Orthodox Hegemony and Art. Transfer of Russian Religious Art to the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean (late 16th-early 20th centuries)

Abstract

The volume comprises eighteen studies authored by project members and external scholars, originally presented and discussed at the final RICONTRANS conference which was held at the Institute for Mediterranean Studies-FORTH premises in Rethymno in January 2025. Together, these papers encapsulate the project’s principal research directions and offer critical reflections on their outcomes. The contributions are organized around six broad thematic axes: 1) Alms Collection Missions as a books, and vestments — objects essential for the worship life of the monasteries. These cult objects Channel for Art Mobility and Exchanges in the Orthodox World; 2) Russian Miraculous Icons in the Balkan Context - Transfer, Veneration, Transformations; 3) The Dissemination of Russian Icons in the Balkans; 4) Artefacts and Written Evidence - Russian or Ukrainian? Defining the Origins of Art Objects, Visual Models and Professional Skills transferred to the Balkans; 5) Supporting Orthodoxy in the Balkans: Russian Donations to Churches and Monasteries in the Balkans during the 19th Century; 6) Sacred Objects out of Ritual Context - Russian Icons in Museum Collections