Exhibition of the S. T. Konenkov Museum of Sculpture

About exhibition

The museum is dedicated to a vivid, distinctive artist — an unexpected and original thinker whose name is known, without exaggeration, to all connoisseurs of the beautiful both in Russia and abroad. The museum was opened in Smolensk on April 30, 1973, at the initiative of the sculptor himself. The choice of city was not accidental, since it was here that the future great sculptor was born. The master treated his creations with care and worried about their fate; he wished that his homeland would have not only individual works but also a large collection — a museum of sculpture. From the artist's studio in Moscow, 41 works by Konenkov were transferred, which formed the beginning of the exhibition. Many works arose as reflections on the nature of creativity and the meaning of art. These include portraits of geniuses of Russian literature: L. N. Tolstoy, V. V. Mayakovsky, A. M. Gorky, T. G. Shevchenko. The compositions dedicated to A. S. Pushkin and F. M. Dostoevsky are imbued with special spirituality and tragedy. The theme of music recurred throughout the sculptor's career. It inspired the master to create portraits of outstanding composers and performers: M. P. Mussorgsky, D. D. Shostakovich, A. B. Goldenweiser, N. V. Plevitskaya. S. T. Konenkov was awarded the highest honors. His work continues to attract sustained, close interest; each new generation of viewers discovers new aspects in the master's works. Only one thing remains unchanged: a hymn to beauty, freedom, reason and the homeland.