Vladimir Pervunensky. A Girl with a Flower. 2003

A Girl with a Flower (Vladimir Pervunensky, 2003)

Mr Pervunensky seems to specialise in paintings dealing with the last tragic decades of the old Empire. Of course, no one had an inkling of what was going to happen in just a short eye-blink…

Vladimir Pervunensky. A Portrait of a Priest. 2003

A Portrait of a Priest (Vladimir Pervunensky, 2003)

This appears to be an ordinary country batiushka. He is wearing his epatrakhil, so, he is either done with a service, or, about to go to do one. He is sitting down and taking a well-deserved rest. Little does he know what is coming in just a short while…

Vladimir Pervunensky. In the Year 1914. 2005

In the Year 1914 (Vladimir Pervunensky, 2005)

It has always been so… shall he return? Shall he find a grave on some foreign field? Shall he come back broken and maimed… no one knows, least of all, his loving wife. Why must it be so?

Vladimir Pervunensky. Before Easter. 2005

Before Easter (Vladimir Pervunensky, 2005)

It is now sunset, not quite dark… Easter shall be ushered in this midnight with the Khristos Voskrese… the kulichi are baked and blessed, the paskha is in the icebox, the kolbasi, horseradish, cheese, and eggs are ready. The world is expectant…