Books on Icons and Orthodoxy
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Icons (Out-of-print books.) | Travel and Museum Guides (Out-of-print books.)

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Icons.
Nikodim Pavlovich Kondakov.

An ambitious large format history of the Russian icon. Covers origins, importance to Russian culture and history, techniques and all the major schools. Extensively illustrated which helps the reader to understand the Novgorod and Suzdal eras, and the development of style through the 12th through 17th centuries. Introduction, glossary, time-line of iconography, bibliography, notes and list of illustrations. Well-researched and nicely presented.
UK (London): Sirrocco, 2006. 255 pages. Large format hardcover with dustjacket.
Sold out! [#ICNPK1]

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Hidden and Triumphant
The Underground Struggle to Save Russian Iconography.
Irina Yazykova (Author), Paul Greneir (Translator), Dr. Wendy Salmond (Foreword).


This dramatic history recounts the story of an aspect of Russian culture that fought to survive throughout the 20th century: the icon. Russian iconography kept faith alive in Soviet Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution. As monasteries and churches were ruined, icons destroyed, thousands of believers killed or sent to Soviet prisons and labor camps, a few courageous iconographers continued to paint holy images secretly, despite the ever-present threat of arrest. Others were forced to leave Russia altogether, and while living abroad, struggled to preserve their Orthodox traditions. Today we are witness to a renaissance of the Russian icon, made possible by the sacrifices of this previous generation of heroes. MA (Brewster): Paraclete Press 2010. 196 pages. Illustrated hardcover with dustjacket in protective mylar cover. [#HTBK1].

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Icon Prints: From World Museums.
A portfolio collection of 8 full color icon prints. Includes histories of the icons in German. Printed in Germany. Prints are museum mounted on 11x13" heavy paper. 8 pages, not bound. Suitable for framing. [#ICONPRINTS]
Jesus Christ, 16th c. Russia;
Archangel Gabriel, 14th c. Russia;
Archangel Michael, 14th c. Russia;
Prophet Elias, 16th c. Russia;
St. Arsenios, 14th c. Bulgaria;
St. Parasceve, 15th c.; unk.
St. Nicholas (appearing to seafarers), 16th c. Russia;
St. John the Baptist, 16th c. Crete.
These prints are available individually. Click Here


Below is a list of out-of-print books on icons, iconography and church history.

 V. G. Briusova. Yaroslavl Frescoes. XVII-Beginning of the XVIII century. [Russian Edition] The city of Yaroslavl on the Volga is nearly one thousand years old. As the city was once the center of an independent principality, it was bestowed with beautiful churches and monasteries with superb Old Russian painting. Among the many churches are the monumental Church of the Archangel Michael, the Spass-on-Gorod Church, the Tolchkovo Church, the Church of St. Theodore and the Church of Elijah the Prophet. These churches are richly decorated with frescoes. USSR (Moscow): Iskusstvo, 1969. 1st edition. TEXT IN RUSSIAN. Color illustrations and black & white photographs all with captions in Russian, English, French and German. 148 pages. Large format hardcover with dustjacket in protective clear mylar cover.
[#RM-CI32]. 1 only.

N. F. Vysotkskaya and various contributors. Ikon (Icon) Painting in Belorussia: 15th-18th Centuries. Belorussia has a unique contribution to religious painting, standing between Byzantine and Slav forerunners and melded with European renaissance. A comprehensive overview of the Belorussian contribution to iconography. (Minsk): Belarus, 1992. 231 pages, 138 color plates. Text in Belorussian, Russian, English, French and German. Very good condition, no marks, dustjacket in protective mylar.
[#RM-CI9]. 1 only.
T. A. Kryuchkova. Irkutsk Baroque: Irkutsk Regional Arts Museum. Irkutsk is one of the largest cities in Siberia. Its history dates from 1652 with church-building beginning in 1706 with the construction of the Church of the Saviour. This was followed by the Church of the Epiphany and other churches. The style that predominated in this area is Baroque, the same style that originated in Western Europe and which spread to Ukraine and Belarus. It is the transitional style of Russian icon painting, marking the deliniation from the Middle Ages to the New Times. Baroque flourished in Irkutsk and this catalog, published with the help of banking money, is a very comprehensive overview. Coincidentally, many, if not most, of the "antique" Russian icons on the market since 1993 when capitalism became the driving force are from this time period. Hardcover, published in Moscow in 1993. 360 pages. Text in English and in Russian. Bibliography, list of artists, chronlogy, and more. Many full color illustrations. First blank page missing, otherwise very good. Light wear to dustjacket.
[#RM-C201]. 1 only.
I. Yarigina. The Russian Icon of late XVII-XIX cc.In 1989, the N. K. Roerich St. Petersurg School of the Arts celebrated its 150th anniversary. The school survived many upheavals and renamings, and in 1994, published this small but important catalog of an exhibition of mainly 19th century icons, with some 18th century. The icons depict what you would find in most Russian antique dealer catalogs and are mostly in the Baroque or Rococo styles. Text is in Russian, English, French, German, and Italian. Illustrations are in color and black and white and each icon is given a thematic and historical treatment. Hardcover with dustjacket. Limbus Press, 1st edition, 1994. In very good condition.
[#RM-C201]. 1 only.
O. Sonova. Original Frescoes of Dormition Cathedral. Superlative Medieval Muscovite Wall Paintings. The group of frescoes of the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin are the earliest extant relic of the murals and wall paintings of medieval Muscovy. TEXT IN RUSSIAN AND SUMMARY IN ENGLISH. Printed on enamel paper, 40 pages. Large sized format, stiff board covers. Backstrip has been repaired with clear booktape. Contents clean and tight. Leningrad: Aurora, 1970.
[#RM-CI38]. 1 only.

