Trade in “God’s mercy”. Icon shops of the Committee of Care on Russian icon painting (1901-1918)

The main topic of this article is the icon shops of the Committee of Care on Russian icon painting (1901-1918). The Committee, founded by the Emperor Nicholas II, had to take care of the growth of the welfare of icon painters of the Vladimir province. For this purpose, they decided to open three icon shops in Saint Petersburg, Moscow and Kiev. The main aim was to serve as an intermediary between rural icon painters and customers from large cities. The author analyses in detail all stages of the organization of icon shops and proves why it was not possible to organize a shop in Moscow. The article raises the issue of commercializing the trade of icons and its consequences.