Ilya Repin stands as a giant in the history of Russian art. This biography explores his life, remarkable career, and his currently legacy. We’ll highlight his artistic evolution and the movements he shaped. We’ll also discuss some of Repin’s most acclaimed works and his time spent with other artistic luminaries such as Leo Tolstoy. Finally, […]
The following are six modern Russian artists who have left their mark on not only modern Russian art, but who are also known beyond Russia’s borders as well. Each has gathered critical acclaim and, as is always the case in the art world, at least some critical derision. Not all are ethnic Russians – but […]
When most think of Russian protest art today, they think immediately of Pussy Riot, the long-famous, all-female punk movement. These women have, since their “punk prayer” launched them to international notoriety, been heavily covered in the English-language press and heavily studied in English-language academia. However, Russian protest art is a diverse genre with a long […]
The Loft Project Etagi (Этажи) is a creative space affectionately known as “the loft” by those who frequent it. A community-driven project to develop modern art in St. Petersburg, it has a nuanced history that reflects Russia’s transition from communism to a market economy and represents Russians’ desire to contribute to the development of their […]
Step into an art gallery or museum and one thing you can be guaranteed to see besides the actual art are signs reading “do not touch!” But from now until June 23, 2013 visitors to St. Petersburg’s Lazarev Gallery are encouraged to pull, twist, turn and re-arrange artwork on display as part of its “Try […]
“Every year, fewer and fewer veterans of the War remain on this earth, and often take their stories with them,” you hear on the video. “Time is of the essence. World War II veterans are in their twilight years. Some of the people I’ve photographed have already passed away.” The voice belongs to Sasha Maslov, […]
“There is no sex in the Soviet Union!” So declared one Soviet woman in 1986, responding to an American woman who had asked about comparative sexual openness in the States and USSR during a segment on a TV show hosted by Russian-American journalist Vladimir Pozner. Though misquoted – the woman actually responded, “There is no […]
The paradox of studying abroad is that so much is at your fingertips, yet there’s never enough time to see it all. But what if you could see all of Russia in one day? Now you can with a visit to The Grand Maket Rossiya (The Grand Layout of Russia), a museum based around a […]
New Holland / Новая Голландия Embankment of the Admiralteskiy Canal, 2 Metro Admiralteskaya Open daily from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. After returning from his travels abroad to Holland and a stint studying shipbuilding there, Peter the Great decided to establish a little bit of Holland in his own country. Conceived as a military port […]
Lomography is a style of photography that encourages the use of simple, cheap, lo-fi analogue cameras that often produce pictures with distinct color palates. Lomography: Hip Before Its Time Since getting its start in 2010, Instagram has become a cultural phenomenon, amassing more than 30 million users and becoming acquired by social media kingpin […]
Stirka 26 Kazanskaya Ulitsa / Sennaya Ploshad metro Coffee stop. Art space. Performance venue. Hipster haunt. Laundromat to the stars (and commoners alike). Stirka somehow manages to be all these things. Stirka, full name “Café-Laundromat ‘Stirka’ 40 Degrees,” began as a project by Anke Nowottne, who created the spot as her graduation project from the […]
The Museum of Russian Poetry, located in Rockville, MD., just outside of Washington, DC, holds an impressive collection of Russian and Soviet literary artifacts. This small, private museum The small, niche space is packed from wall to wall with artifacts celebrating Silver Age masters like Boris Pasternak, Marina Tsvetaeva, Osip Mandelshtam, Anna Akhmatova and Nikolai […]
