Rare Icons to Be Exhibited in the USA

Interior of the Museum of Russian Icons, Clinton MA

Moscow, 16 October 2008 (Interfax):

The Tretyakov Gallery is presenting an exhibition of 16 rare icons from its collection entitled “Two Museums, One Culture” at the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton MA (USA). At the same time, some 150 items from the permanent collection shall be on display, as well. About 5,000 visitors, mostly from various European countries, came to the museum in 2007, Kent Russell, the Museum’s director, said in an interview published by the newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta (The Russian Newspaper) on Thursday. “Frankly speaking, many Americans thought that religion was banned in Russia, but, they are starting to change their minds, especially after visiting our museum”, he noted.

The museum holds various conferences and seminars; in addition, it shows films connected with Russia. What is most important, Mr Russell noted, “Americans gradually come to an understanding that the USA and Russia have much more in common than they differ. I’d like to mention our most frequent visitor. He is an American who adopted several children from Russia. He brings them here several times a year so that they can be reminded of their Motherland”, Mr Russell said. The Museum of Russian Icons in America is famous for the largest collection of Old Russian art outside of Russia. This last February, Archpriest Aleksandr Abramov, the secretary of the Representation of the MP in the USA, blessed the museum and its grounds.

The museum was founded in 2006 by the American businessman Gordon Lankton. He visited Russia for the first time in 1989, and he bought his first icon, depicting St Nicholas the Wonderworker, at the Izmailovsky Market in Moscow for 20 dollars (528 roubles. 15 euros. 11.64 UK pounds). After this, he began to collect Russian icons from all over the world. One of the most ancient of his purchases now at the museum is an icon of the Holy Prophet and Forerunner John the Baptist, which dates from around 1450. At present, the collection consists of 350 items, but not all are continuously on exhibition. Only after the completion of a new addition shall the entire collection be on public view. The icons were acquired at auctions in the USA and Europe, mostly coming from private collections. Several of the icons were gifts. The cost of one of the gift icons was conservatively estimated at 40,000 dollars (1.056 million roubles. 30,008 euros. 23,280 UK pounds).

Interfax-Religion
http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=26953 (in Russian)

Editor’s Note:
The admittance cost to this museum is very reasonable, being 5 dollars per adult. It is open from Tuesday to Friday, 11.00 to 15.00 and on Saturday, 09.00 to 15.00. It is closed on Sunday and Monday. The special exhibition “Two Museums, One Culture” shall run from 16 October 2008 to 1 May 2009. On Saturdays at 12.00, during the run of the special exhibition, Mr Lankton, the founder of the museum, shall give a guided tour of the collection. A special rate of 4 dollars per person applies to “civic groups”, no doubt, a parish group would qualify. To find directions, google “Museum of Russian Icons Clinton” and it is the first item shown, and a link to a map is available. Clinton MA is one hour due west of Boston MA and two hours due east of Albany NY.
By the way, the Interfax English translator earns yet another “Big Green Weenie Award” for cutting out about a third of the text from the Russian original. We’re just going to have to call out the bleacher creatures from Fenway to deal with them! This is lazy and beyond words.
Interfax! Fire that incompetent, they’re making you look stupid.

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Contact information:
Museum of Russian Icons
203 Union Street
Clinton MA 01510

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Telephone: (978). 598-5000
Fax: (978). 598-5009

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Website: http://www.museumofrussianicons.org/index.php

