Introducing Russian Icon Collection – A Book on Russian Icon Art

Russian Icon, an online gallery dedicated to Russian icon art and Christian antiquities, is pleased to introduce Russian Icon Collection, a book created in collaboration with the leading experts in Russian art and the Museum of the Russian Icon in Moscow. Russian Icon Collection presents a selection of some of the best 18th- and 19th-century Russian icons from the private collections, with detailed descriptions and high-resolution images. It is a result of a two-year research process and a compilation of knowledge on Russian icon art, brought together during the course of several decades.

About Russian Icon Collection

As the name suggests, Russian Icon Collection is a collection of Russian icons, each carefully studied, evaluated, and described by some of the most reputable specialists in Russian icon art. Russian Icon had the pleasure of working with Sergey Khodorkovskiy, a private collector and dealer with a passion for antique Russian icons, and Anna Ivannikova, an outstanding expert in the history of Russian icon art of the Imperial era, whose knowledge became the basis for creating the book.

Russian Icon Collection includes antique Russian icons created in Palekh, Kholuy, Mstyora, and other important iconographic centers of the Russian Empire. The highlight of the Collection is a wide range of Russian icons depicting the scene of The Resurrection – The Harrowing of Hades, which was very popular among all social classes in the 18th-19th centuries. Some of the most notable examples of the Russian icon art presented in the book were created in the “miniature” painting style, with decorated architectural shapes, which was common to Palekh iconographers. Other highlights include rare, highly detailed Menaion icons, hagiographical icons of saints, and icons of the Tikhvin Mother of God and the Feodorovskaya Mother of God, among others.

Collaboration with the Museum of the Russian Icon

Russian Icon Collection is the first collaborative project between Russian Icon and the Museum of the Russian Icon in Moscow, the largest private museum of Christian art and Russian icons in Russia. The Museum was established by the businessman and art patron Mikhail Abramov in 2006. Unfortunately, Abramov died this past summer tragically, but his legacy lives on in Russian Icon Collection and the impressive collection of Byzantine and old Russian art, which can be seen in the Museum of the Russian Icon in Moscow. Visiting, lectures, guided tours conducted by the museum experts, and concerts are all free and available to everyone.

Russian Icon Collection in a PDF version can be downloaded at https://russianicon.com/. The printed version is expected to be released in the near future.

About Russian Icon Collection

Founded by Oleg Kushnirskiy, Russian Icon Collection is one of the leading online galleries of antique Russian icons. It represents the most accurate compilation of all the knowledge and expertise gained from many years of collecting and selling rare and famous religious icons of museum quality. Initially created to preserve this sacred form of art and to display the true masterpieces of Eastern Orthodox iconography, Russian Icon Collection has become a reliable place where everyone can enjoy and sell authentic antique icons and religious artifacts.