К вопросу о каноническом смысле росписи пещерного храма «Трех всадников»
To a question of initial sense of a list of the cave temple "Three riders"

Summary/Abstract: This article suggests a new interpretation of the theological content of the fresco painted on the northern wall of the «Three Horsemen» cave church which is situated at Eski-Kermen (Crimea). The mural painting represents three Holy Martyrs in the form of riders. A small human figure can be seen on the rump of the first martyr’s horse. The second warrior is fighting with snake. Formerly the fresco was considered by scholars as the representation of three different images of St. George. But this consideration comes into contradiction with iconography of the fresco itself as well as with the content of the Greek inscription situated beneath it. Our analysis shows the absence of any reasons for identifying the fourth man’s image with a character of «the miracle of St. George with the boy». A simultaneous studying of the fresco and the liturgical planning of the church itself shows that the fourth figure is the compositional center of the entire temple. This fact allows us to assume that it represents the late inmate of Eski-Kermen, and the images of the Holy warriors were painted just for the sake of the salvation of his soul. Our analysis of fresco with the inscription disposed beneath carried out according to these considerations allowed us the first time to present a complete and consistent theological interpretation of the content of the mural painting of the Church of the «Three Horsemen».

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