An Aesthetic Evaluation of the Iconography of Andrei Rublev

 

By Panagiotis Drakopoulos

Along with Byzantine, Russian iconography is considered the greatest artistic expression of Orthodoxy.

In its first period, during the 11th and 12th centuries, it was directly influenced by Byzantine, and many of the iconographers were Greek. The most famous work of this period is the Mother of God of Vladimir, which is considered the protecting icon of Russia.

The Era

This was followed by the period of the "Tatar Yoke", when Russia, with Kiev as its capital at the time, was conquered by the Tatars of the so-called Golden Horde. The Tatars plundered and burned palaces, mansions, monasteries and churches. Portable icons, frescoes, embroideries, small artifacts, etc. were destroyed. A struggle for Russian freedom followed, a struggle that provoked new barbarian raids.

But the Tatars often found help from Russian princes who abhorred the restoration of a unified state. At that time, which Tarkovsky so correctly depicts in his film “Andrei Rublev”, art had declined, as had all of civilization. Be aware, however: what concerns Rublev himself in the film is fictional. Tarkovsky’s Rublev is not a biography, despite the title of the film.

Synaxarion of Saint Martha, Mother of Venerable Symeon of the Wonderful Mountain

St. Martha (Feast Day - July 4)

Verses

If you neither worry nor become troubled, Martha, 
You will have everything else and the end of Martha.

This Venerable Martha practiced every kind of virtue, and while she occupied herself in the churches of God, she bore Saint Symeon from a promise. She possessed a great deal of asceticism and practiced standing; indeed, no one ever saw her sitting on Sunday, nor conversing with anyone at all. She had great love, and mercy, and humility. The feet of all foreigners she would wash and welcomed them. She clothed the naked, fed the hungry, and to those who were baptized and did not have clean shrouds to wear according to custom, she provided these shrouds. Likewise, she gave shrouds to the poor who died and had no means to be buried. She also had great faith and devotion to the Lady Theotokos, from whom she was granted to behold, before her death, the enjoyment of the heavenly good things that she was destined to receive after death.

July: Day 4: Teaching 2: Saint Martha, Mother of Venerable Symeon of the Wonderful Mountain

July: Day 4: Teaching 2:
Saint Martha, Mother of Venerable Symeon of the Wonderful Mountain

(Advice on the Religious and Moral Education of Children)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Martha, whose memory the Holy Church celebrates today, had an only son, Symeon; she brought him up, as is said in her life, with great care, and God granted her, while she was still alive, to rejoice in the holy and God-pleasing life of her son. But the time came for Martha to depart to the heavenly world, and then, on the day before her death, she was honored with the following vision. It seemed to her that she was caught up to the heights of heaven and there she saw a most wondrous and bright house, the beauty of which it is impossible to describe. And when she walked into that house and marveled at its wondrous arrangement, she suddenly saw the Most Holy Theotokos with two most radiant angels, Who said to her: "Why are you surprised?" Martha, reverently bowing to the Mother of God, answered: "I am surprised because, Lady, I have never seen such a wonderful house in all the days of my life on earth." Then the Queen of Heaven said: "What do you think, for whom is this house prepared?" - "I do not know, Lady," answered Martha. The Most Pure One continued: "Know that this rest has been prepared for you and this house was created for you by your son, and you will abide in it forever." After this, at the command of the Lady, the angels set up a wondrous throne, and the Mother of God continued: "This glory is given to you because you lived in the fear of God and in a God-pleasing manner. But do you want to see here even more glorious places?" And, having said this, she ordered Martha to follow her. And the Queen of Heaven took her to the highest heavenly places and showed her an even more wondrous and luminous house, incomparably compared to the first, the beauty of which neither the human mind can comprehend, nor can anyone's tongue utter. Here the Mother of God also said: “And your son built this house, and also laid the foundation of the third.” The day after this, blessed Martha died.

July: Day 4: Teaching 1: Saint Andrew, Archbishop of Crete

July: Day 4: Teaching 1:
Saint Andrew, Archbishop of Crete

(On How One Should Repent)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Andrew the Archbishop of Crete was born in Damascus in the 7th century and, healed of muteness after receiving the Holy Mysteries, devoted himself to reading the word of God, and at the age of 14 was received by Patriarch Sophronios into the clerical ranks of the Church of Jerusalem.* When the Arabs took the Holy City, Andrew continued to reside there. In the rank of Archdeacon, he was present at the 6th Ecumenical Synod and denounced the heretics who recognized in Christ the one divine will. Upon returning from the Synod, Andrew devoted himself to prayer and care for the poor and sick. Then, appointed Archbishop of the island of Crete (now Candia, on the Mediterranean Sea), he wisely ruled his flock, edifying them through both word and deed. Through his prayers, he saved the island from the invasion of the Saracens. Being summoned to Constantinople for ecclesiastical matters, Andrew, on his return journey, foretold that he would not see the island of Crete. Indeed, he passed away on the island of Mytilene, having not reached Crete. 

From the Heights of Holy Meteora to the Heights of Heaven: The Repose of Elder Isidoros of Barlaam

Elder Isidoros (Tsiatas) of Barlaam, former abbot of the Monastery of Barlaam in Meteora, reposed on July 2, 2025, and his funeral took place the following day on July 3. The following text was written on the day of his repose.

From the Heights of Holy Meteora to the Heights of Heaven 

 

By Dr. Haralambos M. Bousias, 
Great Hymnographer of the Church of Alexandria

A lofty stature of a virtuous life, a height of humble mindset, a height of industriousness, a height of philanthropy, a height of spirituality, a height of steadfast communication with his beloved Jesus, to whom he would turn at every moment of his life, exclaiming with admiration or perplexity to his interlocutors, "Lord, have mercy," the highly revered and now greatly mourned Elder Isidoros emerged.

The Elder of Meteora and abbot of the Monastery of Barlaam just recently ascended from the heights of Meteora to the heights of heaven.

His equal to the angels conduct granted him wings to soar and join the choir of angels, becoming a citizen of heaven.

July: Day 3: Teaching 1: Translation of the Sacred Relics of the Holy Metropolitan Philip from Solovetsky Monastery to Moscow

July: Day 3: Teaching 1:
Translation of the Sacred Relics of the Holy Metropolitan Philip from Solovetsky Monastery to Moscow

(On the Reasons for the Incorruptibility of Holy Relics)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow, the translation of whose much-healing relics is now celebrated, ended his life as a martyr in the Otroch Monastery in Tver, where he was exiled for the truth after an accusation by Ivan the Terrible, and where he was strangled by the chief of the Tsar's oprichniks, Malyuta Skuratov. Several years after the death of the Saint, the abbot of the Solovetsky Monastery, Jacob, and his brethren asked Tsar Feodor Ivanovich for permission to transfer the body of the deceased to the Solovetsky Monastery, where Philip had taken monastic vows and was abbot. There the relics of the martyred Saint rested peacefully under the protection of the church and the prayers of the brethren of the monastery who reverently honored him; there miracles began to be observed at the tomb of Philip over those who prayed before them with faith and reverence. 

Dias, the Ionian Island Dedicated to the Panagia Where Orthodox Priests Were Exiled

Steep on all sides and imposing, it has been described by Professor Spyros Marinatos as “the Meteora of the sea”. It was named Dias because in ancient times, on the rocky islet there was an altar of the god Zeus. 

There is a reference in Hesiod about this islet that, at the top of Aenos in Kefallonia, there was a Temple of the God Zeus, where traces and many relics of sacrifices had been found, which were saved until 1813. When the priests on Aenos sacrificed the sacred carcasses on the altar of Zeus, the smoke that rose to the sky gave the "sign" and the ceremony of a second, almost simultaneous sacrifice began on the rocky islet of Dias, which is in line of sight with Megalo Soros (the highest peak of Aenos). When the priests saw the second column of smoke, they understood that the sacrifice to Zeus had been completed. 