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Fiodor Kudriavtsev. The Golden Ring. Leningrad: Aurora Art Publishing, 1983. 254 pages. IN ENGLISH. The 'Golden Ring' is the name of a popular tourist route that emphasizes old Russian church architecture. The route, winding in and out of cities and villages in the north-eastern part of what used to be the State of Muscovy, is hardly circular, but it certainly is 'golden' in the sense that it is rich in historical relics and towns that are museums in themselves. Covers Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov (Veliky), Borisoglebsky, Nikola-Uleima, Uglich, Tutayev, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Krasnoye-on-the-Volga, Plios, Suzdal, Bogoliubovo, Vladimir, Yuryev-Polsky, Alexandrov, and Zagorsk. 115 photos, most are full-page, almost all in beautifully reproduced sparkling color. Near fine, no jacket as issued. 16mo (approx. 5x6 inches).
[#ICBOP21] Sorry, sold

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Irina Rodimstsova (editor). The Moscow Kremlin. Leningrad: Aurora Art Publishing, 1987. 128 pages. IN ENGLISH. History, churches, icons, artifacts and a chapter on Lenin in the Kremlin. Near fine, no jacket as issued. 16mo (approx. 5x6 inches).
[#ICB023] 1 only

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V. Goncharenko and V. Narozhnaya. The Armoury Chamber. A Guidebook for the Tourist Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1976. 181 pages. Small hardcover, pictorial covers. IN ENGLISH. A nice guide to this area of the Kremlin, filled with photographs.
[#RM-CO8] 1 only

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O. Persianova. The Hermitage. Room-by-room guide. Leningrad: Aurora Art Publishing, 1975. Second edition. 206 pages. Small pocket book sized softcover. IN ENGLISH. Review of the works of art and antiquities in the justifiably famous Russian museum in St. Petersburg. Wear to spine and creases on the cover, otherwise very good.
[#RM-IC40]



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N. A. Muzalevskaya. (Author, compiler.) Walking about Old Moscow. Watercolours of XIX-The First Quarter of XX Centuries. Gravures of XVII-XIX Centuries from the Collection of the Museum of History of Moscow. Moscow: Interbook, 1996. Includes reproductions of 21 watercolors and 24 gravures, by K. I. Rabus, I. L. Kalmykov, F. Durfeldt, and others. Text in Russian and English.
[#RM-CI10] 1 only.





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Grigori Logvine. Through Ancient Towns: Tchernigov (Chernihiv), Novgorod-Seversky (Novhorod-Siversky), Glukhov (Hlukhiv) and Putivl (Putyvl). {Russian Edition] The book describes the artistic monuments of the ancient cities of Chernigov, Novgorod-Seversky, Glukhov and Putyvl. It traces the overall development of Ukrainian art and its connection with Russian culture.Also considered are the small towns that lie along the route, as related to the history of the main ancient cities.Leningrad: Isskustvo, 1980. 288 pages. IN RUSSIAN. 150 black and white photo illustrations. Very good (minor soil, wear), no jacket as issued.
[#RM-CI12] 1 only.


B. Fabritsky and I. Shmelev Treasures of Mediaeval Russia. Wonderful photographic overview of Russia's finest architectural treasures. Areas covered include Suzdal, Pskov, Novgorod, Alexandrov, Smolensk, and much more. List of reproduced works at the end of the book. Over 250 mostly color illustrations and full color endpapers. 335 pages. Issued without dustjacket, front hinges loose, marks to back free endpaper. Contents clean and tight. Brown cloth cover to simulate tooled leather. Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1974.
[#RM-CI17] 1 only.


E. K. Guseva. A. Rublev in the Collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery. (Andrei Rublev (Iz sobraniya Gosudarstvennoi Tret`yakovskoi galerei.) IN RUSSIAN. 29 color illustrations, many full page. Contents clean and tight. Sotcover monograph, 48 pages. USSR (Moscow): Izobrazitelnoye Iskusstvo, 1990.
[#ICB-OP58]
Donald Attwater (introduction) and The Liturgical Arts Society. The Eastern Branches of the Catholic Church: Six Studies on the Oriental Rites Compiled By the Liturgical Arts Society. Covers Coptic Church. NY: Longmans, Green & Co., 1938. 1st edition. 110 pages. Excellent bibliography. Glossy black/white frontis of Icon of Crucifixion. Tan cloth boards in a very good orange dustjacket in protective mylar. Date and black mark on first page of book and some discoloration of endpapers. One section (about 12 pages) slightly pulled away.
[#RM-CI21] 1 only
Donald Attwater. The Dissident Eastern Churches. WI (Milwaukee) Bruce, 1937. 349 pages. Covers the ancient Patriarchates (Antioch, Constantinople, etc.), Moscow, Serbian and Rumanian Patriarchates, Greek Churches, Bulgaria and Church of Poland plus Georgia, Albania, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and more. Many photo illustrations, missing chart at back. Ex-library with all usual markings, spine has been reinforced with clear book tape, wear to all extremities. Acceptable reading copy of scarce title.
[#RM-CI22]. 1 only.
D. Konstantinow. Stations of the Cross. The Russian Orthodox Church 1970-1980. Intelligent and scholarly research into the ROC during the Soviet period. Softcover. Canada: Zaria Publishing, 1984. 250 pages. Illustrated with photos. Near fine.
[#RM-CI24]. 1 only.

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1-800-778-9404