Olianina S. Ukrainian iconostases of the 17th – 18th centuries. Semantics of architectural and sculptural images.

This study is about the development of the symbolic structure of architectural and sculptural decoration of Ukrainian iconostasis. As the study makes it amply clear, it is a veritable marvel of the national art and culture of the 17th – 18th centuries as well as a paragon of visual theology, epitomizing the most important theological concepts of the day. The author explores the interrelation between religious meaning and the artistic conception of Ukrainian iconostases and retraces the evolution of the theological thought through the changes of iconographic programs and of their architectural and decorative repertory. The work focuses on the sculptural imagery embedded in the Ukrainian iconostasis as well as on its symbolic language, which has received up to now insufficient attention. This symbolic language, is of crucial importance and is further exemplified by the floral decoration of iconostases designed as a system of symbols that functioned as a kind of text delivering spiritual messages to be read and interpreted. The emergence of 17th century a new concept of an iconostasis as a multifaceted frame indicated that the framing was conceived as a comment to the main iconic imagery clarifying key ideas and the structure of its theological program and aiding in its reading and interpretation. Functioning similarly to text headings, the framing structured the iconic content of iconostases delineating it into a hyper-text of semantically connected but visually independent elements.