Bogoroditse Dyevo Raduisya! (Virgin Birthgiver, Rejoice!). Sergei Tostokulakov

A contemporary setting of the Bogoroditse Dyevo Raduisya by Sergei Tolstokulakov. It is sung by the Novokuznetsk Spiritual Seminary Choir under the direction of his wife, Angelina Tolstokulakova. It ends with a very nice solo for soprano. It is accompanied by icons of the Annunciation.

Grigori Adolsky. Portrait of Voevode Ivan Vlasov. no date (first quarter of the 18th century)

Portrait of Voevode Ivan Vlasov (Grigori Adolsky, no date (first quarter of the 18th century))

This painting is from the very beginnings of Russian fine art in the reign of Peter the Great. Before this, there was iconography, manuscript illustrations, and popular woodcuts, but not “formal art” in the European sense. Peter (Pyotr in Russian) resolved to change this, as he intended to change so much more in Russian society. Young Russians were sent to study abroad, and old iconographers attempted to paint in the Western style. I believe that this work is an example of the latter.

At first, many artists imitated Western models, and many would continue to do so until the third quarter of the 19th century with the rise of the Peredvizhniki (“Wanderers”), the founders of a distinct Russian national school of art. Nonetheless, a good deal of the earlier work is technically excellent, and no one can deny that. The work illustrated is rather crude, which is not surprising, considering that it was executed in the days of transition in Peter’s time. It is one of the most-copied pieces of Russian art, for unknown reasons, for the technique is crude and the subject obscure.

A voevode was a military leader in Old Russia. Therefore, this picture may date from before the time of Peter’s journey to the West. Most probably, it postdates that journey, but it may not, as Western ideas and techniques had been seeping into Russia since the 12th century. The Old Russian traditional clothing and the fact that this boyar is bearded do indicate an early date in Peter’s reign. As we all know, Peter forced his nobles to shave off their beards and adopt Western dress after his return from his Western journey. This is a look into a world that vanished; a look into a world that differed radically not only philosophically from the West (as Russians have always done), but one that also differed in appearance.

Visions of my Home: Valery Badakva, Russian Artist (Music by Garou)

The neo-Impressionist art of Valery Badakva combines with the music of the French-Canadian singer Garou. The song, Gitan (Gipsy), is the audio equivalent of Badakva’s artistic vision.

Yevgeny Burmashkin. Forest River (1). 2006

Forest River (1) (Yevgeny Burmashkin, 2006)

This picture continues the series of”mood landscapes” by Burmashkin.