Rescued relics. Icons from the collection of Nicholas Kormashov

Collection of icons of the artist Nikolai Ivanovich Kormashova (1929 – 2012) is unique in many ways. "Saved relics" not just the title of the exhibition in these words, pronounced long dedicated work and life philosophy of a man who has gathered a unique collection of icons. His life and creative journey was a lot of happy momentous, almost miraculous occasions, but he played a decisive role in the fate of many icons of the saints were on the verge of death and returned to life.

The exhibition displays over 150 icons, creation time, which refers to the period from the XV to the XX century. The exhibition includes both great icons of the iconostasis, and the people's provincial icons, traditional images and icons of rare and sometimes unique iconography.

The formation and history of the collection of Nikolai Kormashov reflects changes in time relation to the private collection of icons and old Russian art in General. In 1971, the Art Museum of Estonia held the first exhibition from the collection of Kormashova, and it was the first exhibition of icons from private collections in the Soviet Union. The exhibition, which took place in his time without pomp, now, over time, is conceptualized as a very bold step, which initiated the change of status of private collecting.