OCU criticizes the painting of Lutsk cathedral with portraits of businessmen

Dmytriy Rudiuk. Photo: facebook.com/lvividomosti

On November 2, Dymytriy Rudiuk, the "Metropolitan" of Lviv and Sokal of the OCU, expressed his dissatisfaction on Facebook regarding the frescoes in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Lutsk, where portraits of local businessmen were painted on the walls. In Rudiuk's view, this decision violates the sacred canons of church art.

In his post, titled "On the Modern Secularization of Church Art," the OCU representative noted:

“The history of church art includes depictions of patrons and benefactors on the walls of churches. For example, in the Dormition Cathedral of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, patrons such as the Ostrozky and Sanguszko princes were depicted on the wall in the left section. Therefore, they hold a sacred place in this iconography... On the western wall, under the Protection of the Mother of God, are depicted hetmans-patrons and other dignitaries.”

However, in his view, mistakes were made in Lutsk Cathedral. Rudiuk emphasized that the portraits of the businessmen were placed in the upper part of the fresco, where saints and angels should appear: “I cannot imagine a parishioner looking up to see a modern Lutsk businessman instead of a martyred saint or an angelic order.”

The "Metropolitan" of the OCU also suggested more appropriate locations for such portraits: “There could have been another place for benefactors in the cathedral, such as near the candle-selling area or beside the depiction of the Last Judgment... or even incorporated in the canon of the western wall fresco.”

According to Rudiuk, it is inappropriate to compare modern businessmen with the princes of ancient Ukraine who left their fortunes to the Church upon their deaths.

As previously reported by the UOJ, portraits of well-known Volyn businessmen appeared in the upper church of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Lutsk.

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