The Exhibition “30 Paintings from the Life of Peter the Great”: Memories of the Future

Abstract

This article discusses the history of the project “30 Pictures from Peter the Great’s Life” on the Field of Mars based on the idea of reconstructing the historical exhibition of 1872, dedicated to bicentenary of Peter I. A systematic analysis of formatting collective memory of the Russian society related to his personality is carried out — from the death of the tsar-reformer to the reign of Emperor Alexander II. Having presented society with a mission of a new understanding of the personality and activities of Peter the Great, the Emperor involved into its fulfillment the leading figures of culture and art and personally took part in organization of the exhibition of historical pictures. The exhibition turned out to be the most important highlight of the holiday, against the backdrop of a real urban environment, and had an enlightening significance. At the same time, it remained neither a part of history of Russian painting, nor of the history of festive culture of Petersburg. The development of the idea of restoration of historical exposition timed to celebration of the 350th anniversary of Peter the Great’s birth is based on revealing fourteen historical canvases in the State Russian Museum depository. Sixteen lost paintings on the subjects specified by the program of this historical project were created by the graduates of St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. Replicating the design of historical expositional pavilions, the authors of the project completed them with modern multimedia effects, which brings the project to a new qualitative level. The project helps to comprehend the development of the festive culture of Petersburg and provides hopes that findings and discoveries of the future will make it possible to represent in art the history of Emperor Peter the Great’s reforms.