The exhibition project "I Speak to You from Leningrad" continues at the Manege of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin. The exhibition was organized by the State Russian Museum (Saint Petersburg) and the Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum (NGKhM).
The exhibition at the Manege is timed to the 80th anniversary of the complete lifting of the blockade, which lasted from September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944. The exhibition’s core, structured along the "route" from blockaded Leningrad to the evacuation to the Gorky region, consists of painting, graphics, and sculpture from the Russian Museum’s collection. The artistic part is complemented by historical items, including, for the first time in Nizhny Novgorod, the original diary of Tanya Savicheva from the holdings of the State Museum of the History of Saint Petersburg. The diary is "accompanied" by letters and documents from the Savichev family’s personal archive. They were provided by the family and are being exhibited for the first time.
"This is a transmission of history through great, genuine culture. Spending one minute here is enough to be transported to a state that gives you goosebumps... I would very much like as many people as possible to become acquainted with this project. We will emphasize that the exhibition must be visited by Nizhny Novgorod schoolchildren," said Gleb Nikitin.
The head of the region noted that during the Great Patriotic War many children from Leningrad were evacuated to the Gorky region. They were taken out along the "Road of Life" in GAZ "polutorka" trucks. All of this evokes particular emotions.
About 50 works from the collections of the State Russian Museum are included in the exhibition. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that nearly all of the works on display were created in blockaded Leningrad and were first exhibited in 1942 at an exhibition of the Leningrad branch of the Union of Soviet Artists. Later they formed the basis of the State Russian Museum’s collection of works from the Great Patriotic War.
"Speaking about the exhibition 'I Speak to You from Leningrad…', first of all I want to say that it has become incredibly close to each of us. Everyone who worked on the concept, the architectural solution, the exhibition, the audio guide did so with the thought that this is an opportunity to preserve the memory of the feat of the people who found themselves in the blockade. This is an invaluable opportunity to tell our children once again about the true heroes of our country and to do it not as a formality, bureaucratically and dryly, but subtly and sincerely. I also want to emphasize that this project has brought NGKhM to a new level of work: the exhibition has many unique accents, and this is the result of cohesive teamwork with colleagues from the Russian Museum, since the basis of the exhibition consists of works from the State Russian Museum’s collection, together with actors who worked on recording the audio guide and with theatrical decorators. I would also like to say a special thank you to the Savichev family, who very actively responded to our invitation and helped prepare the exhibition," said NGKhM General Director Roman Zhukarin.
"This exhibition is a sign of our gratitude to the people of Gorky, to the people of Nizhny Novgorod, to everyone who defended our city, helped the people of Leningrad, and who keeps the sacred memory of the war and the blockade. There has never been an exhibition like this in terms of composition, approach, and concept, despite the fact that 80 years have passed since our victory. Brilliant decisions were made by the Ministry of Culture of the Nizhny Novgorod Region and the Nizhny Novgorod Art Museum — the main partner of the Russian Museum in the Nizhny Novgorod region. We are exhibiting Tanya Savicheva’s diary for the first time, provided by the State Museum of the History of Saint Petersburg. This unique exhibit has become, first and foremost, a symbol of the blockade tragedy for the whole country and for our city. The Russian Museum and the Nizhny Novgorod Art Museum have huge plans ahead! In a year we will meet again here, in Nizhny Novgorod, and open a branch of the Russian Museum — the largest museum of Russian art in the world and the country’s principal art museum," said State Russian Museum General Director Alla Manilova.
The exhibition "I Speak to You from Leningrad" is a multi-genre project. It was created at the intersection of museum and theatrical practices. For the first time for this exhibition an audio drama was prepared, whose characters, while being composite figures, have real prototypes and were created based on numerous blockade diaries and recollections. The audio drama guides visitors through the entire history of wartime Leningrad from the first day, June 22, 1941, to the "Leningrad Victory Day" — January 27, 1944, when the siege of the city on the Neva was completely lifted. The audio drama was voiced by actors from the creative association "Neteatr." Tanya Savicheva’s story is told by her grandniece, Liza Savicheva.
