EULESS, Texas (RNS) — Vladimir Grygorenko’s work as an iconographer has taken him to high places, literally and spiritually.
Specifically, for the past four months, he’s spent long hours 65 feet above the altar in St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church’s cupola, or dome, painting an iconic representation of the ascension of Christ.
Ukrainian artist Vladimir Grygorenko pauses while painting an iconic representation of the ascension of Christ in the cupola of St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Euless, Texas, on March 6, 2025. His mission is to complete the project by Pascha, also known as Easter. (Photo by Marissa Greene)
His goal: complete the Euless church’s sacred painting by Pascha, or Easter.
“I would love for everybody to come to see what happens,” Grygorenko said of the project. “I want to see it myself from below. It looks nice from here, but how it will look from downstairs … (is) hopefully nice.”
Born in Ukraine in 1965, when it was under Soviet Union control, Grygorenko didn’t grow up religious. But while studying mechanical engineering in college, he found himself drawn to Byzantine-style religious art and started developing a Christian faith.
Baptized in 1991, the engineer-by-trade began to practice iconography, or the art of creating depictions of icons or sacred images of a holy person or event. His artistic skill has taken him to Christian Orthodox churches around the world.
Artist Vladimir Grygorenko works atop scaffolding inside St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Euless, Texas, March 6, 2025. (Photo by Marissa Greene)
Grygorenko’s representation of the ascension of Christ is the first phase of an iconography project for the North Texas church. When finished, the artistic depiction of Christ ascending in glory, surrounded by Theotokos, or Mary, the angels, and the 12 apostles, will be on view for all worshippers and visitors to see. And under the top of the cupola, the dome will include depictions of 16 prophets.
The second phase of the project will involve creating iconography for the four pendentives, or the curved, triangular architectural elements that support the cupola. The four corners will depict the four evangelists: Matthew, Luke, Mark, and John.
Altogether, the artwork aims to create a visual narrative “that draws the faithful into the ongoing story of redemption,” according to the project’s website.
Iconography is a big part of the Christian Orthodox tradition and serves as a way for the faith’s theology to be expressed visually, said the Rev. Vasile Tudora, a priest at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church. The icons are not worshipped, but rather venerated during services, or honored for their sanctity.
Tudora has collaborated with Grygorenko on the project, discussing color choices and placement. The artist’s medium of choice is silica paint, used to imitate a traditional mural painting technique called fresco.
Vladimir Grygorenko paints the cupola of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church on March 6, 2025, in Euless, Texas. (Photo by Marissa Greene)
When Grygorenko began learning the art form, churches in Ukraine were still recovering from the Soviet Union’s efforts to campaign against religion, he said. With little iconography available to learn from or artists specializing in the craft, he taught himself through practice and research as a college student, he said.
After years of decorating churches in Ukraine and Russia, he came to Texas during Holy Week in April 2000, to work on iconography for the newly built St. Seraphim Orthodox Cathedral in Dallas. Six years later, he was ordained as a subdeacon for the church.
Grygorenko has been working with St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church since the Byzantine-style parish opened its doors in 2012.
Tudora said he and Grygorenko mostly think alike. While sometimes they have differing ideas, “we debate beautifully on the theology,” Tudora said.
“These are beautiful discussions that, frankly, are one of my favorite parts in this whole thing,” Tudora said. “We’re having a lot of joy going back and forth on these theological details. The collaboration was always absolutely wonderful.”
A quote from Acts 1:11 in the Bible is painted toward the top of the cupola. (Photo by Marissa Greene)
Grygorenko expects to begin on the second phase of the Euless iconography project next year.
“I’m given some freedom to do what I think is right to do … to do what I think Orthodox tradition allows us to do, namely, to proclaim the glory of God to everybody who wants to listen,” he said. “Church art is one of the ways to do that.”
This story was produced as part of the RNS/Interfaith America Religion Journalism Fellowship.
