Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/494410
Michael VII This week maltatoday, Sunday, 12 april 2015 Michael VICTOR CAMILLERI All Maltese have traditionally looked at their parish church not only as a central place of religious cult, but also as a depository of their own cultural heritage, pa- tiently built over a large span of time. Much has been written in both Maltese and English about the artistic patrimony found in local churches, but very little is avail- able regarding the parish church of St Publius in Floriana, univer- sally acknowledged in all respects as one of the most remarkable churches in Malta. This lacuna is no more thanks to a superb initiative taken up by the administration of Il-Furjana, the local quarterly publication which is now in its 62nd year of exist- ence. It was an idea from a very small nucleus – Freddie Tonna, Stephen Tonna and Charles Zam- mit Moore – which has now blos- somed into a fully f ledged volume by the name of Il-Knisja ta' San Publju fil-Furjana – Storja u Arti. It is a magnificent 400-page com- pendium which delves deep into all aspects of this impressive tem- ple. When I say "all aspects'' it's not a cliché. It means that the book can be either called an encyclope- dia on the church of Floriana or a veritable inventory of it. The book covers all imagina- ble types of art to be found in the church while paramount impor- tance is given to the visual aspect of this anthology. The array of well-known writers who gave their contribution also attest to its credibility. The pub- lishers went for top-of-the-range contributors, most of them being experts in the subjects tackled by this compendium. This formidable line-up of contributors is spearheaded by two Floriana-born intel- lectuals, Prof. Ol- iver Friggieri and Prof. Henry Frendo. While the former, amongst other con- tributions, gives his overview in the book's intro- duction, historian Henry Frendo outlines the general history of Flo- riana with particular emphasis to St Publius Church. The book travels fast from one treasure of this church to another. Campanologist Kenneth Cauchi writes on the history and the evo- lution of the bells of Floriana par- ish church while Stephen Zammit gives all the background and intri- cacies of the church tower clock. Judge Emeritus Giovanni Bonel- lo reveals, for the first time, the church plans of 1856 while sculp- tor and master mason Emanuel Cini (interviewed by George Mag- gi) gives a professional evaluation and opinion on the edifice itself and on the architectural styles it embodies. Dr Therese Vella focus in great detail on the pictorial treasures found in St Publius church while Fr Carmel Attard's contribution concentrates on the vault and dome paintings, the former by Chevalier Emvin Cremona and the latter by Chevalier Paul Camilleri Cauchi. Fr Martin Borg's contribution deals with the embroidered ar- tefacts and Josette Darmenia describes the beautiful pieces of lace found in abundance in this church. The embroidered antependia (ventartali) and their designers, which adorn this church during the feast days of St. Publius are analysed by Mark Sagona while Alaine Apap Bologna gives the history and relative details about the Baroque and silver ecclesiasti- cal items. Prof. Horatio Caesar Roger Vella gives a 'guided tour' of all the com- memorative plaques – mostly in Latin but translated in Maltese by himself – found both inside and on the outside of the church high- lighting an impressive number of historical events which took place either inside of the church or, in front of it, on St Publius Square (the Floriana Granaries). Other articles relate to how the church is bedecked for the feast; the entry into Valletta of the stat- ue of St. Publius on June 29, 2009; and Pope Bendict's visit to the church when he came to Malta in April 2010. Various articles in this book were also translated in English ei- ther by the authors themselves or by Fr Joseph Abela and others. The book has a very fitting con- clusion with Oliver Friggieri's his- torical contribution on artist Vin- cenzo Dimech (who sculptured in wood St Publius remarkable statue) and Vincenzo Bugeja, the former maestro di cappella of Flo- riana and his renowned antiphon in honour of St Publius by the name of O Melitae Digna Proles ('Oh deserving Son of Malta'). What could be described as the book's most outstanding feature is its photography. Another feat from the publishers in fact, is the great team of photographers used to portray the majesty of the treas- ures found in this church. The book contains over 450 pictures taken by Daniel Cilia, Patrick J. Fenech, Gino Galea, Patrick Gen- ovese, Martin Micallef, Mario