The siege of Leningrad through the eyes of avant-garde artists

The exhibition, timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the enemy blockade, presents 70 paintings and graphic works from the funds of the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg. The exposition includes works by 11 authors whose work belongs to the traditions of the Russian avant-garde. Among them are the followers of PN Filonov: TN Glebova, PM Kondratyev, AE Mordvinova, VA Sulimo-Samuillo; student of M. V. Matyushin E. M. Magaril; members of the "Circle of Artists" association: V. P. Kaluzhnin, V. V. Pakulin, A. F. Pakhomov, A. I. Rusakov; artist B. N. Ermolaev and architect A. S. Nikolsky.

All works were created in 1941-1944 and are evidence of the tragic events in the besieged city. “I now have to paint as a chronicler,” wrote TN Glebova in the blockade diary, expressing the aspiration of all artists who, despite hunger, cold, shelling and bombing, continued to work, documenting the daily life of Leningrad and its inhabitants. At the same time, they taught, were engaged in camouflaging objects, participated in the evacuation of museum collections, created posters, leaflets, postcards. And together with all the Leningraders they stood in lines for hours, went to fetch water, chopped wood ...

A significant part of the exhibition is made up of works depicting the image of the besieged city. These are graphic works by B.N.Ermolaev, P.M.Kondratyev, A.S. Nikolsky, V.A. I. Rusakova. VP Kaluzhnin's work "Leningrad in the Siege" is demonstrated for the first time.

Two graphic cycles by TN Glebova "The Horrors of War for the Civilian Population" and "Siege of Leningrad", drawings by AE Mordvinova and a series of works by Ye. M. Magaril, created with the use of soot and soot, tell about the life of the siege.

A separate block is full-scale sketches made by A.F. Pakhomov in the morgue of the hospital. F.F.Erisman. These works reveal the full depth of the tragedy that befell Leningrad.

The exposition is supplemented by a video about the fate of Olga Konstantinovna, the widow of MV Matyushin, who survived the blockade in house no. 10 on Pesochnaya Street, where the Museum of the Petersburg Avant-garde is currently located.