The Holy Trinity by Lin Girin. (Large jpg - 106K)
An exhibition of psychological and religious icons by Baltic artists has been hailed as one of the most remarkable cultural events in St Petersburg this Easter.
The 10-day exhibition which opened last Tuesday, portrays biblical personalities as seen through the eyes of artists Lin Girin and Yolanda Barauskaite.
They both have depicted Jesus Christ, Mary and the twelve disciples of Jesus in a manner which is a complete departure from traditional classical interpretation.
Although the authors are contemporary artists, in other ways they have not deviated from the traditional way in which medieval icon painters portrayed the Holy Trinity using the female form. A somewhat unusual touch has been added by one of the artists, who included one of the Trinity holding a glass of holy wine.
The exhibition organizers, from the Mariinsky Theater and the firm Ortis and Medoza Publishing, believe that the exhibition plays two simultaneous roles -- taking part in the Russian Orthodox Easter celebrations and serving as a motivating force for both cultural and spiritual life.
According to Marina Krilova from Ortis, the exhibition is special not only because of the role it plays but because it is being held in two different venues.
Thursday, April 27 will mark the end of the first in the two series of exhibitions at 38 Bolshaya Morskaya Ulitsa. It will be followed by a two-day exhibition at Potyomkinskaya Ulitsa in the "Kinoteatr Leningrad."
But Ms Krilova said the dates for the second stage of the exhibition were yet to be confirmed.
