Books I'd like to look at someday:

Comments are from the people who recommended these books. I have not read these books myself (hence the title of this page).

"Ocherki Ruskoy Kul'tury XIII-XV vekov", editor A.V. Arcihovsky, MGU Publishing, Moscow, 1969 -- "a lovely book if you read the language.. I will scan a picture of a hat they have in here, it's quite amazing."

"History of Ukrainian Costume - From the Scythian Period to the Late 17th Century" No Author. Melbourne, Australia: Bayda Books, 1986.

From a SIG message - "Paul & Yana introduced me to an excellent book on the Novgorod digs named "Arkeologie Drevnye Novgorodiia" or something similar. It has what you need and they can provide the specifics to allow you to look it up or order it yourself. A trully illustrative book, even if it was subject to Soviet revisionism. "

Voronin, N. N., Karger, M. K., Tikhanova, M. A., eds. _Istoriia kul'tury drevnei Rusi: Domongol'skii period. I: Material'naia kul'tura._ Moscow: ANSSSR, 1948. p.108.

Byzantine, Balkan and Russian Medieval Embroidery!* <-- From Russian Troyka (paraphrase of the title... it's the catalog from the exhibition at the Kremlin Museum.)

"Drevnie Slavyane i Kievskaya Rus' ", P.P. Tolochko, editor

"I found a set of books at Estrella War this year that I couldn't pass up. It's title in English is "Kievan Psalter." It's a full-color, full-size photo-reproduction of the Kievan Psalter of 1397. The books (one with the plates, one with explanatory text, mostly in Russian but with some English) were published in Moscow in 1978."

Bespalova, E. P.(ed.) Kostium v Rossii XV - nachalo XX veka (Costume in Russia XVth-beginning of the XXth centuries). Art Rodnik, Moscow, 2000.

Giles Fletcher, 1591 - Of the Russe Commonwealth, cover of the facsimile of his book: http://indra.com/~eliz/Pictures/SCA/Rus-cover.gif

"Travels of Olearius in 17th Century Russia, The Baron, Samuel H. (trans & ed) Stanford Univeristy Press, Stanford, CA 1967 LCCCN 67-26525 Firsthand account of a German's travels through Muscovy and Tartary in 1633-36. First published in 1647.

"Hamilton, George. "Art and Architecture of Russia" , Yale University Press. (get the latest edition -- 1983, I believe). Lots of black-and-white photos & reproductions, and the first half of the book deals with pre-1700s.

"Avinoff, A. Russian Icons and Objects of Ecclesiastical and Decorative Arts

"Kondakov, "The Russian Icon" -- it's an abbreviated translation of a 4-volume work, but what the hey.. hard to find.

"An Icon Painter's Notebook: The Bolshakov Edition. Trans. and ed. by Gregory Melnick. Torrence, CA. Oakwood Publications. 1995. This is a presentation of the Bolshakov podlinik. Excellent notes and iconographers' instructions.

"An Iconographer's Patternbook: The Stroganov Tradion. Trans. and edited by Fr. Christopher P. Kelley. Torrence, CA. Oakwood Publications. 1992. This is a reproduction of the famous Stroganov podlinik, with translations of the original iconographer's instructions.

"An Iconographer's Sketchbook: Drawings and Patterns. Vol. 1: The Postinkov Collection. Trans. and commentary by Gregory Melnick. Torrence, CA. Oakwood Publications. 1977. The patterns came from two 19th C. Russian podliniki, published by the St. Petersburg Archaeological Institute. Excellent patterns for iconography, with very useful information.

"Coomler, David. The Icon Handbook. Templegate Publishers. Springfield, IL. 1995. This book has some interesting information on some very unusual icons; many of the icons herein, although based on actual models, are considered uncanonical and are good studies but not as objects of devotion. On the other hand, many of the patterns are perfectly acceptable. The samples herein are a real mixed bag.

"Drevnerusskaya Zhivopi v Sobranii Ermitazha (Early Russian Paintings in the Hermitage). Iskusstvo. St. Petersburg, Russia. 1992. Save for a three-page summary in the back, the text is all in Russian. Still, this coffee-table book is chock-full of wonderful iconography. An excellent resource. There are also several sample pages from illuminated texts.

"Icons: Art and Devotion. Intro. by T. Talbot Rice. Studio Editions, Ltd. London. 1995. This is an excellent study of full-color icons. It is often available at book superstores like Barnes and Noble.

"Izobrazhenniya Bozhiej Materi i Svyatykh Pravoslavnoj Tserkvi (Images of the Mother of God and Saints in the Orthodox Church). Izdanie Khrama Spasa Nerukotvornovo Obraza. Moskow. 1995. This is a modern podlinik; the illustrations all line drawings are all perfectly clear and well-done. An excellent source.

"John of Damascus, St. On the Divine Images. Trans. by David Anderson. St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, Crestwood, NY. 1980. This is considered one of the definitive texts on the theology of the icon, by one of iconoclasm's greatest opponents.

"Kalokyris, Constantine. [The Essence of] Orthodox Iconography. Holy Cross Orthodox Press. Brookline, MA. Preface dated 1965: Copyrighted, but no date. An excellent slender volume. There is a discrepancy in title between title page and cover. It helps if the reader is familiar with Greek, as Prof. Kalokyris sprinkles Greek-language text among his verbiage like a Hellenic Johnny Appleseed. Quite a few B&W illustrations of seldom-seen iconographic mosaics.

"Ouspensky, Leonid. Theology of the Icon. 2 vols. Trans. by Anthony Gythiel. St. Vladimir's Seminary Press. Crestwood, NY. 1992. This is the most comprehensive introduction (at two volumes!) on the theology and history of iconography by one of the most influential iconographers of this century. While it is of little use to one who merely wishes to paint, it is of enormous value to one who wants to understand and appreciate the icon for what it is."

"Sandler, Egon. The Icon: Image of the Invisible. Trans. by Fr. Steven Bigham. Oakwood Publications. Torrence, CA. 1981. 1993 impression. This is the best single volume on the how-tos and history of iconography. It contains many plate samples of existing icons, but it is not a podlinnik. If you are interested in iconography and can afford only one title, it should be this one."

"Smirnova, E.S. Moskovskaya Ikona XIV-XVII Vekov (Moscow Icons of the 14th-B17th Centuries). Aurora, Leningrad. 1988. This is a coffee-table book full of fine examples of historical iconography."

"The Glory of Byzantium. Ed. by Helen C. Evans and William D. Wixom. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. NYC. 1997. This was the catalogue of the 1997 special exhibition at the Met of Byzantine arts and artefacts. This is a fantastic sourcebook for such arts, but it also contains color plates of some very rare and wonderful icons, some out of their monasteries for the first time in centuries. It's expensive, but if you are interested in Byzantine art, get this 570-page, full-color book and get it now."

"Theodore the Studite, St. On the Holy Icons. Trans. by Catharine P. Ross. St. Vladimir's Seminary Press. Crestwood, NY. 1981. On the Divine Images of St. John of Damascus, this text, from the iconoclastic period, is one of the great theological discussions on icons."

"Wonderworking Icons of the Theotokos. Trans. by Archpriest Feodor S. Kovalchuk. Catholic Publishing Co. Youngstown, OH. 1985. This tiny volume functions as a podlennik, presenting dozens of patterns for icons of the Theotokos, and provides a sketched history of each prototype. Very useful."


Return to Russian Materials
Return to homepage