Russian culture abroad: “Russia’s Unknown Orient” exhibition opens in the Netherlands

20 December 2010

Over 130 pictures provided by leading museums of Russia and CIS member-states have been put on show at the exhibition called “Russia’s Unknown Orient. Orientalist painting 1850-1920” launched at the Groninger Museum, the Netherlands on December 19 2010.

Russia's Unknown Orient, which features artworks, geographic maps and photographs dating back to beginning of 20th c., tells the story of Russia's historical bond with its southern neighbours. Many topics are covered in this exhibition, including allegories, travel impressions, everyday life in the Central Asia and the biblical East. The exhibition presents works by Vasili Polenov, Niko Pirosmanashvili,  Martiros Sarian and many others. Apart from Moscow and St. Petersburg museums, which have provided the core of exhibits, contribution was also made by museums of Kiev, Yerevan, Tashkent, Bukhara, and Samarkand.     

In the past, the Groninger Museum has devoted several exhibitions to Russian art. In 2001 the Museum presented the extremely successful exhibition entitled Ilya Repin. Russia’s Secret, which was followed by Russian Landscape (2003), Working for Diaghilev (2004) and Russian Fairytales, folk stories and legends (2007). In 2013, which sees the Year of Culture of the Netherlands in Russia and Russia in the Netherlands, the museum is expected to launch an exhibition of modern Russian art.