From 14 October to 29 November, at the Visual materials reading room (room 307) runs an exhibition "Patronage of arts in Russia” timed to the 170th birthday of Russian businessman and patron of art Sava Mamontov (1841–1918).
Human history knows not many individuals gifted with many different talents. There are even less of those who managed to use correctly such a generous gift of destiny. And among these select few there is Sava Mamontov, the industrialist, railway constructor, musician, writer, sculptor, producer, and the person who told that his main talent was “to find talents”.
The patronage of arts in Russian in the late 19th − early 20th centuries was an important component of spiritual life of society. In Russia charity as a public system of social care began to develop with adoption of Christianity and construction of monasteries. Making a donation to a temple, an almshouse or a shelter, believers saved their souls. Every person needs peace in the soul as without it life can’t make them happy. That is why Russian people built hospitals and theatres, collected invaluable art collections and gave them gratuitously.
Charity of representatives of educated nobility is typical to the 19th-20th centuries. The results of their activity remain in the names of what they created: Golitsyn’s hospital, Sheremetev’s house for pilgrims, Mariinsky hospital etc. The late 19th − early 20th centuries, the golden age of Russian patronage of arts, are represented in Russian history by Tretyakov Gallery, Bakhrushin Theatrical Museum, Shchuchin’s and Morozov’s collections of modern French painting, the Museum of fine Arts, Solodovnikov’s and Alekseev’s hospitals, numerous shelters and free apartment houses belonging to the Rukavishnikovs, the Bakhrushins and others.
The exhibition presents an album-catalog from the collection of Sheremetev brothers, album-catalog of Rumyantsev Museum, photos from the collection of State Hermitage Museum, the collection “Yusupov Palace”, the unique edition of A.P. Bakhrushin’s notebooks (1916) and other interesting documents.
More than 160 documents are on display: art albums, books, articles, calendars, reproductions and postcards.
Contact phone numbers: (+375-17) 293-27-58.
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