Culture and Church: “Holy Russia” exhibition kicks off in St. Petersburg

From October 27th 2011 through January 20 2012 St. Michael’s Castle (St. Petersburg) is running “Holy Russia” exhibition which celebrates the culture of ancient Russia.

The exhibition showcases over 350 works dated between 10th century – beginning 18th century from 19 museums, libraries and archives of Russia. The creative role of the Orthodoxy in the history of the Russian State is revealed by unique examples of icon-painting, jewelry art, needlework, applied arts, sculpture, rare manuscripts, printed books, and birch bark letters.

For the first time masterpieces by Russian masters are brought together within a common exposition space to create an impressive, large-scale and complete picture of art in old-time Russia from the very beginning till the epoch of Peter the Great. The highlights of the exhibition include a fragment of the Ostromir Gospel dated to 1056, the Krater (chalice intended for Eucharist vine) from Novgorod of 11th century, the Icon of Vladimir Mother of God of the time of Andrei Rublev, the Gospel of 1507, the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh shroud and unique works of the European art.

The thematic sections of the exhibition are called to re-create the solemn and enlightened image of the Holy Russia and share with the modern viewer the eternal spiritual values and the ethical ideals of the Russian Orthodox culture.

The exhibition has been organized on the initiative of the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev.