TO REVIVE OUR ORTHODOX ART
TO REVIVE OUR ORTHODOX ART - these are the words of Volodymyr Priadka, Folk Artist of Ukraine, Chairman of the Union of Folk Artists of Ukraine. He bemoans the epoch of militant atheism, when much of Ukraine's ancient cultural and artistic heritage was demolished, churches were destroyed and the nation's soul was beaten down. Ukrainian church construction reached its peak after eight hundred years (up to the 19th century). The unique architecture of Cossack baroque churches with the upward development of the inside space has no analogies in other cultures. The Orthodox churches are also rich in their interior decoration: fresco paintings, baroque icons, sculptural plastic. Today, thousands of churches are being built or reconstructed, but the majority of the new churches are being developed using an ordinary, semi-artistic project in pseudo-Russian style. It is time to re-consider the architectural and artistic heritage, to cultivate the traditional culture which preserves the nation's spirit and forms its mentality. Annual All-Ukrainian Orthodox folk art exhibitions should play an important role in the renaissance of Ukrainian church architecture.