Orthodox Glad To Claim Polamalu As One Of Their Own

[Interesting article to appear in a secular paper. Must say a lot for Troy's public display of his faith - converting to Orthodoxy a few years ago, crossing himself after every play, making publicized trips with priests to Mount Athos, often talking about Orthodoxy in his interviews, and just recently naming his newborn "Paisios" after Elder Paisios of Mount Athos whom he most admires. -J.S.]
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Orthodox Glad To Claim Polamalu As One Of Their Own
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By Ann Rodgers, Pittsburgh Post-GazetteSunday, February 01, 2009
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Most NFL fans are familiar with the sight of Steelers safety Troy Polamalu crossing himself during games, but one subset of fans is gleefully aware that he crosses himself from right to left, rather than left to right.
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"Each time there is an important play, he makes his cross the Orthodox way. Nobody else does this, and it is a beautiful thing," said Metropolitan Maximos, of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh, who officiated at the wedding of Troy and Theodora Polamalu four years ago.
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Mr. Polamalu, an ethnic Samoan, long has had a strong Christian faith, but was non-denominational until he joined his wife's Greek Orthodox church. The metropolitan is quick to note that Orthodox enthusiasm for Mr. Polamalu isn't intended to denigrate any other branch of Christianity.
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"I'm very proud of him. But, to be honest, I don't care if his background is Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox or any of the Protestant communities, as long as the guy is a faithful person. And Polamalu is that, and his wife is as well," he said.
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When football doesn't allow the Polamalus to worship together on Sundays, they make weekday visits to the Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Saxonburg. Their infant son was baptized there. But the nuns won't be watching him play in the Super Bowl, Metropolitan Maximos said, because they don't watch anything on television that isn't religious.
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Orthodoxy and Catholicism -- which split in 1054 over issues of church authority -- have a different ethos. The monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, the Catholic monastery on the college campus where the Steelers practice, are unabashed fans. One monk, now deceased, went into earlier playoffs with a gold "7" on his black habit and called himself "Big Ben-edictine."
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Saint Vincent Archabbot Douglas Nowicki said Mr. Polamalu prays in their basilica during training camp and is close to the monks.
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"He's Orthodox, but I think he embodies that spirit of selflessness and humility, and is so well-grounded in who he is, that people of every faith relate to him. There is something deeply spiritual about him that all of us experience in being with him," he said.
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But for the Orthodox, he's something special, said Damian George, the youth director at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral in Oakland.
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When teens attend national Orthodox conferences, "the kids from Pittsburgh kind of brag about Troy, not only that he's a Steeler, but that he's Orthodox. And even the kids from Philly and New York get excited about it. He gives them a good role model because he's able to play at a high level and keep his faith at an equally high level," he said.
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Orthodoxy has no tradition of celebrities who testify to their faith, said the Rev. Thomas Soroka, pastor of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, McKees Rocks. There are lists of celebrities who have belonged to the church, including Tina Fey and Tom Hanks. But none are considered exemplars of Orthodox spirituality.
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Current online discussions of an Orthodox celebrity that don't involve Mr. Polamalu tend to bewail the conduct of Rod Blagojevich, who was removed as Illinois governor last week after a four-day impeachment trial.
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"A lot of times when people are Orthodox, it's more of an ethnic or cultural thing. Troy stands above that by being a practicing, committed Orthodox Christian," Father Soroka said."Orthodoxy is quite sober. It's not flashy or attractive to those who are looking for stardom. It's much more introspective, and I think Troy embodies that."
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But it helps that Mr. Polamalu is cool and handsome, with Samoan warrior hair that hasn't been cut in seven years. His plays appear to defy the laws of physics."Being faithful and devout isn't always cool. So it's great when you can point to Troy Polamalu and say, 'Look, faith isn't stupid. It's something really special,' " said James Purdie, 26, a subdeacon at St. George Cathedral."Seeing him crossing himself after a play, or praying on the sidelines, it's a way of witnessing that your faith can be incorporated into your everyday life."
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Mr. Purdie saw the Polamalus at a lecture at Duquesne University by Orthodox theologian Bishop Kallistos Ware.
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"A lot of the younger folks went up to him afterward and were asking him questions -- theological questions as well as football questions. His answers showed that he was knowledgeable in his faith. And it was nice to see his humility. He was very approachable," Mr. Purdie said.
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One Orthodox leader who does not tell stories about the Polamalus is their pastor, the Rev. John Touloumes at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, North Side. He wants to respect the family's privacy. But he will say that Mr. Polamalu has steeped himself in the Orthodox faith.
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"Troy has received the faith with great dedication and great enthusiasm in his personal life. He does share it on the field with others when he believes it is his calling to do that. And he shows it through his life, through his humility and his good works," he said.
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"He has a particular love for the younger people and they have responded very warmly to his gentle personality, his athletic talents and his deep faith."
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The Rev. Patrick Carpenter, pastor of St. Mary's Orthodox Church, South Side, joined a Troy Polamalu fan group on Facebook and took part in its "Steelers prayer wave." But he won't pray for a Steelers win.
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"We don't pray for victories. We don't pray for defeats. We pray for the safety of the team."
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Of course, Mr. Polamalu is the safety of the team.
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Ann Rodgers can be reached at arodgers@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1416.

An amazing interview with Troy where he shares his testimony on The 700 Club: