The icon as a living tradition: Diversity within unity in Russian iconography Art and Spirituality of the Russian Orthodox Tradition

The icon tradition is rooted in timeless theological truths, which are
summarized in the formula of St Athanasius the Great that God became man
so that man, by grace, can become god. These truths have informed not only
the use but also the style of Orthodox icons over the centuries. This unity of
purpose and inspiration explains why we can so readily distinguish an icon
from other types of painting of religious subjects.
And yet within this unity there is also great variety of style. The icon tradition
is not static, as though the icon painter is restricted to precise copying from a
set body of work. The realities and events that icons depict are so profound
that no one culture, epoch or individual can express their meaning
exhaustively. This is why a central tenant of Orthodox spirituality is that each
culture should live and express life in Christ in its own unique way, whilst
retaining unity of belief and sacrament with the whole Church. This 4
enculturation is a natural continuation of Pentecost, where the twelve apostles
preached the same Gospel but in different languages. At its conversion, for
example, Russia adopted from of its parent Byzantine culture the forms of its
church architecture, iconography and music. But very soon it adapted what it
adopted. Architects transformed the round dome into the onion dome;
Russian iconographers began to model their figures less than the Byzantines
and instead concentrated on the contrast of flat areas of colour; and Znameny
chant grew out of Byzantine chant.
In this lecture we will first summarize the theological basis of the icon
tradition – what is unchanging, and then consider some of the Russian icon
schools, their characteristics and what may have produced their particular
forms.