The fresco presents the composition of the Protoevangelium cycle (XI). The scene tells of the moment when Joseph, leaving the house, instructed Mary: ‘I took you from the temple of the Lord, and now you stay in my house, I leave for carpentry work, and then come back to you. God save you! ’.

The character of the image of figures shows the traditional symbolism of the icon. The Virgin Mary, as remaining in the house, is depicted against the background of the chambers, Joseph, as leaving the house, against the background of chambers and hills. His face is turned to the Mother of God, he gives Her instructions, putting his right hand in a gesture of speaking. At the same time, the elder is already stepping on rocky hills, and in his left hand holds a staff — a symbol of the traveler.

General Information:
Protoevangelium of James is early Christian apocrypha about the life of the Virgin Mary and the Nativity of Jesus Christ. Apocrypha became the basis for a comprehensive narrative cycle, traditionally included in the decoration system of the Virgin’s temples. In ancient Russian monumental painting of the 16th-17th centuries the Protoevangelium cycle is often adjacent to the cycle of the Akathist to the Virgin Mary.

Full name: Joseph’s Instructions
Creation Time: 1641
Technique: Fresco, Tempera
Location: Southern slope of the western spring arch