Seeking the Face of Christ in Russia: A Spiritual Pilgrimage April 14-24, 2012

Purpose: To provide a context for understanding the interplay of religion and culture in post-Soviet Russia, through examining the art forms that are historically reflected in icons. This pilgrimage is designed to be sensitive to non-Orthodox participants to briefly immerse themselves in experiences that can inform a deepened spiritual conversation with their own traditions or spiritual paths; at the same time, heighten an appreciation for the richness of the more than of a thousand years of Russian Orthodox practice.

APRIL 14 – 24, 2012

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Co-Sponsored by Icon Art Studios, Stillwater, MN
& United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
Rev. Dr. Norman Broadbent, Pilgrimage Leader

Purpose: To provide a context for understanding the interplay of religion and culture in post-Soviet Russia, through examining the art forms that are historically reflected in icons. This pilgrimage is designed to be sensitive to non-Orthodox participants to briefly immerse themselves in experiences that can inform a deepened spiritual conversation with their own traditions or spiritual paths; at the same time, heighten an appreciation for the richness of the more than of a thousand years of Russian Orthodox practice.

Orientation: Participants will arrive from their various places of departure and connect in our connecting terminus, Amsterdam, on Sunday, April 15, which is the Orthodox Easter. The group will orient itself under the leadership of Norman Broadbent, and spend the better part of Monday, April 16, at the site the annual International Tulip Festival – Keukenhof- Lisse, Netherlands.

This tour event will depart Amsterdam on April 17, arriving in St. Petersburg on Bright Tuesday, so we can experience the Orthodox culture during Bright Week, the time of Paschal celebrations. This time frame has been chosen to introduce those participants not familiar with Orthodox customs an opportunity to immerse themselves into celebrations glorifying the Resurrection of Christ as we embark into our cultural, histori-cal and religious program.

Content: The 2012 pilgrimage will concentrate on the rich resources that are to be experienced in St. Petersburg, as well as a day trip to historic Novgorod. The time spent in St. Petersburg will include:

• three guests lectures delivered by faculty from St. Petersburg University
• visits to area Russian Orthodox Churches and to the icon studio at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery and Seminary
• a visit to the Hermitage Museum, the Russian National Museum, and the Museum of Ethnography
• visits to Tsarkoe Selo (Peterhof, Catherine’s Palace, Pavlovsk)
• a night at the Mariinksy Theater (ballet or opera)
• a visit to the ancient city of Novgorod, St. Nicholas’ Russian Orthodox Church (dedicated in 1110 CE), the Yuriev Monastery, and the Vitoslavli Museum of Wooden Architecture (Stave Orthodox Churches and vil- lage)
• visits to the most reputable places for purchase of icons and other memorabilia
• depart St. Petersburg on afternoon of April 24, with a forced night over in Amsterdam, departing for home destinations on April 25

To Secure A Place: Debra Korluka, originator of this pilgrimage series, and a world-renowned Russian Orthodox iconographer, will manage most of the details regarding registration and costs, though due to other commitments will not participate in the 2011 pilgrimage. She will be available to lead the 2013 Seeking the Face of Christ in Russia tour/pilgrimage event. Please do contact Deb at 612-889-5868 for registration and more detailed itinerary materials. Email her at “icon-art-studios.com”

Cost: The cost is approximately $3,650.00 all inclusive not including the price of air, insurance, visa or tips. Prices can be subject to change if a minimum of 12 participants is not met. Travel can take place with a group of less than 12 if need be. First deposit of $500.00 due by January 10th, 2012.

Travel Arrangements: Please call Verene Posavad for all air reservation inquiries at 651-481-4970.

2012 Pilgrimage Leaders
Rev. Dr. Norman Broadbent is a United Church of Christ pastor, who spent 10 years as coordinator of, and then Executive Director for Community, Health, and Social Services of the Russian Farm Community Project (RFCP) in Minneapolis and Dmitrov, Russia. He has made 20 trips to Russia, mostly while coordinating Teens Uniting Globally (TUG) projects for the RFCP, bringing American and Russian teens together in service learning projects. In 2055 he led a team of Minnesota hos-pice professionals to establish the first fully-serviced hospice program for rural Rus-sia, which opened in late 2008. Over the years he has developed relationships with leaders of the Russian Orthodox Office for External Church Affairs, and local Rus-sian Protestant clergy. He currently serves as Senior Minister of First Congrega-tional, United Church of Christ, Fresno, CA. He can be contacted at 559.227.8489, and by email at norman.broadbent@gmail.com.

Tamara Mikhailova is Associate Professor at the Smolny Institute of Arts and Sci-ences in St. Petersburg. She lived in America for 10 years, where she taught Russian language, art, literature, and culture, at St. Paul, MN’s Macalester College; also at Kansas University and Miami University. Tamara has authored five books on Rus-sian and British art and has professional associations with The Hermitage, The Rus-sian Museum, and the Vaganova Academy of Ballet.
Slava Benois-Rogalsky is the Russian director of the Benois Institute, which also partners with academic institutions in France. Mr. Benois-Rogalsky facilitates tour itineraries for the purpose of education and of
cultural exchanges.

Partners:
Debra Korluka is an internationally renowned artist and Byzantine iconographer. She was the first American to exhibit in the former Soviet Union and has studied with icon masters from the Ukraine and Russia. Debra teaches workshops and of-fers instruction from her studio and gallery. Her work, which is displayed in muse-ums around the world, has been commissioned by churches and private collectors nationally and internationally. Over the years, Debra has developed many close working relationships with renowned artists, churches, and monasteries in Russia. To learn more about Deb see www.icon-art-studios.com

United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
United is an ecumenical seminary of the United Church of Christ. Its mission is to prepare women and men for effective ordained and lay leadership in church and society. A unique aspect of the educational mission of the seminary is the opportu-nity to engage the arts in learning both inside and outside the classroom. The semi-nary’s Religion and the Arts program contributes to the work of churches, faith communities, and artists by providing opportunities to explore the intersections of the arts and religion through workshops and programs. For more information go to: www.unitedseminary.edu.