The Russian Icon Collection’s book titled “Russian Icons from the Mid-17th to the Early 20th Centuries: The Collection of Oleg Kushnirskiy” has been added to the collection of the Mstera Art Museum and is available for sale at the Ivanovo Regional Art Museum.

The Ivanovo region is the place where the Russian icon painting tradition thrived for a long time. The famous schools of icon painting that were founded there produced exceptional works of religious art, which stand out among many others due to their unique composition, stylistic features, and iconography. Mstera and Palekh, towns near modern-day Ivanovo, were also religious centers for so-called Old Believers in the 19th century.

The Ivanovo Regional Art Museum has a comprehensive collection of ancient artifacts, objects of cultural significance, and fine art by artists from Europe and Russia. It also has an exclusive selection of artworks from the Moscow and Stroganov art schools, as well as schools that originated in the Volga region. Besides, the Museum features a collection of icon paintings created in Palekh, Mstera, and Kholuy, known as the major centers of the Russian icon painting tradition.

The Mstera Art Museum has around 3,000 items in its collection, ranging from the 17th century to the present day. The Museum holds a permanent exhibition titled “The Art of Mstera,” tracing the history of material culture in Mstera. The Mstera region is renowned around the world for its traditional local craftsmanship and art forms, such as wooden carving, intricately painted decorative objects, whitework embroidery, and religious icons.

Russian Icon Collection’s catalog contains many icons that were created in the workshops of Palekh and Mstera and would fit perfectly in the two museums. “Russian Icons from the Mid-17th to the Early 20th Centuries: The Collection of Oleg Kushnirskiy” presents a collection of antique icons from the private collection of Oleg Kushnirskiy. The featured pieces are being revealed to the public for the first time. High-quality illustrations, along with descriptions of each icon and articles written by the leading scholars, are brought together to form an insightful and valuable publication that is easy for anyone to enjoy.

Russian Icon Collection’s book was released by the publishing house “EKSMO,” with support from the art logistics company Fine Art Shippers. It can be found in many libraries, bookstores, and museums both in the capital of Russia and its regions.

Russian Icon Collection is a project dedicated to preserving the beauty of Russian icon paintings and making information about it accessible to the public. It is open to collaborations with regional educational and cultural institutions that wish to support the cause.

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.