History of Russia: The exhibition, dedicated to the literary life of Petrograd during the First World War, in Saint-Petersburg

November 27, 2014 in the A. A. Blok Museum-Apartment (Saint-Petersburg) opens the exhibition “Petrograd sky was under the rain, the train went to war”, dedicated to the First World War Centenary.

The purpose of the exhibition – is to attract attention of a contemporary man to spiritual, moral component of war. One the brightest evidence of life and struggle in four war years was literature. It depicted the “nerve of time”, changing in the mind of the warring nation, emotional perception of events, changing of moods throughout different stages of the war: patriotic impulse of the first months, disappointment of 1915-1916 and the started review of the system of values by the end of the war.

Writers released anthologies and collections, organized hospitals, arranged charity evenings, the proceeds of which went to help the wounded, prisoners of war, families of victims, actively participated in the work of journalists.

Author collections at the exhibition published during the war resemble about this activity, as well as periodicals war years. These are magazines, born of war: “Curved seashore”, “Fatherland”, “Voice of Life”, “The Great War in images and pictures”, and Special Edition, has been published for many years – “Old Years”, “Sun of Russia”, “Spark”, “Blue magazine”. Famous poets, writers and artists cooperated with them. Many of the materials in the magazines were devoted to the lives of soldiers, the events at the front, captured and liberated cities and hospitals.

The atmosphere of military Petrograd is reflected with historical photographs and posters of numerous charity events, organized by cultural workers, postcards of the wartime.

The exhibition is accompanied with multimedia program, telling of not only art of opets and writers during the war, but also about personal lives.