The article examines one of the trends in artists' appeals to the historical past of Siberia and Russia, namely the reflection of the values of the Siberian old-timer population. The subject of the research is pieces of art from a collection of contemporary Christian art by Archpriest Andrei Yurevich and from exhibitions of Christian art held in the Krasnoyarsk region between 2000 and 2011. To achieve the study’s goals, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the founder of the collection and Siberian artists. Biographical analysis showed that the circle of studied masters turned to their own history and culture (to images of frescoes, icons, folk art) at a turning point for modern Russia in the 1980s – 1990s. The origins and development of this trend are traced back to artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and its re-emergence in the work of later Siberian artists in the second half of the 20th century. Art historical analysis reveals in the works of artists values such as family, conciliarity, harmony between man and nature, as well as philosophical images of an unrecognized prophet, Eternal Femininity, and absoluteness of values. The author concludes by showing prospects for further development of this trend associated with recognition of general worldview principles in church art and secular religious art. The development of Christian culture, architecture, and art has been playing a significant role in strengthening the Russian identity in Siberia.

Key words: art and religion, art of Siberia, contemporary art, identity, Christian art, biblical scenes in painting, Yenisei reserve museum, spiritual and moral values

DOI: 10.22250/20728662_2024_2_205

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About the author

Viktor V. Barashkov – PhD (Philosophy), Assistant Professor at the Department of Social-Humanitarian Sciences and Technologies, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University); 6 Miklukho-Maklaya st., Moscow, 117198, Russia; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.