Andrei Rublev (1966)

Nikolay Sergeev: Feofan Grek

Photos 

Quotes 

• Kirill : [admiring one of Feofan's icon paintings]  As Epiphanius said in "The Life of Saint Sergeius," "Simplicity, without gaudiness." That is what this is. It's sacred... Simplicity, without gaudiness - you can't say it better.

  Feofan Grek : I see you are a wise man.

  Kirill : If so, is that a good thing? If one is ignorant, isn't it better to be guided by one's heart?

  Feofan Grek : In much wisdom there is much grief. And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

• Feofan Grek : What is praised today is abused tomorrow. They will forget you, me, everything. All is vanity and ashes. Worse things have been forgotten. Humanity has already committed every stupidity and baseness, and now it only repeals them. Everything is an eternal circle and it repeats and repeated itself. If Jesus returned to earth, they would crucify him again.

• Feofan Grek : The Last Judgment is coming. We'll burn like candles. Mark my words. Each will accuse the other of his own sins, to defend himself.

• Feofan Grek : They praise you today and vilify tomorrow. The next day they'll forget why they praised you.

• Andrei Rublyov : What you said was true. The truth.

  Feofan Grek : So what if I said it then? You are wrong now. I was wrong then.

• Andrei Rublyov : Didn't you go to heaven?

  Feofan Grek : Lord! I can only say it is not as you imagine it on earth. Russia. Russia.

  Andrei Rublyov : Our mother country suffers all. She will endure all. But how long will this go on?

  Feofan Grek : I don't know. Forever, most likely.

  [looking at an icon] 

  Feofan Grek : Yet how beautiful all this is.

• Feofan Grek : Orthodox Christians, lovers of truth. How long will this torture go on? When will you end this? He has already seven times atoned for his sins - bot both his sins and yours. You are incredible sinners yourselves.

• Andrei Rublyov : The women of Moscow gave their hair to the Tatars.

  Feofan Grek : What else could the poor creatures do? Better to lose their hair than be tortured. Is that heroic?

  Andrei Rublyov : It is. It is true that Russian women are humiliated and unhappy.

• Feofan Grek : Tell me honestly. Are the people ignorant or not? Well, are they?

  Andrei Rublyov : They're ignorant, but whose fault is that?

  Feofan Grek : It's their own stupidity. Have you never sinned through ignorance?

  Andrei Rublyov : Everyone has.

  Feofan Grek : And I have too. God forgive us and make us better.

• Feofan Grek : Through our sins, evil has assumed human form. Encroaching evil mean encroaching humanity. God will forgive you. Don't forgive yourself. Live between divine forgiveness and your own torment.