Memorable Dates of Russia: Kaluga to host an exhibition of a painting "The Red Guards of Petrograd" marking the 140th anniversary of Alexander Blok

On November 17, 2020, the Kaluga Fine Arts Museum launched an exhibition of a painting "The Red Guards of Petrograd" by Dmitry Petrovich Buchkin (born 1927). The exposition marks the 140th anniversary of the poet Alexander Blok.

The showcased painting is not an illustration of the famous poem by Alexander Blok, but it reminds of "The Twelve" poem. Both works recreate that time and promote the mood of anxiety and fear of the unknown. However, the picture is not as contradictory as the verses. The poem, written in 1918, caused discussion. It shocked many of the poet's friends and associates. Blok proposed to interpret the "The Twelve" as a picture of the time, described by an eyewitness.

The painting "The Red Guards of Petrograd" tells about a time of troubles that corresponds to Alexander Blok's poem, which was not understood by either opponents or advocates of the revolution. Dmitry Buchkin, who survived the Siege and wrote very serious and valuable memoirs about the war, invokes the history of his native Leningrad. He creates the image of the city, which resembles the vision of the famous poet.

The exhibition will run until December 17.