My favorite private museum in Moscow is the Museum of Russian Impressionism. I wrote about the previous exhibition in my column as well, and today it's the exhibition "The Magazine of Beautiful Living." When I was walking to the museum, I assumed that the word "magazine" in the title was not meant entirely literally. It turned out that the exhibition actually tells the story of a printed publication—the first glossy magazine in Russia, created following British models and published from 1913 to 1917. It was called "The Capital and the Country Estate."
The main focus of the exhibition is the magazine's illustrations. Often these were paintings by artists popular at the time. An illustration could be a portrait or a landscape in the sections "The Capital," "Tourism," "This and That," "The Country Estate: Past and Present." In the section "In the Viewing Hall," of course, there were sketches of sets and costumes. And the part of the magazine titled "Art Exhibitions" published works of any genre and wrote about them and the painters themselves.
The curators studied the magazine, traced the history of the paintings, and showed us many interesting things. The whole exhibition is united by the theme of the beautiful life. Magnificent women, lavish outfits, palace interiors, beautiful country estates, fragrant nature—all of this is presented in the rooms. There are also apt quotes from the magazine issues. It's curious to realize what was considered a sign of a beautiful life more than a hundred years ago.
There are also interactive display cases in the exhibition where you can "view" a painting with your fingers, sense the aroma of its atmosphere, press the piano keys, or sift through shells as the characters in the story do. Even people with good eyesight find this interactivity in the museum interesting—let alone those for whom it is simply necessary.
And for contrast, on the museum's third floor, as always, there is an additional exhibition. Contemporary artists on today's beautiful (and at the same time somewhat ugly) life.
With surprisingly interesting themes revealed and a perfect selection of exhibits, the museum always delights with its generally friendly atmosphere, attentive treatment of visitors, and cleanliness. And the rooftop relaxation area and the special menu created for the exhibition make every visit unforgettable.
