The Russian Academy Of Arts

The Orthodox Russia Festival of Russian Art was held in the Italian city of Bari  from May 21-25, 2008. It was arranged by the Russian Culture Foundation together with Asso Apulian Association. At the conference arranged within the Festival framework were displayed photographs of works by Zurab Tsereteli dedicated to Christian Saints and devotees. 

In 2003,  Tsereteli’s monument to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker found its home on the square facing the Cathedral in Bari where this Saint’s relics are kept in the crypt. This statue is one from the sculptor’s series in honor of Christian Saints and devotees. Since 1996 he has created sculptural portraits of St. George the Victorious,  Apostle Paul, Saint Equal-to-the-Apostle Nino, the Holy Venerable Irinarch the Reclude,  Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, Catholicos of All Georgia Iliya II, Holy Venerable Martyr Grand Princess  Elizaveta Fedorovna and sisters of the Martha and Mary Convent, Mother Teresa, Grand Princess Olga, Prince Oleg of Ryazan. In 2006 in Ploermel, France was unveiled Tsereteli’s monument to Pope John Paul II. In Gornenski Convent in Jerusalem stand the artist’s sculptural images of heads of the Russian Mission in Jerusalem: Archimandrites Porphiry (Uspenski), Antonin (Kapustin), Leonid (Sentsov).

After the conference in Bari, the photographs featuring the above series of Zurab Tsereteli’s sculptures were presented as a gift to Asso Apulian Association and San Filippo Smaldone Strada san Giacomo Institute housing a rehabilitation school for children with ear problems.  

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