The Current State of Russian Folk Icon Painting – Kondakov Nikodim P. (2022)

In 1901, Nikodim Pavlovič Kondakov, one of the founders of art history in Russia and a specialist in medieval art, decided to undertake a surprising expedition. Driven by the desire to see with his own eyes the last places where pious images – the famous icons – were traditionally produced, he boldly set out on the bumpy and uncertain roads of the Russian countryside. The book you hold in your hands, which was first published in 1901 and is now available to an international audience, is much more than just a description of his journey. It guides the reader through pre-revolutionary Russia, where Kondakov travels for local production and seeks truly Orthodox expressions of art, which he believes stretches back to the medieval past. With his very personal style, Kondakov ultimately embarks on a journey to save the ancient art of icons, hoping to preserve an artistic form that is fading under the competition of industrial production. Today, this book is more relevant than ever, as it questions the roots of Russian culture, tradition, and the sense of its exclusivity. It also includes texts by leading experts on Russian and Byzantine art and illustrations by contemporary comic artist Michele Foletti.