This study explores the development of Orthodox sacred art in the twenty-first century within the framework of a dialogue between canonical tradition, artistic innovation, and the search for a national artistic style. Special attention is given to the emergence of new schools of icon painting and architecture in Russia and other Orthodox countries, as well as the influence of theological, cultural, and aesthetic factors on the formation of contemporary iconographic practice. The analysis focuses on specific authors’ workshops, artistic projects, and educational centers (including the icon-painting workshops of Andrey Davydov and Archimandrite Zinon, and the architect D.M. Smirnov), which offer an original interpretation of icons and churches as living, evolving art forms. The study also addresses the boundaries of permissible innovation, the tension between dogmatic rigor and artistic expressiveness, and the aspiration to create a “national style” capable of conveying the spirit of the times while remaining within the framework of Orthodox tradition. The core issue thus lies in balancing strict adherence to traditional Byzantine canons with the necessity to harmonize them with visual expressiveness that can engage in dialogue with modernity without losing the spiritual essence of sacred art. At the same time, this highlights the role of sacred art in shaping post-Soviet “national style”, which, on the one hand, continues the historical-artistic and cultural-religious roots of Russia, and on the other, develops within a contemporary context. Emphasizing that contemporary Orthodox sacred art is experiencing a full artistic flourishing at the intersection of modernity and tradition, this article provides an analysis of the phenomenon of the sacred art’s return to the cultural landscape of nineteenth-century Russia.
Key words: twenty-first-century icon painting, Orthodox art, sacred painting, innovation, national style, theology of the image
DOI: 10.22250/2072-8662-2026-2-177-185
About the author
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Benedetta Armando – Postgraduate student at Doctoral School of Cultural Studies, National Research University “Higher School of Economics”; 20 Myasnitskaya St., Moscow, 101000, Russia; armando.b@hse.ru |