Vasily Polenov was part of the landmark Peredvizhniki (The Wanderers or The Itinerants) school of realist Russian art. Many of his paintings — such as Golden Autumn or Moscow Courtyard — have become downright iconic. When not painting Russian landscapes, Polenov created many pieces based on the New Testament. He traveled extensively to the Middle…
Nothing compares to the beauty of Russian countryside, with its white birch groves, tall red pines, rainbow-colored flower meadows and sparkle of the Golden Autumn. No wonder, then, that odes to Russian Nature have been sung by many a writer, poet and artist. And nothing encapsulates the classic Russian countryside quite like the Oka River…
March 8th is the International Women’s Day. In Russia it is also an unofficial start of Spring. The reason for this association is probably the custom of giving flowers to all the women in one’s life – family, romantic, platonic, professional. The resulting abundance of blooms everywhere screams “Spring Is in the Air!” In reality,…
We have pretty much completed our journey through Russian seasons as reflected in the art of Russian classical painters, but I wanted to get in a few more beautiful winterscapes on the eve of Russian Orthodox Christmas. What I love about the Russian Winter is how diverse it can be: crispy white and muddy gray,…
Grim, is what it is. Especially for the last two years. The leaves are gone, the grayness has sent in, yet there’s barely a snowflake in sight. Yet, Russian artists manage to draw inspiration even from the Nature’s bleakest scenes. For more Russian Autumn in Russian Art, hop on over to: Russian Autumn – October…
October in the eastern heartland of Russia is the ultimate interplay of light and shadow. Even on the gloomiest, rainiest day Nature shining from within, lit up by the golden leaves, whether still on the branches or covering the streets and puddles like the lushest of carpets. And yet, even the warmest and brightest of…
As I noted in my last essay, this year in Moscow our Golden Autumn is a little bit less golden than usual. Thankfully, fall being arguably the most beloved season of Russian artists, it has been captured in all its glory by many a painter. Which rendition from this lineup is your favorite? Russian Summer…
Today seemed like the first real day of autumn in Moscow. It wasn’t September 1st, when fall officially kicks off in Russia, and every person from the age of 6 to 21 suddenly reappears on the city streets after three months at the dacha. It wasn’t September 20-something, when the sun decides to do its…
As Summer draws to a close, the Russian landscape begins to reflect a quiet sadness, before experiencing a new jolt of energy in the Golden Autumn. The harvest, chilly mornings and heavy clouds, tired green foliage and first fallen leaves, the rain and the last rays of proper summer sun – this is August in…
Don’t worry, the Crimean Saga will pick back up in August, but for now it’s time for our monthly art lesson. This year we got a full-on, classic July here in Middle Russia: all month long and for another week to come the temperatures have been breaking 30C (it’s toasty 34C today – nearly 100F),…
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