Vyacheslav I. Molodin

Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia

E-mail: molodin@archaeology.nsc.ru

Keywords: Moscow-Siberian road, medallion-icon, Enlightener Mitrophan of Voronezh, the Wonderworker; Metropolitan Platon (Levshin).

During the excavation of the High Bronze settlement Vengerovo 2 (Western Siberia, the Barabinsk forest-steppe, Vengerovo district of Novosibirsk Region), located in the immediate vicinity of the Moscow-Siberian road, a two-sided medallion-icon was found in the upper sod-humus layer. It is a bronze round object contoured with symmetrically arranged circles and palmettes along the edge. The central part on both sides of the medallion is covered with glass. Inside, between the glass covers, a woolen dark crimson cloth is placed as a background. On a thin translucent paper, two head-and-shoulders images are drawn with black or red ink. The face side of the medallion contains a head-and-shoulders image of Enlightener Mitrophan of Voronezh, the Wonderworker. On the reverse side, there is a head-and-shoulders portrait of Metropolitan Platon (Levshin). The medallion, most likely, was made in the European part of Russia, not earlier than the second half of the 19th century.

DOI: 10.31857/S086960630001633-5