Архитектура России в ее иконе
Учебное издательство Школы Дизайна НИУ ВШЭ
This book systematizes a collection of icons from the Kolomenskoye Museum, featuring images of architectural ensembles. These icons help reconstruct the ancient appearance of Russian cities and monasteries. The study integrates icon painting, architecture, and hagiography, presenting the first classification of such icons.
WAM No. 19/20, «Russian Architecture in Its Icon, ” is dedicated to the collection of icons from the Kolomenskoye Museum. This serves as a foundation for further academic research.
This project was made possible by the dedicated work of architect Pyotr Dmitrievich Baranovsky (1892–1984). The unique collection of icons he assembled—approximately fifty works from the 16th–19th centuries, depicting ensembles of cities and monasteries—became available to the general public and for academic research after restoration. The monograph should be viewed as the first attempt to classify this type of iconographic work and bring it into scholarly circulation, which is a necessary prerequisite for future studies.
New Vision
The updated edition of «Russian Architecture in Its Icon» will be interesting not only to specialists but also to those interested in iconography and the history of church architecture through its visual components: architectural researchers, restorers, art historians, icon painters, art lovers specializing in architecture and icon painting, collectors, historians, students, and faculty.
Photo: Press Service of the Department of Education and Science of Moscow. An artist-restorer from the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve. Photo: P. Volkov, «Evening Moscow»
Concept
This publication examines the icon as a visual document where the saint’s image, the narrative, and the architecture exist in a unified system. Architectural elements become not merely a backdrop, but a means to denote a specific place, historical memory, and the saint’s connection to the city, monastery, or church. Therefore, the book is structured around a dialogue between three components: «Saint—Place—Architecture.»
Solution
Visually differentiate the information about the icon, the saint, and the architectural structure (using font, color, and layout).
Redesigning the book will provide a new interpretation of the material—what was complex and monotonous will become structured and accessible to understanding.
Format (205 × 260 mm) creates a more familiar vertical perception of the visual array, reminiscent of an icon.
7BC Binding
Offset Paper
The choice of materials and print quality make the book a collectible object. The warm color of the paper is associated with archival documents. The color of the icons remains the primary source of rich hues. This edition can adorn a personal collection, serve as an expensive gift, or supplement a home library.
The introduction of large typography will create focal points. Font selection: serif, display. An additional color will reinforce the division of disparate material.
Composite binding cover, color edge—will create a premium look for the publication.
The publication aims to make iconography understandable and accessible to a broad readership. The new design attracts a wide audience with a contemporary visual language while preserving scholarly value through visual systematization and the complete retention of original content. This systematization is evident in clear categorization and consistent principles for presenting illustrative material and textual information. This allows the book to function both as a reference guide and as a foundation for independent research—data can be quickly located, compared, and verified. The architectural aspect is a key focus of the publication: for specialists, it compiles descriptions of building types and illustrates their evolution in icon painting across different schools and eras.
Potential Publisher
AST Publishing Group. One of Russia’s largest publishers, producing books for a broad audience.
