Aleksey B. Mazurov^a,^b,#

^aState University of Humanities and Social Studies, Kolomna, Russia
^bSt Philaret Institute, Moscow, Russia

^#E-mail: mazurov.ab.1970@mail.ru

Keywords: Moscow Rus, medieval white tombstones, memorial crosses, memorial complex, Kolomna uyezd (district), Five Crosses, the 17th century.

The article introduces the monument “Five Crosses” (the late 17th century), known for more than two centuries but not yet fully described and analyzed. It is located in Usmerskaya volost of the former Kolomna district (now Moskvoretskaya residential area of the city of Voskresensk). The paper reveals a rich history of studying the site, provides its full scientific description involving early iconography, and analyzes the topographic and cultural context. The memorial complex including the tombstone and several vertical crosses has no analogues either among medieval tombstones or among commemorative crosses. Being a kind of cenotaph of remembrance, it was erected in July 1688, probably, at the initiative of the widow and son of a local landowner, Prince Ya.O. Shchetinin. It was based on the example of an earlier similar monument to the legendary princes of Zaraysk of 1665. The monument visually embodies the ancient toponym “Five Crosses”, representing in fact an installation on a set theme, which was typical for the second half of the 17th century, the so called era of “medieval historicism”.

DOI: 10.31857/S0869606323020137, EDN: RGGXLZ