The Peredvizhniki artwork of Vladimir Makovsky combines with Petula Clark singing a Russian-themed song in French. Russian, English, and French, oh my! (It works, though. That is all that matters!!)
Thursday, 6 December 2007
The Last Battle. Dmitri Khvorostovsky
A moving song in tribute to fallen soldiers is matched with art by contemporary Russian students. It is sung by Dmitri Khvorostovsky with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. They have not forgotten… the motherland never forgets!
Ilya Repin. St Nicholas Prevents the Falsely-Accused from Being Executed. 1889
St Nicholas Prevents the Falsely-Accused from Being Executed (Ilya Repin, 1889)
Today is the feast of St Nicholas on the Roman calendar. For my Roman friends, I offer this picture of good St Nick (the real thing, not Santa!). As for Orthodox who use the Roman calendar, that is not a good thing, but, I agree with the late Archbishop Antony Bartoshevich of Geneva. It is an error, but, it is not a heresy, and one should not break with such people on that ground. I find “Old Calendarists” and their ilk both tiresome and a bother. They wish to fight and dispute over the smallest deviations from their fancies. We should be better than that, and we should show the love of Christ to one another, not the disputation and discord of Hell.
Untitled work by Leonid Baranov (4)
Dede is up to his old tricks again! It looks as though he is making “snow angels!” Baba has been diverted from her work, but, she is raising a smile. There is life in the old dog yet!
Fillip Moskvitin. Archimandrite Spiridon. 2001
Archimandrite Spridon (Fillip Moskvitin, 2001)
What is the good father holding in his hand? Why… it’s a cell phone! MODERN TECHNOLOGY! Let us all shudder together in unison! Truly, this is an illustration of how the Church in Russia is fusing together the modern and the traditional without a compromise of the expression of the faith. Do not listen to those who say that we must “change the faith” to relate to modern times. Look at this painting, and realise that such sorts are only seeking excuses to Protestantise the Church. We can relate to our times and keep the ancient faith without division or diminution (I believe that some clergy simply do not wish to wear the riassa! That is my simple opinion.). They are not contradictions.
