Why was the Russian avant-garde inspired by… religious icons? (PICS) Natalya Kochetkova Sep 12 2026 Culture

https://www.gw2ru.com/arts/256050-why-was-the-russian-avant-garde-inspired-by-religious-icons-pics "Windows into the heavenly realm" led to a revolution in Russian painting. Collecting icons became fashionable among artists as early as the second half of the 19th century. Avant-garde leaders Mikhail Larionov and Natalia Goncharova were also passionate collectors of icons and ‘lubok’ (traditional folk) prints, viewing them not merely as religious objects, but as important aesthetic phenomena.