The Catalog of Oleg Kushnirskiy’s Icon Collection Was Presented in Palekh

A presentation of the book “Russian Icons from the Mid-17th to the Early 20th Century. The Oleg Kushnirskiy Collection” took place in Palekh. The event, organized by Russian Icon Collection in collaboration with the State Museum of Palekh Art, was held in the art center “Masterskiye” (“Workshops”). Among the guests were the head of the Palekh district administration, the catalog’s authors, Palekh residents, and renowned Palekh artists. 

Dmitry Titov, a member of the Union of Artists of the Russian Federation and chairman of the Council of Deputies of the Palekh municipal district, was the first to make a welcoming speech: “On the eve of the centenary of the Palekh miniature, I am particularly pleased to open the presentation of the Oleg Kushnirskiy Collection, a collection gathered by bits and pieces over many years. Most of the icons featured in the collection originated on the Palekh land, in the homes of our fellow villagers – artists and icon painters – who made Palekh famous and who laid the foundation of lacquer miniature painting. It is, therefore, exceptionally pleasing to realize that the items presented in the book could have been painted somewhere nearby, on a neighboring street, or in a house next to you, and their authors could be distant relatives of someone present here tonight.”

Svetlana Lelyukhina, Head of the Palekh district, was the next to speak. “Today, we return to the origins – the ones on which Palekh emerged many centuries ago. This is a sign of revival not only of Palekh art but also of our mentality and our national code. All this is encapsulated here, in Palekh icons. It is especially nice to see many beautiful young faces at this event. It proves that we have a vibrant future and someone to move us forward,” she noted.

Vladimir Grishin, Deputy Chairman of the Regional Duma, congratulated everyone who attended the significant event of the catalog’s presentation: “Throughout the whole Soviet era, icons were exported from Russia. Today, thanks to this book, we embrace the icons that could have been lost. These monuments are the embodiment of Russian spirituality and cultural code. God grant that all we have today is preserved so that our future generations will have the opportunity to appreciate and respect Russian culture. Congratulations!”

Olga Kolesova, Director of the State Museum of Palekh Art, pointed to the importance of such collections and underlined the significance of exchanging information and results of scientific research: “Palekh icons in our museum serve as a reference point for attribution. However, we can’t embrace everything that Palekh masters created at different times. Each school has its own style-forming features. Palekh icon painters are distinguished by the variability of their iconographic style from work to work, which often makes it difficult to determine authorship. The icons from Oleg Kushnirskiy’s collection help us understand the Palekh iconography much better. Thank you very much for the book!”

Olga Kolesova, director of the State Museum of Palekh Art

Ilya Kushnirskiy, the collection’s director and producer, shared his personal story: “I spent two days in Palekh. I arrived yesterday, woke up early this morning, walked around, and I had a feeling that images from my childhood came to life in front of me. I recollected the moments when my father brought the icons home, and I could look at them endlessly; they mesmerized me so much. Many people abroad associate Palekh with caskets and miniatures, but for me, it has always been the icon, so it is a great joy to be here today.”

He added that he had lived in different countries, including in Latin America, and knows firsthand how much Russian icons and culture are appreciated abroad. Ilya also shared plans to digitize the collection and display it in museums around the world in both digital and physical formats. 

Ilya Kushnirskiy, director of the Collection

Then the word was given to the author of the catalog Anna Ivannikova, a specialist in Russian icon painting of the 18th-20th centuries, expert of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, and curator of the late icon painting collection at the State Hermitage Museum. She spoke about the peculiarities of Oleg Kushnirskiy’s collecting approach: “Since the collection was formed in America, mainly in the 1990s, it reflects not only its owner’s personal tastes but also broader taste preferences that dominated in the world, particularly in America, at that time. In the ‘90s, interest in the late Russian icon, mainly the works of the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, was far from pronounced yet. The antique boom on late icons began only in the early 2000s. Palekh was famous for its petty, miniature painting and lacquer miniatures, which ignited public interest in this art. Palekh art was clear and beautiful, fueling a desire to collect it,” she explained.

Anna Ivannikova, author of the catalog, curator of the late icon painting collection at the State Hermitage Museum

Irina Shalina, a Cultural Heritage expert at the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and leading researcher at the State Russian Museum, also drew attention to the boom in collectors’ interest in 19th and 20th-century icons, which has been observed over the past 30 years: “Nowadays, the overwhelming majority of collectors hunt for late art. However, the scientific study of these works has stalled a bit. It is time to unite scholarly efforts and iconography monuments from all private and museum collections to bring them together, at least, conceptually, and finally write the concise history of Palekh art”. She thanked Anna Ivannikova for her tremendous work on cataloging the collection, which, according to Irina Shalina, has become an important stage in the study of Palekh art. 

The collector and expert on Russian icons Sergei Khodorkovskiy, who has a long-standing friendship with Oleg Kushnirskiy, noted the catalog’s importance and its quality: “There have been many attempts to create such catalogs; I have seen many descriptions of foreign collections. But this is probably the best catalog of a foreign collection of all. It stands out for the quality of printing, competent description, and attribution accuracy. In my opinion, this is an important step that expands our understanding of Russian religious painting, including the Palekh icon.”

Sergei Khodorkovskiy, collector and Russian icons expert

“It is a pity that there is no possibility to bring this collection to Russia at present. However, I hope that the situation will change, and we’ll be able to see these works with our own eyes,” he added.

Yana Goloshchapova, Director of the Museum of Christian Culture and Executive Director of the RAUM Group of Companies, concluded the event. Following Olga Kolesova, she emphasized the importance of inter-museum and institutional cooperation. 

Yana Goloshchapova, director of the Museum of Christian Culture

“The Museum of Christian Culture opened its doors quite recently, in 2020. Our collection has more than a thousand exhibits. We tell the story of Christianity, starting with the great Emperor Constantine and ending with the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II. Recently, the presentation of the Oleg Kushnirskiy Collection was held in our museum in St. Petersburg. And now we are here, and not empty-handed. We have brought several icons from the Vladimir province, including Palekh and Mstera works. We are happy to be part of a big and important project. Thank God for everything,” said Yana Goloshchapova.