On the Question of the Original Version and Copies of the “Kutuzov” Icon

The article deals with the question about creation of the original version and copies of the socalled “Kutuzov” icon. The name “Kutuzov” was given to an icon of the Smolensk Mother of God (Theotokos of Smolensk), ordered in 1813 by the residents of Smolensk as a gift to the commander M.I. Kutuzov. The article shows the history of each of the four currently existing copies of icons – Smolensk (Smolensk State Museum-Reserve), Gomel (Gomel Palace and Park Ensemble), Moscow (State Historical Museum) and St. Petersburg (Hermitage) ones on the basis of periodicals and research literature. The article also considers which of the copies cannot be original ones. In addition, there are artistic features of the “Kutuzov” icon, which characterize it as one of the objects of the picturesque heritage of the early 19th century. The article provides a detailed description of the structural elements of the “Kutuzov” icon, its connection with the Hodegetria of Smolensk. As a result, the author comes to the conclusion that there are five known copies of the icon, three of which are almost identical. The author notes the impossibility of a definite answer to the question of the location of the original “Kutuzov” icon and supposes the need for further study of this issue