Icon Exhibition Opens In Dnipropetrovsk

According to the St. Nicholas Society, the charitable organization in Dnipropetrovsk which organized the event, this exhibition testifies to the renewal of the art of icon-painting in Ukraine. This news was posted by the electronic newspaper “Observer” on 22 May 2002.

The goal of the exhibition is to unite icon-painters from all over Ukraine in order to enhance communication and cooperation between them. Today, the renewal of the art of icon-painting is playing a significant role in Ukraine, since many churches are currently being built and restored. The tradition of icon-painting had been forgotten for 70 years in Ukraine, which does not have a single school of icon-painting with official church status. According to V. Kulychykhin, chief curator at the Dnipropetrovsk Museum of Arts, there are many interesting craftsmen in Ukraine who have mastered the technique of icon-painting, but are lacking the spirituality necessary for icon painters in all ages. He explained that this is why icons are often metaphorically called “theology in colors,” and icon painters are prophets whose work can be compared to that of apostles. It is expected that a catalog of present-day Ukrainian icons will be published on the basis of the exhibition. A seminar “The Contemporary School of Icon Painting” is also planned to be held in Dnipropetrovsk in June.