The Embodiment of the Concept of “Believing Mind” through a Synthesized Artistic Language in the work of S. T. Konenkov

The life and work of the outstanding sculptor S. T. Konenkov, combining the epochs of the XIX and XX centuries, are insufficiently studied, full of contrasts and zigzags, which is largely explained by his character and the essence of the time in which he lived. But at the same time, his life path is whole, meaningful, exceptionally saturated with achievements, those images of the unquenchable spirit, the depth of reading of which is largely explained by his understanding of the concept of “believing mind.” The sculptor’s creative career lasted for more than 75 years. It identifies four main milestones: 1. the first artistic experiments of the 1880s; 2. the formation of the philosophy of creativity in the 1890s‑1923; 3. the prevailing spiritual meanings in the works of emigration from 1923 to 1945; 4. the period after returning to his homeland, from 1945 to 1971. At the same time, the importance of religious themes has always remained. Each of the periods we have identified is distinguished by the specifics of the manner of performance and interpretation of images. Based on the conducted research, we conclude about the synthesized nature of the artistic language, that the central place in the diversity of his religious sculptures, complemented by little- known graphics, is occupied by the interpretation of the Savior, interpreted according to the statement of the philosopher I. A. Ilyin as an image “beloved and desired by the Russian soul.”