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Unique
gift - The beaded icons
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Since anсient times in Russia skilled
women embroidered hand-written icons. Some of Them by overseas
beads, and others often by pearls and sawed nacre, flavouring this
hand-made miracle with jewels and semi-precious stones. But the
misfortune had come, and our monasteries that were a stronghold of
Orthodoxy had been closed, brotherhood and sisters had been
dispersed, churches had been closed. They tried to destroy our faith
as well, but that was above their strength. The faith in God lives
in people’s souls – nobody sees it, nobody hears it, but it warms
and supports the people deep inside. But the orthodox traditions
were seen by everyone, and they destroyed them.
The same case with embroidery: who had this skill – had died, and
youth had not learned it. Moreover it was dangerous to have this
skill in that time. Thus, this ancient skill was gradually
forgotten.
But the soul-alive does not have a peace; it wants to express in
visible beauty the love to the God it has. And because of this, like
stars in the sky, all across the Mother-Russia become to appear
native-masters, which revive the lost skill. In various ways. One
copies few things, which still exists, someone else has looked at
ancient works, and dares to contrive on his own. There is such a
person in our city – artist Maria Yantovskaya. She started to
embroider a long time ago – more then 30 years ago, in those days
when such creativity was dangerous. She also invented own techniques
of an embroidery of icons, and then taught the others. And those
works, that you can see here, are made by her techniques – every
bead is sewn separately, but all together, like the Byzantine
mosaic, they form an integral picture. And though these icons are
executed strictly on an orthodox canon, nevertheless there is a
place for creativity even in its frames – to decorate with stones,
or pearls, or amber. So the each icon is a unique one, the only one.
But, why I just tell you – you better look ….
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