On a grassy knoll, down the Twin Lakes road in Salisbury, sits
a simple white clapboard chapel that promises an experience both dramatic and inspiring.
A delightful sensorial surprise is had upon entering the All Saints of AmericanOrthodox Christian Church. Picture a space with angels and the heavens
sparkling down and around you. Saints and martyrs look out, with eyes of
resilience and wisdom, and catch the gaze of all who enter. Brilliant colored
Icons and relics line walls and a large mural of Christ as Triumphant King encapsulates
the spectator from overhead.
Icons are a distinct art form of the Orthodox Church. They
serve as an art-based path to direct revelation, giving the viewer access to
the spirits. The holy images may be on wood, canvas, mosaic or fresco. An
iconographer creates an icon, “written with light”; to be a transparent window
and, using an inverted perspective, the church installation manifests a great
cloud of witnesses, reminding the assembled that they never worship alone. The interior
warm white plaster walls reflect the abundant gold leaf, and bounce the light
which combined with the pungent smell of burning wax candles and smoking incense,
transports you to another place
The enthusiasm of past visitors has prodded the church into initiating
free Saturday afternoon tours before Vespers. Rev. John J. Kreta and the
abundance of available literature at the door, reassure the secular visitor of
the gregarious hospitality of the church. My tour guide on this third Saturday
of touring was Evelyn Kreta. She was bubbling with enthusiasm. She is choir
director as well as an experienced icon painter. The first thing she explained
to me is that icons are not painted, instead they are “written”, because they
serve as a way to transcribe the scriptures just as any words might do.
The artist, Reverend Andrew Tregubov, is an award winning iconographer
and historian. Commissioned by All Saints of American Orthodox Christian Church,
Tregubov has written the majority of the icons in the style of Father GregoryKroug. Father Kroug was born in Russia in 1909, but left after the revolution
to study at the Art Academy in Paris. When he became a monk he was given the
name “St Gregory the Iconographer”. He died in 1969 in a small hermitage
outside of Paris after he had written 550 different icons and wall paintings.
Tregubov has received grants to study and archive the work of Kroug and other
master iconographers.
The iconostasis, or icon stand, divides the nave and alter. Hung
with icons of angels and saints and portrayals of events from scriptures, the structure
has three doorways and is meant to serve as a bridge between heaven and earth. Written
dark to light, the figures have gentle delicate features that seem lit from
within. Garments are brushed with all shades of colors and the folds are
highlighted with bright streaks of lines. Red outlines surround much of each
figure and frame. The contrast of the frenetic lines to the simple expanses of
background gives the figures a feeling of active presence. Brilliant details
attract my eye and standing in the space I sense the feeling of collective
inspiration.
Eleven relics of American saints with expressive eyes and symbolic
gesturing hands are assembled in the prayer niche to the right of the alter. Each
follows a prescribed pattern with minor variations between them. Small shards
of bones are encased in circular cavities below each portrait. Layers of
transparent brushwork enrich the robes. The large searching eyes are the most striking.
Young and old, the American martyrs engage us in their story of faith. This is an
encounter that must be seen!
Tours every Saturday
from 3:30 to 4:30 before Vespers at 5.
All Saints of American
Orthodox Christian Church on 313 Twin Lakes road
THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE LAKEVILLE JOURNAL SUPPLEMENT, "DISCOVER SALISBURY", OCT 2019
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