May 20, 2024

The Oleg Kushnirskiy Collection Catalog Presented at the Museum of Christian Culture

On May 10, a presentation of the book “Russian Icons from the Mid-17th to the Early 20th Centuries: The Collection of Oleg Kushnirskiy” took place at the Museum of Christian Culture in Saint Petersburg. This event is of special significance for the collection because it occurred in the city where Oleg Kushnirskiy’s fascination with Russian religious painting began, along with his initial steps as a collector.

The evening was opened by Yana Goloshchapova, who welcomed the guests on behalf of the Museum of Christian Culture and the “Heritage” multifunctional complex. “I would like to express my gratitude for this book. The missions of Oleg Kushnirskiy and our museum are similar—to reveal the most significant pages of icon painting to the public and to promote the history of Russian religious painting,” she remarked. “This makes today’s event particularly valuable for us.”

Then, Ilya Kushnirskiy, the director and producer of the collection and son of Oleg Kushnirskiy, took the floor. He shared childhood memories of his father’s early fascination with icons. “I remember how he, working as a photographer in Leningrad, would interact with antique dealers, buying and exchanging icons with them. Sometimes he would bring them home. I didn’t understand the essence of these items, but I found it fascinating to look at them. For me, there was a sense of magic,” Ilya Kushnirskiy recounted.

“Later, after emigrating to the USA in the early 1990s, my father began to assemble a new collection. At that time, everyone was eager to acquire early Russian icons. Later period icons were often considered of secondary interest. However, my father saw value in them and was one of the few who truly appreciated their beauty. He purchased items in the most unexpected places—in various homes and families where it was hard to imagine anything valuable being present. Icons could have been kept in these families since the early 20th century, passed down from generation to generation.”

The next speaker was Anna Ivannikova, the author of the catalog, a specialist in Russian iconography of the 18th to 20th centuries, and an expert at the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation who also curates the late iconography collection at the State Hermitage.

“As Ilya highlighted, the assembly of this collection in the 1990s and early 2000s occurred during a period when the interest in late Russian icons was not yet strongly pronounced,” said Anna Ivannikova. “At the same time, Palekh iconography has always been valued among collectors, making Oleg Kushnirskiy’s passion for Palekh icons quite logical.”

Anna continued, “The catalog, which includes detailed descriptions of all fifty icons in the collection, also features three introductory articles. These articles explore the journey of the Russian icon to America and the paths it took—a complex history starting from the 1920s involving several waves of icon exportation from Russia and varying levels of interest in this art form. In short, the catalog addresses almost the entire history associated with the Russian icon over the last century.”

Irina Shalina, an expert on cultural values at the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and a leading research fellow at the State Russian Museum, highlighted the contribution of private collectors to the preservation of Russian icons. “Whenever we reflect on the fate of Russian icons, we must acknowledge that these activities have thrived not thanks to the state, but rather in spite of it,” she said. “There have always been connoisseurs and enthusiasts who dedicated all their financial resources, time, and energy to collecting icons at home.” 

The expert also shared her experiences working with private collectors.

“My primary insights into icon study have come from interactions with collectors, particularly those academically inclined individuals who began publishing catalogs and assembling serious experts for further research. I have never encountered such expressions of devotion to icons within the walls of a museum as I have among these collectors,” the expert confessed.

Irina Shalina highlighted the collaboration between art historian Anna Ivannikova and the collector: “A young specialist begins to study a significant collection upon meeting a collector. As she delves deeper into her work, she grows professionally and eventually becomes our country’s leading expert on late icons. I believe such partnerships between collectors and specialists are immensely significant.”

Also present at the presentation was Rimma Shchipina, a philosopher and a member of the Union of Restorers of Russia.

“This collection skillfully challenges several clichés. One, which I often address as a professor, is the belief that 18th-century Russian icons were heavily influenced by Western European styles. Another is the “dual faith” theory, which has become entrenched in our collective consciousness and is not always justified. In my view, the interpretation of this collection is as complex and varied as the articles included in the catalog.”

Rimma Shchipina paid tribute to “the compilers, consultants, and researchers of the collection,” adding, “This magnificent assembly and the diversity of stylistic tendencies it displays prove the viability of the canon and the remarkable spiritual focus of this period of art.”

Oleg Kushnirskiy’s friend and fellow collector, Sergey Khodorkovskiy, praised the exceptional quality of the published book. “In the West, numerous catalogs of private collections and international exhibitions of icons have been released. However, when reviewing these catalogs, I often found errors such as incorrect dating and descriptions, which always disappointed me as a collector,” he shared. “Oleg and Ilya approached this project with great responsibility. The book is informative, with accurate and correct attributions, and high-quality printing. It will undoubtedly be a valuable source of information for art historians, restorers, artists, and collectors.”

Next, Oksana Lysenko, a senior research fellow at the State Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Tatarstan, spoke. “Oleg Semyonovich and Ilya Olegovich Kushnirskiy deeply appreciate the importance of studying their collection. It is quite significant that Anna Ivannikova, an excellent specialist in 18th-19th century iconography, authored this catalog. The work we are privileged to see and study today is the result of a fruitful collaboration between a collector and a scholar,” she emphasized. “Often, collection owners eager to publish may turn to non-specialists. However, this catalog contributes both to academic knowledge and to the preservation of cultural heritage.”

Concluding the presentation, Valentin Skurlov, an art historian, historian of jewelry art, honorary academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, and scientific secretary of the Fabergé Memorial Foundation, presented the Order of “For Merit in Orthodox Art.” This honor, given by the Fabergé Foundation to Oleg Kushnirskiy, recognizes “his special merits in the creation of the Orthodox icon collection, many years of creative activity, and the publication of the book ‘Russian Icon from the Mid-17th to the Early 20th Centuries.'” Previously, thirty-five individuals noted for their significant contributions to heritage preservation have received the foundation’s most prestigious award. “I hope you continue to enrich and promote the collection. This mission is crucial, especially in our times,” said Valentin Skurlov.