Radischev's Art Museum, the first Russian
provincial public museum was founded in January 1878 by the initiative of
famous artist Alexey Bogolyubov, "historian of Russian fleet", grandson of
A.N.Radischev. A special building was built for he museum and 29 June 1885
the museum opened its doors for the public.
The base of the museum
collection formed the private collection of Bogolyubov - his own pictures,
works of Russian and European masters and applied art. You may make the
acquaintance with the works of Russian art on the site of museum -
"Russian Painting of XV - beginning of XX century in exposition of Saratov
State Art Museum".
Some of these works one can see on the constant
exposition "The Masterpieces of Radischev Museum".
One of the
important part of Bogolubov collection - the works of his close friend -
Fyodor Bronnikov - is represented in one of museum halls as a temporary
exhibition. Bronnikov was a well known painter of XIX century. His
pictures are exposed in many state museums. Since his 27 years old he
lived in Europe, and therefore his works one can meet in private
collections of Great Britain, France, Italy and USA. The great part of his
works are unknown for Russian public. Saratov Art museum possessed more
than hundred of his painting and drawings. In the day of museum's opening
there were exposed Bronnikov's pictures: "The Sick Man near Catholic
Monastery", "Aspasia and Alchiviad are on Archont's Trial". The present
exhibition shows mainly Italy - it's landscapes, genre-painting scenes and
different episodes of its history and portraits of his contemporaries.
There is also an ordinary exhibition of child drawing was opened
in the end of December. On 10 of December in the Museum of Paul Kuznetsov,
the department of Radischev's Art Museum, the exhibition, dedicated to
Pimen, the late Saratov member of higher orders of clergy, archbishop of
Saratov and Volgograd. The exhibition was connected with the 10
anniversary of his death. In the same time the conference, dedicated to
the first archbishop, had been taking place in the museum halls. The
exhibition is called "The Portrait of Archbishop is Not for Show". It
consists of works of museum restorer Vyacheslav Lopatin.
Later in the end of December the Museum of
Paul Kuznetsov opened the Christmas exhibition "The Angels of
object-glass". It shows old family photos of the beginning of XIX -
beginning of XX century. The exhibition is inspired the idea of Christmas
as a family feast.
During December the museum had been taking part
in different conferences and symposia. One of them was dedicated to the
problems of investigation of orthodox wood sculpture, which had been
taking place in Perm. Another conference concerns Russian artistic culture
of XVII-XVIII centuries.
The Museum-estate of V. Borisov-Musatov
represents in the frame of project "The Yong Painter of XX century" the
exhibition "Learn to Write Letters" - the works of a painter Serge
Schurin. His pictures are accompanied by texts and called for dialogue.
One of oldest employee of Efim Vodonos published the book - the
result of many years labour. It is dedicated to problems of Russian
artistic critics of the beginning of XX century. Nowadays the museum began
the preparation for realizing a project, concerning exposing the
exhibition "Tree centuries of Russian Art" from Russian Museum (St.
Petersburg).