The Intercession of St George the Great Martyr and Conqueror: The Guardian Angel of Russia during the Terrible Trial of 1941-45 (anonymous, 2009). I apologise for the resolution of this image… it’s the only downloadable one I could find.
An art exhibition dedicated to St George the all-Victorious, one of the most revered saints in Russia, opened in Kaluga
On 6 May, the art exhibition Торжество добра (The Triumph of Goodness) opened in Kaluga on the feastday of one of the most venerated saints in Russia, St George the all-Victorious. Over the centuries, people thought of him as the Guardian Angel of Russia; he has been considered the patron saint of Russian warriors for many years. On the eve of the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory over the Fascists, the organisers wanted to emphasise the substantive reality of the Holy Martyr. In all, the project involved more than 60 Russian artists. The theme of the competition that is part of the exhibition is “St George and the Dragon”. It’s probably the most famous story about the saint, it symbolises the victory of good over evil. Incidentally, this image is on the coat of arms of Moscow.
St George: From the Series “12 Good Works” (Yekaterna Medvedeva, 2007)
Of course, every artist represented at the exhibition has his own vision of the image, his own individual taste, and his own style. Yekaterina Medvedeva portrayed a primitivistic St George, a child-like image from a fairy tale; Yevgenia Kokoreva drew an expressive sketch of a tragic character, the saint sent aid to the prisoners of fascist concentration camps. Yevgenia Kudrina created a sculpture from a block of old wood, she gave us a stern warrior in a high cap sitting on a small horse with a spear… the dragon is made of wire and is barely visible, just as it is hard to discern evil in real life, but the lance of St George does not miss him.
St George: From the Series “12 Good Works” (Yevgenia Kokoreva, 2010)
A unique icon, created by icon St George Meshchovsk Monastery near Kaluga, is the centrepiece of the exhibition Even the title of the work is unusual, The Intercession of St George the Great Martyr and Conqueror: The Guardian Angel of Russia during the Terrible Trial of 1941-45. This icon, if we use the language of secular art criticism, is a half-length portrait of St George surrounded by so-called vignettes, anecdotal portrayals.
St George: From the Series “12 Good Works” (Yevgenia Kudrina, 2009)
Fr Georgy, the abbot of the monastery where it was created, noted, “The organisers themselves were not fully aware of the fullness of the size and depth of the project. They didn’t imagine that it would turn into a judgment and assessment of contemporary mankind. St George has been a symbol of Russia since ancient times. As each person has a guardian angel, so Russia as a whole has a defender in St George. We venerate him and give him thanks for taking all of Russia under his wings in the terrible time of the war against Hitlerite fascism. Therefore, the vignettes surrounding the main icon portray seven historical events telling us how Great Martyr George helped Russia”.
St George and the Dragon: From the Series “12 Good Works” (Sergei Kuzin, 2007)
He went on to say, “For example, the 900-day Nazi siege of Leningrad was lifted on the feastday of St Nina the Equal-to-the-Apostles. She was a cousin of the Great Martyr George, one of the vignettes calls her his sister, and she is shown breaking the blockade to bring aid to the starving people [of Leningrad]. Soviet troops launched their counteroffensive in the Battle of Moscow on the feastday of the Archangel Michael. On another vignette, St George the all-Victorious can be seen asking for the help [of St Michael], “The Lord has entrusted to me this power, so that I can be their protector”.
St George: The Struggle: From the Series “12 Good Works” (Viktor Burtas, 2008)
In conclusion, Igumen Georgy said, “St George the all-Victorious, along with the Archangel Michael helped the Russian soldiers to strike the foe. In the battle for Königsberg, now Kaliningrad, St George called upon the assistance of the very Queen of Heaven. Together with the angels, she descended from heaven, all shrouded in mist, and the weapons of the Fascists fell silent… Indeed, over the image of the Great Martyr, the Assembly of all the Russian Saints, headed by St George, implores the Mother of God, ‘Do not abandon Great Russia!’”
St George: From the Series “12 Good Works” (Yuri Popkov, 2009)
Many people sincerely believe in the miracles that came from the intercession of St George, for others he is a nothing but a symbolic image. However, for the artists, there is no doubt that he was a source of inspiration.
7 May 2010
Karina Ivashko
Voice of Russia World Service
http://rus.ruvr.ru/2010/05/07/7494901.html
Editor’s Note:
Here is an example of how the revival in Russia is touching all facets of life. Indeed, Orthodoxy is so much more than a religion; it is so much more than just services or lives of saints (important as they are). Orthodoxy is more than just the heavenlies… it’s the earthlies as well… otherwise, you are nothing but a strutting and preening Gnostic, obvious to everyone but yourself.
By their fruits ye shall know them!
Look at the fruits of the revival in Russia… churches reopening, people being baptised, Easter being celebrated, the icon corner in the house restored, kids learning about God… it’s a GOOD beginning! Look at who’s coming to Christ… painters, rockers, bikers, cosmonauts, politicians, ordinary folk… just about all kinds, no? Pluck one fruit from the tree and taste it… ain’t it great?
In comparison, you have konvertsy who think that they can separate the faith from its cultural background. Congratulations, fools… you KILLED IT. Instead of lived Orthodoxy, there is a oddball combination of Evangelical Anglican and Radical Proddie notions unfit for real Christians. You don’t have to taste this fruit… just look at it! YUCK!! I’m not even touching it… let alone taste it… I’d gag and die!
You can have Living Orthodoxy, as embodied in this art exhibition, or, you can have Notional Orthodoxy, as embodied by the stuck-up pseudo-academics at SVS (along with the bunch at New Skete and Platina) and their airy-fairy writings. You pays your money and you takes your choice. I’ve made mine… hey, that ain’t fair… are you telling me it’s that obvious? Sheesh… you’re no fun. Well, here’s to me, here’s to you, and to the devil with all those who fling poo at the Tradition!
BMD
Voices from Russia 
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