The well-known painter Yurii Skorupsky, who holds the title of “Hands of Gold Master” in Ukraine, was invited to restore Holy Trinity Cathedral, the pearl of American sacred architecture.
The Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral, located in Chicago, Illinois, is considered an architectural monument of the 19th century. Its architect, Louis Sullivan, who was commissioned to design a church for Russian immigrants, was one of the most famous and sought-after specialists in the US. The interior of the church was crafted by early 20th-century masters, who decorated the walls with frescos, stained glass, and images in the style of ancient Rus’ icon paintings. After a century of existence the church’s exterior and interior needed restoration.
In 2003 Holy Trinity Cathedral prepared to observe its centennial. Looking for a master who could take on such a task, Dean Emeritus Sergei Garklavs was guided by Skorupsky’s high professional artistic training and his knowledge of sacred art — old Slavic traditions, religious canons, ancient iconographic techniques, and the traditions of ornamentation and woodcarving. Also crucially important was the artist’s religiosity and his knowledge of the history of the Old and New Testaments, and the acts of Jesus Christ and His disciples.
The Ukrainian painter Yurii Skorupsky fully satisfied all these requirements. A graduate of three art schools of higher learning, he is an honorary member of the National Artists’ Union, director of the Rava-Ruska Museum, and an organizer of many art exhibits. After founding the Artists Society in Ukraine, Yurii realized his artistic abilities in the US, where he moved in the early 1990s. His talent has been the subject of articles in such respected publications as Southwest Art Magazine and American Art Review. The synthesis of talents in applied and decorative arts helped him find clients and admirers quickly. As the American art critic Simon Green has written, Skorupsky’s gift lies in his rare poetic ability “to praise beauty so that the soul cries.”
Skorupsky’s mastery has been officially acknowledged by the American art world: his name is included in the American encyclopedic reference work devoted to famous professions as well as the National Register’s Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals. He was elected to the prestigious Chicago Art Coalition, and he is an honorary member of the Oil Painters of America.
Ukraine, the land that gave him inspiration for his creative work, continues to nurture his talent genetically. His professional connection with his homeland has lasted for many years in the form of active cooperation: exhibits and a book about his work are planned, and his paintings are on display in the Rava-Ruska Museum, Lviv Art Museum, and numerous private collections. Over the years Skorupsky has amassed his own collection of approximately 500 paintings, including both contemporary artists and classics of Ukrainian art of the late 19th century.
When the painter received the commission from Holy Trinity Cathedral, he began the difficult work of restoring the frescos in icon cases and some church decorations, including the icons and wooden carved objects used during liturgies. Working on the icons, Skorupsky thoroughly learned the works of his predecessors, which have embellished the church’s interior for a century, and became engrossed in the history of the Russian icon painting school. At the church’s request he painted two icons of famous biblical stories (“Christ in Gethsemane” and “Resurrection of Jairus’s Daughters”) using a method of mixed oil and acrylic on linden wood. Today these two icons, blessed with holy water, hang in the part of the church, to which only clergymen have access.
Besides icons, the master worked on frescos in icon cases, featuring saints and plant ornamentation in traditional blue, green, and red colors in the spaces between the arches. The centerpiece of the composition, which unites the space between the icon cases depicting saints, patriarchs, and martyrs, is an image of various Christian symbols: a bowl with holy water, tablets with God’s Commandments, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a white dove.
A skilled woodcarver, who was awarded a gold medal and the title “Hands of Gold Master” for his professional skills, Skorupsky fashioned a large carved wooden altar for the church’s interior. It is made of whole linden boards coated with gold and lacquer. The carved ornamentation is based on Christian symbols: crosses and rhombuses, lined with decorative plant ornamentation. Since ancient times the rhombus, an inverted square with four angles, has been a sacred model of the world, symbolizing the unity of the four elements — fire, water, earth, and air, as well as the four cardinal points. A cross inscribed inside the rhombus means Christ’s torments and the victory of the spiritual foundation of the material world. The corners of the carved altar feature elements of plant ornamentation, which resemble the sign of the world order — the World Tree, which emerged in the pre-Christian era.
Thanks to the painstaking work of the artist, who coped brilliantly with his task of restoring the frescos, icons, and the interior decoration of the church, Holy Trinity Cathedral celebrated its jubilee in all its splendor.
