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Russian Artists on Mouth Athos

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Russian Artists on Mouth Athos


23.11.2015

During their visit to Mount Athos in the run-up to the bilateral Year of Culture in Russia and Greece, Moscow artists together with Father Anton Ilyin, representative of the Russkiy Mir Foundation, proposed to organize a series of plein-air painting trips in Greece. The initiative received approval from Protoiereus Simeon and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

Photo: A. Zhuchkov
In October and early November of 2015, Moscow artists made several trips to Mount Athos with the support of the Russkiy Mir Foundation. A number of groups including famous painters, academy members and professors of leading art schools made nine-day trips to Greece and Mount Athos. Inspired by breathtaking landscapes, ancient monasteries and beautiful monuments of history forever embedded in their memory, artists created a large number of unique works and collected a lot of materials for their future projects and endeavors.

Russian artists received a warm welcome in Greece. They were given a chance to see unique and obscure places, take a close look at ancient frescoes and modern wall paintings, while artists themselves shared their experiences and opinions on painting techniques and approaches to restoration. They spoke with monastery hegumens, monks and elders.

Artists visited 12 monasteries, 5 monastic communities and several monks’ cells, as well as famous historic places on Mount Athos and in Thessaloniki in the course of the 3 trips. Every time, they went on tours across monasteries, museums, ancient libraries and icon and restoration workshops.

 Photo: A. Zhuchkov Although it was rather cold in Moscow, artists saw nothing but warm and comfortable weather in all their trips across Mount Athos. The second group consisted of academy members and folk artists (mostly elderly ones) who decided to visit only the most ancient and famous monasteries to work as much as possible.

The third group moved much more often, coming to Ouranoupoli after Thessaloniki. They visited a large number of monasteries and monastic communities.

Everyone was very impressed with their trips. Inspired and determined, artists proceeded to create monumental works and sculptures and prepare for the exhibition. The first of the planned events will be held on Christmas at the Institute of World Heritage in Moscow with the support of the Russkiy Mir Foundation. Next Easter, another, even more ambitious project will be implemented at the Russian Academy of Arts.

Despite the difficulties, five monks from Mount Athos decided to take part in the exhibition. It will make the event richer and more interesting.

 Photo: A. Zhuchkov
At the same time, a meeting with Russian diplomats took place in Athens. The diplomats promised to facilitate and support the project in Greece. In late October, the initiative was presented to Mikhail Shvydkoy, Russian President’s Special Representative for International Cultural Cooperation, who supported and approved the project.

As of this moment, negotiations are underway with the most famous exhibition halls in Athens and Thessaloniki with the purpose of organizing and hosting a series of exhibitions. During their trips, artists were accompanied by well-known photographers who provided them with rich and unique materials. The materials will be used for the bilingual catalogue commemorating the Easter exhibition.

From the very beginning, artists agreed to offer gifts to every monastery on Mount Athos as soon as the exhibitions are held. Some of the participants expressed their wish to produce a series of artworks and organize personal exhibitions dedicated to Mount Athos.

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