Walking along the Embankment Moscow — the Russian word is Moskva — stands on a river that bears the same name. Incidentally, nowhere in Europe will you find a capital standing on a river of the same name. Rome, London and Paris stand on the Tiber, the Thames and the Seine. Only Moscow has this…
DetailsRed Square Take a good look at the ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin. Its buildings stand on a steep hill, washed at the foot by the Moskva River. Behind the turreted crenelated walls overlooking the bank, stand the cathedrals, palaces and bell-towers whose sky-piercing silhouette imparts a sunny grace. One begins sightseeing in Moscow, as…
DetailsSouth-West, a new residential district in Moscow What does a Russian city look like? It is not so crowded as a European city. The houses, which, as a rule, are from six to ten storeys high — true there are still some still taller buildings — are freely arranged with broad thoroughfares between blocks. Squares…
DetailsFestival of Art In winter time the Russian theatre season is in full swing. All play houses are open and you are sure to meet your favorite actors. The Russian theatrical season has its own characteristic feature. It is a time when bright posters bill the names of young playwrights, directors and actors of ambitious…
DetailsIndeed, a peep through the port-hole at the fields and forests already gives you a glimpse of the Russian landscape. There is nothing in the way of rocky mountains or endless vacant fields in Russia. Winter time in Central Russia is a harmonious blend of woods — usually of white birches, slim pines and the…
DetailsIt is really hard to say when winter begins in the Russia. In the north and in Siberia the temperature may be way below zero, while in the south it is still warm and at the Black Sea health resorts of Sochi holiday makers sun-tan on the beaches. After all, the Russia is the world’s…
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Pushkin in Moldavia. The name of Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), the great Russian poet and founder of the new Russian literature, is closely linked with Moldavia. The significance of Pushkin’s works and his towering genius place him among the outstanding figures of world culture. In his quarter-century of writing, Pushkin, assimilating the achievements of Russian and…
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The Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878. Alexander II in the battlefield.
Coronation of Alexander II in the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. 1856
The upbringing of the Grand Duke. V.A. Zhukovsky and the successor to the throne (Alexander II)
Reproduction of the portrait “Emperor Alexander II is a liberator of the Christians in the East”. A cheap popular prim. Chromolithograph. The Museum of the Russian Literature Institute in Saint Petersburg. Alexander II is Emperor of Russia. His reign was marked by a number of reforms which touched on nearly all units of state power,…
DetailsAnd the Pike implored again: “Emelya, let me go
into the water, and I’ll do anything you wish”.
“All right, only first you must prove you aren’t
trying to fool me, then I’ll let you go”.
As the Pike Wills (after A. Tolstoi)
К. Briullov (1799—1852) О. Fersen Riding a Donkey. 1835 Water-colour. 52.5×40 cm The Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg
In Russian literature, too, we find very characteristic and vivid examples of such creativity. There are the sophisticated baroque work of Simeon of Polotsk and the political caricatures of Archpriest Avvakum (seventeenth century); the monumental mosaic compositions of Lomonosov (eighteenth century); the romantic landscapes of Zhukovsky and Baratynsky; the elegiac landscapes of Batyushkov; Gogol’s architectural…
DetailsMargot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev were the star-crossed lovers in Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet during the Royal Ballet’s tour of the United States.
The importance of Beethoven’s sonatas as of a sort of “creative laboratory” in which the composer developed the fundamentals of his style is generally recognized. It was in this form that Beethoven mastered the dialectical method, moulded his themes and reached unprecedented heights in the development of musical ideas and images. Many of his piano…
DetailsThe symphonic suite “Scheherazade” written by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov in 1883 is one of the masterpieces of Russian classical music on Oriental themes. The suite is based on the “Arabian Nights”. The composer originally gave subtitles to individual parts of the suite, but later deleted them and left ony the title and the general programme.…
DetailsThe First Symphony, begun in March of 1866, was done anew by the composers twice. In this new (already third!) editing “Winter Dreams” was soon presented to the Moscow audience. Its premiere was given by the Russian Musical Society on February 3, 1868, under the baton of N. Rubinstein. “…The performance signified Tchaikovsky’s first outstanding…
DetailsDuring the summer of 1788 Wolfgang Mozart composed three symphonies representing the acme of the symphonic work of the great Austrian composer: Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major, Symphony No. 40 in G minor and Symphony No. 41 in C major (“Jupiter”) cf which the G minor symphony with its sincere iyrics passion and ingenuousness…
DetailsMozart’s violin concertos occupy a prominent place among his numerous and diverse violin compositions. They were written in connection with his concert activity as soloist and first violinist in the Salzburg orchestra. The great Austrian composer was not only a clavier virtuoso, but a superb violinist as well. Mozart’s violin concertos belong among his early…
DetailsThe Requiem Mass is based on the text of a medieval Catholic funeral service. Its messages are the Day of Wrath, the Last Judge’s terrible punishment onto the sinners, their fierce pleading for mercy, the allmighty and relentless God and the merciful Jesus Christ. Neither the religious dogma, nor mysticism prevail in Mozart’s Requiem, which…
DetailsThe Orthodox Church alone has kept so far the ancient Christian conception that the liturgical music should be only vocal. Way back in the IV c. St. Jerome has said that a Christian maiden should have an aversion for the heathen instruments and that it is not even befitting her to know the difference between…
DetailsJuan tie Zurharan. 1598—1664. Spanish school. 1640. Oil on canvas. 48X75 cm
Jacques-Louis David. 1748—1825. French school. 1793(?). Oil on canvas. 61X50 cm
Diego Velazquez. 1599—1660. Spanish school. 1659-60. Oil on canvas. 80X62 5 cm.
20th century. India. Carved wood. Height, 40 cm
1869—1938. China. Renunciation of Vanity. 1924 Hanging scroll
19th century. Tibet. Tempera on textile. 60X44 cm
18th century. Japan. Wood, gold lacquer. Height, 15 cm
19th century. Persia. Metal. Height, 33 cm
19th century. India. Carved mahogany. Height, 94 cm
20th century. India. Carved ivory. Height, 33.5 cm
19th century. China. Emroidery. 190X130 cm
19th century. China. Rosewood. 115X50 cm (back); 60X51 cm (seat)
16th century. China. Bronze. Height, 55 cm
19th century. China. Bronze. 121X122 cm
Illustration for the Shah-nаmа by Firdausi. 18th century.
Illustration for the Shah-nama by Firdausi. 18th century Persia. Miniature. 20.5X11.5 cm; 31X19.5 cm. (including the frame).
18th century. Persia. Faience. Height, 3 cm. Diameter, 56 cm.
Snuff-box. 18th century. China. Jade. Height, 6.8 cm.
19th century. Tibet. Gilded bronze. 30X10 cm.
18th century. Japan. Carved ivory. Height, 53 cm. Length, 45 cm.
17th century. China. Porcelain painted in cobalt blue. 23.4X85 cm.
18th century. China. Porcelain decorated with painting. Height, 6.5 cm. Diameter, 37.5 cm.
Mori Morikata Sosen. 1747—1821. Japan. 181X57 cm.
Kitagawa Utamaro. 1753—1806. Japan. 1789. Xylograph. 25.5X38.5 cm.
Anonymous artist of the Капо school. 18th or 19th century. Japan. Hanging scroll. 175X100 cm.
After a model by Pablo Picasso (1881 — 1971). France. Porcelain, painted in enamel. Diameter, 25 cm.
