Elijah Blumov

Community Arts Questions

  1. I chose to report upon the Eastern Orthodox architecture in Astoria for a variety of reasons—Firstly, I am and always have been entranced by the entire historical swath of Greek culture, and indeed I am heartily considering pursuing a Classics major. I am likewise interested in the history of Byzantium and Anatolia, where this architectural style emerged in the medieval period. The sheer volume of cultural clashes, blends and diffusions between East and West which occurred on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait would remain unprecedented until the 20th century, and the cultural and religious practices which arose in the wake of this motley history are entrancing subjects for me. Of particular note is the religious music of the Byzantine Orthodoxy—in my opinion, it is some of the most highly spiritual and beautiful music of all time, and perhaps my favorite style of choral music. It was with these interests in mind, as well as prior visits to the Astoria neighborhood having been lovely, which spurred my decision to zero in on it for this project. I am not ethnically Greek whatsoever (though my middle name is Perseus) but I have long identified with Grecian ancient deities, customs, and ideologies, and pursued knowledge of them and their histories. By this token, though I am an outsider, I believe I am well-versed enough to explore this milieu with a familiar eye.
  2. In preparation for my presentation, I did some online research on the history of Byzantine architecture and of the Astoria neighborhood in order to construct a Power Point. While doing this, I of course listened to some Greek Orthodox liturgy, which I shall no doubt share with the class. I abstained from visiting the neighborhood itself for two reasons—Firstly, it’s incredibly inconvenient to get to from where I live, and more importantly, I have actually already explored a couple of the Greek churches on a pair of previous ventures– Once when I was getting headshots from a photographer in Astoria (some of the photos taken were actually on the premises of the St. Catherine’s Church), and once when I went on a date with a Greek girl, who showed me around a smaller venue. These excursions were relatively recently, so I decided it was sufficient to rely on this knowledge. Indeed, these initial experiences were what directly inspired me to pursue this topic, so taken was I with the beauty I beheld.
  3. Frankly, I didn’t reach any kind of academic catharsis doing this project—I chose the subject I did because I’m interested in it, and since I’m interested in it, I already had prior knowledge of it. However, there were certainly historical tidbits in my research which I found intriguing, and it’s candy for the eyes to look at so many gorgeous holy places, from medieval Turkey to present day Astoria. I was aware of the signature nature of the Greek presence in Astoria, but was unaware of the historical migration in question, so this subject was refreshing to research.

4.    I believe the most obvious and pressing limitations I had for this project were dually my lack of architectural knowledge and my inability to speak Greek. If the latter were reversed, it would have facilitated my ability to do an in-depth study of the Orthodox liturgy as well as to interview the Greek elders and newly arrived immigrants. If the former were rectified, I might be able to be more comprehensive, articulate, and learned in my explanation of architectural characteristics and diffusions. Doing this project enthuses my spirit to return to Astoria and explore the churches further (as well as enjoy some incredible Greek food) and more critically, to visit Greece and Istanbul so that I might sojourn to the original Byzantine sites and immerse myself in an intricately rich culture. In the latter especially, the spirits of the Greeks, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Varangians, Arabs and Turks all lie in wait of discovery, shimmering grandly within its hallowed walls.