Tetraevangelion. Middle of 17th cent.

F (300 õ 199). 468 leaves.
Paper. Ink, cinnabar, colours, gold.

It is written in a semi-uncial hand.

The illumination of the manuscript includes four miniatures ñ Evangelist portraits (fols. 19v, 134v, 218v, 347v). There are painted head-pieces and initials in the Early Printed style (fols. 21r, 136r, 220r, 349r). Head-pieces are bars, executed in colours and gold (fols. 11r, 127r, 210r).

The book is remarkable for exquisite and rich deciration. It was donated to the Solovetsky Monastery by Starets Jasaf Sorotsky, the elder monk and spiritual guide, the treasurer of the Trinity-St Sergius Lavra (in 1630-1634). He was also a lover of books and an assistant of Hegumen of the Lavra Dionysius Zobninovsky. Starets Jasaf was the cellarer of the Solovetsky Monastery during the last years of his life to his death in 1637. The decoration of the Four Gospels resembles the style of the well-known Moscow master Gavrila Basov, who became recognized as Coenobite Guri. This artist embellished the famous Stishnoy Prolog (the translation of the Greek passional) (Ñîë.700/808 and Ñîë. 704/812), commisioned by the cellarer of the Trinity-St Sergius Lavra Alexaner Bulatnikov.

In 1928 the manuscript came into the State Public Library along with the collection of the Solovetsky Monastery.

Shelfmark: ÐÍÁ. Ñîë. 127/127.