Founders of Russian Icon Collection Support the Publication of Art Books
Industry: Art & Design
The founders of Russian Icon Collection have sponsored the publication of two art books, both dedicated to significant yet very different collections.
New York, NY (PRUnderground) November 28th, 2022
The founders of Russian Icon Collection, Ilya and Oleg Kushnirsky, made it possible for the two important art books to be issued later this year. The first book is titled “Kenda and Jacob Bar-Gera and their Unique Collection: The Untold Story of Passion for Art and Dedication to Building Bridges.” It tells a compelling story about the collection of Russian post-WWII artworks assembled by Kenda and Jacob Bar-Gera, famous Israeli collectors who were also Holocaust survivors. The second book is “Russian Icon.” It is made in the form of a catalog of old and rare 18th-19th-century Russian icons that were brought together with the efforts of the experienced collector Oleg Kushnirsky.
“Kenda and Jacob Bar-Gera and their Unique Collection: The Untold Story of Passion for Art and Dedication to Building Bridges” was authored by the Russian-Israeli sociologist of culture and politics Dr. Alek D. Epstein and the art historian Sofia Birina. The Polish-born Israeli couple, Kenda and Jacob Bar-Gera, built the collection between 1967-1991. Back then, it was one of the leading tributes to Russian non-conformist art outside the Soviet Union. In the 1990s, it was first introduced to the Russian audience when works by Ilya Kabakov, Dmitry Krasnopevtsev, Oscar Rabin, Vladimir Nemukhin, Mikhail Shvartsman, and other notable artists featured in the collection were shown at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, the Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg, and other institutions around the country. When published, the book will become a remarkable tribute to the life of the Bar-Gera couple and their vital role and contribution to the development of Russian culture within the Western context.
“Russian Icon,” another book sponsored by Ilya and Oleg Kushnirsky, is markedly different but no less important. The catalog was brought together during the course of several decades and presents rare and exclusive religious art pieces made in the most influential iconographic centers of the Russian Empire, including Mstyora, Palekh, and Kholuy. All the icons in the book are accompanied by articles written by Anna Ivannikova, an expert in the history of Russian icon art of the Imperial era, and Dr. Wendy Salmond, a scholar of Russian and Soviet art, architecture, and design. Dr. Alek D. Epstein and the Russian icon expert and collector Sergey Khodorkovskiy also took part in the creation of the book. “Russian Icon” explores the stylistic and iconographic variances of Russian religious art, which elevates the discourse about the influence of iconography on the culture and art of the country, its nation, and its future.
Thanks to the founders of Russian Icon Collection, Ilya and Oleg Kushnirsky, the books are scheduled to be released by the end of 2022. Both will be available in English and Russian languages.
About Russian Icon Collection
Founded by Oleg Kushnirskiy, Russian Icon Collection is one of the leading online galleries of antique Russian icons. It represents the most accurate compilation of all the knowledge and expertise gained from many years of collecting and selling rare and famous religious icons of museum quality. Initially created to preserve this sacred form of art and to display the true masterpieces of Eastern Orthodox iconography, Russian Icon Collection has become a reliable place where everyone can enjoy and sell authentic antique icons and religious artifacts.