russian Archives – Page 2 of 6 – Orthodox Arts Journal

Seeking Perfection in the World of Art: The Artistic Path of Father Sophrony

By Dr Christabel Helena Anderson | January 3, 2019 |

Editorial note: Due to its little-known subject matter and the book’s current limited availability in some regions, the following is a summary, rather than a standard review, of Seeking Perfection in the World of Art: The Artistic Path of Father Sophrony1 – Sister Gabriela’s monograph on the artistic journey and iconographic legacy of Elder Sophrony.…

Benedict Sheehan: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (2018)

By Benedict Sheehan | December 6, 2018 |

Liturgical Music in America Liturgical music is closely bound up with the people that sing it. Language, history, culture, experience, education, social class, all of these things shape the sound-world of worship. The people that founded Orthodox parishes in America more than a century ago—for the most part, immigrants from Russia, Greece, Eastern Europe, and…

Church Architecture Doesn’t have to have the Same Objectives as Secular Architecture; An Interview with the Director of the Moscow Architectural Institute, Dimitry Shvidkovsky

By Dinara Gracheva | September 19, 2018

Editor’s note: This article is reposted from orthochristian.com. It describes the current process by which church architects are trained in Russia, and the prevailing attitudes towards style, tradition, and innovation, in this field. A fascinating read for anyone interested in the contemporary rebirth of Russian church architecture. – A. Gould Since 2016, the leading Russian…

The Task Fears the Maestro; Reflections on a Choral Master Class with Vladimir Gorbik

By Joseph Nakpil | October 17, 2017 |

There is a Russian adage which translates as “the task fears the master craftsman,”[*] meaning work goes well when one knows one’s business. In the case of the recent master class in choral singing and conducting, entitled The Performance and Interpretation of Russian Sacred Choral Music, one could easily change this adage to “the task…

Good Music Lifts Us Up Towards God

By Natalya Gorenok | August 3, 2017

(This interview with Russian conductor Vladimir Gorbik was first published in Pravoslavie i sovremennost, the official journal of the Diocese of Saratov, Russia) As previously reported in the Orthodox Arts Journal, a new symphony orchestra has been established in Moscow under the direction of Vladimir Gorbik—chief choirmaster of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Representation (Podvorye) in…

Notes on Method

By Fr. Silouan Justiniano | June 30, 2017 |

St. Mamas of Caesarea by Fr. Silouan Justiniano. Egg tempera on wood, 46 in. x 31 in. One has to know technique, but one also needs to know art. An icon should be like a ‘painting’, like a prayer written with beautiful letters…There are many craftsmen, but few real iconographers. Make an icon, a…

A Gospel Cover Crafted in the Tradition of a Medieval Treasure Binding

By Andrew Gould | May 26, 2017 |

I have always been fascinated by liturgical book bindings from the Middle Ages. Their perfect union of leather, wood and metal, as a supple and tactile work of functional art, is singularly satisfying. In contrast, there is something lacking in most contemporary gospel covers, which are normally made by applying decoration overtop the cardboard covers…

An Innovative Carved Icon of Archangel Gabriel – A Collaborative Work

By Andrew Gould | January 26, 2017 |

Occasionally Jonathan Pageau and I like to experiment with our work – to skirt the boundaries of historical precedent, to revive forgotten and archaic techniques, or to juxtapose ideas in new ways. This project, an elaborate mixed-media icon of Archangel Gabriel, is such an instance. It was not a commissioned project, but rather something we…

A Grave Cross for Father Matthew Baker

By Andrew Gould | November 14, 2016 |

When Jonathan Pageau and I were asked to make a grave cross for the late Fr. Matthew Baker, we were humbled by the task. Fr. Matthew was a beloved young priest, a prominent Orthodox thinker, and father of six children. His tragic death in an automobile accident on March 1st, 2015, on his way home…

Building a Simple and Beautiful Iconostasis for a Mission Church

By Andrew Gould | July 21, 2016 |

I have long felt that the iconostasis is the single most important element in an Orthodox church – perhaps more important even than the building itself. But tragically, in America, we have few really well-designed iconostases. This is especially so in mission churches, where iconostases are usually built by amateurs using plywood or worse (more…