03 January 2004 12:40
Russian nuns get the web habit
[Presenter] Spiritual values can be accessed in virtual space now. The nuns at the Novo-Tikhvin [Novotikhvinskiy]
nunnery near Yekaterinburg [Sverdlovsk Region, Urals] have put up a web site for their cloister. Now there are virtual
icons on the Internet, created by the sisters themselves. Rodion Antakov reports:
[Correspondent] Www.sestry.ru is the site of the Novo-Tikhvin nunnery near Yekaterinburg. Sister Natalya is the
web-designer. She creates virtual postcards showing images of saints: by reproducing icons with a scanner and then using
a graphic design tool on the computer, the virtual postcard is ready within a few hours. The idea for this came up after
numerous requests were received from believers in Sverdlovsk Region.
[Sister Natalya, shown in black habit, seated at computer] This means Orthodox people can send congratulations to one
another on angels' feast days. There are lots of people nowadays who have the Internet, it is not unusual. And many
people visit our site, so we decided to put up these postcards.
[Correspondent, showing the web site, images of saints] The www.sestry-ru site has been up on the Internet for a few
years now. The nuns are proud that they get a lot of hits on the site. It has become a tradition for innovations to be
put up on the Novo-Tikhvin nunnery site every year. Last year the English version was set up. And this year we have
virtual postcards of the saints; 12 have already been done.
So far postcards of the most common saints are ready - Aleksandr, Anna, Irina and Ioann [John]. The nunnery lays
particular stress on the fact that the virtual postcards are made using images of saints painted in the Novo-Tikhvin
nunnery workshop. Sister Elena has been painting icons for some years now.
[Sister Elena, shown in black habit, seated in front of an easel working on an icon] We are trying our best to keep
(?to the ancient traditions), we are using the old technology and the traditional models.
[Correspondent] The nuns plan soon to put up a special guest book on the site where anybody who wishes to can order a
postcard and even request how they would like it done.
[RTR Russia TV] |
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