An exhibit honoring Russian Week 2009 fills two cases with various Russian arts, sacred and secular, visual and literary. Visit it this week on Falvey’s first floor.

There are a number of books on display, the oldest, Dioptra (The Looking Glass: A Reflection on Life), printed in 1787 in the Ukraine, loaned by Rev. Joseph Loya, O.S.A., Ph.D.

In addition to books, the glass cases hold a colorful alphabet chart and two groups of nesting dolls, one of political figures and one of women, loaned by Adele Lindenmeyr, Ph.D. Father Loya loaned a small brass folding icon display designed for traveling.

Across the top of the cases are various images: a photograph of onion-domed churches, Russian Week 2009 posters listing the week’s events, portraits of Catherine the Great and Cynthia Whittaker, Ph.D., a guest speaker at one of the events, reproductions of Russian paintings and a photograph of women and children working on a farm.

This exhibit is colorful, visually appealing and, despite its small size, is packed with information about the arts of Russia. Taras Ortynsky, librarian liaison to RASCON (Russian Area Studies Concentration), worked with its faculty: Acting Director Lynne Hartnett, Ph.D.; Boris Briker, Ph.D.; Rev. Richard Cannuli, O.S.A., M.F.A.; Dr. Lindenmeyr; Father Loya; Paul Steege, Ph.D.; and Miron Wolnicki, Ph.D. Taras said his experience helping create the Russian Week exhibit was “rewarding.”

The exhibit was mounted by Joanne Quinn, who created the eye-catching graphics which draw the viewer to examine the display more closely.