Southwell Minster exhibition artwork sent from Russia with love
Two Russian artists who fell in love with Southwell Minster during a visit are to have their work exhibited in the cathedral.
The exhibition will be hosted next month by the Friends of Southwell Cathedral (Southwell Minster).
It aims to raise awareness of the group and encourage new members — as well as raise money.
The exhibition is of oil on canvas work by Fedor Olevskiy and Aleksandr Kalinin, who fell in love with Southwell, and Nottinghamshire when they first visited seven years ago.
The works are of the area, but also include landscapes of the wild and unspoilt Russian countryside.
Olevskiy and Kalinin are leading lights in the resurgent church in St Petersburg and are often employed to decorate new churches — or help with the restoration of churches abandoned during the Communist era.
A recent commission was a church used by the Tsar and his family.
The exhibition runs from Saturday, June 12, to Thursday, June 24, and will be open at all times the minster is open, except for when services are taking place.
Mounting this exhibition is a new departure for the Friends organisation.
The paintings are for sale with a percentage of proceeds going to Friends’ funds.
Friends of Southwell Cathedral (Southwell Minster) is an independent charity, founded in 1947, with members nationwide and several overseas.
Subscriptions, events and legacy income are used to support the maintenance of the fabric of Southwell Minster, as well as for its adornment.
At the moment, the Friends is the largest single donor to the minster’s ambitious Leaves of Southwell project — which is focused on better presenting the famous 1287 Chapter House — after the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
An updated membership leaflet for the group is available in hard copy or online at www.southwellminster.org/friends