The Oleg Kushnirskiy Collection Featured in the Latest ICMA News
As the global art community shows growing interest in icons as a distinct art form, private icon collections are gaining greater visibility at the institutional level. One illustrative example is the recent inclusion of the Oleg Kushnirskiy collection of Old Believer icons in the Summer 2026 news bulletin of the International Center of Medieval Art (ICMA).
The Oleg Kushnirskiy Collection in the ICMA Newsletter
A thoughtful article by Jemma Paek examines the “Icons: Old Believers and Their World” exhibition at the Icon Museum and Study Center in Clinton, MA. The Oleg Kushnirskiy collection has been on display there since February 27, 2026, and will remain available for viewing until August 30.
In addition to offering a personal account of her visit, Jemma Paek explores the collection in detail, showing how the exhibition sheds light on an often-overlooked chapter in the history of Russian Orthodoxy. The author traces the historical significance, role, and value of Old Believer icons, from centuries of religious suppression to near-oblivion during the Soviet period and their remarkable revival in recent decades.
Those who have the opportunity to visit the museum can gain a deeper understanding of the exhibition through Paek’s writing. The author examines its three thematic chapters. “Humanity Redeemed” focuses on Old Believers’ sense of identity and the ways spiritual beliefs were communicated through icons. “Time Sanctified” explores Old Believer iconography as a commitment to preserving abandoned traditions. Finally, “All Things Made New” represents the culmination of this historical journey, highlighting the revival of Old Believer icon painting. The icons can also be studied in greater detail through an icon catalog available for purchase on the Russian Icon Collection website.
The Exhibition’s Philosophy
As Paek’s account demonstrates, the “Icons: Old Believers and Their World” exhibition goes far beyond a thematic display of religious art. Its curators, Dr. Elliott Mackin and Professor Justin Willson, have created an exhibition at the intersection of theology, history, and artistic tradition, making it accessible to both iconography specialists and the general public.
The Russian Icon Collection project extends special thanks to Jemma Paek, a PhD candidate in Harvard University’s Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures and the Hanns Swarzenski and Brigitte Horney Swarzenski Fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for her thoughtful commentary on the exhibition and its significance.
Her article offers an engaging perspective on the history of Old Believer iconography while placing the Oleg Kushnirskiy collection within the broader history of religious art.