Objects of Perm wooden sculpture are valuable historical and artistic monuments. These works of folk carving adorned the churches and chapels of numerous settlements in Perm Krai for several centuries. Nowhere else in Russia is wooden sculpture known to have been so widespread as in Perm Krai. The artistic merit of many wooden sculptures indicates their importance not only at the local level but at the national level as well. Hence the name — Perm wooden sculpture.
The time when wooden sculpture first appeared in the territory of Great Perm (Cherdyn) is unknown. But its appearance is definitely linked to the baptism of the local population in 1462 and to the foundation of the first male John-the-Theologian Monastery in the Urals in 1463. Cherdyn became the cradle of the Christianization of the entire Urals. The incorporation of Great Perm (Cherdyn) into Moscow in 1472 determined its subsequent life and development not only as an important territory for Moscow — a forward outpost toward Siberia — but also as a cultural and spiritual center for a vast region.
It is known that the first icon brought to Great Perm was brought by Prince Mikhail of Pokcha from Moscow in 1472. It was the Icon of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I.Ya. Krivoshchekov writes about this event in his "Geographical-Statistical Dictionary of the Cherdyn Uyezd." He also mentions an ancient carved image of St. Nicholas of Mozhaysk.
Why did wooden sculpture become so widespread alongside icons? And where did it come to Great Perm from? Wooden sculpture most likely penetrated Great Perm from the Russian North and Central Russia. Wooden sculpture became widely spread in the Cherdyn region already in the 17th century. It decorated churches and chapels in Cherdyn as well as in villages and hamlets. Unfortunately, the identities of the first master carvers are unknown. The earliest sculptures have not survived because of frequent fires that destroyed churches. There is a probability that some of the first carvers were inhabitants of Pokcha and Cherdyn, including monks of the men's monastery, and later masters appeared in other settlements — Shakshera, Bondyuga.
In the early 18th century the Russian Orthodox Church forbade three-dimensional images of saints. The decree of the Holy Synod of May 21, 1722 forbade "to have in churches icons carved, or hewn out, hollowed, sculpted by unskilled or malicious icon painters, invented, since we do not have," says the decree, "God-chosen artists, and uncut ignoramuses dare to hew them themselves." From this it follows that sculpture carved by non-specialists and craftsmen — "ignoramuses" lacking the skill for such work — was prohibited. But it was not possible to eradicate the tradition of carving "gods" from wood. Moreover, the faces of the sculptures themselves testify to a deep "inner" understanding of Christian ideas by these unknown artists. The faces of the Saviors express meekness, humility, self-sacrifice, martyrdom. The facial features of the sculptures, depending on the national origin of the carver, most often correspond to Komi-Permyak or Bashkir types.
The most common image of Christ in Perm sculpture is "Christ in the prison," "Midnight Savior," or "Christ Seated." In Russian iconography this subject appeared only in the 17th century and is believed to have been borrowed from Catholic painting. Figures of the Savior were placed inside the church in something resembling small wooden prisons. In Cherdyn's Assumption Church a niche for a sculpture of Christ was provided in the northern wall of both the winter and summer churches. Church documents for 1803 mention two sculptures of Christ — "Crucifixion" and "Seated Savior." Authors, unfortunately, are not indicated. At present these sculptures are in the Perm Art Gallery.
The "discoverer" of Perm sculpture is considered to be N. N. Serebrennikov, who from 1923 to 1926 organized six expeditions to collect works of art and antiquities in Perm Krai. A large part of the collection consists of sculptures found in rural churches in the north of Perm province. A significant portion of the wooden sculptures — 195 items — was removed from Cherdyn Uyezd in 1923 during two expeditions led by N.N. Serebrennikov. From the city's churches Serebrennikov took 23 sculptures, the most from the Trinity Church — 7 sculptures. As for rural churches, 12 sculptures were removed from the Znamenskaya Church in Shakshera. From other churches and chapels — from one to seven sculptures.
The collection of the Cherdyn Local History Museum named after A. S. Pushkin contains wooden sculpture gathered from the churches and chapels of the district in the 1930s–1950s. The collection includes 55 items, some of which are presented in the exhibition "Perm Gods Are Going Home." One of the first acquisitions was a sculpture of a sacred bird — a carved dove against sunbeams. It was delivered to the museum by the teacher and local historian Vladimir Fedorovich Lekhanov in 1939 from the Church of St. Elijah in the village of Pyanteg. It had decorated the church's iconostasis.
N. N. Serebrennikov studied the sculpture and also compiled its first catalogue with a full description. In his opinion a "Shakshery school" of wooden sculpture carving formed in the Cherdyn region. In the objects collected in 1923 in Nizhny Shakshery, Limezha, Iskora, Redikora, Serebrennikov saw similar technical techniques and stylistic analogies. On this basis he proposed the existence of a "Shakshery art school." He introduced the concept of the "Shakshery craft," techniques of "Shakshery craft," or the "Shakshery sculptor," terms still used by art historians today.
A well-known carver, Emelyan Alexandrovich Lamanov (1792–1867), lived in Cherdyn; his works are distinguished by their small size. The master's sculptures are graceful and realistic. The exhibition presents his work "The Crucifixion of Christ" in a kiot (icon case). The talented master realistically showed the Savior's suffering on the cross. Above the crucified Lord's head are carved the letters "INCI" (I (Jesus) N (Nazarene) C (King) I (of the Jews)). The exhibition also displays the master's tools — chisels and a bow drill — decorated with vegetal and geometric ornament; the date "1822" is carved on them.
At present, in addition to E. A. Lamanov, known Cherdyn carvers include the monk Sergius from the men's John-the-Theologian Monastery and Ivan Afanasyevich Golovin, a townsman from a family of well-known icon painters. It can be assumed that his father, Afanasy Grigorievich Golovin, also carved wooden sculpture, as did his grandfather, Grigory Golovin.
Research on this topic continues. It remains to study the documents of city and rural churches in the museum archive, which may contain information about wooden sculptures or at least about the dates of their arrival in the church. We can hope that museum workers have discoveries ahead.
Based on materials from the Deputy for Scientific Work of the Cherdyn Local History Museum — Elena Pavlovna Kurtenok
Sculptural composition "The Entombment"
Sculpture "Christ in the Prison"
