I am not given to adulation: it places too heavy a burden of expectation on the unfortunate recipient, and often hinders the adorer. But I must confess I border on adulation for the works of the contemporary Russian iconographer and fresco painter, Archimandrite Zenon (Teodor) Every once in a while an iconographer appears who is […]
I was recently made aware of two wonderful Russian carvers named Elena and Sergio Nikolenko. Their work is quite impressive, using ornament with spectacular precision. Their stylisation of faces ranges from the more iconic to more realistic features depending on pieces. The couple work on their icons together, with Elena being the designer and the one […]
Living in a University town offers many benefits. One of the most delightful is meeting Orthodox scholars from all over the world. It was my pleasure to meet Alexander Lingas, the author of the following article. Knowing of Father Dan Skvir’s love of music, his discovery of a long forgotten piece of music and […]
For those readers interested in architecture or those interested in Russian Orthodox cultural heritage, the website by architect Richard Davies is a wonder. Davies stumbled across of set of postcards from 1911 that featured some old photos and drawings of wooden churches in Russia. Inspired by the postcards, Davies traveled to Russia in 2002 to […]
The life of Ksenia Pokrovsky (March 9, 1942-July 7, 2013) touched thousands of people from nearly every part of the world. Here are excerpts from an interview taken by Irina Yazikova in 2009 for an Italian magazine. Yazikova is a noted art historian and author of many books about iconography, including “Hidden and Triumphant: The […]
This spring, from May 26th – June 9th, 2014, St. Petersburg School of Religion and Philosophy will host a 10 day seminar on the “Foundations of Russian Religion and Culture in the Course of a Thousand Years.” The seminar will be held entirely in English. The objective is to “learn about the notion of beauty […]
For those of you who enjoyed the National Gallery Byzantine exhibit and want to see some icons from a different culture, the North Carolina History Museum is celebrating the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Romanov dynasty with and exhibit called “Window into Heaven.” This exhibit displays 36 icons from the 18th and 19th […]
Rashid and Inessa Azbuhanov are a Russian couple who are leading the rediscovery of icon carving in the Russian Church. Their works grace the collections of Russian politicians from Gorbachev to Putin, European royal families and church authorities from the Russian Patriarch to the Pope of Rome. Their works are often large and highly detailed, like wooden lace as […]
Here are some of the most astounding miniature icons I have seen. They are made by a Russian artisan named Evgeny Baranov who is also a very good goldsmith as you will see below. These pictures were taken from his facebook page. I have been trying to get a short interview with some more details, and […]
A Master Class and Concert with Vladimir Gorbik — Feb. 28 to Mar. 3, 2013 As part of its 75th anniversary celebration, Saint Tikhon’s Seminary will host a rigorous three-day master class for the select student choirs of three of America’s premier Orthodox Christian seminaries — Saint Tikhon’s Seminary, Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, and Holy Trinity […]