Aleksandra Makareivich’s Book Biblical Narration of Jacob’s Dream in Fine Art Released

In early November, Kaliningrad art historian Aleksandra Makarevich released her book, Biblical Narration of Jacob’s Dream in Fine Art. The volume explores the depiction of the classic Old Testament narrative of Jacob, who, in his dream, saw a ladder to heaven, angels, and the Lord promising blessings to him and his descendants.

Ms. Makarevich, a cultural studies scholar, art historian, and a member of the International Council of Museums, conducts independent research and delivers lectures on art history. Her primary academic interests are centered on the art and culture of East Prussia, their role in global art history, and the concept of genius loci within the artistic and cultural context of East Prussia and the Kaliningrad region.

Inspired by Baruch Berliner’s Jacob’s Dream cello concerto drawing on the biblical narrative, this research was prepared at the request of Baruch Berliner’s Genesis International Project. The concerto, also arranged for violin, viola, and clarinet, has been performed in over 40 countries by renowned musicians, including Grammy nominee Dmitry Yablonsky (cello), Merited Artists of Russia Boris Andrianov (cello) and Graf Murza (violin), as well as virtuoso violinists and Tchaikovsky Prize laureates Haik Kazazyan and Daniil Kogan. The world’s premier venues, such as Carnegie Hall in the United States, Zaryadye in Russia, and Sala São Paulo in Brazil have hosted the performance of the piece.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Evgenia Ivanova for her invaluable assistance with the text editing, to Alexey Mikhalev for his outstanding work on the design and layout, to Evgeny Atsapkin for contributing the foreword to the book, and, of course, to producer Nachum Slutzker, whose ideas and energy were essential for bringing this project to fruition.