Russian culture abroad: “Suomi and St. Petersburg through the Eyes of Russian Artists” exposition runs in Helsinki

On February 29th 2012 the Russian Center of Science and Culture in Helsinki launched an exhibition of two artists from St. Petersburg - Viktor Vasilev and Yuri Zverlin entitled “Suomi and St. Petersburg through the Eyes of Russian Artists”.

The exhibition celebrates Helsinki’s 200th anniversary as the capital city of Finland, and is opening on the eve of the “Kalevala Day” celebration – a holiday devoted to Finnish and Karelian national epos “Kalevala”, which is celebrated annually on the Finland Flag Day. These two occasions are in the spotlight of the exhibit of St. Petersburg artists. Works show the views of Helsinki, nature of Finland, some of them center around “Kalevala” epos. Closeness in geographical and cultural status of Helsinki and St. Petersburg as a cultural city of Russia, has defined the presence of works focused on St. Petersburg as well: paintings by Viktor Vasilev, which present the beauty of the city on Neva River, its streets, squares, canals, series of drawings by Yuri Zverlin “White Nights of Northern Capital Cities”.

“Suomi and St. Petersburg through the Eyes of Russian Artists” exhibition is not a debut of artists in the capital city of Finland. In 2010 the Finnish public had a chance to evaluate the exhibition “War. Fragments, Part two…”, which marked 65th anniversary of the Great Victory and 70th anniversary of the end of the Winter War.