A class for study of Old Russian painting was formed in St Petersburg Children’s School of Art #13 in 1998.

The teacher in this class is Andrey Valentinovitch Ponomaryov, the author of the program “Basics of Old Russian painting. Profile educational program for those willing to enter restoration department of St Petersburg Christian University named after N.K.Rerikh (restoration, conservation and preservation of works of art) with a specialization in restoration and preservation of easel painting; qualifying as fine art restorer".

The sixth course graduated in 2010.

There is a whole range of technical devices for icon painting in the class: a plate and grindstone for paint grinding, natural mineral and chemical pigments, instruments for gilding, reproductions, etc.

Children grind pigments on a stone plate using egg emulsion, which they compose themselves from egg yolks and wine vinegar.

Studies have the following structure:

- in the first course children study micro basics, making an icon: lines and their interaction;

- in the second course the focus of study is icons’ backgrounds: slides, tents, fonts, and ornaments;

- in the third course they get acquainted with ivory ground, paint grinding, color composing, and applying of paint on the surface, as well as copying icon fragments in color;

- the fourth course is the final one. During this last year of study children make a copy of a fresco in color in the technique close to fresco painting.

It’s important to note that we try to make works of a pretty big size (up to 1.5 meters) and to make copies of frescos, as it’s an almost inextricable difficulty for children to paint tiny details, a lot of which we find in icons.

Main objective of this course is to teach children to generally understand Old Russian painting.

The “Byzantine Childhood” exhibition at the Borey gallery will present the following works:

1. Icons. Material: board, ivory ground, egg tempera, gilding.

2. Exercises in icon painting. Material: fiberboard, ivory ground, egg tempera.

3. Copies of frescos. Material: paper, egg tempera.

4. Decorative compositions. Mixed media. Material: water color, gouache, egg tempera, ivory ground, paper.

You will be able to find information about the process of study, numerous trips, and summer practice on the information stand about the class of Old Russian painting.