P. BENKOV AND N. FESHIN

The beginning of the XX century, Kazan. Two talented students meet at the art school - Pavel Benkov and Nikolai Feshin. They become friends, both successfully graduate from college, travel to St. Petersburg together, enter the Academy of Arts there. After studying at the Academy, both return to Kazan, they already begin to teach at the same school they graduated from. Circles are being formed around them, all college students are now divided into “Benkovites” and “Feshins”.

Further revolution, followed by civil war, a difficult time. Nikolai Feshin decides to emigrate to the United States. On the eve of his departure, he has a dispute with Benkov, who exclaims:

“You will be lost there!”

“And you will disappear here,” Feshin answers.

Around this dispute and the further fate of the heroes, the dramaturgy of the exhibition was built in the Museum of Russian Impressionism. To one degree or another, the question “To leave or stay?” Is at this time before the entire intelligentsia, this is a global issue. On the example of two artists with a very similar start, we can see what happened in the first and second case. The exhibition will not give a clear answer. The viewer will decide for himself.