Master Repin. Episodes from the Life of a Teacher and His Students

That's the title of the exhibition that opened in the grand museum space. But let's take it in order.
In Istra, in the Moscow region, there is a huge modern historical and art museum. How did that happen? In the 17th century the New Jerusalem Monastery was founded here. According to Patriarch Nikon's plan, a complex of the holy places of Palestine was to be recreated near Moscow. The buildings were majestic, there were many rooms, the grounds were extensive, and after the Revolution the main museum of the Moscow Region was placed here. There are thousands of exhibits — valuable and diverse.

In the 1990s the monastery was returned to its former purpose. The question arose: what to do with the museum? In 2014 the museum completely moved to a new building, built nearby and perfectly integrated into the landscape. Excellent opportunities appeared both for exhibiting its own rich collection and for active, large-scale exhibition activity.

State Historical and Art Museum "New Jerusalem"

Right now a truly unconventional and very valuable exhibition 'Master Repin. Episodes from the Life of a Teacher and His Students' is taking place here. The main idea, vividly illustrated by the works of great artists, is that in creativity a teacher should be a mentor, not a controller of a system. A good master teaches hard work, teaches how to observe and see, cultivates curiosity, innovation, and freedom. That is why such very different great artists emerged from Repin's hand: Valentin Serov, Boris Kustodiev, Filipp Malyavin, Isaak Brodsky, Konstantin Somov, Zinaida Serebriakova, Igor Grabar, Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva — their works form the core of the exhibition.

Ostroumova-Lebedeva 'Self-Portrait'

Feshin 'Lady in Black'

Malyavin 'Women'

The exhibition is divided into three sections according to Repin's three teaching principles: 'If it's the body, then the body', 'Learn from nature', and 'Follow your own path'. However, this is not a strict structuring, just like the master's teaching system. Themes flow into one another, and there is no clear route through the exhibition. A visitor can quite well walk past the same work several times and, because of that, become even more familiar with it.

Exhibition 'Master Repin. Episodes from the Life of a Teacher and His Students'

I'll tell you about my three personal discoveries. First — Repin's painting 'At the Academic Dacha' — I'd heard a lot about this work, but had never seen the original. It is an exhibit of the Russian Museum, but kept in storage. Second — a study by two authors, Repin and Bogolyubov, which came from the Penza Regional Art Gallery. And finally — the huge Repin painting 'Hopak', painted on linoleum from the MIRA collection.

Repin 'At the Academic Dacha'

Signatures of Repin and Bogolyubov on the study

Repin 'Hopak'

Planning the trip is quite simple. From Moscow to Istra by electric train it's 1.5 hours. From the station to the museum there is a bus or a taxi. Visiting the monastery and the museum will take you a whole day. The sites are close, a 10-minute walk, across the little bridge over the Istra River. The monastery has a refectory, and the museum has a good café.

The exhibition will run until July 28. It is definitely worth deciding now to visit Istra.