I am an intern at the All-Russian Artistic Research and Restoration Center named after Grabar

03.02.2023

I am doing an internship at the All-Russian Artistic Research and Restoration Center named after Academician I.E. Grabar.

I am working on frescoes of the prophets of the 12th century church of George the Victorious in Staraya Ladoga. Such happiness - to get in touch with the legacy and methodology of copying and reconstruction of Adolf Nikolaevich Ovchinnikov. Before that, I watched all the interviews with him on youtube, as if he was talking to me and answering my questions. He died at the age of 89 on April 15, 2021, made an invaluable contribution to the preservation of the cultural heritage of Russia and Georgia, copying and restoring the frescoes of old churches, half of which, for example, in Georgia, have already been lost. A unique specialist who educated a galaxy of restorers in Georgia and Russia, an artist-restorer of the highest qualification of ancient Russian and post-Byzantine tempera painting, icons and frescoes, a specialist in Christian symbolism, an expert researcher on the technology of medieval painting, a copyist of medieval monuments.

In 2016, the Iconotek department was opened in the Grabar Center, where copies of his frescoes were placed. This is a unique museum of frescoes, and work is still being done with the repository of his works made throughout his life, the main part of which fell on the time of the USSR, when all people were friendly.

I am working on the prophet King David, the most beautiful, my David. ) This is Byzantine painting, characteristic of that time both for Russia and Georgia.