The secret behind fr Paisios’ universality
The elder with the three names and the millions of faithful Every year on 12th July, a seething amount of people gather at the Hermitage of St John the Theologian to honour the memory of St Paisios the Athonite. As a figure, St Paisios is held dearly in the hearts of the faithful, even though most of them have only heard or read about him, and is considered the most...
The Feast of Epiphany celebrates the new beginning of mankind
Epiphany is one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the liturgical Christian year, together with Christmas, Easter, the Annunciation, the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, the Holy Transfiguration, the Entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), the Raising of Lazarus, the Ascension of Christ, the Dormition of Theotokos and the Pentecost. Epiphany, also called Theophany (meaning manifestation of God), is celebrated on 6th January and commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ...
THE RARE ICONS OF THE VIRGIN MARY OF MOUNT ATHOS
There are dozens of forms of address for the Virgin Mary and even more icons that depict her beloved image which symbolizes motherhood, protection, care, family, goodness and absolute and unnegotiable love. Each icon of the Virgin Mary, from the oldest and rarest to the most "humble", has its own emotional value. However, some icons of the Virgin Mary are inextricably linked to the Christian Orthodox tradition. Some of these...
The Essence of Byzantine Hagiography Art
Byzantine hagiography acts as a bridge between humanity and the divine, in the sense that holy depictions of Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and the Saints, enabling the faithful to feel closer to the object of worship. In depicting religious icons, there are specific rules: Artists must faithfully attribute the features of saints, as these have been handed down either by older written texts or by various artistic means, referred to...
The biographical Icons of Saints Constantine and Helen
The depictions of the lives of Saints Constantine and Helen found in churches around Greece are very few, mainly in Crete, at temples of the 13th and 15th centuries, in a big part because of the centuries-old ties between the Island and Byzantium.A depiction that stands out is one of the birth of Saint Constantine, in which the infant is seen with Saint Helen on its right. The mural...
The Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at Ground Zero
The Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, which was destroyed on 9/11 in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York, is expected to finish reconstruction within 2021. In order make sure the church opens its doors within 2021, the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, a new non-profit organization called “The Friends of Saint Nicholas” with an independent board consisting of thirteen members has taken on...
El Greco Retrospective at the Grand Palais, Galerie sud-est, open until February 2020
A major retrospective exhibition dedicated to the leading Greek Renaissance artist Domenikos Theotokopoulos, known the world over as El Greco, is on display at the Galerie sud-est at the Grand Palais in Paris until February 10. The exhibition includes more than 60 works by the great Renaissance painter, on loan from 47 museums and collections in Europe, the USA, and Canada. Among the works are two that El Greco...
Two Collections Meet at the Thessaloniki Byzantine Museum
On November 30, 2015, the Thessaloniki Municipality lent the Museum of Byzantine Culture icons and holy relics from the Municipal Art Gallery collection for a period of 30 years. This decision was based on the rationale that the Gallery’s displays would be preserved and maintained in the best way possible on the Museum’s premises. Two Exhibitions Meet displays conserved works—129 icons and holy relics—23 of which will be presented...
