St.Michael's Cathedral by Yan Stanislavskyi, 1898

Kyiv`s St.Michael`s is our Parthenon. A beautiful temple that stood on a hill watching over the city for centuries of its rich and vibrant history. And then the invaders came, they stripped the priceless bas-reliefs, mosaics, and frescos, took them far away to their museums, and refused to give them back. Only in our case Russia also literally blew the desacrated cathedral up, destroying thousand years of our history, to errect a giant gaudy monument on top of it which they, thankfully, had never managed to build. 

Diana Savita Wagner. A short report by Microsoft. It first shows a few pictures of the funeral service for her on 14th february in the St.Michaels Cathedral in Kyiv. But then you see a short video of her death - two soldiers jump upwards to her and rescue her body against a background of a huge wall of smoke caused obviously by the explosion of a grenade. It's just a short second that you see her body carried by them, and it's just a short second that you see her face, motionless like her body. She was hit by a shrapnell as we read later. And perhaps she was hit direct deadly - as you may think when you see this scene. How is it possible to film that amid the combat? I do not understand it. I will never forget this terrible and uncredibly sad scene... (it's also on youtube shorts, but not so clear).

St.Michael’s Cathedral of Albenga (SV) at sunrise

another relic and the magic of chaos

another relic, this time in brussels, at the cathedral of st.michael and st. gudula. I couldn’t see what the relic actually was, but it seemed like something very very tiny in the middle of this golden aureole receptacle. I tried to find online what it was, exactly, but I couldn’t. however, I found other relics of john paul II, such as hair and ampoles with cloth soaked in the former pope’s blood. honestly, I don’t know how could this be more witchcrafty.. In a conversation I had with my partner, he pointed out how this is a way the catholic church has of distancing it’s main figures from de regular person, how the church uses relics and altars to maintain this differentiation of who they consider the ‘holy people’ from us, usual sinners. and yes, this is true of course. if we take into consideration all the power structure and history around the catholic church, it’s pretty clear how this could be damaging.  but for me, somehow, seeing closely this relics with actual organic pieces of ‘holy’ people, opens up a perception i’ve never had in my years of unorganic and metaphorical catholicism - the closeness this very powerful colonizing institutionalized religion has with practices itself would consider sinful and profane. why is that so different from keeping a lock of hair or clothing from a loved one? making an altar at your house for a deity you want to honor? of course, belief systems have rules and stories that must be respected. however, I feel now while writing about this, that some interests I’ve had in the past about chaos magic are popping up. I’ve never went deep on it, so I might eventually disagree with some statements, but the magic of chaos is based on the principle that belief is a tool for achieving effects. that ritual systems and rules are instruments that carry no essential truth, but exist as ways for channeling belief, and somehow ‘activating’ the magic. and, coming from the principle where there is no absolut truth, it frees individual belief and allows autonomous ritualistic practices.

this idea walks side by side with my own practice of creating images of my own creature-saints, for protection. it also connects with the stories I’ve been reading about, on Luiz Antonio Simas’ book, of how some saints of Brasil’s christianity  were created through popular stories, against the church’s permissions - and also how many elements of different beliefs there are completely mixed up in many widespread celebrations. this crossing of stories, rituals and beliefs are very likely something that happens all over the world, shaping our worldview through stories and symbols that come from, at times, opposite directions. but somehow we manage to make sense out of that.

The Queen attends the Service of the Order of St.Michael and St.George at St.Paul’s Cathedral. The service will also be attended by The Duke of Kent who is the Grand Master of the Order -16.07.2008  

CREDIT: David Wimsett/UPPA/Photoshot

The Evolution of Milan Armor in the 15th Century.

Fine Sources:

(1-2) 1435-1445. St.Michael Fighting the Dragon., (3) 1460. St.George. Andrea Mantegna., (4) 1470. St.Michael. Francesco Botticini., (5) 1480. St.George. Hans Memling., (6) 1488. Madonna Throne of Angels. Sandro Botticelli., (7) 1492. St.Petronius Cathedral., (8) 1499. St.Michael. Pietro Perugino., (9) 1500. St.Michael. Vincenzo Foppa.

Interior of St.Michael & St. Gudula cathedral in Bruxelles, Belgium.

Year ago in Kyiv St.Michaels Monastery #kyiv #kyivcity #kyivchurch #kyivcathedral #beautifilkyiv #traveltokyiv #traveltokiev #traveltouktaine #architecture #cathedral #church #travelblog #travelphotography #photobynikaostratyuk #cityaroundus #worldcity (St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_M3FjHHnVP/?igshid=1bzmznf9fd2fu

St.Michael`s Cathedral in Kyiv, early XXth century

#europe #travelphotography #Belgium #be #bruxelles #Brussels #cathedral #belgica #Christianity #church #st.michael #sightseeing #travelgram #art #sqiæ #endgame #goodvibes (at Catedral de St. Michael e St. Gudula) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrhcWgJjAma/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=mm7c3zq95ohe

Wedding of Prince Philip of Serbia and Danica Marinkovic at the Cathedral Church (Church of St. Michael the Archangel) in Belgrade. Queen Sofia of Spain and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden attended the wedding ceremony. Sırbistan Prensi Philip ve Danica Marinkoviç’in Belgrad St.Michael Katedralinde düğün töreni gerçekleşti. Kraliyet Düğün törenine İspanya Kraliçesi Sofia ve İsveç Veliaht Prensesi Victoria katıldılar. FOTOĞRAFLAR – PHOTOS

PRINCE PHILIP DANICA MARINKOVIC WEDDING Wedding of Prince Philip of Serbia and Danica Marinkovic at the Cathedral Church (Church of St. Michael the Archangel) in Belgrade.

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St.Sebastian martyrdom, medieval fresco on a pillar of Albenga’s St.Michael Cathedral, Liguria, Italy

Exibition of author’s ice sculptures near St.Michael’s Cathedral

24/01/17, 17:27

St.Michael's Cathedral in Kyiv, 1935

The 11th century building was demolished by the Soviet government in 1935. Prior to the destruction the ancient mosaics that decorated the interior were removed and taken to Moscow and Saint Petersburg where they remain to this day. 

The Baroque gate of the St.Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv, 1890s