Saved by Beauty: Dostoevsky and Bay Area
On Saturday evening, September 24th, an art exhibition “Saved by Beauty- Dostoevsky and America” was held at the Russian Center of San Francisco, which was founded in 1939 by Russian immigrants as a focal point for the preservation of their rich cultural heritage. The exhibition showcased more than 50 paintings dedicated to Dostoevsky in honor of his 200th birth Anniversary from the painters of the visual group “OCHRA”. They have attempted to visually express the world of Dostoyevsky and his heroes through their art. Along with their works, more than 30 paintings by our very own Bishop Maxim were exhibited as well. Each guest received a special full color 54 pages catalog dedicated to the exhibition.
Bishop Maxim is a man of Renaissance gifts and God endowed him with many talents. Like the Greek King Midas, who turned everything he touched into gold, Bishop Maxim turned everything he painted into beauty. His paintings give us a vanishing, almost forgotten world, full of nostalgia, love and beauty.
A pleasant evening attracted many Bay Area residents and guests, with the program being hosted by Fr. Djurica Gordic from St. John the Baptist Serbian Orthodox Cathedral. Bishop Maxim greeted the guests and pointed out details in the paintings on the walls that show Dostoevsky, describing him as “a man dressed in flesh and blood, who lives, suffers, falls and rises.”
Following his Grace’s remarks, the musical program was performed by Serbian opera singer Bojan Knezevic, a longtime member of the San Francisco Opera accompanied on piano by Alex Katzman, musical director of the Livermore opera.
Gallery guests were also honored to hear Dostoevsky scholar, Dr. Victoria Frede-Montemayor, associate Professor of Russian literature and history at University of California, Berkeley. She emphasized why Dostoevsky remains important, not as a historical figure, but as a writer we keep coming back to. “There is something about the way one reads Dostoevsky that makes the interaction uniquely rich and productive. Dostoevsky remains so important after 200 years: reading him is an intense experience, and not just because his characters are deep, or his style is sophisticated, or the plots are well-constructed: it’s because of the way our minds work while we are reading. Dostoevsky challenges us, because in a unique and subtle way, we learn new things about ourselves.”
This unique charitable event was hosted by three Serbian Bay Area Parishes and sponsored by Fr. William and Maryann Weir. Event volunteers showed unmatched enthusiasm, deserving only words of gratitude and appreciation.
