The high relief of Saint Michael the Archangel is a monument of Perm wooden sculpture. This art emerged in the Perm Governorate as a result of synthesis of pagan and Orthodox traditions, with its heyday period in the 17th–19th centuries. The Perm religious sculpture shows renowned Christian figures through the prism of pagan visions, rather than according to the traditional canons. High reliefs were carved from pine and linden with axes, knives, adzes, chisels, saws, wood borers and scrapers. Before painting, a chalk primer, linseed oil and animal glue were applied to the wooden surface. Before the advent of oil paints in the 19th century, craftsmen used tempera with gilding and silvering techniques.
The art expert Nikolay Nikolayevich Serebrennikov is considered to be the discoverer of this style. He organized six expeditions aimed at collecting works of art and antiquities of the Kama region in 1923–1926. The group led by Serebrennikov discovered more than 400 items of applied arts, ancient icons, golden embroidery, and wooden sculptures, which were later recognized worldwide as exemplars of a unique style. The Komi-Permyak Local History Museum houses several of them, including the Holy Gate dating back to the 17th century, the “Crucifixion with Saints”, and a high relief of Jesus Christ.
Saint Michael the Archangel is depicted in a gray high relief with his wings spread, a sword in his right hand and a chain in his left. He is dressed in armor and a cloak, and his halo is decorated with a spoon-shaped ornament. Archangel Michael tramples on the head of the devil with wings and a black serpent’s tail. Saint Michael is the supreme archangel, he is revered in Christianity, Judaism and Islam. In the Orthodox Church he is called Archistrategos, which means “head of the holy host of angels and archangels”.
The Epistle of Jude says:
The art expert Nikolay Nikolayevich Serebrennikov is considered to be the discoverer of this style. He organized six expeditions aimed at collecting works of art and antiquities of the Kama region in 1923–1926. The group led by Serebrennikov discovered more than 400 items of applied arts, ancient icons, golden embroidery, and wooden sculptures, which were later recognized worldwide as exemplars of a unique style. The Komi-Permyak Local History Museum houses several of them, including the Holy Gate dating back to the 17th century, the “Crucifixion with Saints”, and a high relief of Jesus Christ.
Saint Michael the Archangel is depicted in a gray high relief with his wings spread, a sword in his right hand and a chain in his left. He is dressed in armor and a cloak, and his halo is decorated with a spoon-shaped ornament. Archangel Michael tramples on the head of the devil with wings and a black serpent’s tail. Saint Michael is the supreme archangel, he is revered in Christianity, Judaism and Islam. In the Orthodox Church he is called Archistrategos, which means “head of the holy host of angels and archangels”.
The Epistle of Jude says:
