On 13 March 2025, His Eminence Metropolitan John of Dubna, at the invitation of Metropolitan Nestor of Chersonesus, took part in the opening of the exhibition devoted to the Russian architect, painter and iconographer Albert Benois (1888–1960) at the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Centre in Paris. Albert Benois, an emblematic figure in the diffusion of Russian art and of Orthodox religious architecture, left a lasting mark not only in France but also in Western Europe. The exhibition presents about 50 drawings, sketches and paintings by the artist.
The exhibition traces the evolution of Benois’s architectural work, from his first works produced during his studies at the school of architecture in Paris to his monumental buildings such as the Church of the Dormition in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois and the memorial church dedicated to the Russian soldiers at Saint-Hilaire-le-Grand. In addition, the exhibition presents watercolours, archival documents and photographs from family albums.
His Eminence Nestor, Patriarchal Exarch in Western Europe, Metropolitan of Chersonesus and Western Europe, stressed that “Benois’s works truly represent the pinnacle of the Neo-Russian style.”
For her part, Anastasia Nikolaeva, curator of the exhibition, expressed her admiration for the simplicity and strength of the Russian character in Benois’s art: “Which is in itself astonishing, since he was French and not Russian. It is symbolic that this exhibition opens in the week following the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, for Benois’s works can be regarded as a true triumph of Orthodoxy here in France.”
On the occasion of the opening, an album-book was published, gathering numerous archival documents, precious photographs and historical testimonies on the life and work of Albert Benois. This unique work, published in Russian and French, is available at the bookshop of the St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
This exhibition is open to the public until 4 May (free admission).