Embroidered Icons by V. B. Kazarina: Feat of Faith and Labor

Abstract

Vera Borisovna Kazarina is the head of Pokrov, a workshop of the Ancient Russian Church Embroidery of the Constantino-Eleninsky Convent, Candidate in History of Arts, and a member of the Union of Artists of Russia. The article examines her active creativity, research and educational work in modern Church art, in particular, icon embroidery. As a researcher, she collects ancient samples of church embroidery, masters the ancient iconography, reveals the symbolism of Orthodox ornaments, studies the origin, history, and features of ancient gold embroidery workshops, as well as reconstructs traditional embroidery techniques. She collected, classified and described different types of pictorial and gold embroidery. V. B. Kazarina defended her Candidate of Art History dissertation and used it as a basis for her monograph “Old Russian Ornamentation on Hanging Shrouds of the 16th Century” (2014). As a high-profile embroiderer, Vera Borisovna creates her unique embroidered icons with images of ancient and newly appeared saints, artistically embroidered clothing for the liturgy. Kazarina creates most of her works independently. The largest works are performed together with other embroiderers from Pokrov workshop, which she established and oversees. Her customers are numerous monasteries and churches of different dioceses. As an educator, Vera Kazarina works to popularize the history, spiritual foundations, and culture of Russia. Researchers, curators of museum collections, and practicing embroiderers come together to share their knowledge. Vera Borisovna writes research and popular articles, hosts TV programs, and runs virtual distance courses on church embroidery. With her enthusiasm, creative, practical, and educational activities, Kazarina contributes to the development of the modern Saint Petersburg school of icon embroidery with its own artistic style. Her life and her creative path is an example of spiritual and creative service to people, and her works are a valuable contribution to the modern development of Russian art.

Keywords:

Ancient Russian church embroidery, liturgical objects, iconic images, embroidery techniques, the semantic of patterns in icons, shroud of Christ, veil, gonfalon, stole, pokrovets