Russian Icon

Dmitry Igorevich Antonov – Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor at RSUH, Director of the Center for Visual Studies of the Middle Ages and Modern Times at the Faculty of Cultural Studies at RSUH, Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Theoretical Folklore Studies at RANEPA. Author of the books "Nimb and Cross: How to Read Russian Icons", "Tsars and Pretenders: The Struggle of Ideas in Russia During the Time of Troubles", "Icons of the Soviet Era: Faces of Tradition" (co-authored with D. Yu. Doronin), "Anatomy of Hell: A Guide to Ancient Russian Visual Demonology" (co-authored with M. R. Maizuls), "Demons and Sinners in Ancient Russian Iconography: Semiotics of the Image" (co-authored with M. R. Maizuls). What you have in front of you is not an ordinary encyclopedia on Russian icon painting. The main goal of this book is to provide readers with keys that will allow them to navigate the world of icons and wall paintings. To understand the logic of the images and see the information hidden in the details. The author step by step shows how to "read" icons and how to deal with interesting nuances that are hidden in each plot. The first chapter describes the geometric principles that allow icon painters to tell about space and depicted objects. In the subsequent chapters, the discussion is about signs – subtle elements from which any visual story is constructed, and about motifs that recur in different compositions. Finally, in the last chapter, the author examines unusual variations of some plots. The book will be interesting both for those who want to gain general knowledge about Russian icon painting and for those who are professionally engaged in the history of culture, art, and religion.