If one examines Perm’s wooden sculptures in the context of all of Ancient Russian art, they constitute a very small margin. This type of sculpture first reached its zenith outside of major Russian artistic centers, then fell in response to orders from secular or perhaps religious authorities. It did not seem to have any noticeable impact on the national school.

However, Ancient Russian art is not the only context within which one should study the “Perm Gods”. With respect to iconography (the key theme, “Christ in the Dungeon”, undeveloped in Ancient Russian art), genre (on the verge of taboo), and stylistics (unprecedented realism), this artistic phenomenon is so original that it is worth trying to relate to in a different way than Ancient Russian aesthetics are usually studied. The goal of this lecture is to attempt to interpret the art of the “Perm Gods” outside of Ancient Russian art.

The lecturer is Aleksandr Korolyov, candidate of philosophical sciences and senior researcher at the Russian Institute of Art History.

Entry to the lecture is free, but registration is required. We recommend viewing the exhibit, “Christ in the Dungeon,” before the lecture.