S novim godom!
(That's "Happy New Year!" in Russian)
First of all, we would like to wish you a very Happy New Year and Merry Eastern Orthodox Christmas, celebrated on January 7th!
The idea of this newsletter was born from our desire to communicate with our friends and customers on a more frequent basis. In addition to providing you with updates on our antique show appearances and some overview of our newest arrivals, we would like to share some of our knowledge about the mystical and spiritual world of the Russian and Greek Orthodox icons and Catholic relics. To ensure that our newsletters target your interests, we would welcome your constructive comments, critiques and observations.
Saint of the Month: Saint Seraphim of Sarov
(Feast Day - January 14th)
Saint Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov (Russian: Серафим Саровский) (30 July 1759 - 14 January 1833), is one of the most renowned Russian monks and mystics in the Orthodox Church canonized in 1903. He is generally considered the greatest of the 19th century startsy (Elders) and, arguably, the first. He is remembered for extending the monastic teachings of contemplation, theoria and self-denial to the layperson, and taught that the purpose of the Christian life was to acquire the Holy Spirit.
Seraphim was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1903 and the date of his death, 14 January, is his major Feast day. Reverence for him is not limited to the Orthodox; Pope John Paul II referred to him as a Saint in his book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope.
Perhaps Seraphim's most popular quotation amongst Orthodox believers is "Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved."
One day, while chopping wood, Seraphim was attacked by a gang of thieves who beat him mercilessly until they thought he was dead. He never resisted and was beaten with the handle of his own axe. The thieves were looking for money, but all they found in his hut was an icon of the Virgin Mary. The incident left Seraphim with a hunched back for the rest of his life. However, at the thieves' trial he pleaded to the judge for mercy on their behalf.
After this incident Seraphim spent 1,000 successive nights on a rock in continuous prayer with his arms raised to the sky, an almost super-human feat of asceticism, especially considering the pain he was already in from his injuries.
In 1815, in obedience to a reputed spiritual experience that he attributed to the Virgin Mary, Seraphim began admitting pilgrims to his hermitage as a confessor. He soon became immensely popular due to his reputation for healing powers and gift of prophecy. He was often visited by hundreds of pilgrims per day and was reputed to have the ability to answer his guests' questions before they could ask.
As extraordinarily harsh as Seraphim often was to himself, he was kind and gentle toward others — always greeting his guests with a prostration, a kiss, and exclaiming "Christ is risen!", and calling everyone "My joy." He died while kneeling before an icon of the the Virgin Mary at the age of 74.
Saint Seraphim feeding a bear outside of his hermitage
Saint Seraphim's Relics: In 1903, Seraphim of Sarov was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. As part of this process, on 3 July 1903, his relics were removed from their original burial place to the church of Saints Zosimus and Sabbatius, where they had remained until the day of the glorification. Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra provided a new cypress coffin to receive the relics. Following the Bolshevik Revolution the Soviet authorities severely persecuted all religious groups and confiscated many relics of the saints, including St. Seraphim, and the whereabouts of his relics became forgotten. In 1991, St. Seraphim's relics were miraculously rediscovered after being hidden in a Soviet anti-religious museum for over 70 years. This caused a sensation in post-Soviet Russia, and indeed throughout the Orthodox world. A religious procession formed to escort the relics, on foot, all the way from Moscow to Diveyevo Convent, where they remain to this day.
Term of the Month: Riza or Oklad - metal protective cover of icons
A Riza or Oklad , sometimes called a "revetment" in English, is a metal cover protecting an icon. It is usually made of gilt or silvered metal with repousse work and is pierced to expose elements of the underlying painting. It is sometimes enameled, filigreed, or set with artificial, semi-precious or even precious stones and pearls. Although the practice of using rizas originated in Byzantine art, the Russian term is often applied to Greek icons; in Greek the term is επένδυση ("coating").
The purpose of a riza is to honor and venerate an icon, and ultimately the figure depicted on it and at the same time riza also meant protect the icon from the elements such as candles and lampadas (oil lamps) which were burned in front of icons. Each riza was designed specifically for the icon it is to cover. It leaves open spaces where the face, hands, and feet of the icon's subject can be seen. The haloes on rizas are often more elaborate than on the original icons. The robes worn by the subjects often are adorned with pearls or jewels. Usually a riza covers the entire surface of the icon except for the face and hands. However, in older examples, the riza may cover only the halo of the subject and is then called a Venets. Sometimes the riza includes a stylized torc neck ring, called a Tsata.
Offer of the Month: Two Museums, One Culture
exhibition catalog free with icon purchase*.
This month we are offering an exhibition catalog from the Russian Icon Museum: Two Museums, One Culture to be included free with any purchase of an icon. The book is a 120 page full color catalog of the ground-breaking collaborative exhibition of Russian icons from the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow and the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, USA.
* while supplies last
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