An Art Catalog of Russian Orthodox Icons Is Available for Sale
There is no other source of Old Believer icon painting knowledge in the USA more comprehensive and informative than the recently published art catalog of Russian Orthodox icons from the Oleg Kushnirskiy collection. Apart from a visual presentation of the extensive icon collection, it contains unique scholarly insights and commentaries from Anna Ivannikova, Irina Shalina, Sergei Brun, Wendy Salmond, and Clemena Antonova—all internationally recognized experts in iconography.
Russian Icons in America: The First Catalog of Its Kind in English
Titled “Russian Icons in America,” the art catalog represents the culmination of many decades of Oleg Kushnirskiy’s collecting and systematizing work. The hardcover book has 324 pages in it, with 387 color illustrations and 47 black-and-white schemes spanning centuries of Russian icon painting legacy. The publication covers an in-depth discussion of the 17th–19th centuries as a distinct period of icon painting tradition development in Imperial Russia and the diversity of historical and creative influences that shaped the iconography of the epoch.
According to Nikolay Zadorozhny, icons of that period are unique because of the blend of Western tradition borrowings and the preservation of the Russian cultural core. That’s why icon cataloging and systematic scientific research enrich the existing iconographic legacy and contribute to the depth and scope of Russian icon studies of the 21st century. A separate contribution is the popularization of religious art through such cataloging projects, which brings Orthodox icons to the spotlight of not only narrow iconographic studies but also broad public appreciation.
The art catalog reflects the richness and systematic completeness of Oleg Kushnirskiy’s icon collection, giving it unprecedented value in the contemporary art world. Expert commentaries offer a glimpse of the turbulent history of religious art in Russia, from the tsars’ periods to the icon-collecting boom after the October Revolution and into the post-Soviet period. High-resolution, colorful images of Russian icons are accompanied by historically accurate and captivating stories about the story of icon creation, appreciation, and the rise of collecting efforts throughout the 20th century.
Religious Art Catalog as an Ultimate Source of Icon Knowledge
The catalog of Russian Orthodox icons was first published in 2023 in the Russian language. It served a broad range of research and enlightenment goals, finding strong support among the Russian iconography and historiography communities. Now, it is also available in English, becoming a vital source of knowledge for the international community of religious art researchers and collectors.
Apart from its unique scientific value, “Russian Icons in America” holds enormous significance as an artifact of an iconography researcher, offering insightful guidance and top-quality visual material for analysis and appreciation of Old Believers’ icon painting techniques and methods. The catalog can be ordered online, with multiple delivery options available.