Images of Saints in the Refectory created by Heorhiy Popov

(in commemoration of the 970th anniversary of the first Chronicle about Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra)

Dear friends!

Today’s release of “Artistic Heritage” of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra continues the story about the images of saints painted in the Church of Sts. Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk (Refectory) by Heorhiy Popov.

Talking about these images one could apply the concept of “monumentality” to them. It is clearly enforced by the author’s thoughtfulness and conciseness, which, in turn, link our thoughts and feelings with the national heritage of the past.

The main feature that Heorhiy Popov learned from Viktor Vasnetsov (a famous artist, who painted frescos in St. Volodymyr Cathedral in Kyiv) was a portrait approach. It is well known that Vasnetsov “breathed” an expressive portraiture to some of his characters so that they became very identical to the real persons. Take, for example, the composition “Christianization” and the face of Prince Volodymyr in it. One would easly recognize the face of philosopher Volodymyr Solovyov in that appearance.

Though all six characters painted by Heorhiy Popov are characterized by portrait features, they look different. The faces of Sts. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Basil the Great and John Chrysostom have the imprint of visual “kinship” with similar characters in Vasnetsov’s composition. At the same time, the portrait individuality in the faces of Sts. James the Brother of God and Gregory the Theologian was not barrowed but achieved by Popov independently. One more interesting detail is that the Slavic type and specific appearance of Gregory the Theologian evoke persistent associations with the appearance of the Russian writer Fedir Dostoyevsky.

The features of Pope Gregory Dialogos, the sixth saint depicted by Hrehoriy Popov on the walls of the altar, are more typical of the artist’s earlier compositions. Some apostles in the Gospel scenes of the Refectory as well as the character in the composition “Virgin Mary presents the Dormition icon to the Greek brothers in Blachernai” (created by Popov at the end of the 19th century for the Dormition Cathedral) have similar “average” look.

Prepared by Olena Pitateleva 
Senior research associate
Research Division of tudying Artistic Heritage of National Preserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” 

Captions to the illustrations:
1. Hrihoriy Popov. St. Gregory the Theologian. Painting of the Church of Sts. Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk. Early 20th century.
2. Hrihoriy Popov. St. Basil the Great and Pope Gregory Dialogos. Painting of the Church of Sts. Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk. Early 20th century