A Lecture “Heaven and fabrics: iconography, liturgical practice, historical development” took place in the MThA library.

On January 20 th Julia Matveeva, PhD in study of art, gave her first lecture on “Heaven and fabrics: iconography, liturgical practice, historical development” which took place in the MThA library. 

Julia’s series of lectures “Fabrics of forgotten meanings in iconography, custom, tradition” were organized by an embroidery department of an icon painting faculty of the Moscow Theological Academy, a stitching shop “Sen” and an MThA library.

The lecturer told about the development and a prefiguration of liturgical fabrics such as veils. As Julia pointed out the veil of the altar (katapetasma) had been an image of the Holy Sepulcher stone and later signified the whole Church. 

Also Julia presented different types of church fabrics and described their symbolic meaning as the grace of God and His divine intercession. We can find related images in iconography of an upper part of an apse or a dome. Later the symbols of the divine protection appeared in ciboriums and canopies.

Следующие лекции пройдут 21, 22 и 23 января в Библиотеке Московской духовной академии. Начало в 17:30.

Background information:

Julia Matveeva, PhD in study of art, Assistant professor of a design and fine art department of the Harkov State University by A.M. Beketov, has been studying Christian art for more than 20 years and has become an author of more than sixty publications the majority of which dedicated to the history of church fabrics.

MThA Press Office