Russians regain heritage through art exhibition

The Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia is displaying 92 iconic Russian works works painted between the 15th and 20th centuries. (Wikipedia)

By Moscow correspondent Scott Bevan

Posted Sun Mar 23, 2008 12:32pm AEDT Updated Sun Mar 23, 2008 12:41pm AEDT

On the Russian Orthodox calendar, Easter is still a month away, yet many Russians have been celebrating what they view as a very spiritual experience - the exhibition in Moscow of almost 100 religious icons.

The exhibition is called Heritage Regained and all the works featured have been bought overseas and returned to Russia.

As a choir of voices rises towards the heavens, it sounds like a church service and on the walls hang the finely painted faces of saints and martyrs, and religious stories swirl to life in an array of colours.

But this is not inside a cathedral - it's a hall of the Tretyakov Art Gallery and it's the opening night of an exhibition of icons, titled Heritage Regained.

Father Pavel is the Russian Orthodox Church's Archbishop of the Ryazan area, about four hours drive south-east of Moscow.

"Today is a really big event for all Russia, for the churches, for all our people," he said.

"Icons is not just paint, it's really spiritual icon and it is our spiritual treasure and I'm very glad."

Yet it's a treasure some wanted all for themselves, or for profit.

For much of the 20th century, many icons were stolen from churches, sold off and exported. Others were destroyed or disappeared during war time.

Disappearing past

Irina Shalina, the exhibition's curator, says with so many icons going overseas, Russia was losing not just valuable art but also its past.

"It's our native history, our native heritage," she said.

"The major part of our art has been destroyed, killed! So the regaining of what is still possible to save, the bits and pieces, seems very relevant."

This is what the Heritage Regained exhibition is about.

There are 92 works on display, painted between the 15th and 20th centuries, and all of them have been tracked down and bought overseas auctions or from private collections.

They were bought by three Russian collectors, who between them have paid out millions to bring the icons home.

Mikhail Elizaveten, a property developer, has lent about 20 works for this exhibition.

"I have in my collection more than 400 icons," he said.

He's been collecting for more than a quarter of a century, and while icons are rapidly increasing in value, he says that's not why he buys them.

"During the Soviet era, the majority of works were taken away, and people felt as if they were robbed and suffered spiritual trauma," he said.

Now with the icons' return, the trauma is being healed.

Step-by-step process

But to the Russian Orthodox Church's Father Pavel, the healing and the spiritual homecoming is not yet complete.

He wants to see all icons returned to the churches and monasteries where they were originally displayed.

"As a Priest, as a Bishop, I understand icons must be in the church but it's step by step," he said.

However, icons expert Ms Shalina understands that sentiment.

"Our mission is to preserve them for future generations but that can only happen in the museums," she said.

Most of the icons in this exhibition are already housed in a privately funded museum, and Mr Elizaveten wants to do the same with his collection, so that all Russians can see the works and be moved by them.

"For me, he says, the returned masterpieces mean the revival of spirituality in our people," he said.

He is a firm believer that by regaining this heritage, it helps people understand what it means to be Russian.

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