History of the Estate “Penaty”: Photo Exhibition in Honor of the 110th Anniversary of the Estate “Penaty” in Tsereteli Art Gallery
The photo exhibition in Tsereteli Art Gallery is devoted to the 110th anniversary of the Estate “Penaty” where the eminent Russian painter Ilya Repin (1844-1930) lived for about 30 years until his death. On show are over 150 photographs showcasing the most interesting events of the Estate that was a kind of Mecca for students and noted figures of culture and science of that time.
Ilya Repin bought a cottage near what was then the village of Kuokkala in 1899. Redesigned by the artist himself and named by him the “Penaty” after the Roman household gods, it is a two-storey house of extraordinary architecture with a steep glass roof and an abundance of windows, as well as an interior reflecting the progressive views of Repin and his wife Natalya Nordman. Here, Ilya Repin created his canvases on historical topics, pictures on everyday life, portraits of many celebrities who visited and stayed in his house as guests. When Ilya Repin and Natalya Nordman purchased the Estate, the photography had already turned from an exotic invention into an ordinary way for fixing events and images of people. The “Penaty” was in the focus of photographers’ attraction. The photographs of the park, the house, its interiors and, first of all, its inhabitants and their numerous guests were on the pages of many popular magazines and newspapers. Among the photographers were not only professional masters, but also many amateurs, including Natalya Nordman who finished courses on photography at the Russian Engineering Society. The photographs and photo reproductions from her “Nordman’s Album” are rare witnesses of the life in the Estate.
The house was burned to the ground by the Nazis in 1944 and then recreated in the post-war era. Now it is open as Ilya Repin Estate-Museum (Repino, 411 Primorskoye Shosse, 47 km northwest of St. Petersburg).
The exhibition in Tsereteli Art Gallery will be accompanied by a film about Ilya Repin and his Estate “Penaty”.
On the occasion of the 110th anniversary from July 15-17, 2011 to Moscow will come 18 descendents of the celebrated painter from France and Switzerland. On July 16th, 2011 the delegation will visit the Russian Academy of Arts and see the jubilee exposition. Ilya Repin’s descendents will also visit memorial places connected with the name of Ilya Repin in Russia, Ukraine and Belorus. The trip will end in St. Petersburg.
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