Diaconia includes serving the world through beauty.
For more than one year, Ubezhishche (“Refuge”) Diaconal Center at 8 Konyushennaya Street, St. Petersburg, has served as the base of the Living Stones interest society for studying and making Christian mosaics.
During this time, we have regularly held masterclasses of the mosaic craft for children from the Sunday school. And around 20 people have been attending our adult class. Their works have been selected for a display at a public library in Nevsky District of St. Petersburg. We have taught an adult masterclass for youth workers who study in The Church of Ingria and a stained glass masterclass at the ELCIR congregation in Primorsk. Also, we have participated in a Christmas fair. We’re planning to travel to teach a masterclass before Easter.
You are welcome to visit our atelier in Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street where you can immerse yourselves in artistic endeavor and produce a work of art of your own – a mosaic!
For those who are not familiar with the mosaic craft, we offer one or more introductory masterclasses where you can learn to make a mosaic using a classical Roman technique or a modern mosaic from vitreous glass! And get a taste of Tiffany stained glass!
For those who already know the mosaic craft in more detail and can work on their own, we offer a co-working visit to our atelier. We have all you need for work: tools for stone, smalti, and vitreous glass, a hardy chisel and hammer, and a wide range of cut smalto and stone tesserae and vitreous glass. You can also avail yourselves to a separate refreshment area.
Volunteer teachers are very welcome! Anyone can learn the mosaic craft and help teach classes. We offer good atelier conditions for visitors and learners.
Members of any of the Church of Ingria congregations are especially welcome! You are those for whom we exist and continue our work. You have the advantage of studying on special conditions learning more about the origins of Christianity as you work with pieces of early mosaics.
Everybody is welcome!