Lecture: A Library in Portraits. Great Authors Through the Centuries (RUS)

The permanent exhibition at Narva Castle features an unusual series of 17th-century paintings, the Portraits of the Church Fathers. Behind each portrait lies not only a human story, but also an entire library of ideas that helped shape the history of European culture.

This lecture is dedicated to three outstanding authors whose works were read, copied, studied, and discussed throughout Europe for centuries. Saint Augustine, Jerome of Stridon, and Bernard of Clairvaux lived in different eras, yet they were united by one thing: the power of thought and the power of words.

Why is Augustine's Confessions considered one of the most influential books in the history of European literature? How did Jerome's translation of the Bible become the principal text of Western Europe for nearly a thousand years? Why were the writings of the medieval monk Bernard of Clairvaux highly valued not only by Catholics but also by leaders of the Reformation? And what connects these three authors, despite the nearly eight centuries that separate them?

This lecture offers an opportunity to look at these historic portraits from a new perspective. You will encounter not only figures from the distant past, but also individuals whose ideas profoundly influenced European philosophy, literature, education, and spiritual history.

At the end of the lecture, participants will visit the exhibition Portraits of the Church Fathers together, viewing its subjects not merely as characters in old paintings, but as great authors whose works continue to inspire readers across the centuries.

Lecturer: Yulia Khlystun (PhD)
Duration: 75 minutes (lecture and guided visit to the exhibition)

The lecture will take place in the Tea Room of Narva Castle and will be conducted in Russian.

Price: €7.00

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