov, A. (2007). Pravoslavnye khramy Kharkovskoy gubernii foil material or a coating of nanoparticles. The coating on the 1681–1917 gg. Kharkiv: Kharkovskiy chastnyi muzei gorodskoy glass is not scratch-proof, over time the foils age and lose their usadby, 1–346. efect. On this basis the author, a managing partner of a glass manufacturing company sought for a solution using glass. He developed a glass in which the UV protection is integrated Acknowledgements and is not subject to aging. Thus, during the renovation of the Wittenberg town church, as part of the Luther Decade, the apse I would like to express my gratitude to the Worshipful Company was to be glazed to protect the valuable Lucas Cranach of Glaziers and Painters on Glass, London, UK, which kindly from UV rays. The second project was the UV protective glazing awarded a scholarship towards the costs of travelling. for York Minster, UK. 24 meters tall and about the size of a tennis court, the 311-panelled “Great East Window” is the largest I would like to thank Thomas Küpper, Head of Glazing Department expanse of medieval stained glass in Britain and regarded as at Lincoln Cathedral, for facilitating current research. one of the great pre-Renaissance treasures of European art. The I am greatly indebted to Dr. Elgin van Treeck-Vaassen for valuable east window of York Cathedral (GB) was ftted with a protective comments on F.X. Zettler glass and for helpful direction of the glazing of restauro®-UV in order to protect the adhesives used research in Germany. during the repairs from UV rays.

The manufacture of the glass Fig. 1 Production of the 2-layer portion of glass, frstly formed to a balloon, later to a large cylinder The manufacturer, Glashütte Lamberts, is a family owned company in that produces mouth blown sheet glass for Dr. Hubert Drexler, a graduated chemist, with many years restoration. The production of UV protective glass (brand of practical experience in the glass and raw materials name: restauro ® UV), has been submitted for a German and industry, contributed his well-founded knowledge of process subsequently European patent (1). Therefore it`s composition optimization and signifcantly shaped the development and the processing can be explained only in general. It begins of this UV protective glass by optimizing the mixtures and with the gradual mixing of the normal glass ingredients e.g. accompanying the manufacturing process. His scientifc sand, soda, lime plus cadmium sulfte and zinc sulfte in a glass education and the know-how gained during many successful batch facility. The melting process is done in a ceramic pot at research projects at renowned industrial companies proved temperatures of up to 1420°C. One feature of the process is that, to be very valuable. His very special knowledge of the in the classic way, i.e. with the use of a glassmaker’s blowpipe, transmission spectrums for colored glasses formed the basis the functional glass (see above) is combined with a normal basic for a systematic report on the correlation between the UV glass. As most colored glasses the restauro®-UV is manufactured protective properties of the functional glasses manufactured as a flashed glass. This 2-layer portion of glass is frstly formed and the relevant parameters in the manufacturing process. The to a balloon, later to a large cylinder (Fig. 1). After cutting the testing laboratory, IGR Göttingen, is a neutral and independent cylinder lengthwise, reheating and fattening the glass, the frst company and has modern equipment including SEM-EDX, ICP- step of manufacturing the UV glass is fnished. The second and OES, FT-IR and UV-VIS. The development and manufacturing fnal step is a defned temperature treatment. At a temperature process of restauro®-UV was accompanied analytically by the of more than 600 degrees Celsius and over a certain period of external laboratory. The main task was the chemical analysis of time sulfte colloids are built up in the glass. They form the UV the glasses produced with the ICP-OES and the measurement barrier. This UV-glass is available in approximately 50 x 60 cm of the UV protection with the UV-VIS. Because of the pending (2 - 3 mm thickness). It can be used for traditional lead glazing patent detailed analysis cannot be published. as well as double glazing or laminated glass. During production,

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