by Hryhoryj Lohvyn

Hryhoryj Lohvyn's two-part 1987 Carpatho-Rusyn American study,
published courtesy of the Ukraina Society in Kiev, traces the history
of icon painting in the Lemko Region from the fifteenth-century murals
of the Church of the Nativity at Węglówka/Vanivka through the
distinctive character of Lemko iconography more broadly.

Part 1

The following article on Lemko icons with photographs were sent specially to
the Carpatho-Rusyn American by the Ukraina Society in
Kiev, to whom we express our appreciation. - Editor

The extreme diversity of style in the pictorial arts of the Lemko Region makes an immediate impression on any expert in the field. A probable explanation for the artistic variety is the fact that the Lemkos lived in a mountainous border region where censorship on the part of religious authorities was weak. As a result, local painters enjoyed greater artistic latitude when carrying out the requests of various rural neighborhoods for icons. Despite the amazing diversity of Lemko icons, there are still certain common features inherent in all the works, such as a distinct emotional character, expressiveness, and a boundless love for bright decorative coloring. At the same time, one often finds a restrained simplicity as well as laconic and monumental compositions which recall the earlier monumental art current in the Rus' lands during the eleventh to thirteenth centuries. In particular, the presence of red and green backgrounds in Lemko art is a tribute to the traditions of wall and icon-painting popular in medieval Kievan Rus', most especially in the murals of St. Sophia's Cathedral and St. Cyril's Church in Kiev

When we turn to the Lemko Region these traits can be observed in the fifteenth-century murals of the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God in the village of Weglowka / Vanivka (Krosno district). A monumental composition called The Prayer impresses the viewer with its contrasting characteristics of the three figures, which because of their rhythmically chosen positions on a field of light ochre recall the mosaic pattern contrasting with a gold background found in Kiev's St. Sophia's Cathedral. Still, the most refined creation in the church at Weglowka is the monumental icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God. The dynamic rhythm of the composition suggests an exquisite and noble character that is permeated with an almost music-like sound of color expressed through a marvelous combination of bright and subdued tones. The specific alternation of sinuous, bent, straight. vertical, and horizontal lines force the viewer to concentrate, despite himself, on every shade of color and on the outlines of various objects amid which were placed the participants of this most festive event - the birth of a child. Marked by the elevated moral atmosphere, this icon is a genuine hymn to maternity enshrouded in charms of poetry and beauty

1. The Prayer, detail from the iconostas, is in the
   church at Weglowka / Vanivka, fifteenth century.

Regardless of the workshop at which they were created, the icons of the Lemko Region are very important for scholarly research, since they provide material evidence of the advanced aesthetic level of the Lemkos. Lemko artistic preferences lay in light and fresh colors, among which red was dominant. And ever since earliest times, bright vermilion has been used by folk painters with a sense of decorative subtlety. This trait is already distinguishable, for example, in the icon depicting the Archangel Michael from the village of Daliowa/Dal'ova (Sanok district). The viewer finds himself virtually unable to take his eyes from the glowing red of the Archangel's cape.

2.. The Dormition, by the master painter Aleksej, detail
from the Iconostasis in the church at Weglowka / Vanivka, . 1547.

3. The Archangel Michael, from the Iconostasis in the
   church at Daliowa / Dal'ova, first half of the fifteenth century.

Next Page

Part 2

Icon Painting In The Lemko Region - (part 2)

The following article on Lemko icons with photographs were sent specially to
the Carpatho-Rusyn American by the Ukraina Society in
Kiev, to whom we express our appreciation. - Editor

4. The Pantocrator, from the church at Milik/Mylyk, late fifteenth-early sixteenth centuries.

The wide spectrum of compositions and color techniques, chosen carefully for their function in the ensemble. are characteristic of all icons from Lemko villages in the Lower Beskyds. The icon of the Pantocrator from the village of Milik; Mylyk (Nowy Sacz district) underlines the monumentality of
this image of the all-powerful Lord. The outline of the figure is clearly emphasized against a red field. thereby evoking associations with classical statues.

5. The Mother of God, from the Iconostasis in the church at Jawornyk/Javirnyk, early sixteenth century.

Lemko Region painters demonstrate a completely opposite artistic approach in the icon of the Mother of God from the village of Jawornyk/Javirnyk (Sanok district). Here the stately silhouette and the proudly uplifted head of the Mother of God emphasize her unique role. Icons representing the saints and their life stories form a separate group. Thus, St. Paraskeva and Her Life Story. from the fifteenth century, is one of the oldest examples of Lemko icon painting preserved to this day. In the center of the icon the artist portrayed St. Paraskeva dressed in a scarlet cape which falls in heavy folds from her head t o her feet, covering her entire body. This clearly suggests the painter is a monumentalist, giving preference to a powerful, laconic, and stern manner of painting. The loftiness of St. Paraskeva, the principal image of the icon, is emphasized by the miniatures in the side panels that illustrate her life and saintly acts. The pain and suffering of the heroine St. Paraskeva were well known to the common folk. This allowed for unambiguous associations with the events of her actual life, which encouraged compassion for all the downtrodden and oppressed. This theme vividly demonstrates the humanism of traditional Lemko ecclesiastical art. The unswerving courage of St. Paraskeva served as an example to the people and it helped them develop the unbreakable willpower needed to overcome evil and violence. Her courage also provided a model for people to follow a path away from sin and compromise, which would threaten moral values.

6. St. Paraskeva and Her Life Story, fifteenth-sixteenth century, National Museum, Cracow.

Alongside St. Paraskeva, St. Nicholas enjoyed special respect and popularity, as well as other saints like Dmitrii, Basil, Barbara, and the profitless healers named Kozma and Demian. This list can be supplemented with the vast compositions depicting the Passions and the Last Judgment.

The icons described here were all created in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, a time when the modern states of Europe were beginning to form. For Lemkos, this process coincided with a most difficult period in their history. However, ecclesiastical art, with its highly aesthetic, sincere, and humanistic ideals, encouraged the simple folk and gave them hope for a better future. This art also called for self-sacrifice in the name of the most noble of principles: "no feeling known is greater than the desire to die for a fellow's sake." Finally, the appearance in many Lemko icons of the canonized Kievan princes and princesses (Vladimir, Olga, Boris, and Gleb) clearly revealed the cultural ties that Lemkos maintained with Kiev, the mother of Rus' cities. Still today we can see that Lemko icon painting, with its own set of ethical norms, rules, and examples of highly moral behavior, is a veritable treasure of artistic masterpieces.

*Hryhoryj Lohvyn

Kiev, Ukraine*

Return to Carpatho-Rusyn Knowledge Base's Lemko Index

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Hryhoryj Lohvyn's two-part article "Icon Painting in the Lemko Region"
(Carpatho-Rusyn American, Vol. 10 #3, 1987, copyright 1987, used with
permission, published courtesy of the Ukraina Society in Kiev) is hosted
at carpatho-rusyn.org (Carpatho-Rusyn Knowledge Base). Captured
2026-08-05 from http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/lemkos/icons.htm and
icons2.htm. Published here under permission held by the New Tianmu
Anglican Church for this material, recorded 2026-08-05; all rights
remain with the original author, Hryhoryj Lohvyn, Carpatho-Rusyn
American, and the Ukraina Society.

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