A Scholarly Book on Russian Icons to Study Late Icon Painting
The recently published book “Russian Icons: The Oleg Kushnirskiy Collection” is valuable in many senses. First, it is a comprehensive record of a private icon collection with immense artistic value. Second, it is a scholarly book on Russian icons that informs in-depth research in the field of Old Believer iconography and late icon painting overall. Let’s take a look at the scientific foundation of the publication in this article.
Decades of Collecting in a Single Book
The most evident value of the book is its comprehensive coverage of a collection spanning centuries of icon painting tradition. Oleg Kushnirskiy developed his interest in Russian icons many years ago, building his collection from scratch and interacting with the most influential researchers, dealers and collectors in the field. The resulting collection of 60 antique icons has laid the foundation for further in-depth study of Old Believers’ spiritual practices and their distinct iconography. The Kushnirskiy collection is particularly centered on the Resurrection and Descent into Hell theme, providing a comprehensive study manual to researchers and scholars.
How the Scholarly Book on Russian Icons Fills a Gap in Iconography Research
Russian Icons: The Oleg Kushnirskiy Collection is not just a presentation of a private collection of icons. Expert commentary by the leading Russian and international experts, including Dr. Wendy R. Salmond, Dr. Alek D. Epstein, and Anna Ivannikova, among others, informs serious scholarly inquiry into the historical trajectory of late Russian icon painting.
Icon researchers will notice that the book’s most significant contribution is in the focus on a historically neglected period – Imperial Russia and the early 20th century. Russian Icons: The Oleg Kushnirskiy Collection shapes a coherent narrative of the history of Russian icon painting that was divergent from the mainstream Orthodox tradition, spanning 18th—early 20th centuries for the breadth of coverage and analytical insight. Lots of scholarly publications are available on the medieval Russian icons, created before the 17th century, but the Imperial-period iconography enjoys far less scholarly coverage both in Russia and beyond.
The reason for this negligence has traditionally been seen in the artistic inferiority and commercialization of icon painting during that period. Yet, Russian Icons: The Oleg Kushnirskiy Collection challenges this view by explicating the diversity of icon painting styles and the technical mastery of Mstyora, Palekh, and Kholuy icon painters.
The English edition of the book was published in 2025, making Russian icon studies accessible for English-speaking students and researchers. The scholarly book on Russian icons is available for sale on our website, with multiple shipping options worldwide.