Arts in general and the art of word are developing in a constant dialogue and through constant interpenetration. We contemplate an artist’s or a sculptor’s work and our impressions are crying out to be put into words; and the other way round: literature, fine words brings to our mind images waiting to appear through particular means of graphics, sculpturing, painting. Hence the idea of Exhibition Project "The Portrait of Russian Fine Word" focused on reflections of Russian Literature in contemporary Russian Arts (author of the concept: Margarita Siourina; supporting organisation: Department of Culture of Moscow with active involvement of the Creative Union of Artists of Russia).

In August 2014, our Memorial Museum accommodated the first-night exhibition of the Project (a display of portraits of Russian poets and prose writers from Pushkin to Brodsky); the Exhibition provoked significant public interest and was highly appreciated by specialists. In the autumn of the same 2014, the Project was exhibited twice in Moscow (the third display "No, I'm Not Byron; I am Yet Another Choice…" was dedicated to the 200th anniversary of M.Yu. Lermontov). And now a year after the event, after gaining public acknowledgement, "The Portrait of Russian Fine Word" is coming back to our exhibition halls, where from July 30 through August 2015 the Creative Group is presenting their new works.

We are happy to meet our old and new friends in the Marina Tsvetaeva Memorial Flat and Museum Cultural Centre in the Year of Russian Literature!

One of the Year’s major events was 70 years after the Victory in the Great Patriotic War so the artists participating in the Project named their exhibition "War and Peace", which is definitely a reference to L.N. Tolstoy while focusing on the very core of this word combination.

Within the highlighted theme, the visitors will see large-scale works created by Konstantin Khudiakov, Honoured Artist of the RF, icons and carved icons by Nikolay Chibisov, Honoured Artist of the RF, and Liudmila Chibisova, watercolours by Honoured Artist of the RF Valeriy Ryabovol, paintings and graphic works by Honoured Artist of the RF Gennadiy Zhivotov. Among project participants are: Igor Khamrayev (sculpture, medals, paintings); Alexander Ryabichev (sculpture); Margarita Siourina (paintings), Tatiana Gorelova (paintings), Margarita Yurkova (paintings, sculpture); Stepan Mokrousov-Guil’yelmi (sculpture, paintings); Alexandra Zagryazhskaya ans Sergey Pogoreliy (digital photomontage), Anatoliy Kretov-Dazhd’ and Natalya Nedel’kina (graphic sheets). Ekaterina Uspenskaya, Aleksey Loptev, Daniela Ryabicheva, Konstantin Malyutin, Sophia Zagryazhskaya will offer their own perception of the theme. We are proud to have the honour of hosting recognised masters, and are happy to introduce new young talents to the general public.

The main ‘section’ of the Project is about works of predecessor artists: visitors will have an opportunity to see the “Unsubdued” created by People’s Artist of the USSR Alexander Kibalnikov (1946) first cast in bronze in 2013 in the Ryabichevs’ Creative Atelier, and paintings by People’s Artist of Russia Gennadiy Sevostjanov.

Poetical readings are also integrated into the Project schedule: International Academy of Russian Literature and ‘Magazine ‘POetov’ started by ‘DOOS’ Group will present their programmes.

The team of the Marina Tsvetaeva Memorial Museum are preparing Catalogue of Participants on the occasion of the second season of Exhibition Project ‘The Portrait of Russian Fine Word’. There are strong reasons to believe that the new interpretation of the Project will make a striking event in the cultural life of the Capital.

Director of the Marina Tsvetaeva Memorial Flat and Museum Cultural Centre,
Honoured Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation,
E.S. Krasovskaya