Combining The Best Of Past Scythian Gold Exhibitions And Treasures Of Poland Exhibition, Treasures Of Ukraine Exhibition To Come To U.S. In 2010-2012

The Foundation for International Arts and Education (FIAE), in cooperation with the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC), and with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in the U.S., will be presenting two outstanding Ukrainian exhibitions featuring historic 'TREASURES OF UKRAINE' in a number of American museums during the period from 2010 to 2012. The two exhibitions will focus on "Treasures of Ukraine from the PLATAR Collection of Kyiv" and "Ukrainian Icons and Religious Objects from the National Kyiv-Perchersk (Lavra) Historic and Cultural Preserve and Other Collections, XI-XIX Centuries." Additional information about the FIAE Ukrainian Icons and Religious Objects program can be found at this link.

The Warsaw Voice newspaper wrote about the Platar Collection Exhibition on May 14, 2008:

"WARSAW - The National Museum in Warsaw is hosting an exhibition until June 29 devoted to the fascinating archeological past of Ukraine. The exhibition is entitled "From Ukraine to the World: Ukrainian Treasures from the Platar Collection," and its patrons are the presidents of Poland and Ukraine, Lech Kaczyński and Viktor Yushchenko.

The exhibition consists of outstanding works of art from a private collection of around 400 artifacts dating from between the fourth millennium B.C. and the 12th century. This is the first time they are being shown outside Ukraine.

Research shows that 8,000 years ago, a unique culture developed in what is Ukraine today. The exhibition documents all major periods of the history of Ukraine, from the early Neolithic to magnificent works of art that resulted from close relations between Kiev Ruthenia and the Byzantine Empire.

Since the Scythian Gold exhibition from the Hermitage Museum in 1976, visitors to the National Museum have not seen such an extensive display of the accomplishments of the most famous ancient goldsmiths."

Articles from the Welcome to Ukraine magazine about the PLATAR collection can be read here and here.

Photo credits: Prof. John Haskins' Slide Collection Department of Art History University of Pittsburgh and (c) East-European Archaeological Journal 2002. St George with Scenes from His Life XII-XIII Century C.E., National Museum, Kyiv, Ukraine (as displayed at Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2006) [check]

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Saint George (Yuri) and the Dragon
14th century
67 x 69. Egg tempera on lime wood.
From the Church of SS Joachim and Anna in the village of Stanylya, Lviv region. Lviv National Museum.

Along with his image as holy warrior and martyr, in the 12th century there appeared an image of St. George the Dragon-Slayer that become widely popular in medieval art. St. George (or St. Yur, as he was often called in Ukraine) was a favorite folk hero. In folk consciousness he was the patron of farmers and cattle breeders, and beasts obeyed him.

"The icon reproduced here is one of the earliest representations of this theme in Ukrainian painting. It is said to come from St. Yur's Church in Drohobych, one of the oldest wooden churches in the Ukraine. The icon is the embodiment of simplicity. Its composition has no minor details, everything being subordinated to the representation on combat in which St.Yur is the main hero and victor. The graceful and energetic rider in knightly attire strikes the dragon with his spear. His cannabarine cloak contrasts with the black horse treated conventionally and flatly which looks like a heraldic symbol. The combat of St. George with the dragon is interpreted as the triumph of Christianity over paganism, the triumph of justice over falsehood. The black color of the horse is rare though not unique for this subject, emphasizing the decorativeness of the icon and its dramatic nature."

Image and caption credit: Ukrainian Icons In The 11th-16th C. (c) Icon Gallery and Andrii Borovets --- M.A.K. Ltd., Lviv, Ukraine.

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Saint Yuri's Church in Drohobych, Ukraine.

Credit: Encyclopedia of Ukraine hosted by the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies . Copyright controlled.