MThA Icon Painting Faculty Lecturer Participates in Iconographic Congress in India

From April 27 to 29, A.V. Zdanovich, a lecturer at the Icon Painting Faculty of the MThA, at the invitation of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, participated in the iconographic congress "Christian Iconography in the Indian Context" held at Art Village, Karjat Road, Karjat, Maharashtra State, India.

During the congress, Anna Vladimirovna gave presentations on the origins and characteristics of the Russian icon: on April 28, "Theological Understanding of the Formation of the Orthodox Icon in Russia," and on April 29, "The Study of Orthodox Iconography – The Russian Style." 

Also on April 30, Anna Vladimirovna conducted a masterclass: she painted, demonstrated the process of grinding pigments on glass, and answered questions about icon painting techniques.

During the discussions, participants addressed iconographic issues, reflected on the significance of the Christian artistic traditions of India's indigenous peoples, and considered theological questions. 

Over thirty reports were presented during the event. One of them, quite extensive, was on the theme of "The Holy Trinity" by St. Andrei Rublev. There were also presentations on icon styles – not only Russian, but also Greek and Coptic – and on symbolism in icons.

Participants included Christian clergy and artists. The atmosphere was very warm. Notably, local Christians show great interest in ancient icons: it turned out they were familiar with L.A. Uspensky's "Theology of the Icon of the Orthodox Church," and two of them are already painting icons in the Greek style.

On the final day, April 30, a meeting was held in Mumbai with Metropolitan Geevarghese Mar Coorilos of Mumbai (Malankara Church).

The MThA Icon Painting Faculty lecturer's trip was part of the activities of the Working Group for the Coordination of Bilateral Relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, co-chaired by the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, Bishop Kirill of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov.

The congress was organized by the "Detri" charitable educational foundation and the Department of External Church Relations of the Malankara Church. 

The aim of this event was to provide a platform for reflection and discussion on the significance of indigenous artistic traditions in the visual representation of Christianity. 

The organizers expressed hope that this initiative will develop into a sustainable platform for traditional Indian artists, academic interaction, learning, and reflection on contemporary issues faced by artists in India.

MThA Press Office