Russian Icon Collection is a project dedicated to the preservation of antique Russian icons and the popularization of the Russian icon painting tradition. Its recently published book titled “Russian Icons from the Mid-17th to the Early 20th Centuries: The Collection of Oleg Kushnirskiy” presents a panoramic overview of the history and development of Russian icon painting. High-quality images of icons from the private collection of Oleg Kushnirskiy are accompanied by academic articles written specifically for this publication by the leading experts in the field.

Today, Russian Icon Collection’s catalog can be found in the collections of many museums and libraries across Russia. Among them are the Regional Scientific Library of Arkhangelsk, the Novgorod Museum-Reserve, the State Museum of the History of Religion, the Tver Regional Art Gallery, Ulyanovsk Book Palace, and the Sergiev Posad Museum-Reserve.

Founded in 1883, the Regional Scientific Library of Arkhangelsk is an important educational center boasting an impressive collection of over 2,2 million periodicals and books. It also possesses over 200,000 resources on the history and culture of the Russian North.

The Novgorod Museum-Reserve is one of the oldest museums in Russia. The current museum collection contains around 650,000 items, ranging from early-printed books, archeological artifacts, jewelry, household items, and religious objects. The Novgorod Museum-Reserve is known for its vast premises, with cathedrals, churches, and other historical architectural sights located on the institution’s grounds.

The State Museum of the History of Religion is the only Russian museum focused on showcasing and researching the history and development of religion. The museum collection spans spiritual practices from around the globe, comprising more than 200,000 religious artifacts, fine art pieces, manuscripts, and other items, some of which date back to the 6th millennium BC.

The Tver Regional Art Gallery was established in 1866 and became the first provincial museum in Russia. Today, it contains nearly 50,000 works of Russian and West-European fine and decorative art from across the world. The museum also holds a unique collection of Russian antique icons created by the followers of the famous Tver School, including works by the notable Russian icon painter Simon Ushakov.

Ulyanovsk Book Palace is well-known for being the successor of the Karamzin Public Library, which now exists as part of a memorial exhibition. Apart from the massive collection of over 2 million digital and physical books, Ulyanovsk Book Palace has a rare book collection containing the books owned by the 18th-century historiographer Nikolay Karamzin.

Located in one of the cradles of Russian cultural heritage, the Sergiev Posad Museum-Reserve owns the most comprehensive collection of traditional arts and crafts in the world. The museum houses over 110,000 ancient and modern pieces of art and decor.

Russian Icon Collection is constantly looking to collaborate with educational and cultural institutions. The project aims to work with more art museums, galleries, and libraries in the future.

About Russian Icon Collection

Founded by Oleg Kushnirskiy, Russian Icon Collection is one of the leading online galleries of antique Russian icons. It represents the most accurate compilation of all the knowledge and expertise gained from many years of collecting and selling rare and famous religious icons of museum quality. Initially created to preserve this sacred form of art and to display the true masterpieces of Eastern Orthodox iconography, Russian Icon Collection has become a reliable place where everyone can enjoy and sell authentic antique icons and religious artifacts.