World Culture: A Large-scale Exhibition of Works by Ilya Repin on the Centenary of Independence of Finland

Deputy Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Alla Manilova held a preliminary meeting with the representatives of leading museums of Finland on the organization of Ilya Repin’s exhibition in Turku and Helsinki.

General Director of the National Gallery of Finland Risto Ruohonen said that Russian artists had a considerable impact on Finnish art, and everyone in Finland knows the famous Russian painter Ilya Repin. Taking into account that the last two and a half decades of his life the famous Russian realist had spent in Finland - “The Penates" estate in Kuokkala.

Alla Manilova has suggested to engage in a new dedicated to Repin project more regional Russian museums, which have the great artist’s works in their funds, as well as to attract the attention of major scientific institutions of both countries along with critics, experts, and the researchers of Repin’s creative life to that event.

"It would be nice if within the exhibition we could also carry out a conference on the history of Russian-Finnish cultural and humanitarian cooperation, - said Alla Manilova. - This will grab an additional concernment to the exhibition, which is certainly in itself is an outstanding cultural event conveying a new impulse to bilateral cooperation."

Exhibition of works by Ilya Repin is scheduled for the second half of 2016 in Turku, and then moves to the capital of Finland - Helsinki. This event is arranged to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Finland's independence, which will be celebrated in 2017.