Monk-artist hierodeacon Afoniy (Vishnyakov). Materials for a biography

A new biographical account of Hierodeacon Afoniy (Alexander Vishnyakov, 1870–1938) reveals his pivotal role as a monk-artist and lacquer painter during Soviet repression. A descendant of the renowned Zhostovo tray craft tradition, he preserved folk art techniques while serving at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Archival documents, including previously unseen investigative materials, detail his life, arrest, and execution in 1938 as part of a suppressed monastic community in Sergiev Posad (Zagorsk). This study sheds light on his artistic legacy and the broader persecution of religious figures under Soviet rule.

Garkavy, I. (2023). Monk-artist hierodeacon Afoniy (Vishnyakov). Materials for a biography. St. Tikhons’ University Review, 111, 136–147. https://doi.org/10.15382/sturii2023111.136-147