April 22, 2025. Almaty. With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the opening of the exhibition Contemporary Iconography of Kazakhstan: Essence and Form took place in the foyer of the Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) Spiritual and Cultural Center.
The exhibition is dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the canonical establishment of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District.
The event was organized by the Culture Department of the Metropolitan District in cooperation with the “Malachite” Icon Painting Workshop of the Almaty Diocese.
The opening ceremony was led by Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan.
Attending the event were: the Vicars of the Astana Diocese – Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan and Bishop Veniamin of Talgar; Dean of the Churches of Almaty and Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, Protopriest Valery Zakharov; Rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”, Protopriest Evgeny Vorobyev; Keykeeper of the Nativity of Christ Cathedral, Protopriest Alexander Gaychenya; Rector of the Theophany Church, Protopriest Valery Shavrin; Rector of St. Paraskeva Church, Protopriest Ioann Lopatin; Keykeeper of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Protopriest Kirill Shklyar; clergy department heads and deans of the Almaty Diocese; rectors and clergy of Almaty churches.
Also present were staff of the Almaty Diocesan Administration, professors and students of the Almaty Seminary, and parishioners from across the city.
Guests of the presentation included representatives of the scientific and creative intelligentsia, art historians, and journalists.
The welcoming address was delivered by Priest Ioann Livinsky, Vice-Rector for Educational Affairs of the Almaty Theological Seminary.
Following that, one of the organizers of the event, Deacon Andrey Pleten, head of the “Malachite” icon workshop, introduced the exhibition’s concept and gave a guided tour.
The exhibition features icons and mosaics created by the leading contemporary iconographers of Almaty. Sixteen iconographers and three restorers participated in the exhibition. The collection includes icons of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Theotokos, ancient saints, and righteous ones of the 20th century. The authors, each working in their own distinct style, are united by their faithfulness to ancient canons and a deep understanding of the connection between visual form and the theology of the image.
At the conclusion of the event, Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen thanked the organizers for their dedicated work and expressed his hope that the exhibition would help visitors discover the rich world of ecclesiastical artistic heritage.
In recognition of their contributions to the cultural and educational projects of the Almaty Diocese, the Chancellor of the Metropolitan District presented official letters of gratitude from the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, to Professor Olga Baturina, Ph.D. in Art History and faculty member of the “History and Theory of Fine Art” Department at the T. Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts, and to renowned Kazakhstani artist Pavel Belov.
The Contemporary Iconography of Kazakhstan: Essence and Form exhibition will be open to the public until May 22. Admission is free.
Main
Login or register, to write a comment!
Your comment has been successfully added and is currently being reviewed by the site administration