Any study of eastern Orthodox icons should focus not only on artistry, but also on theology and history. Irina Yazykova's welcome portrayal of Russian iconography combines all three. In the book's introduction, Yazykova gives a well-articulated theology of the icon, setting the stage for the historical and art-critical content that follows. Chapters i and ii discuss key movements and figures within iconography in early Christian history and in tenth- through nineteenth-century Rus' and Russia. The core of the book highlights the fate, survival and development of Russian icons and iconographers in the twentieth century. In chapter iii Yazykova describes the rediscovery of medieval icons (including Andrei Rublev's Trinity) and the Soviet iconoclastic destruction of icons and persecution of iconographers that followed the October Revolution. The Russian émigré population in Europe played an important role in preserving iconography (chapter iv), and courageous and marginalised artists continued the work within the Soviet Union (chapter v). The final chapter (chapter vi) draws attention to various figures and trends in the ‘rebirth’ of iconography in the 1980s and 1990s. Throughout the book, Yazykova uses her skill as an art historian and critic by supplying helpful (sometimes rambling) descriptions of various icons. Paul Grenier provides a masterful translation of Yazykova's important work. A sixteen-page insert of beautiful photographic images complements the content, though it would have been useful had references to particular images been located within the text itself. In addition, the book contains three informative appendices discussing current iconographic trends within Russia, Europe and America. Yazykova's erudition and passion for her subject is evident throughout the book; yet the paucity of scholarly endnotes (addressed in the translator's note) may leave the western scholar wishing for greater academic rigour. Even so, this book is an invaluable contribution to the study of modern Russian iconography and is an accessible and articulate introduction to the subject.