Ukranian art — “God is in her midst and does not move.”

Elizabeth Lev is a Catholic art historian whose writing I have  enjoyed every time I read Roman Pilgrimage by George Weigel.  She's got a good piece for The Pillar about how Ukranian art is cultural memory. The whole thing is great, interspersed with wonderful photos. This is the kicker, though.

The Virgin Orans, in the “Unbreakable Wall”
of St. Sophia’s cathedral. public domain

Perhaps the most important work of art in Ukraine sits inside St Sophia, the icon of the “unbreakable wall,” an 18-foot-tall mosaic of the Mother of God, hands raised in prayer. She has withstood centuries of raids, fires and bombing, unshaken and unharmed.

The inscription next to her is from Psalm 46: ‘God is in her midst and does not move.” She invites believers to invoke the Lord in this difficult hour, “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.’”

Go read it all at The Pillar.