The book titled “Russian Icons from the Mid-17th to the Early 20th Centuries: The Collection of Oleg Kushnirskiy” is finally out! Published by “EKSMO,” with the support of the art logistics company Fine Art Shippers, it is the first-ever catalog of Oleg Kushnirskiy’s private collection. The book presents a collection of rare Russian religious artworks to the public for the first time ever. It features high-quality images of the icons, along with descriptions and historical information about them, which makes it a great introduction to the world of Orthodox art. The catalog aims to educate the wider audience about the artistry of Russian icon art.

The First Russian Icon Collection Catalog Is Finally Out! 

The book contains images of forty-six icons from the mid-17th to the early 20th century. Most of them are smaller pieces depicting religious motifs, figures, and events. The majority of the featured icons are dedicated to the scene of “The Resurrection – The Harrowing of Hades,” which was one of the most popular subjects for Orthodox icons in Imperial Russia.

Many professionals in the area of ancient Russian art were involved in the production of the book. Anna Ivannikova, Russia’s Culture Ministry expert in ancient Russian art, prepared the catalog and wrote an academic article for the book. She has experience working as an icon collection curator at the Department of Ancient Russian Art at the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg and was an academic secretary at the Museum of Russian Icon in Moscow.

The other two articles featured in the catalog were written by Wendy Salmond, an art historian at Chapman University, and the Israeli sociologist and cultural researcher Alek D. Epstein. Sofia Birina, an art historian and art director of the Russian Icon Collection, was the editor of the book. The collection presented in the catalog was extremely thoroughly organized and described by scholars and experts in religious art.

Many notable individuals of significant influence in the art industry provided their support during the process of book creation. Among them are Nikolay Zadorozhny, the director of the Museum of Russian Icon in Moscow, and Sergey Khodorkovskiy, a reputable icon collector.

“Russian Icons from the Mid-17th to the Early 20th Centuries: The Collection of Oleg Kushnirskiy” is already available for purchase. It has been released in a limited edition and can be found at labirint.ru, book24.ru, chitai-gorod.ru, bgshop.ru, and other stores.