Mifsud, Mario Mintoff, Marco Scerri, John Wrigley and other photography-related work by Ja- son Buhagiar. The fact that this volume is so profusely illustrated, apart from further enhancing its nature, manifests to what extent the com- pilers have managed to produce an authentic literary and pictorial souvenir of the parish church of St Publius. The pictorial component is unique in and of itself, and gives ample importance to details. Photography is here put to the service of the written content, but it i m m e d i a t e l y shows that such treasures have to be closely seen and s c r u t i n i s e d if they are to be fully evaluated. This volume pro- vides such an opportunity. Another impressive aspect of this book is its layout. It is the work of another Floriana-born artist, Joseph Scerri, a very tal- ented and experienced graphic de- signer both in Malta and overseas. In his message, Fr Richard Borg, Archpriest of Floriana, very aptly uses John Keats famous quotation: "A thing of beauty is a joy forever". Although known to many already, time has finally arrived so that all this 'beauty' contained in St Pub- lius Church be consolidated and catalogued in an epical publica- tion. As Prof. Friggieri states in his introduction to the book, Freddie Tonna, Stephen Tonna and Charles Zammit Moore deserve to be con- gratulated for accomplishing so well such a worthy task, which has evidently been quite challenging. This volume is a tribute to their life-long dedication to the main- tenance of our collective cultural heritage. It also pays homage to our forefathers and foremothers who have seen their magnificent dreams come true. It will also go a long way in guar- anteeing that such treasures are appreciated by future generations. This formidable line-up of contributors is spearheaded by two Floriana-born intel- lectuals, Prof. Ol- iver Friggieri and Prof. Henry Frendo. While the former, amongst other con- tributions, gives his overview in the book's intro- duction, historian Henry Frendo outlines the general history of Flo- riana with particular emphasis to St Publius Church. The book travels fast from one treasure of this church to another. Campanologist Kenneth Cauchi writes on the history and the evo- lution of the bells of Floriana par- souvenir of the parish church of St Publius. The pictorial component is unique in and of itself, and gives ample importance to details. Photography is here put to the service of the written content, but it i m m e d i a t e l y shows that such treasures have to be closely seen and s c r u t i n i s e d if they are to be fully evaluated. This volume pro- vides such an opportunity. Another impressive aspect of this book is its layout. It is the work of another Floriana-born A worthy tribute to Floriana's St Publius Church From Communist to Christian convert Aħfirli Natasha ('Forgive me, Natasha') is an autobiography dealing with the short but event- ful life of Sergei Kourdakov – now released by Horizons in a Maltese translation by Paul Callus. For- give me, Natasha was preciously published under two different titles: 'Sergei ' and 'The Persecu- tor'. Sergei Kourdakov was born in Russia in 1951; he lost both parents by the time he was 4. He was invited to live with a family who had known his mother, and it was there that he learned to read and count. Two years later he escaped and spent several days roaming the streets of Novosibirsk, until he was caught by the police and sent to an orphanage. There he was molded by the Communist system and ideology. Sergei was intelligent, athletic and ambitious; this helped him to overcome many hurdles in life. He joined the Communist Union of Youth, cultivated a great inter- est in the ideologies of Marx and Lenin, and soon became leader of his section. Sergei recounts many adven- tures which he and his friends were involved in. Many of his mates became criminals, and there were times when he too gave them a hand in their shady business. After graduating school, Kourdakov was accepted in the Naval Academy in Leningrad, and later he continued his studies at Petropavlovsk Naval Academy in Kamchatka. In 1969, Sergei was approached by a KGB official who offered to put him in charge of a special- action squad; money was no problem. Sergei accepted, and together with other youths, he led vicious attacks on Christian believers, those who he believed were enemies of the state. It was the courage of Natasha Zhdanova, one of his victims, that brought him to his senses and led him to defect to the West in search of the Christian God. His dramatic and risky defec- tion from a Russian ship and the start of a new life in Canada make for a worthy climax. Download the MaltaToday App now