The rocky islet of Dias during the British rule was a place of exile for clergy, for spiritual and political reasons. Many priests, on the occasion of the measures imposed by the English, opposed and were accused of seeking popular uprisings against the English authority. In fact, in a specific issue of civil law, which had to do with the chronological system of registry acts, and was the subject of the Church, many priests resisted. The priests of Lixouri resisted very vigorously and were exiled to Dias and Vardiani as punishment.

July: Day 2: Deposition of the Honorable Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos in Blachernae

July: Day 2:
Deposition of the Honorable Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos in Blachernae
 
(On Reverence for the Sacred)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The present celebration of the Deposition of the Honorable Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos was established in the following way. Tradition says that the Most Holy Theotokos gave one of Her garments to a Jewish woman, a pious maiden, with the order, in turn, before Her death, to give it to the same maiden. In the 5th century, two brothers, Greek nobles, Galbius and Candidus, went to venerate the holy Places in Palestine. Going to Nazareth, the city where the Annunciation took place, they stopped to spend the night in one village in the house of a pious Jewish woman. Here in one of the rooms they saw a large number of lamps and smelled the smell of incense. The nobles asked the hostess about the room, and she told them that she kept a precious relic - the robe of the Most Holy Theotokos. The Greek brothers, considering the keeping of the robe of the Theotokos by a Jewish woman impious, decided to secretly carry off the holy robe. Having made a reliquary exactly similar to the one in which the robe was kept, they prayed to God that He would not impute to them a sin for stealing the reliquary with the robe, secretly took this reliquary at night, and put their own, and brought the robe to Constantinople, placing it in their house. But since many miracles were manifested from the robe of the Theotokos in their house, then, by order of the Emperor Leo, Patriarch Gennadios transferred it with reverence to the Blachernae Church of the Theotokos. This was in the year 474. Parts of the clothing of the Theotokos, separated from that which had been placed in Constantinople, are in various places: in the Dormition and Annunciation Cathedrals in Moscow, in the Lateran Cathedral in Rome, and on Athos in the Russian Skete of the Prophet Elijah.

The Sistine Chapel of Vatican City (Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

The Sistine Chapel of Vatican City 

 

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

Recently, on the occasion of the election of the new Pope, there had been much talk about the temple in which the conclave of Cardinals gathered to elect him, namely the Capella Sistina or Sistine Chapel.

The Capella Sistina (Sistine Chapel) was renovated by Pope Sixtus IV from 1473 to 1477 in order to be used as the Papal Chapel (Cappella Pontificia), which was established in 1483 in honor of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The Sistine Chapel is named after Pope Sixtus IV.

In order to paint the temple, many prominent painters were enlisted, such as Botticelli, Perugino, Signorelli, Cosimo Rosselli, Pinturicchio and others, but mainly the great painter Michelangelo, who constitutes the pinnacle of the Renaissance and heralds the Baroque.

The Orthodox Christians of Syria and Lebanon

By Konstantinos Holevas, Political Scientist

Syria and Lebanon are countries with a multi-religious character. The civil war between Maronite Christians and Muslims, but also between Muslims among themselves, began in Lebanon in 1975. The country still has difficulty making peace today. In Syria, the civil war between the Assad government and its opponents began in 2011. The Assad family, which was overthrown in December 2024, was supported by the Alawite minority. Turkey still maintains military and political influence in Syria today. Greece has the right and obligation to be concerned about the protection of the Orthodox Christians of the region and to press in every way for the peaceful coexistence of all religious groups in the Middle East.

For a better understanding of the problem, I will list five questions with the corresponding answers

July: Day 1: Holy Unmercenaries Kosmas and Damian

July: Day 1:
Holy Unmercenaries Kosmas and Damian
 
(On Imitating Them)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Today the Holy Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Unmercenaries Kosmas and Damian, who suffered in Rome in 284. They were brothers and were raised in Christian piety. Having studied the art of medicine, they, with the help of God's grace, healed all kinds of illnesses. Helping people, they also healed animals. The good healers did not take payment or reward for healing from anyone and therefore were called unmercenary doctors or unmercenaries. They demanded only one thing from those being healed: that they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Healing the sick in Rome itself and in the surrounding cities, they converted many to Christ. Giving healing to the sick, they also helped the poor from their estates left to them by their parents, fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and did other works of mercy.