Destinations.Ukraine is telling a story of a carver and wooden icon artist, Yuriy Kadyrov, whose beautiful carved depictions of God and the saints can be found in various old churches in Kyiv, Crimea and abroad.
Yuriy started to carve icons fairly recently, just six years ago. The aviation engineer was tested by disease before he found his true calling, that is to create icons made of wood.
Photo: The Icon of St. Michael the Archangel
"I was bedridden when Our Lady of Vladimir came to me," Yuriy says. "I saw every detail of her image carved in wood. Thanks to my technical background, I managed to make proper tools. At first, I could only work for half an hour a day. My faith was growing stronger day by day, and so was my strength. I made icons and gave them away. God leads me. The more I made and gave away, the more energy I had. I gave them to churches, priests, poor people…"
Photo: Saint Spyridon, Bishop of Trimythous
Yuriy has a unique talent. There are not many artists of this kind in the world at all, the artists who are in love with wooden icons, know each other well and keep in touch, sharing the secrets of their art. "I can create when I am in the flow," he says. "All my dreams come true. I really want icon making to remain my hobby, not business. Even if I make icons for money, I give a certain part of icons and crosses to churches for free."
Yuriy's every icon is a unique signature product in which he invests his soul and faith. Perhaps this is why each of his icons brings a sense of harmony.
More works by Yuriy are available on Facebook.
Photo: Yuriy Kadyrov
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